A system of plant, soil, water and nutrient management forirrigated rice developed in Madagascar has been yielding 5,10, even15t ha~-1 on farmers' fields where previous yields averaged around 2tha~-1. This is achieved using whatever variety of rice the farmer isalready using and without having to utilize chemical fertilizer orother purchased inputs. This systems, known as SRI, shows thatalternative management practices, creating optimal growing conditionsfor plants, can bring out previously untapped genetic potential. italso shows that the practices farmers have used for centuries may notalways be the best in agronomic terms.
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