AGROECOLOGICALLY-BASED AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS: Can They Provide for the World

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AGROECOLOGICALLY-BASED AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS
Can They Provide for the Worlds Growing
Populations?

• Norman Uphoff, CIIFAD
• Cornell University, USA
• 2005 Deutscher Tropentag
• U of Hohenheim, October 11, 2005

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Global Food Prospects-- especially for the
tropics --

• are not necessarily optimistic for this new
  century -- despite current technological advances
• Population growth is slowing
• However, land and water per capita are
  decreasing, and
• Agriculture progress is slowing

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Modern Agriculturefaces many challenges

• Costs of production are increasing with
  diminishing returns to inputs
• Reliance on petrochemical inputs is
  becoming more uncertain and costly
• Adverse environmental impacts are
  increasing and becoming less acceptable
• Global climate change requires some reorientation
  in strategy -- because variability is more
  challenging than warming

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Global Trends in Fertilizer Use
World Grain
Fertilizer Production
Use
(mmt) Decade? (mmt) Decade?
1950 631 -- 14
-- 1961 805 (174) 31
(17) 1970 1116 (311) 68
(37) 1980 1442 (326)
116 (48) 1990 1732 (290)
140 (24) 2000 1885 (153)
138 (-2) 3-year average
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Biotechnology Some Opportunities

• But its timeframe for creating the anticipated
  benefits is uncertain
• Costs of biotech development are very
  considerable
• Regulatory issues present many difficulties, most
  not yet resolved
• Possible environmental hazards
• Still is working within the present paradigm of
  modern agriculture which is input-dependent

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Agroecology Another Approach

• Much is already known and presently available
  will discuss one example
• Costs of development are much less than with
  biotechnology
• Regulatory issues are minimal, with few
  environmental hazards
• Agroecology offers an alternative paradigm
  post-modern agriculture -- building on the most
  modern science

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Different Paradigms of Production

• GREEN REVOLUTION strategy was to
• (a) Change the genetic potential of plants, and
• (b) Increase the use of external inputs --
  more water, fertilizer, insecticides, etc.
• AGROECOLOGY just changes management practices for
  plants, soil, water and nutrients
• (a) It promotes the growth of root systems, and
• (b) It increases the abundance and diversity of
  soil organisms to enlist their benefits
• Reducing water use and cost of production

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System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is a Good
Example of Agroecology

• Developed 20 years ago in Madagascar by Fr. Henri
  de Laulanié, SJ, after 20 years of working with
  farmers, making observations, and doing
  experiments
• First validation of SRI methods outside
  Madagascar was done only in 1999 at
• Nanjing Agricultural University in China
• Agency for Agric. Res. Dev. in Indonesia
• Six years later, SRI results have been
  demonstrated in 22 countries to date

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Fr. de Laulanié making field visit
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Sebastien Rafaralahy and Justin
Rabenandrasana, Association Tefy Saina
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System of Rice Intensification

• Start with young seedlings 8-12 days old ( lt15
  days) to preserve their potential for profuse
  growth of roots and of tillers
• Seedlings are singly and widely spaced in a
  square pattern, quickly and gently
• Apply minimum water with no standing water in
  fields just keep the soil moist
• Weed with a rotating hoe to aerate soil while
  controlling weeds (return to soil)
• Provide organic matter -- as much as possible --
  for soil organisms and plants

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With System of Rice Intensification

• No need to change varieties all have responded
  well to the new methods while HYVs and hybrids
  give greatest response, local varieties also
  give very good results
• No need for inorganic fertilizers since compost
  gives even better yields fertilizer can be used
  if organic materials are too limited
• No need for agrochemical crop protection
  because plants are more resistant to damage by
  pests and diseases (will discuss)
• More resistance to storm and drought damage
  because of well-developed root systems

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SRI Offers Unusual Advantages

• Immediate benefit no need for any transition
  as often with organic agriculture
• Yield increases are 50-100 -- or more, without
  any need to change varieties
• No need to purchase external inputs lowered
  cost of production raises profits
• Less water is needed reduction of 25-50
• Seed requirement is also reduced, by 80-90
• More labor is required initially -- but SRI can
  even become labor-saving over time

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What Is Needed for SRI?

