A review of agricultural research issues raised by the system of rice intensification from Madagascar: Opportunities for improving farming systems for resource-poor farmers

The ‘system of rice intensification’ (SRI) that evolved in the 1980s and 1990s in Madagascar permits resource-limited farmers to realise yield of up to 15 t of paddy/hectare on infertile soils, with greatly reduced rates of irrigation and without external inputs. This paper reviews the plant physiological and bio-ecological factors associated with agronomic practices that could explain the extraordinary yields in terms of synergies resulting from the judicious management of the major crop production factors: time, space, water, plant nutrients and labour. The findings underscore the importance of integrated and interdisciplinary research, combining strategic and adaptive (on-farm participatory) approaches that explore and link bio-physical and socio-economic factors in crop production. Such approaches would permit to unlock currently untapped production potentials of rice and other major cereal grain crops, without extra costs to farmers or to the environment.