System of Rice Intensification (SRI): Growing More Rice With Less Water. Experiences from Kenya

For thousands of years, rice has been grown in fully flooded paddies using too much water. The reality is that the rice plant is a grass variety which withstands waterlogging, but can actually grow with less water, but it requires adequate water. SRI breaks away from the age-old traditional way of growing rice in fully flooded paddies. SRI is a set of 7 practices which incredibly increases rice yields using less irrigation water. This film describes the SRI practice, showing how it difers from conventional flooded paddy system. SRI has many benefits and some of them are described in the film. The promotion of SRI in Kenya is also described, showing research results, extension and awareness creation interventions. The characters in the film are the actual people engaged in promotion of SRI, who include, farmers, researchers, extension workers, private sector and policy makers in Kenya. This film is intended to inform, educate and advocate for supporting wider promotion of SRI, so that the technology gets adopted by farmers widely, in Africa and the world. SRI achieves intensifcation of rice production without expanding land under production. All rice farmers should adopt SRI so that they get increased yields, using less water and better grain quality. SRI is a green technology (it reduces GHGs, especially methane). SRI has win-win benefits to all in the rice value chain. This film was Produced by Prof. Bancy Mati.