A Comparative Assessment of SRI and Conventional Rice Production

Abstract

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important food crop in Kenya's drive to attain food security and the alleviation of hunger. Yet the productivity of the crop remains low, leading to a huge national deficit. An exploratory field study was conducted to evaluate a system of rice intensification (SRI) that would increase water and crop productivities relative to the conventional production system. The effects of SRI on total water input and the yield of three rice varieties were investigated at the Mwea Irrigation Scheme (MIS) of Kenya.