About the System of Rice Intensification
A few simple changes to planting, spacing, water, and soil can strengthen rice farming, benefiting farmers, communities, and the planet
What is SRI?
The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is a regenerative approach to growing more rice with fewer resources. Instead of relying on costly inputs, SRI focuses on how rice is planted, watered, and managed — leading to healthier plants, higher yields, and a smaller environmental footprint.
It is not a fixed technology but a flexible, farmer-led method that adapts to local conditions and works with nature.
Why SRI Matters
SRI delivers wide-ranging benefits for farmers, communities, and the climate, making it one of the most effective ways to advance food security and climate goals at scale.
Expand by improving water, plant and soil management, SRI can:
- Cut methane emissions by up to 70%
- Reduce fertiliser and agrochemical use
- Enhance soil health and resilience to extreme weather
Practiced by millions of farmers worldwide, SRI typically yields 50–100% more rice than conventional methods while reducing input costs. This strengthens livelihoods, improves food security, and often benefits women and smallholders directly.
SRI’s systemic benefits align closely with the UN Sustainable Development Goals — from zero hunger and gender equality to climate action and clean water. It is already included in the national climate strategies (NDCs) of 11 countries under the Paris Agreement.
Benefits of SRI – At a Glance
Multiple, reinforcing benefits across social, environmental, and economic dimensions:
System of Rice Intensification (SRI) – Multi-Dimensional Benefits
| Social | Environmental | Economic |
|---|---|---|
| Reduced agrochemical use lowers health risks for farmers and communities. | Intermittent irrigation cuts water use by 25–50%, methane emissions by up to 70%, and arsenic uptake in grains. | Yield gains of 20–50% (sometimes up to 100%) boost food supply and income. |
| Higher, more reliable yields and crop diversification improve household food access and dietary diversity. | Net greenhouse gas emissions reduced by 20–40% (up to 73% in some cases). | Reduced seed, water, and fertiliser use lowers costs and makes SRI more accessible for smallholders. |
| Strengthened capacity to cope with climate shocks and economic volatility. | Lower nitrous oxide emissions from reduced fertiliser use. | Greater productivity and efficiency improve profitability per hectare. |
| Farmer-led learning fosters local expertise and women’s participation in decision-making. | Improved soil structure, greater biodiversity, and resilience to droughts and extreme weather. | Farmers save 80–90% of seed and can multiply it from hundreds to thousands of grains per plant. |
| Reduced labour for weeding and transplanting (context-dependent), freeing time for other activities. | Healthier soils store more carbon, helping mitigate climate change. | Supports intercropping and crop rotation — diversifying income and improving resilience. |
How SRI Works
SRI is grounded in core agroecological principles that promote healthier plants, stronger soils, and lower environmental impacts. Developed in Madagascar in the 1980s, it originally focused on four principles, with a fifth now widely applied to restore soil health and reduce agrochemical dependence.
These principles are adaptable, allowing farmers to tailor SRI to their local conditions. They deliver the strongest results when applied together.
System of Rice Intensification (SRI) – Principles and Benefits
| SRI Principle | Widely Used (Locally Adapted) | Why SRI Works |
|---|---|---|
| Start with young, healthy plants | Select strong seeds (salt-water flotation), sow sparsely, and transplant 8–12-day-old seedlings gently. | Early planting preserves growth potential, improves germination, and supports robust root and tiller development. |
| Optimise spacing | Plant single seedlings per hill in a 25×25 cm grid. | Wider spacing improves airflow, reduces competition, ensures all leaves are photosynthetically active and supports stronger roots for better nutrient uptake and higher grain quality. |
| Build healthy soils | Apply compost, mulch, or green manure. Weed manually or mechanically to aerate the soil. | Aerated, organic-rich soils support beneficial microbes, enhance fertility, and reduce methane emissions. |
| Reduce water use | Practise Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) by draining fields before re-irrigating. | AWD strengthens roots, saves water (25–50%), reduces methane emissions (up to 70%), and lowers arsenic uptake. |
| Think agroecologically | Use organic fertilisers, promote biodiversity, and minimise agrochemical inputs. | Reduces dependency on external inputs, supports ecosystem services, and increases resilience to climate stress. |
What Makes SRI Different
Conventional rice farming relies on dense planting, older seedlings, continuous flooding, and heavy agrochemical use — practices that limit root growth, reduce biodiversity, and amplify greenhouse gas emissions. They also increase production costs and leave crops vulnerable to drought and disease.
SRI shifts the model from input-intensive to knowledge-intensive, focusing on plant spacing, soil health, water efficiency, and plant vitality. The result? Better outcomes for farmers, ecosystems, and communities.
SRI benefits for the farmers make it competitive against other low emission rice cultivation methods.
