After an inspring meeting with Prof. Norman Uphoff from CIIFAD, Cornell Univ. in 2008, a number of us from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia decided to form a research group dedicated to carry out research on SRI. SRIPADI was formed in July 2008. We obtained some Research Universiti (GUP) funding to carry out SRI research and activities. Two locations, Tanjong Karang (O Block, Sawah Sempadan) and Beranang were identified as our SRI experimental plots. Pak Deri and Misnan from Nagrak Organic Sri Centre (NOSC) were our consultants from Indonesia to start off our organic SRI at these sites. We initially started with testing three varieties for each site, two of them being traditional varieties. However, in the end we abandoned the traditional varieties due to their long maturity duration and logistics. So for our first season, MR219 and UKMR2 (previously known as UKM 7) were transplanted in the fourth week of January 2009. The results for Beranang were highly encouraging giving about 7 and 5 tons per ha for MR219 and UKMR2 respectively while the yield for Tanjong Karang stood at about 4 tons per ha for both varieties. Our yields are higher than the national average of about 3 tons per ha obtained for organic irrigated rice and matches or exceed the national average of about 4 tons per ha. for conventional irrigated rice.
Profile
- SRI Group
- Dr. Anizan Isahak at the National University of Malaysia has created a research group at UKM called SRI-PADI. It includes soil scientists and plant physiologists together with a geneticist, a microbiologist, an environmental scientist, a food scientist, and an engineering geologist. The group plans to invite also mechanical engineers (to develop appropriate machines and implements for mechanization) and nutritionists (to assess the nutritional value of SRI rice). The group is seeking research funding and has conducted a workshop on organic SRI and will organize conferences on SRI. The group of UKM already has good connections with farming communities in rice-growing areas of Malaysia that can facilitate trials and evaluation.
No comments:
Post a Comment