03 Oct 2007 - Tripura, India
– A new method to grow rice could save hundreds
of billions of cubic metres of water while
increasing food security, according to a study
by WWF published today.
With a focus on India – a country which faces
a major water crisis, yet has the world’s
largest rice cultivated area – the study found
that the system of rice intensification (SRI)
method has helped increase yields by over
30% — four to five tonnes per hectare instead
of three tonnes per hectare, while using 40%
less water than conventional methods.
The system is based on eight principles which
are different to conventional rice cultivation.
They include developing nutrient-rich and
un-flooded nurseries instead of flooded ones;
ensuring wider spacing between rice seedlings;
preferring composts or manure to synthetic
fertilizers; and managing water carefully
to avoid that the plants’ roots are not saturated.
The method was initially developed in the
1980s in Madagascar and has been demonstrated
to be effective in 28 countries.
“Although the system of rice intensification
has shown its advantages, the scale of its
use leaves much to be desired,” said Dr Biksham
Gujja, Senior Policy Adviser at WWF International.
"It is time to start large-scale programmes
to support a method that could make a lasting
global impact with far-reaching benefits to
people and nature.”
The report suggests that major rice-producing
countries — such as India, China and Indonesia
— convert at least 25% of their current rice
cultivation to the new system by 2025. This
would not only massively reduce the use of
water but also help ensure food security.
In addition, this will reduce significant
amount of methane emissions. SRI fields do
not emit methane as is the case with the more
conventional system of growing rice.
For example, if the SRI method was applied
to 20 million hectares of land under rice
cultivation in India, the country could meet
its food grain objectives of 220 million tonnes
of grain by 2012 instead of 2050.
Authorities in the Indian state of Tripura
have already committed to move in that direction.
“Our farmers proved that the system of rice
intensification improves productivity and
we will convert at least 40% of our rice cultivation
using this method over the next five years,”
said Manik Sarkar, Chief Minister of Tripura
State.
“We urge this as a model for rice cultivation
elsewhere as it represents one hope for the
water crisis affecting so many billions of
people.”
Demand for a water-intensive crop such as
rice is expected to increase by 38% by 2040,
deepening the water crisis during the same
time. However, less than 6% of rice is traded
internationally and savings in water have
potential for mitigating domestic water conflicts,
especially in poor, rural areas where water
is scarce.
Already 1.2 billion people have no access
to adequate water for drinking and hygiene.
WWF is focusing on sustainable agriculture
efforts for cotton, sugar and rice, some of
the most consuming crops for which alternative
techniques can result in a strong yield and
water savings.
END NOTES:
• The report More Rice with Less Water was
released today at a conference held 3-5 October
in Tripura. The conference is being jointly
organized by the Department of Agriculture
of the Government of Tripura, the Directorate
of Rice Research (DRR), the Central Rice Research
Institute (CRRI), the Directorate of Rice
Development (DRD), the Acharya NG Ranga Agriculture
University (ANGRAU), the National Bank for
Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD),
Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) Mumbai and World
Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-ICRISAT Dialogue
Project based at ICRISAT, Patancheru.
• Rice is the main source of directly consumed
calories for about half the world’s population
and 90 per cent of it is produced and consumed
in Asia.
• Contrary to popular belief, rice is not
an aquatic plant and the main reason it is
submerged in water is for controlling weeds.
• Conventional method of rice cultivation
uses 60-70 kilos of seeds per hectare, SRI
requires just five kilos per hectare.
Lisa Hadeed, Communications Manager
WWF Global Freshwater Programme