Q. System of Rice Intensification” of cultivation, in which alternate wetting and drying of rice fields is practised, results in:
1. Reduced seed requirement
2. Reduced methane production
3. Reduced electricity consumption
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Exp) Option d is the correct answer.
The System of Rice Intensification involves cultivating rice with as much organic manure as possible. It employs
- young seedlings planted singly at wider spacing in a square pattern; and
- with intermittent irrigation that keeps the soil moist but not inundated, and
- frequent inter cultivation with weeder that actively aerates the soil.
System of Rice Intensification (SRI) includes a method called Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) which is a form of controlled or intermittent irrigation of the rice crops.
SRI methods have the following benefits and impacts, in general, compared to conventional methods of paddy cultivation:
- To increase paddy yields usually by 20-50% and sometimes up to 100%
- It reduces required seeds for transplanting by 60-80%( Hence Option 1 is correct);
- The electricity consumption will be less as it enables reduce use of chemical fertilizers and agrichemicals and reduced use of irrigation water by 25-50% ( Hence Option 3 is correct);
Option 2 is correct. By stopping flooding and relying mostly on organic fertilization, methane emissions are greatly reduced without offsetting increases in nitrous oxide. Also, less carbon dioxide is generated due to reduced reliance on and transport of manufactured inputs. Oxford researchers in India found 30% reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions with SRI, compared with current practice, and more than 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of rice produced.
Source: https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2021/02/system-rice-intensification-recognized-climate-policy-impact#:~:text=methane%20emissions%20are%20greatly%20reduced
http://sri.ciifad.cornell.edu/countries/japan/extmats/JSRI_Guideline0312.pdf
