Costa Rica

Progress and Activities

The first trials with SRI (SICA in Spanish) were undertaken by Mr. Oscar Montero in northwestern Costa Rica in 2005 (see full details in English or Spanish). Due to a shortage of manpower to transplant, he began by modifying a AP100 Yanmar mechanical transplanter (which was designed to sow between 3 and 5 seedlings) to sow single seedlings at a distance of 22 x 30 cm. Seedbeds are planted with pregerminated seeds sown in planting trays with a substrate that includes a soil additive (EcoMic) and controled-combustion (not the burnt) rice hulls obtained from the ovens used to dry rice (see details with photos). Ten day old seedling mats are removed from trays, folded and transferred to the field to be planted by the transplanter. After solving the transplanting dilemma through the transplanter modifications and planting tray system, he began to carry out the five basic recommendations for SICA.

With vitually no labor force and using marginal rice land with a severe red rice infestation, Montero has, with the application of SICA principles, practically doubled the average national rice yield to 8 tons/ha as of 2008.

Oscar Montero plans to go to Guatamala in February with his equipment to start another "SICA mechanizada" effort. He has been exchanging information with Rena Perez, who spearheads much of the SICA work in Cuba and provides information on SICA in Spanish throughout Latin America.

 

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