Rice intensification practices in Madagascar

Abstract

Themodels proposed in Madagascar to replace "traditional rice cropping systems" are "SRI" (system of rice intensification), in cases of good water control and "SRA" (improved rice system) in other cases. We conducted a survey in a Highland zone to analyse the translation of these prescriptive requirements into farmers' practices and to assess their performance. Random samples of farmers' fields were surveyed in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Three types of practices were compared in paddy fields with good water control: 1) those called SRI by the farmer; 2) those called SRA; 3) and those considered as "neither SRI nor SRA" andwhich were used as a control. The control has traditional aspects (for example local varieties) but also recent (double plowing) and older (mineral fertilization) innovations. SRI and SRA practices generally fit with basic recommendations. However, the SRI receives far more organomineral fertilizers than the others and occupies the best soils. Control practices give a high yield (4.2 t/ha) compared to the reference of 2 t/ha often attributed to local rice fields. The performance of SRA does not differ significantly from that of the control. The average yield with SRI exceeds the control by 24%. However, after "fertilizing system, previous crop and soil being equal" analysis, one can see that the real mean effect of SRI is no more than +5%. For rice intensification, taking into account the additional costs of SRA and SRI, their low mean benefit advocates for a targeted approach rather than a normative one. Benefit of SRI reaches +16% in fields combining good water control, mixed fertilizing and fertile soil (near the markets). Without mineral fertilizers (which weakens the control), gains reached 30%. These variations reveal the possible interest of SRI for particular value chains such as organic farming, for fertile but reductive soils, and its sure inadequacy in cases of major limiting factors (common soils, early planting).