TITLE:
Determination of the Effect of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) on Rice Yields and Water Saving in Mwea Irrigation Scheme, Kenya
AUTHORS:
Kepha G. Omwenga, Bancy M. Mati, Patrick G. Home
KEYWORDS:
Alternate Wetting and Drying, System of Rice Intensification, Water Saving, Rice Yield
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Water Resource and Protection,
Vol.6 No.10,
July
30,
2014
ABSTRACT: Irrigated
rice cultivation has long been associated with large amounts of water.
Currently convectional rice production is faced with major challenges of water
shortage as a result of increasing population sharing the same water resources,
as well as global environmental changes. The System of Rice Intensification
(SRI), as opposed to conventional rice production, involves alternate wetting and
drying (AWD) of rice fields. The objective of this study was to determine the
optimum drying days period of paddy fields that has a positive effect on rice
yields and the corresponding water saving. The experimental design used was
randomized complete block design (RCBD). Four treatments and the conventional
rice irrigation method were used. The treatments were the dry days allowed
after draining the paddy under SRI before flooding again. These were set as 0,
4, 8, 12 and 16 day-intervals. Yield parameters were monitored during the
growth period of the crop where a number of tillers, panicles, panicle length
and panicle filling were monitored. Amount of water utilized for crop growth
for each treatment was measured. Average yield and corresponding water saving
were determined for each treatment. The results obtained show that the 8 days
drying period gave the highest yield of 7.13 tons/ha compared with the
conventional method of growing rice which gave a yield of 4.87 tons/ha. This
was an increase of 46.4% above the conventional method of growing rice. Water
saving associated with this drying regime was 32.4%. This was taken as evidence
that SRI improved yields with reduction in water use.