Tribal Farmers Are Growing More Rice With Less Water– And Reviving Indigenous Varieties
In Odisha’s tribal heartland, an alternative rice cultivation method is helping farmers reduce dependence on chemicals while improving incomes and soil health, writes Abhijit Mohanty from Koraput
In 2006, when Dibakar Jani, aged 44 years, mortgaged a one-acre patch of land for three years for an “experiment” in his village of Dayanidhiguda in Odisha’s Koraput district, many thought he was “crazy”.
A third-generation farmer from the Paroja Adivasi community, Dibakar was one of 11 farmers in the village who agreed to try a new method of rice cultivation that promised higher yields while using less water.
The method, known as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), was new to Dayanidhiguda, where growing rice, a water-intensive crop, has long been a challenge.
Agriculture here is largely rain-fed, irrigation facilities remain underdeveloped, and erratic rainfall linked to climate change has made cultivation increasingly uncertain.
Despite coming from a family of farmers, Dibakar did not own any agricultural land. When Pragati, a local non-governmental organisation that has been training marginal and small farmers in the region since 1992, introduced the experiment, he mortgaged land to take part in it.
Dibakar recalls, “The villagers did not believe that higher yields were possible using fewer seeds, less water and only organic manure.”
But, soon they noticed that the plants were stronger, healthier and promised better yield.
“On the day of the harvest, when we swung our sickles, the entire village gathered to see the unusually bumper yield.” Dibakar says. “That is when they began to believe that producing more is possible by using less.”
SRI: A different way of growing rice
Developed in Madagascar in the 1980s through a process of trial and error, SRI is a cultivation method that seeks to increase yields while reducing water use and dependence on chemical inputs. Its fundamental principles include transplanting younger seedlings at wider spacing, minimising water use, using mechanical weeders, and relying on organic formulations for seed treatment and to improve soil health.
“SRI is a resource-efficient cultivation method,” says Dr Sunita Dandasena, a scientist at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Sunabeda in Koraput. “It promotes the use of locally available resources such as farmyard manure from livestock and traditional seed varieties. This not only preserves agrobiodiversity but also strengthens household economies,” she says.
Her observations show higher concentrations of micronutrients such as zinc, iron, copper and manganese in rice grown using SRI compared to chemical-intensive farming.
One of the most striking differences in SRI from conventional practices is seed use. Under the traditional broadcasting method, farmers scatter seeds over ploughed dry soil before the monsoon. Each acre requires about 25-30 kg of seed while the SRI method uses only 2 kg.
Before sowing, seeds are treated with beejamruta, an organic formulation made from cow dung, cow urine, anthill soil, limestone and water. The treatment protects seeds from pathogens, improves germination and strengthens root and shoot growth, which allow plants to absorb nutrients and water more efficiently.
Seedlings aged eight to 14 days are transplanted in straight lines at wider spacing — typically 25 cm by 25 cm. “This allows better root and canopy growth, as plants have greater access to nutrients and sunlight,” says Tapas Chandra Roy, Block Agriculture Officer (BAO), Kundra block, Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment (DA&FE).
Younger seedlings, he adds, produce more tillers (the stems that bear the rice grains), leading to higher yields.
“We plant only one seedling per hill (the spot where seedlings are transplanted) and do not keep the field continuously flooded,” says Asmati Naik, a farmer from Chitra village in Kotpad block. “We only keep the soil moist.”
While the absence of standing water leads to increased weed growth, farmers manage this by using hand and roller weeders, which uproot the weeds and also aerates the soil.
These weeds are not discarded, explains Surendra Gadaba, aged 56, from Chitra village, who has practiced SRI for nearly two decades. “We leave them in the field, where they decompose into manure and improve soil fertility.” Such practices enhance soil aeration and support beneficial aerobic organisms, Tapas explains.
Soil fertility under SRI is managed in a similar way, by relying on biological processes rather than chemical inputs. Farmers apply traditional formulations such as farmyard manure and jeevaamruta, a microbial culture prepared by fermenting cow dung, cow urine, jaggery, pulse flour, anthill soil and water.
About 200-250 litres are applied per acre around 15 days after transplanting. “Jeevaamruta enhances soil fertility by increasing beneficial microbes and earthworms, improving nutrient uptake and crop growth,” says Dr Sunita.
Farmer Surendra shares that applying jeevaamruta has revived the soil in the region which in turn has strengthened the plants. “Each plant now produces more than 35 tillers, compared to just seven to ten earlier,” he says.
SRI has proved particularly suited to Koraput’s hilly terrain, where landholdings are small and fragmented. By improving productivity on limited plots, the method has helped “shift paddy cultivation from a subsistence activity to a more remunerative and climate-resilient livelihood for smallholder farmers”, Tapas says.
“With reduced plant competition and better soil nutrient retention, SRI creates a healthier soil ecosystem and more resilient crops,” he explains.
Today, over 3,000 farmers across about 5,000 acres in Borigumma, Jeypore, Koraput, Kundra, Nandpur, Semiliguda and Lamataput blocks cultivate more than 70 traditional rice varieties using SRI.
In Koraput, the traditional broadcasting method typically yields between seven and 15 quintals per acre. In contrast, farmers who practice the SRI method, produce between 14 to 25 quintals per acre depending on the variety of paddy.
