Dear Masud,
All of our presentations on SRI stress the importance of organic matter. Fertilizer can be used beneficially with the other methods, but we have good data that shows best results with compost and the other practices. However, OM is only a means to an end, not an end in itself. With more (inert) OM, one has more living OM -- more life in the soil. The two 'secrets' of SRI results are (a) larger root systems, induced by the practices), and (b) more abundant, active and diverse soil biota, ditto. Where one has soils that are often or mostly saturated, however, organic matter alone is not enough, as the anaerobic conditions change the value of OM in the soil. One reason why BD yields with SRI are usually lower than in other places, like Andhra Pradesh, are that soils in AP are better-drained, more aerobic, and thus better able to benefif from OM. So, we need to think of OM in a dynamic, living sense, not in the way it is usually treated in soil texts, as inert OM, the residual of chemical components after killing all soil life.
Norman

At 11:56 AM 1/10/2006, you wrote:

Dear Norman,
Could you kindly let me know,the importance of organic matter in soil when SRI practice is involved. It seems that the average organic matter in Bangladesh soil is about 1.3 %, and it is decreasing very fast, because those involved in agri- related subject seems to be totally ignored about the importance of organic matter,particularly in Bangladesh.
With warmest regards and a very happy stay in Vietnam.
Masud Omar
Dhaka/Bangladesh