Water-Smart Farming with AWD
AWD at a Glance
Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) replaces continuous flooding with carefully timed dry periods. This simple yet powerful practice:
- Saves 25–50% of irrigation water
- Cuts methane emissions by up to 70% by reintroducing oxygen into the soil, which suppresses methane-producing microbes
- Promotes stronger root systems and supports beneficial soil microbiology
- Reduces arsenic uptake in rice grains by 10–15 times
- Works across irrigated and rainfed systems — scalable, regenerative, and farmer-friendly
Tailoring SRI Practices to Local Realities
SRI isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Its strength lies in adaptability: farmers adjust practices to suit their climate, soils, water, tools, and labour. This flexibility enables significant gains even in highly diverse conditions.
For example:
- Transplanting is adjusted to align with rainfall patterns or labour availability.
- Water management varies between irrigated and rainfed systems, with AWD applied where feasible.
- Weed control strategies depend on crop stage, weed pressure, and tool access.
- Pest and disease management is often ecological, tailored to local threats.
- Land characteristics (e.g., slope, soil fertility, terrain) influence planting methods and soil treatments.
- Tools such as weeders and markers are often improvised, adapted, or shared within communities.
This ability to tailor practices ensures SRI remains inclusive, resilient, and scalable — especially for smallholders with limited resources.
How Farmers Adapt SRI
Across diverse environments, farmers are customising SRI practices to their local conditions — achieving impressive gains in yield, income, and labour efficiency.
Rainfed water management – Philippines (1999–2002)
In upland Negros Occidental, farmers adjusted transplanting schedules to align with seasonal rains and adopted wider plant spacing. As a result, yields exceeded 7 t/ha — nearly triple the local average — without irrigation.
→ Why it matters: Demonstrates strong yield gains in rainfed systems, crucial for millions of smallholders.
Weed control through intercropping – India (2019–2020)
Trials with bean intercropping reduced weed growth by 65%, increased rice yields by 33%, and raised net income by 57%.
→ Why it matters: Ecological weed management cuts labour demands and improves profitability.
Tool innovation – Madagascar (2008)
The introduction of the sarcleuse weeder reduced back strain — particularly for women — and increased adoption through farmer training.
→ Why it matters: Locally developed tools ease labour burdens and support inclusive, gender-sensitive uptake.
Explore Practical SRI Guides, Tools, and Training Materials to Support Implementation → SRI Resources
How SRI Fits
SRI is more than a single set of practices — it’s part of a broader shift toward farming systems that are adaptive, resource-efficient, and regenerative. Its flexibility allows it to be applied at multiple levels, from on-farm techniques to national strategies.
SRI+: Scaling Through Integration
SRI often works hand in hand with other regenerative approaches, creating synergies that strengthen farming systems:
- Conservation Agriculture – Minimising tillage, maintaining soil cover, and adding organic matter to protect and restore soils.
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM) – Using ecological strategies to reduce agrochemical use and promote natural pest control.
- Agroecological Diversification – Building resilience through intercropping, crop rotation, and mixed farming systems.
This combined approach, known as SRI+, reflects SRI’s catalytic role in reshaping how agriculture is practiced and scaled.
SRI+ also extends SRI principles beyond rice, applying them to crops like wheat, maize, sugarcane, teff, and vegetables, and incorporating methods such as agroforestry, organic farming, and water harvesting.
For example: In China and Madagascar, farmers rotate SRI rice with mushrooms or potatoes using no-till methods to regenerate soil. In Kashmir, intercropping beans with SRI rice reduces weeds, conserves water, and increases farmer incomes.
SRI+ In Action
These examples show how farmers are extending SRI principles beyond rice and integrating them into broader regenerative systems.
Vietnam (2012–): Regenerative Villages in Ha Tinh Province
In My Lợi Regenerative Village, farmers combined SRI with AWD, composting, duck–rice integration, and hedgerows. Ducks helped control pests and fertilise fields. Yields increased by 15–20%, methane emissions fell, and input costs dropped by up to $150/ha — even under extreme weather conditions.
→ Why it matters: Demonstrates how SRI+ enhances productivity and resilience in the face of climate stress.
India (2010s): Organic SRI in Tamil Nadu
With NGO support, farmers combined SRI with composting and botanical pest control. Yields rose by approximately 30%, input costs decreased, and soil health improved. Many farmers also introduced intercrops like legumes and vegetables.
→ Why it matters: Demonstrates how SRI+ supports organic transitions and diversified farming.
China (2017–): Conservation Practices in Sichuan
In partnership with the Agricultural Sciences Academy, farmers applied SRI on raised beds with plastic mulch and rotated rice with mustard. This approach improved soil fertility, reduced labour demands, and maintained high yields.
