Chile: They promote irrigation in rice crops to replace the traditional flooding system

The growing drought led INIA researchers to incorporate the SRI system that irrigates rice fields, without affecting the quality or yield of the crop. The relevant thing is that it uses only half as much water as the conventional system. “This system is here to stay,” said rice producer Luis Valenzuela from the Santa Amelia sector, in San Carlos, when referring to the implementation of the SRI (System of Rice Intensification), which is being implemented by the INIA. as a new way to produce rice in Chile. This methodology uses intermittent irrigation, replacing the traditional flooding that has characterized this crop, a change that is not whimsical, since it responds to the growing decrease in water for irrigation, in much of the world. For Luis Valenzuela, the lack of water is a big problem, which is why he follows the irrigation system very closely. “It is very friendly to the environment, with a lot of water savings, with considerable savings in doses of seeds and fertilizers,” ...