“Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace” Community of Hope Agriculture Project(CHAP) Scaling up the System of Rice Intensification (SRI ) in Liberia Presentation to Food Security Cluster (FSC) Jan. MOA Conference Room “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace”

BRIEF HISTORY CHAP is a national NGO specialized in focused on in urban and rural communities since main component: 1.Agriculture/ Livelihoods 2.Health and Hygiene Promotion 3.Enhancing Capacity Building 4.Advocacy CHAP is specialized in rice and crop production and served as the focal organization for the System of Rice Intensification(SRI) in Liberia and is implementing a pilot project in Grand Gedeh and River Gee under MOA with funding from WAAPP Liberia. Currently we now have SRI programs active in Nimba, Montserrado, Bong, Gbarpolu, Grand Gedeh, River Gee and will be extending to Bassa, Grand Kru, Maryland, Gbarpolu and Cape Mount next month “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace”

Objective of Our Intervention Objectives: Introduce SRI to rice farmers across Liberia (they will get to know SRI practices, methodology and principles) Increase yield, change their planting methods, and adapt SRI as way of cultivating rice for higher yield and increase their income per season Train farmers and technicians on SRI practices, benefits etc. Conduct trials, collect data on SRI yields and benefits, and monitor SRI activities across the country Introduce SRI as climate-change-smart solution for rice and crop production “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace”

SRI in Liberia Held 1 SRI Champion TOT workshop Held 5 trainings with farmers across the county Developed Liberia SRI directory awaiting publication (300 persons and organizations) 50 farmer trials awaiting harvest this dry season in River Gee and Grand Gedeh, Nimba, and Montserrado. CHAP served as reference for the region in terms of scaling up Held two farmer-exchange visits in country (Oxfam GB farmers and CHAP SRI farmers) Organization/institutions that trying SRI : CARI, BRAC, FUN, Ajayfarm, Arise&Shine, ASRP/IFAD, WAS, Community College in Grand Gedeh Participated 4 international trainings in Vietnam,Japan, Togo and Benin in the last 7 months Radio program on UNMIL radio, ELBC, MOA, SRI/Westafrica, Smile FM Most farmers now planting rice this dry season Increase in yield at farmers’ fields and main site Over 100 requests in the last 2 years from CBOs, Cooperatives, NGOs, private sector 7 main presentations o SRI to WAAPP/ World Bank, Grand Gedeh County Authority, CDA, LRRRC, ACC, PMU Project Officers, WHH/GAA “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace”

What is SRI The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is an agro-ecological and climate-smart methodology –For increasing the productivity of rice and other crops –By changing the management of plants, soil, water and nutrients, while reducing external inputs SRI provides principles, guidelines and ideas – to be adapted to local environment “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace”

Main principles of SRI method 1.Healthy early crop establishment –Seed selection & treatment, raised bed nursery, transplanting at young age 8-15days old 1.Reduced competition between plants –Increased spacing to 25cmx25cm –1 plant / hill 2. Healthy soils, rich in organic matter –Add manure, compost, green manure, crop residues 3. Aerobic soil management –Reduced water applications (alternate wetting and drying irrigation management) –Mechanical weeder use “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace” 30-60DAYS 8 DAYS

Physiological and morphological changes of SRI plants 1. Tillers are thicker (+38%) 2. Greater canopy angle 3. Plants are higher (+24%) 4. More tillers/hill (+100%) 5. Similar/more # tillers/m 2; “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace”

Roots are deeper, longer, double the volume, and greater weight/ hill Non SRI - flooded SRI – AWD conditions Thiyagarajan et al. (2009) Principles and Practices of SRI in Tamil Nadu “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace”

SRI Opportunities for Liberia “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace” First SRI plot in Liberia, Dec 2012 by Community of Hope Agriculture Project (CHAP) Paynesville, Monrovia

Press coverage of SRI TOT “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace”

SRI practices 1.Single plant /hill 2.Transplant young seedlings 2-leaf stage) 3.Adopt wide spacing - planted in a grid pattern 4.Minimum water application during vegetative growth 5.Use mechanical and manual weeder 6.Use organic amendments as base fertilization “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace”

SRI OPPORTUNITIES FOR LIBERIA SRI methodology can improve rice productivity for any variety (traditional and improved) and with locally available resources SRI is farmer-driven and knowledge-based approach – SRI was introduced to Liberia through CHAP – SRI can be directly applied with farmers – Immediate learning with and from farmers creates fast and relevant results! “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace”

High quality seed production by farmers SRI Opportunities for Liberia 1 plant/hill eliminates danger of mixing varieties (length 1.4m/4’7” Purification of seeds /reconstruction of varieties Best plants selected by farmers for seeds Only 7 kg/ha of seeds required for 1 ha Multiplication factor for seed production: SRI x 1000 (6 kg seeds – 6 t/ha yield) Example: 1 kg seed, in Year 3: 167,000 ha Traditional x 100 (30 kg/ha seeds - 3 t/ha yield), Example: 1 kg seed, in Year 3: 333 ha Cambodia Non SRI SRI G.Gedeh “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace”

Reduced water application to rice – Creating aerobic soil conditions SRI Opportunities for Liberia “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace”

Improved soil and water management SRI Opportunities for South Eastern Liberia “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace”

Yield Increase: often >50% Water savings: 30-50% Seed reduction: > 90% Chemical fertilizer reduction: 20-40% (up to 100% = organic SRI) Improved tolerance towards pests and diseases Not variety-specific –Pesticide reduction Summary of SRI Benefits “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace”

Shorter crop cycle (1-2 weeks) Improved drought tolerance Improve resistance to strong winds Costs/ha (reduction by 30%) Income increase/ha: % Promote group farming Summary of Benefits “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace”

SRI Tools  Marker  Nursery tray  Cutlass  Canoe weeder  Garden weeder  Rope  Shovel  Dega meter  Stick  Hand  Power tiller t “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace”

CHAP SRI Farmers Field School training using video & powerpoint “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace”

SRI 1 plant of rice in Grand Gedeh

SRI is climate-smart for rice production The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is an answer to prayer for growing rice in changing climate by creating a triple- win situation for agriculture, climate security and, food security because it: 1.Sustainably increases rice production and income of farmers (greater crop productivity) 2.Strengthens crops’ resilience to climate change and variability (facilitates adaptation) 3.Reduces rice’s production of greenhouse gases that accelerate climate change (helps promote mitigation) “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace”

Liberia SRI GPS MAP “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace”

SRI Cost-Benefit A farmer in Zwedru by the name Edward Sohn planted less than 1 kg of S-8 on 1 plot (18 m x 20 m) and harvested 9 bags of 50 kg rice after drying and weighing by our team. He have now decided to only grow SRI and have extended his field to 1ha this season. His photo was sent and posted on SRI booth in Bangkok during the 4 th International Rice Congress, which brought visibility to our work and our nation. SRI Seed office “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace”

CHAP REQUEST FROM FSC Funding support to scale up SRI across the country and integrate it into the Cash Transfer Projects Support the fencing and laying out of SRI main field in Zubah Town, Monrovia; establish 5 main SRI rice fields in 5 counties on 5 ha Financial support to air SRI via radio, develop Liberia SRI video, and SRI Farmers Field School picture book “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace”

PLANT LESS AND GET MORE WITH SRI TODAY !!!!!!! “Fighting Hunger For Sustainable Peace”

THANK YOU!