“Earlier, we earned around Rs 25,000-30,000 per acre. Now, under SRI, our earnings have increased to Rs 55,000 to Rs 75,000,” said Hari Paroja, aged 48, a farmer from Pujariput village in Jeypore block. Paddy was earlier grown mainly for household consumption, with little surplus to sell. “Now rice farming has become profitable,” he added.
Dasamani Pujari, a farmer from Bhurshi village in Kotpad block, says SRI has also reduced dependence on credit. “We no longer borrow money from village moneylenders to buy chemicals and pesticides,” she says.
She uses the SRI method to cultivate indigenous aromatic rice varieties such as Kalajeera and Gobindobhog. “We only apply organic manure and jeevamruta to nourish the soil. When the soil is healthy, it feeds the plant naturally, and we get good yields. Our crop matures 10-12 days earlier than in conventional methods. The grain quality improves with less chaff,” she adds.
The limits of SRI
SRI is both knowledge- and labour-intensive and needs hands-on training and sustained effort. “As agriculture here is largely rainfed, water management becomes critical amid unpredictable rainfall,” said Pradeepta Kishor Sethi, Team Leader of Pragati, noting that farmers are trained to create and maintain drainage channels.
Bhagaban Jani, who has been practicing SRI for the past 12 years in Pujariput village of Jeypore block, says, “From preparing the nursery beds to transplanting, weeding, and managing water, the work never really stops.” Much of this work is shared by his wife and two sons, “but for families that have no support to share the workload, SRI becomes very difficult to sustain,” he adds.
Even gaps in technical knowledge among extension workers or facilitating organisations can limit adoption, says Murali Adhikari, CEO of Jiavik SRI Farmer Producer Organisation, who has worked with tribal farmers in Koraput for over a decade.
“SRI requires close monitoring, especially in the initial stages,” he explains, adding that frequent field visits by extension workers are essential to guide farmers and gradually build their understanding of the method’s agronomic principles.
Why SRI matters beyond yields
For generations, tribal communities in Koraput preserved a wide diversity of rice varieties, adapting cultivation to local soils, rainfall and seasons. But, much of this genetic wealth was lost with the spread of single-crop farming during the Green Revolution.
Although the region was later designated a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System site by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, having once cultivated more than 30,000 indigenous varieties, many of them disappeared with the adoption of high-yielding seeds and chemical-intensive farming.
“About 20 years ago, we replaced our traditional paddy with hybrid varieties,” says Dayanidhi Khora, aged 62, a farmer from Maliput village in Nandapur block. “Initially the harvest looked good, but costs kept rising. Our soil became hard, pest attacks increased, and hybrids could not survive irregular rains.”
As the farming practices narrowed to a few commercial varieties, several indigenous rices such as laiseri, kaberi and ratanchudi, once valued for their resilience, aroma and taste, vanished from the fields.
Traditional seeds, which farmers could save and reuse year after year, were replaced by hybrids that had to be purchased every season, Dayanidhi adds.
“These indigenous rice varieties are a genetic treasure of this region,” says Debabrata Panda, Assistant Professor, Department of Biodiversity and Conservation of Natural Resources at the Central University of Odisha, Koraput. Evolved over centuries, these varieties are adapted to local conditions, he explains, with many able to withstand drought, floods, pests and poor soils. His research shows that varieties such as basubhoga, dudhamani, koraput kalajeera and machhakanta tolerate both drought and flooding, while sapuri and muktabali can withstand salinity.
With climate patterns becoming increasingly unpredictable, such traits are gaining renewed importance. In recent years, irregular rainfall and extreme weather have repeatedly damaged crops in Koraput. In July 2025, heavy rainfall submerged more than 5,000 hectares of paddy fields in the Jeypore sub-division, leading to widespread crop losses.
It was in this context that SRI emerged not only as a way to improve yields and soil health, but also as a means of creating space for traditional rice varieties to return. By reducing input costs and improving productivity, the method has made it viable for farmers to grow indigenous rice beyond small household plots.
Pragati, along with farmers in the region, is now actively supporting this revival. “During the Kharif 2025 season, we promoted koraput kalajeera under SRI across 2,000 acres,” says Prabhakar Adhikari, chief functionary of Pragati. The aromatic variety, known for its short, oval grains, received a Geographical Indication tag in 2024 for its nutritional and therapeutic value. The organisation has also supported the cultivation of aromatic varieties such as gobindobhog and jhilli.
Beyond local benefits, SRI also has implications for climate mitigation. By avoiding continuous flooding and reducing chemical inputs, international studies have shown that the method can lower net greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 30 percent compared to conventional rice farming, while reducing emissions per kilogram of rice by more than 50 percent.
For Dibakar, whose experiment was initially met with skepticism, the change has been tangible. Once landless, he now owns two acres of agricultural land and cultivates traditional paddy under SRI on his own fields. Higher yields and improved incomes have enabled him to build a pucca house and secure his family’s future – a shift visible in several other households of his village.
This story is published as part of the Hands of Transition initiative, which connects communities leading the transformation of food systems in India. Officially launched in 2025, Hands of Transition brings design, storytelling, and ground-up action together to ensure that the people most affected by climate and food insecurity are also the ones shaping the solutions, as both messengers and drivers of change.
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Inspiring story about how indigenous farming practices are proving more sustainable than modern methods. The System of Rice Intensification's focus on reducing water while increasing yields is particulary relevant as climate change intensifies. I've read about similar aproaches in other regions, dunno why these traditional techniques took so long to get mainstream recognition.