ABSTRACT
Acknowledgments ..................................................................................................................... 422
References ................................................................................................................................... 422
The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) synthesized 20 years ago in Madagascar by
Fr. Henri de Laulanie
´
, S.J., has been gaining acceptance around the world because of the
remarkable increases in factor productivity that its methods are making possible. Irrigated
rice yields are being raised by 50-100%, and often more, without requiring the use of
purchased inputs and without changing varieties. Such inputs and such changes were the
foundation of the Green Revolution. The higher yields with SRI practices are achieved
with any and all rice varieties while using less water and with little or no use of mineral
fertilizer. Because the resulting plant phenotypes are more resistant to damage by pests
and diseases, there is usually little or no need for chemical crop protection. All this has
been quite unexpected.