• More labor initially during learning period
  labor requirement then reduces
• Good water control for best results need not be
  perfect can improve with investments in
  infrastructure and/or organization
• Good supply of biomass although chemical
  fertilizers can be used instead of or along with
  compost (supply will increase if profitable)
• Good system of extension preferably
  farmer-to-farmer need to overcome farmers
  skepticism or apprehension
• Possibly some crop protection may need to
  control golden apple snail and nematodes

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Other Benefits Apart from Yield

• Low capital cost makes these benefits more
  accessible to the poor, thereby contributing to
  their food security
• Lower costs of production ( 20) enhance both
  profitability and income
• Reduction in risk (GTZ, IWMI studies) contributes
  to household security
• Reduced water requirements and less reliance on
  agrochemicals are advantageous for the
  environment
• Strategy for dissemination supports human
  resource development

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Too Good to Be True?

• SRI should be put to empirical tests
• GTZ evaluation of SRI in Cambodia, results
  presented to Tropentag 2004
• Also IWMI and university evaluations
• SRI demonstrates the effects of agroecological
  principles Mobilization of endogenous potentials
  of agroeco-systems capitalizes on certain
  inherent biological and ecological processes --
  including synergy and symbiosis
• Nothing magical or mystical about it

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Soil microbial activity is critical for plant
nutrition and SRI performance

• The microbial flora causes a large number of
  biochemical changes in the soil that largely
  determine the fertility of the soil. (DeDatta,
  Principles and Practices of Rice Production,1981,
  p. 60, emphasis added)
• Also, these flora produce phytohormones that
  stimulate and regulate plant growth

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In addition to producing phytohormones (auxins,
cytokinins, gibberellins, )

• SOIL ORGANISMS
• Fix nitrogen (biological N fixation)
• Mobilize/cycle nitrogen (protozoa)
• Solubilize phosphorus (bacteria)
• Increase uptake of water, P and other nutrients
  (mycorrhizal fungi)
• Induce systemic resistance (ISR)
• Protect against pathogens, etc.

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By changing the management of plants, soil, water
and nutrients,

• SRI practices affect the size, diversity and
  activity of various populations of soil biota
  bacteria, fungi, earthworms, etc.
• Ensuing interactions among the biota and with
  plants produce different phenotypes from same
  genotypes
• Results are empirically demonstrable even if not
  all mechanisms yet clear

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Microbial population in rice rhizosphere
Micro-organism Conventional practices SRI practices
Total bacteria 88 x 106 105 x 106
Azospirillum 8 x 105 31 x 105
Azotobacter 39 x 103 66 x 103
Phospho-bacteria 33 x 103 59 x 103
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Ms. Im Sarim, Cambodia, with rice plant
grown from a single seed, using SRI methods and
traditional variety -- yield of 6.72 t/ha
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Morang District, Nepal - 2005
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Single plant with 185 tillers, Morang, Nepal
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Madagascar SRI field, 2003
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India Single SRI plant Swarna cv. normally
shy-tillering
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How Is Such Growth Possible?

• The main causal factors are out of sight -- the
  roots and the soil biota

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Roots of a single rice plant (MTU 1071) grown at
Agricultural Research Station Maruteru, AP,
India, kharif 2003
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Cuba Both plants are the same age (52 DAP) and
same variety (VN 2084)
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SRI plant roots growing profusely in soil in Cuba
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Sister plants, both 80 days same variety
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47.9
34.7
Non-Flooding Rice Farming Technology in
Irrigated Paddy Field Dr. Tao Longxing, China
National Rice Research Institute, 2004
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Plant Physical Structure and Light Intensity
Distribution at Heading Stage (Tao et al.,
CNRRI, 2002)
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Change of Leaf Area Index (LAI) during growth
cycle (Zheng et al., SAAS, 2003)

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Roots Oxygenation Ability with SRI vs.
Conventionally-Grown RiceResearch done at
Nanjing Agricultural University,Wuxianggeng-9
variety (Wang et al., 2002)
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• Drought resistance with better root systems

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Rice fields in Sri Lanka same variety, same
irrigation system, and same drought
conventional methods (left), SRI (right)
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• Resistance to lodging with better root systems
  and strong plant tissues

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Rice in Tamil Nadu, India normal crop is seen in
foreground SRI crop, behind it, resists lodging
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Rice in Vietnam normal methods on right SRI
with close spacing in middle SRI with
recommended spacing on left
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Nie Fu Qu, Bu Tou, Tian Tai, Zhejiang
Province, describing his experiments within SRI
system
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• Shorter time to maturity
• Reduce risks of storm damage and losses to pests
  and diseases
• Create more time for next crop within the farming
  system?

