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Modified rice cultivation in Tamil Nadu, India: Yield gains and farmers' (lack of) acceptance

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  • Senthilkumar, K.
  • Bindraban, P.S.
  • Thiyagarajan, T.M.
  • de Ridder, N.
  • Giller, K.E.

Abstract

The looming water crisis and water-intensive nature of rice cultivation are driving the search for alternative management methods to increase water productivity in rice cultivation. Experiments were conducted under on-station and on-farm conditions to compare rice production using modified methods of irrigation, planting, weeding and nutrient management with conventional methods of cultivation. Farm surveys were used to evaluate adoption of modified rice cultivation method. On-station experiments showed that, a combination of water-saving irrigation, young seedling or direct seeding, mechanical weeding and green manure application increased the rice water productivity though the largest yields were obtained for a combination of conventional irrigation, young seedling or direct seeding, mechanical weeding and green manure application. On-farm experiments demonstrated a yield advantage of 1.5 t ha-1 for the modified method over conventional method. We found, however, that yield advantages were not the sole factor driving adoption. Associated changes required in management, including the increased labour demand for modified planting, unwillingness of agricultural labourers to change practices, difficulties with modified nursery preparation and the need to replace cheaper women's labour for hand weeding with more costly men's labour for mechanical weeding, all reduced the chance of adopting the modified rice cultivation method. Risks associated with water-saving irrigation, such as uncertainty about the timing and amount of water release for irrigation affect adoption adversely as well. There was no incentive for farmers to adopt water-saving irrigation as water from reservoirs and electricity for pumping well-water are both free of charge. To date farmers continue to experiment with the modified cultivation method on a small part of their farms, but are unlikely to adopt the modified method on a large-scale unless policies governing water management are changed.

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  • Senthilkumar, K. & Bindraban, P.S. & Thiyagarajan, T.M. & de Ridder, N. & Giller, K.E., 2008. "Modified rice cultivation in Tamil Nadu, India: Yield gains and farmers' (lack of) acceptance," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 98(2), pages 82-94, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:98:y:2008:i:2:p:82-94
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    2. Glover, Dominic, 2011. "Science, practice and the System of Rice Intensification in Indian agriculture," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(6), pages 749-755.
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    4. Senthilkumar, K. & Lubbers, M.T.M.H. & de Ridder, N. & Bindraban, P.S. & Thiyagarajan, T.M. & Giller, K.E., 2011. "Policies to support economic and environmental goals at farm and regional scales: Outcomes for rice farmers in Southern India depend on their resource endowment," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 104(1), pages 82-93, January.
    5. Varma, P., 2018. "Adoption and the Impact of System of Rice Intensification on Rice Yields and Household Income: A study for India," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 275986, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    6. Graf, Sarah Lena & Oya, Carlos, 2021. "Is the system of rice intensification (SRI) pro poor? Labour, class and technological change in West Africa," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    7. Krupnik, Timothy J. & Shennan, Carol & Settle, William H. & Demont, Matty & Ndiaye, Alassane B. & Rodenburg, Jonne, 2012. "Improving irrigated rice production in the Senegal River Valley through experiential learning and innovation," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 101-112.
    8. Soe Paing Oo & Koichi Usami, 2020. "Farmers’ Perception of Good Agricultural Practices in Rice Production in Myanmar: A Case Study of Myaungmya District, Ayeyarwady Region," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-20, June.
    9. James Sumberg & John Thompson & Philip Woodhouse, 2013. "Why agronomy in the developing world has become contentious," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 30(1), pages 71-83, March.
    10. Noltze, Martin & Schwarze, Stefan & Qaim, Matin, 2012. "Understanding the adoption of system technologies in smallholder agriculture: The system of rice intensification (SRI) in Timor Leste," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 64-73.
    11. Varma, Poornima, 2017. "Adoption of System of Rice Intensification and its Impact on Rice Yields and Household Income: An Analysis for India," IIMA Working Papers WP2017-02-03, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Research and Publication Department.
    12. Gathorne-Hardy, Alfred & Reddy, D. Narasimha & Venkatanarayana, M. & Harriss-White, Barbara, 2016. "System of Rice Intensification provides environmental and economic gains but at the expense of social sustainability — A multidisciplinary analysis in India," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 159-168.
    13. Berkhout, Ezra & Glover, Dominic & Kuyvenhoven, Arie, 2015. "On-farm impact of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI): Evidence and knowledge gaps," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 157-166.
    14. Ly, Proyuth & Jensen, Lars Stoumann & Bruun, Thilde Bech & Rutz, Dominik & de Neergaard, Andreas, 2012. "The System of Rice Intensification: Adapted practices, reported outcomes and their relevance in Cambodia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 16-27.
    15. Senthilkumar, K. & Bindraban, P.S. & de Boer, W. & de Ridder, N. & Thiyagarajan, T.M. & Giller, K.E., 2009. "Characterising rice-based farming systems to identify opportunities for adopting water efficient cultivation methods in Tamil Nadu, India," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(12), pages 1851-1860, December.
    16. Stoop, Willem A. & Adam, Abdoulaye & Kassam, Amir, 2009. "Comparing rice production systems: A challenge for agronomic research and for the dissemination of knowledge-intensive farming practices," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(11), pages 1491-1501, November.
    17. Ashwini Chhatre & Sripad Devalkar & Sridhar Seshadri, 2016. "Crop diversification and risk management in Indian agriculture," DECISION: Official Journal of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, Springer;Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, vol. 43(2), pages 167-179, June.
    18. Pugazhenthi Davidson Rokins & Nellaiappan Olaganathan Gopal & Rangasamy Anandham & Ramasamy Saraswathi, 2022. "The Impact of Different Planting Systems on the Bacterial Diversity of Rice Cultivated in Saline Soil Based on 16S rRNA Gene-Based Metagenomic Insights," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-17, October.
    19. Krupnik, Timothy J. & Rodenburg, Jonne & Haden, Van Ryan & Mbaye, Doudou & Shennan, Carol, 2012. "Genotypic trade-offs between water productivity and weed competition under the System of Rice Intensification in the Sahel," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 156-166.
    20. Bijan Abadi & Taher Azizi-Khalkheili & Mohammad Reza Morshedlooc, 2023. "What factors determine the conversion of wild medicinal and aromatic resources to cultivated species? An intention and behavior analysis," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(8), pages 8031-8053, August.
    21. Varma, Poornima, 2016. "Agricultural Technology Adoption under Multiple Constraints: An Analysis of System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in India," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235806, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    22. Tsujimoto, Yasuhiro & Horie, Takeshi & Randriamihary, Hamon & Shiraiwa, Tatsuhiko & Homma, Koki, 2009. "Soil management: The key factors for higher productivity in the fields utilizing the system of rice intensification (SRI) in the central highland of Madagascar," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 100(1-3), pages 61-71, April.

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