"System of Rice Intensification" of cultivation, in which alternate wetting and drying of rice fields is practised, results in:

"System of Rice Intensification" of cultivation, in which alternate wetting and drying of rice fields is practised, results in:

1. Reduced seed requirement
2. Reduced methane production
3. Reduced electricity consumption

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: 1, 2 and 3

The system of rice intensification or SRI was first introduced in the 1980s in Madagascar in an attempt to synthesise local rice production. It is a stepwise procedure that includes four separate stages: seed management, water management, nursery change management and duration of the plantation. 

Benefits of SRI

• Higher yields – Both grain and straw
• Reduced duration (by 10 days)
• Lesser chemical inputs
• Less water requirement
• Less chaffy grain %
• Grain weight increased without change in grain size
• Higher head rice recovery
• Withstand cyclonic gales
• Cold tolerance
• Soil health improves through biological activity