Economic valuation of SRI paddy

From an economic perspective, rice is an important crop. The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is known as a rice production technology with a high economic value. The economic value varies depending on different implementations of water level in the SRI paddy field. This study was conducted to determine the best water level for SRI paddy cultivation based on its economic value regarding paddy field ecosystem service. In this study, SRI paddy rice was cultivated in experimental pots, and the water levels were regulated at -12, -7, -5, -3, 0 and +2 cm from the soil surface by using Mariotte tubes. The economic value can be calculated using the Total Economic Value (TEV) framework, namely, by considering the amount of irrigation water used, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the yields. The value is then optimized by Excel solver to maximize the balance in economic value as the objective. The water level was set as a changing value with the constraint not less than -12 and not more than +2. This analysis found that the best water level for SRI paddy cultivation is -5.88 cm from the soil surface based on its economic value (49.708 million IDR per hectare).