From:"Samuel"Soki"Harding,"Research"Officer,"Rokupr"Agricultural"Research"Centre"SLARI."

Transcription

1 From:SamuelSokiHarding,ResearchOfficer,RokuprAgriculturalResearchCentreSLARI. To:DeputyProjectCoordinator,WAAPPG1CGSL,Freetown,SierraLeone. Date:3 rd December,2013. SUBJECT:TECHNICALREPORT Project Title: Assessing the suitability and profitability of the System of Rice Intensification Methodologyunderfarmers circumstancesinsierraleone2013e2014): ONGOING. Introduction: Environmental degradation caused by the traditional practice of shifting cultivation in the uplandsofsierraleonehasincreasinglynecessitatedutilizationofthelowlands,particularlythe inlandvalleyswampsandbolilandecologies,forriceproductionyamah,2002).however,the averagelowlandriceyieldsinfarmersfieldsarelowandarereportedtobeintherangeof1g1.5 t/ha RRS, 1991). A methodology for growing rice Zotoglo, 2011) that can give increased production with little requirement for purchased inputs and little effect on the environment would thus be particularly beneficial to our foodginsecure population, especially so when farmerswanttoincreasetheiryieldsandbecomeselfrelianceandfoodsecure.itseemsthat the system of rice intensification SRI) is a vital methodology in Sierra Leone that can be assessedsinceithasthepotentialtoincreasericeyieldsby30g100%yamah2002,rarc2008) byusingonlysingleseedlingandtransplantingof15daysoldseedlingataspacingof25cmx 25cm.Thesystemitselfissimpletoapplyandinvolvedtheuseoflessinputsandmanagement ofnaturalresourcestoachieveincreaseproductivity.ithasworkedwellinmadagascarandit hasbeenusedinmali,senegalandmanyothercountriesinwestafricawaapp,2012). Past work at the Rokupr Agricultural Research Centre RARC) comparing SRI, research recommended practices and farmers planting methods RARC, 2008) and also at the World VisionYamah,2002)involvingonehundredandsixtyfarmers160)withtwenty20)farmersin eight8)fieldsintheinlandvalleyswamp,reportedyieldsof3t/ha38%increaseoverfarmers practice) and 5.3 t/ha112% increase over farmers practice), respectively. Studies at Rokupr showahighernetbenefitincombinationwithlowertotalvariablecostsforsriincomparison to the farmers practice and a marginal rate of return of 1209% for the recommended researcher s practice, indicating that it would be profitable for farmers to change from their currentcropproductionpracticestoeitherofthetwoimprovedpracticesrarc,2008). Most of the farmers in the study areas have shown high interest and demand for this SRI packageandtheybelievethatitcanassisttheirfarmingindiversewaysbutwereworriedasto 1

2 how,whenandhowmuchofpalmgkernelcaketoapply.sincethetechnologyispromisingand demanding in Sierra Leone, the results need further investigation on farm at district level in bothecologies. StudieswerethereforecarriedoutonFarmersfieldsatdistrictlevelintheInlandValleySwamp IVS)andorBolilandEcologies.TheSRIworkswellintheseecologiesandtheyarewidespread inthecountry. Theobjectivesoftheprojectare: i) DeterminetheeffectivenessofSRIsysteminincreasingriceproductivity, ii) AssessthecostbenefitandsocioGeconomicaspectsoftheSRIpracticesinSierraLeone. iii) ToconfirmtheSRIMethodologyinSierraLeoneforplannersandfarmers. ProjectResults/ExpectedOutcomes: 1:TheeffectivenessofSRIinincreasingriceproductivitydetermined. 2:CostbenefitandsocioGeconomicoftheSRIpackageassessed. 3:TheSRImethodologyinSierraLeoneconfirmedforplannersandfarmers. PresentstatusofSRIImplementation: ResearchandDevelopmentActivities: Sharingofinformation: Approved research proposal on SRI sent to Regional Coordination Teams in Mali and Senegal for informationsharingandupdatingofproposalwherenecessary. WorkingSample:50 Fiftyfarmersascontainedintheproposalwereselectedinfivedistricts:Kambia,PortLoko,Bo,Kenema andwesternurbanwith10farmersperdistrictseebeneficiaryprofile). Thebeneficiariescomprised25femalesand25males. 2

