Evaluation of System of Rice Intensification (SRI) for Enhanced Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Production in the Guinea Savannah Zone of Ghana

Field experiment was conducted in the dry season of 2014 in the Golinga Irrigation farm (Latitude 09°21'N and Longitude 0°56' W) at Golinga, in the Northern Region, Ghana. This was to evaluate the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) for enhanced grain yield, yield components and economic viability of Gbewaa rice variety production under irrigated conditions. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The treatments comprised four SRI and two Farmers’ Practice treatments viz: FP 1, SRI 1, SRI 2, SRI 3, SRI 4 and FP 2. Under all SRI treatments, seeds were nursed and seedlings were transplanted singly and widely (25 cm × 25 cm), irrigated intermittently and soil earthing up regularly. SRI 1 and FP 2 each received only 13 t ha-1 compost, SRI 2 and FP 1 each received an amount of 37.5 kg ha-1 each of N, P2O5 and K2O as basal application and 26.25 kg ha-1 of N as top dressing while SRI 3 and SRI 4 both received 13 t ha-1 compost followed by either 18.75 kg ha-1 each of N, P2O5 and K2O as basal application or 13.13 kg ha-1 of N as top dressing respectively. SRI 1 plants established best and took the longest days to flower. Higher number of grains per panicle was obtained in SRI 3. SRI 2 produced the highest plant height, panicle length, panicle weight, tiller count and plant biomass. SRI 2 also produced the highest yield (4026 kg ha-1) which was not statistically different from the yields produced in SRI 3 (3866 kg ha-1) and SRI 4 (3737 kg ha-1) as compared with the control – FP 1 (2410 kg ha-1). The benefit – cost analysis showed that SRI 2 (1.97) was the most profiting entry followed by SRI 4 (1.35) and SRI 3 (1.31). Where mineral fertilizers are available and affordable, SRI 2 could be chosen under irrigated condition.