Evaluación de un sistema de intensificación de arroz SICA bajo condiciones ambientales de Churute , Guayas- Ecuador

Abstract

The systems of rice intensification (SRI) have been tested by farmers in different parts of the world who report significant increments in yields due to the application of this system. Nonetheless, several scientific reports question whether the magnitude of the effects reported in farmer reports is supported. In Ecuador, scientific evaluation of SRI is limited, and none has been conducted under Churute conditions. Due to the controversy generated around the effectiveness of SRI against traditional cropping systems, in this project we evaluated the yield and development of a rice crop cultivated using SRI under Churute conditions and compared against two traditional systems (broadcast and transplant). Our results showed that SRI yields per area were equivalent to those obtained using the two traditional systems. However, when yields were analyzed on a per plant basis, SRI plants yielded more and had more tillers and spikes than traditionally grown rice, suggesting that the implementation of SRI modified the physiology of the individual plants