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Reaping the benefits: Training in Rice Growing System ups Yields and well-being

Rice is the world's most commonly grown and consumed crop. It also supports lives and livelihoods, especially in low- and middle-income regions. As such, methods for securing abundant and profitable rice harvests are key in global food security.

The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) offers a repeatable, sustainable system for increasing rice yields. It brings together fundamental planting and harvesting techniques such as strategically spacing plants, minimizing water, and transplanting seedlings. These practices can be repeated in varying conditions. While SRI has been around since the mid-1980s, need persists for evidence to back its merits and distinguish its techniques.

New findings published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics now give much-needed evidence of SRI, following its diffusion to more than 5,000 Bangladeshi farmers. SRI training was introduced and evaluated among the rice farmers in a similar manner to a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in medicine. Certain communities were trained while others were not. This created a pure control group, similar to those who receive a placebo or receiving nothing in an RCT. That in turn allowed compelling comparisons, along with insights into related effects of the training.

Professor Abdul Malek of the University of Tsukuba (Japan), together with international colleagues including Asad Islam (Monash University), Christopher Barrett (Cornell University), Marcel Fafchamps (Stanford University), and Debayan Pakrashi (Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur), conducted these randomized introductions of SRI in Bangladesh and studied them from agricultural and social angles. The core of the researchers' work was two RCTs in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016.

"To a large degree, we already know SRI delivers good yields, among other advantages. Some have, however, questioned its uniqueness and results, so there is continued need for evidence to support it," Professor Malek says. "By randomizing a large cohort of farmers, we have been able to look at both SRI's quantifiable economic benefits and the qualitative benefits of disseminating this agronomic training and knowledge."

Among the results, SRI led to rice yield and profit increases of 14%-17% and 22%-31%, respectively. Household well-being was also found to be higher for farmers in training communities vs. those without training. Additionally, a spillover effect was seen as untrained farmers in training communities also gained exposure to SRI practices.

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Using Weather Forecasts to Grow a Crop

Video: Using Weather Forecasts to Grow a Crop


BY: Ashley Robinson

Growing a crop isn’t easy. There’s a lot of variables involved, a major one being weather. And while you can’t control weather, you can use weather forecasts to help you make informed decisions regarding your crop. This could include application of insecticide, herbicide or fungicide treatments, scheduled irrigation or swathing your crop.

On the Nov. 29 episode of Seed Speaks, we’re taking a closer look at how you can use weather forecasts to grow the best possible crop. We’re joined by Chris Manchur, agronomy specialist for eastern Manitoba with the Canola Council of Canada (CCC); David Clay, distinguished professor of soil science at South Dakota State University; and Wade Kent, senior principal digital agronomist for Nutrien.

Manchur provides agronomic advice and support to growers and agronomists in Manitoba. He’s also the sclerotinia stem rot lead for the CCC and helps to manage canola research and innovation through funding programs such as the Canola Agronomic Research Program and the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. Manchur received his bachelor of science degree in plant biotechnology and master of science in RNA interference-based next generation fungicides at the University of Manitoba.

Clay is the past president of the American Society of Agronomy, and Corn Councils Endowed Chair in Precision farming. He has spent over 30 years investing soil health, has published and been awarded numerous awards and is a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy.

Kent is located in North Central Iowa and farms corn and soybeans with his dad in his spare time. He spent his undergraduate and graduate career at Iowa State University and University of Minnesota studying agronomy, crop physiology, and soil science. At Nutrien, Kent works in the digital and precision landscape focusing on bringing together agronomy and technology to improve efficiency, profitability, and sustainability of Nutrien Ag Solution’s customers.

Join us on Nov. 29 at 12 p.m. CST on Seed World U.S., Seed World Canada, Seed World Europe and the Alberta Seed Guide’s Facebook pages, Seed World U.S.’s LinkedIn page and Seed World Group’s YouTube to watch the discussion.