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Nepal Monsoon Season, 2004

• 22 farmers in Morang district reporting on SRI
  vs. conventional results
• Average conventional yield 3.37 t/ha
• Average SRI yield 7.85 t/ha
• Average earlier harvest
• for the SRI crop 15.1 days
• Andhra Pradesh (India) 8.5 days earlier
• Cambodia 7 days
  earlier

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• Resistance to
• pests and diseases
• Explained by theory of trophobiosis? (Francis
  Chaboussou, Healthy Crops A New Agricultural
  Revolution -- book published by Jon Carpenter,
  Charnley, UK, 2004 -- translation of 1985 book)

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Trophobiosis

• Explains incidence of pest and disease in terms
  of plants nutrition
• Nutrient imbalances and deficiencies lead to
  excesses of free amino acids not yet synthesized
  into proteins in the plants sap and cells and
  more reducing sugars not incorporated into
  polysaccharides
• This condition attracts and nourishes insects,
  bacteria, fungi and viruses

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Trophobiosis

• Deserves more attention and empirical evaluation
  than it has received to date
• Its propositions are well supported by published
  literature over last 50 years -- and by
  long-standing observations about adverse effects
  of nitrogenous fertilizers and chlorinated
  pesticides
• Theory does not support strictly organic
  approach since nutrient amendments will be
  beneficial and advisable when natural nutrient
  shortages exist

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• Higher milling out-turn
• as a result of
• Less chaff (fewer unfilled grains)
• Less shattering (fewer broken grains)
• Get more milled rice from raw paddy
• Other quality improvements too?
• Better nutritional quality of grain?

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MEASURED DIFFERENCES IN GRAIN QUALITY
Characteristic SRI (3 spacings)
Conventional Diff.
Chalky kernels () 23.62 - 32.47 39.89 - 41.07 - 30.7
General chalkiness () 1.02 - 4.04 6.74 - 7.17 - 65.7
Milled rice outturn () 53.58 - 54.41 41.54 - 51.46 16.1
Head milled rice () 41.81 - 50.84 38.87 - 39.99 17.5
Paper by Prof. Ma Jun, Sichuan Agricultural
University, presented at 10th conference on
Theory and Practice for High-Quality,
High-Yielding Rice in China, Haerbin, 8/2004
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Applications to other crops?

• Winter wheat in Poland
• Finger millet in Karnataka, India
• Sugar cane in AP, India
• Cotton and vegetables in TN?
• Chickens in Cambodia?

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Guli Vidhana Method (Millet)

• Yields in Karnataka State, India
  500-600 kg/ha, maximum is 1,500 kg/ha
• Guli Vidhana Method average yield is 1,800-2,000
  kg/ha -- up to 2,500 kg/ha
• Plant in square pattern (18 x 18 in.)
• Two seedlings per hill
• Abuse young millet plants at 25 days induce
  profuse tillering and root growth, with tripled
  yield (farmer innovation)

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Increase in Finger Millet Yieldwith Guli Vidhana
Method,as reported by Green Foundation, Bangalore
Methods Broadcast - Drill sowing - Close
transplant - Guli Vidhana
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SRI RAGI (FINGER MILLET), Rabi 2004-0560 days
after sowing Varieties 762 and 708
Results of trials being being done by ANGRAU
VR 762
10 15 21
VR 708
Age at which seedlings were transplanted from
nursery
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Sugar Cane Adaptation

• Andhra Pradesh State, India Farmer adaptation
  based on SRI experience
• Instead of planting 8-12 sets in rows 3 apart
  -- incubate 3 sets (with one bud each) in
  plastic bags and compost, in warm, humid
  environment for 45 days plant 1 apart in rows
  5-6 apart -- reduce material by 85
• Save cost of 3 irrigations and 1 herbicide
• Yield is 100 tons/acre instead of 30 tons