→ Why it matters: Highlights innovations in integrating SRI with conservation agriculture techniques.
Ethiopia (2020–2022): SRI Principles Applied to Wheat
Government-backed trials in Ethiopia’s highlands applied SRI methods to irrigated wheat — with wider spacing, early sowing, and improved soil aeration. Yields increased by 20–40%, and disease resistance improved significantly.
→ Why it matters: Illustrates SRI’s adaptability beyond rice, with strong results for key staple crops.
SRI and Climate-Smart Agriculture
SRI directly supports regenerative agriculture’s three pillars: boosting productivity, strengthening resilience, and reducing emissions. By improving water efficiency (notably through AWD), enhancing soil health, and reducing dependence on external inputs, SRI helps farmers adapt to climate challenges while mitigating emissions — delivering environmental, economic, and social gains.
SRI and Global Rice Strategies
SRI’s core principles increasingly feature in national and international rice strategies — even when not explicitly named. Initiatives such as the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) promote practices like AWD, wider spacing, and organic amendments — all central to SRI. Similarly, AfricaRice advocates “best management practices” that mirror SRI’s focus on healthy seedlings, efficient spacing, and soil fertility.
Although the terminology varies, the shared foundations make SRI easy to integrate into policies, extension programmes, and climate strategies — enabling farmers and nations alike to advance their food security and sustainability goals.
SRI: From Local Innovation to Global Movement
SRI began in the early 1980s in Madagascar, developed by Father Henri de Laulanié in collaboration with local farmers to improve yields without external inputs. This led to the creation of the NGO Association Tefy Saina, which helped refine and disseminate the method.
By the 1990s, international interest grew as CIIFAD at Cornell University facilitated farmer-led trials across Asia and Africa. By 2002, SRI had been validated in 15 countries, with the first international SRI conference held in China.
Over the following decades, countries such as India, Indonesia, and China embedded SRI into national programmes. Support from global organisations like the World Bank and FAO further accelerated uptake, often led by farmer networks and participatory research.
Today, SRI is practiced in over 60 countries on an estimated 6.7 million hectares. Its principles are also being extended to other crops through SRI+, while initiatives like SRI‑2030 work to scale its impact — aiming for 50 million hectares by 2030 through alignment with national policies, climate finance, and private sector engagement.
FAQS: About SRI
The SRI is guided by four core principles: using young, healthy seedlings; wider plant spacing to reduce competition; keeping soil aerated and biologically active; and managing water efficiently, often through alternate wetting and drying (AWD). These adaptable practices help farmers increase productivity while working with nature.
While each practice contributes individually, their combined application creates reinforcing effects — strengthening root systems, improving resilience, and often delivering significant yield increases. Farmers typically see the greatest gains when implementing the full set of practices.
Like any change, SRI requires farmers to adjust familiar routines. Labour demands may rise initially, especially for weeding and transplanting. Limited access to training, irrigation, or appropriate tools can also be hurdles. However, with support and experience, many farmers overcome these challenges and report improved outcomes within two or three seasons.
SRI+ builds on SRI’s core principles and extends them to other crops, including wheat, sugarcane, and millet. It often incorporates complementary practices like composting, agroforestry, and conservation agriculture to strengthen entire farming systems.
Yes. Practiced over 60 countries, SRI works across irrigated and rainfed systems, from small family plots to national programmes using local or commercial rice varieties.
SRI does not rely on costly machinery. Most farmers use simple, low-cost tools like rope markers and manual or motorised weeders, often shared or adapted locally. (See tool designs in the SRI Resources section.)
Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) replaces continuous flooding with timed irrigation cycles. It can cut water use by up to 50%, improve root health, and significantly reduce methane emissions — delivering major environmental gains.
SRI typically lowers input costs, especially for seed, water, and fertilisers. While labour needs may rise at first, these often decline with experience or with the use of labour-saving tools.
Scaling SRI depends on farmer training, extension services, and simple technologies like spacing tools and irrigation systems. Policy support and integration into national agricultural and climate strategies also play a critical role. (Learn more in the Scaling SRI section.)
SRI is a catalyst for broader change. Integrated with other sustainable practices, it supports multiple SDGs — from food security to climate action. Already included in national strategies in countries such as China and Pakistan, SRI has also helped communities recover from disasters, like the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia. Its potential grows as more governments and partners adopt and scale the approach.
🔍 Explore practical guides, tools, and training materials to support SRI implementation →SRI Resources
🔍 See where SRI is being adopted — from early trials to national programmes → SRI Global & Project Maps
🔍 Visit leading platforms for research, policy, and implementation insights → SRI Resources
🔍 Discover how global efforts are accelerating SRI uptake → Scaling SRI