Correct Option
The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is an agro-ecological approach to increasing the productivity of irrigated rice by changing the management of plants, soil, water, and nutrients. Key practices include transplanting young seedlings, wider spacing, and alternate wetting and drying (AWD) of the fields.
- Reduced seed requirement: SRI practices involve transplanting single, young seedlings at wider spacing, which significantly reduces the total seed requirement per unit area compared to conventional methods of broadcasting or dense transplanting.
- Reduced methane production: Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) prevents continuous anaerobic conditions in the rice fields. Methane (CH₄) is produced by anaerobic bacteria in continuously flooded soils. By periodically aerating the soil, AWD reduces the activity of these methanogenic bacteria, thereby lowering methane emissions.
- Reduced electricity consumption: The AWD technique optimizes water use by not keeping the fields continuously flooded. This reduction in water requirement directly translates to lower energy consumption, particularly electricity, used for pumping irrigation water.
All three statements are accurate benefits of the System of Rice Intensification.
Incorrect Options
Options (1), (2), and (3) are incorrect because they exclude at least one of the valid benefits of the System of Rice Intensification. Since all three statements (1, 2, and 3) correctly describe the outcomes of SRI, only the option encompassing all three is accurate.