Use less water and increase income with System of Rice Intensification (SRI)

The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is an alternative to the traditional way of flooded rice cultivation. Studies carried out by Tamil Nadu Agricutural University (TNAU) in 100 locations have indicated 32 per cent water savings.

Highlights of SRI, based on a 5000 ha trial in Tamil Nadu:

• Water management that keeps the soil moist but not continuously flooded — alternate wetting and drying.
• Careful transplanting of 14-day young seedlings at wider spacing (23x23cm) on a square with only one seedling per hill.
• Mechanical weeding through rotary weeder before canopy closure.
• Higher use of organic compost as fertiliser.

In addition to lower water usage, here are the other benefits:

• Lower seed cost of just 8 kg/ha against the conventional practice of 30-60 kg/ha.
• More judicious use of fertiliser and pesticides.

Examples of farmers in Tamil Nadu who have benefitted from trying SRI:

• Mr K. Shanmugam raised SRI paddy in Mahibalanpatti in the dry Sivaganga district, harvested 8,750 kg/ha compared to 4,750 kg/ha in the previous year.
• Mr C. Ravi of Pallathathanur of Salem district realised a yield of 9,633 kg/ha using the SRI method compared to 6,483 kg/ha.
• Mrs Vijaylakshmi of Villupuram, increased her cropped area by 40 per cent with the same quantity of water.

Field studies indicate that the resultant decrease in inputs such as seed and chemicals, combined with improved yields, leads to an average increase in net income by Rs 12,719/ha, a 100 per cent increase over the conventional cultivation method.

Make more profit by using less fuel in rural brick kilns

A Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln (VSBK) in East Uttar Pradesh.

In India there are over 100,000 brick kilns employing over 8 million people, mostly in rural areas. These are the types of kilns used:

• Clamp kilns of various designs are used in central India.
• Bull's Trench Kilns (BTK) with either moveable or fixed chimneys are used in the northern parts of the country.
• Down-draught kilns are used in Karnataka.

Brick manufacturers in rural China developed the VSBK technology in the 70's. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and The Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi along with other agencies helped transfer this technology to India. In 1996, the first pilot kiln was established at Datia in Madhya Pradesh. There are now several hundred in successful operation in various parts of India.

• The VSBK technology requires only about 105 tonnes of coal per million bricks, while BTK requires 160 tonnes of coal per million bricks.
• However, the VSBK requires a higher initial investment of 2.1 million rupees as against 1.5 million rupees for the BTK technology (2001 estimates).
• This technology is best suited for medium-sized brick kilns, about 8000 bricks per day.
• Can be operated round the year as the kiln’s roof protects it from rain.
• Requires less land.
• Produces higher quality of bricks because the kiln fires so evenly, with no over or under-fired bricks.
• More efficient use of fuel leads to lower polluting gases and lower dust emissions.

You can get design details here.

Herbal plants can be grown with saline or brackish water

Periwinkle (Tamil name: Nithyakalyani, Hindi name: Sadabahar and Botanical name: Vinca Rosea) is one of the herbal plants that can be grown with moderately saline water irrigation.

• Salt occurs naturally in soils from rocks and minerals and is present in all water except for rainwater.
• Water salinity level is rated by Electrical Conductivity level or EC. This is measured using an instrument called EC Meter. The EC of good water is 0 to 1. Sea water EC is about 45.
• Plants respond to salt differently. Many do not tolerate it at all (salt-sensitive). Others will continue to grow but yields will be substantially reduced when grown with salty water or on saline soil (salt-tolerant). Finally, halophytic (salt-loving) plants actually experience improved growth when given saline or brackish water.

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) conducted on-farm trials on over 20 different medicinal plants:

• Trials were conducted with water of salinity level 0 to 10.
• Adathoda, Aloe Vera, Nilavembu, Senna, Nithyakalyani, Coleus, Datura, Eclipta (Karisalanganni), Kanvazhikilangu (Gloriosa), Gymnema (Sakkaraikolli), Thumbai, Thulasi, Kilanelli, Isubgol, Sarpagandha, Manathakkali, Thuthuvalai and Aswagantha were grown successfully by a farmer in Idigarai, Arukutty village irrigated by well water of 2 to 4 EC.
• Another farmer, Madangopal, cultivated the following using well water of 6 EC - Adathoda, Aloe Vera, Senna, Datura, Kanvazhikilangu (Gloriosa), Thulasi, Manathakali and Thuthuvalai.

So, farmers whose irrigation wells having high salinity levels need not lose heart as some of the medicinal plant species irrigated with waters with different salinity levels show good growth prospects.

Also, demand for herbal plants is growing in the market, including for exports.