Dear Khem Raj,
Thank you for copying me on your message to Andreas. I will be pleased to
know what results you have been getting. I am in China at the moment, for
three weeks, visiting different provinces where SRI has gotten started. It
is really taking root here. In Sichuan, 60 locations of the 100 where SRi
was used this season have reported in, with an average of 10.5 t/ha, which
is 3 t/ha average increase, not bad with reduction in water use.

They are not yet using all the SRI practices, using 20-25 day seedlings,
not being willing to make the effort to transplant really young seedlings,
which you know is important. Also, they do not do active soil aeration
with a weeder but just use herbicides. So there is a lot of potential for
further improvement.

I just got a message from Uprety in Morang (DADO) documenting 8.5 t/ha
average yield for three fields there, what you got before in 2003. He said
they had some early rice with 135 tillers/plant and an average of 80
tillers; and normal rice with 40 tillers average at 40 days, up to 65
tillers. So the SRI effect is being seen elsewhere. Here in China, I was
shown a certificate yesterday, attested to by officials and academics, for
a 20.4 t/ha yield in Yunnan Province this season. That will really perk up
Chinese interest.

I had a field visit in Zhejiang Province last week where they will average
11.5-12 t/ha, with some fields up to 13.5 t/ha. The thing about SRI is
that yields can go up year by year if you keep using the methods because
they enrich the soil biologically. So SRI is 'just beginning,' not
finished yet. Your and others efforts can keep developing it and refining
it and adapting it, which is part of the philosophy of SRI. With all best
wishes,
Norman