Potentials of system of rice intensification (SRI) in climate change adaptation and mitigation. A review
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Date
2018
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Publisher
JAPR
Abstract
How to increase food production using less water is one of the greatest
challenges of the future. Crops and livestock use 70 percent of all water
withdrawals and up to 95 percent is some developing countries. Paddy alone
consumes about 60 percent of it. By 2025, 1.8 billion people are projected to
be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity. To ensure food
security for the growing population, expansion of rice-cropped area and
continuous intensification of rice cultivation would likely increase
greenhouse gas emission. Data on trade-offs between rice yield increase,
water management and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions are urgently
needed for innovation in cropping techniques. Modification of current
cropping technique might be a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from
rice soils. In this respect, System of Rice Intensification (SRI) has been
introduced as an efficient, resource saving, and productive strategy to
practice rice farming. Water management practices proposed for the SRI,
cycles of repeated wetting and drying, were found to be beneficial to rice
plant growth through increased nutrient availability leading ultimately to
higher grain yields. In many countries, SRI have been producing average
yields around 8 t/ha, twice of the present world average. With good use of
these methods and with build-up of soil fertility, in microbiological as well as
chemical and physical terms, yields can surpass 15 t/ha, pushing beyond
what has been considered a yield ceiling for rice. SRI is reported to reduce
greenhouse gases emissions up to 40%, water saving 25-65%, reduction in
incidence of major rice pests and diseases, resistance to storm damage and
drought, high economic return and shorter crop cycle. These make SRI
technology relevant to the climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Description
Journal Article
Keywords
Cropping technigue, Yield, Greenhouse gas emissions, Climatic change