THE ADVANTAGES OF THE SYSTEM OF RICE INTENSIFICATION (SRI) IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION IN RICE PRODUCTION – A REVIEW
Abstract
Because of the large area under wet cultivation, more water usage, and high use of chemical inputs conventional rice cultivation is one of the major sources of CH4 and N2O causing environmental pollution and climate change. To solve this problem, System of Rice Intensification (SRI) has been researched and applied in about 15 million smallholder farmers in more than 60 countries. Results of almost all researchers show that applying the SRI helped to save energy and water from fertilizer production. Besides, it also protected the environment by saving fertilizer residue discharged into the environment. The SRI's sparse transplant principle also helped to ventilate, limit pests and diseases, and increase biodiversity and natural enemies in rice fields. Besides, the GHG emission reduction (CH4, CO2, N2O) based on SRI's farming principles is alternate wetting and drying, converting the fields from anaerobic to aerobic and using compost fertilizer (straw). The entire above helps decline of CH4, N2O, CO2 in fields applying the SRI. Furthermore, the yield of SRI is higher and the input lower than those of conventional cultivation. In this article, we synthesize SRI research results in Vietnam and around the world to provide evidence proving that the SRI has contributed to environmental protection and climate change mitigation.