3 Treatmentcombinationconsistedofthreeplotseachof10Mx15M. Treatment: T 1 : SRI Methodology One seedling, 25cm x 25cm spacing and 12 daygold seedlings) + Palm KernelCakePKC) T 2 :SRIMethodologyOneseedling,25cmx25cmspacingand12dayGoldseedling)GPalmKernel CakePKC) T 3 :Farmers practicei.efarmers plantingmethods. Plotsize:15mx10m=150m 2 Fieldlayout T 1 : One seedling, 25cm x 25cm spacing and 12 daygold seedling) + Palm Kernel Cake PKC) ESTABLISHMENTOFTRIALS T 3 : Farmers practice i.e Farmers plantingmethods. T 2 : One seedling, 25cm x 25cm spacing and 12 daygold seedling) G Palm Kernel Cake PKC) FarmersandsiteselectionwerecarriedoutinJulyandAugust2013inKambia,PortLoko,Bo,Blama, and Western Urban. Seeds were distributed on the 10 th September and nurseries beds prepared betweenthe14 th and18 th September,2013.Transplantingofasingle12Gdayoldseedlingat25cmx25 cmintowellpuddledfieldsstartedonthe26 th ofseptemberandendedonthe30 th ofseptember,2013 inbo,blamaandwesternurban.intheportlokodistrictnurserieswerepreparedlateseptemberand transplantedinoctober.however,inthekambiadistrictsnurseriespreparationstartedinlateoctober forsomeplacesnotaffectedbyfloodsandinnovemberforfloodedfields.transplantingforareasin KambiadistrictswerecompletedinDecember. The Plates pictures) below show stand establishment of transplanted rice seedling of SRI with and withoutpalmkernelcakepkc)manure.detailedreportwillbemadeavailableafterobtainingyieldand othereconomiccostbenefitratio)andsociogeconomicdata. 3

4 Plate1:SRIwithPalmKernelCakeincorporatedPKC) Plate2:SRIwithoutPKC 4

5 Plate3:SRIplotswithPKCBackrow)andwithoutPKCfrontrow)atOgoofarm,Westernurban. 5

6 6 BeneficiaryProfile District Namesofchiefdoms Namesofbeneficiaries Male Female PortLoko MarampaMayombo OldPortloko OldPortloko LunsarRoad Bo Kenema WesternUrban MohamedKamara SaiduGKanu SulaimanSesay OsmanKargbo CharlesKamara PeterBockarie AlphaRsama AlhagiKobba SantigieKoroma AlieJalloh MosesKandeh Saidumassaquoi FodaySesay GassimuSAlpha MohamedKoroma AlphaTarawallie JacobKargbo AbuKamara MariatuKanu MamusuKoroma YaFollahKargbo FatmataMomoh MariatuIssa IsataKamara MagaretAbu MamieKobba HawaKoroma NenehBarrie FatmataSamai YeanohKandie MammySallayAlpha MusuAbdulai TenehGbemeh MarieKamara MabintySesay IsataConteh FatmataKamara AdamaTarawallie MarieSesay AdamaMansaray

7 District Namesofchiefdoms Namesofbeneficiaries Male Female Kambia GbinleDixing FodayKamara Abdulsankoh JusuTuray FodayKamara AmaraKamara AbuBKamara Musakamara KadiatuDumbuya YayehKamara IsatuKamara 7

8 Constraints) 1:Mobility: 2:Difficultyinselectingfarmers: Next)Phase)of)Implementation:)) Thetablebelowshowstheactivitiestobeimplementedduringthefourthquarterbetweenthemonths ofdecemberandfebruary,2014. What next? No Activity Timeline 1 Field visits, data collection on agronomic parameters and analysis. 4th Quarter 2 Check list development and administering to farmers 4th Quarter 3 Socio-economic, Input and output data collection on field operations, prices at farm gate and analysis of data and reporting. 4th Quarter 4 Harvesting and reporting 4th Quarter 5 Information sharing on SRI Dissemination of Research Findings and publication. 4th Quarter Bestregards. Yoursfaithfully, SamuelSokiHarding. Cc:FinanceOfficer,SLARI AssistantFO,Project,SLARI AssistantFO,RARC AfricaRice,ResearchCoordinatorRARC DirectorGeneral,SLARI Director,RARC 8