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Other Adaptations

• UPLAND RICE got 7.2 t/ha average for
  unirrigated rice in Philippines have
  reached 4 t/ha in Madagascar
• COTTON is starting to be grown with SRI
  concepts, and also VEGETABLES by innovative
  farmers in India
• CHICKEN INTENSIFICATION is tried in Cambodia
  fence in compost pile and raise chickens within
  it they feed on worms and add manure to compost
• RAISE FEWER PLANTS/ANIMALS WITH BETTER NUTRITION
  AND HEALTH

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LESS CAN PRODUCE MORE

• by utilizing biological potentials processes
• Smaller, younger rice seedlings become larger,
  more productive mature plants
• Fewer rice plants per hill and per m2 give
  higher yield if used with other SRI practices
• Half as much water produces more rice because
  aerobic soil conditions are better
• Greater output is possible with use of
• fewer or even no external/chemical inputs
• Even more output within a shorter time
• There is nothing magical about SRI not voodoo
  science (Cassman Sinclair, 2004)

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SRI rice field, hybrid variety, Yunnan province,
2004 18 t/ha
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SRI farmer in Chibal village, Srey Santhor
district, Kampong Cham province, Cambodia
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Guinea Chinese hybrid (GY032) with SRI methods
9.2 t/ha
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The Gambia Sapu Research Station, 2001
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SRI field in Cuba 12 t/ha Los Palacios 9 cv.
-- 2003
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SRI field of Basmati rice, Sri Lanka, 2005
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Table 1. Summary of results from SRI vs. BMP
evaluations in China and India, t ha-1, 2003-2004
Province/state No. of on-farm comparison trials (area) BMP ave. yield SRI ave. yield SRI advantage ( incr.)
Zhejiang province 16.8 ha of SRI rice with 2 hybrid varieties 8.8 11.9 3.1 (35.2)
Sichuan province 8 trials (0.2 ha each) 8.13 11.44 3.31 (40.7)
Andhra Pradesh state 1,525 trials (average 0.4 ha range 0.1-1.6 ha) 6.31 8.73 2.42 (33.8)
Tamil Nadu state 100 trials (SRI and BMP trials each 0.1 ha) 5.66 7.23 1.57 (27.7)
Chinese comparisons were made using hybrid
rice varieties.
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Prospects for Food Security

• even in the tropics are much better than is
  commonly thought
• Biotechnology can play useful role if it
  takes agroecological perspective
• Need more attention to phenotypes, not just
  genotypes
• Understand how organisms function -- and how they
  can prosper -- within agroecological systems that
  benefit from symbiotic relationships

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THANK YOU

• Web page http//ciifad.cornell.edu/sri/
• Email ciifad_at_cornell.edu or ntu1_at_cornell.edu or
• tefysaina.tnr_at_simicro.mg

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Examples of Farmer Innovation

• SRI Elicits New Thinking

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Roller-marker devised by Lakshmana Reddy, East
Godavari, AP, India, to save time in
transplanting operations his yield in 2003-04
rabi season was 17.25 t/ha paddy (dry weight)
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4-row weeder designed by Gopal Swaminathan, Thanja
vur, TN, India
Aerate soil at same time that weeds are
removed/incorporated
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Motorized weeder developed by S. Ariyaratna Sri
Lanka
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Seeder Developed in Cuba
Direct seeding will probably replace
transplanting in future Essential principle is to
avoid trauma to the young roots
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Liu Zhibin, Meishan Inst. of Science
Technology, in raised-bed,no-till SRI field with
certified yield of 13.4 t/ha
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Seedlings are started at the end of winter in
plastic greenhouses
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3-S
Normal
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Sri Lankan SRI Practices

• From the farm of H. M. Premaratna at Mellawellana
• Nursery only small one needed
• Removing 10-day-old seedlings carefully
• Drawing grid on muddy rice field
• Separating young seedlings
• Placing them gently into the soil
• Results of good SRI practices
• Use of SRI with traditional varieties

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