Abstract
PurposeIntensification of rice cultivation to meet the growing demand has imbalanced the nitrogen level in soil. Amendments of inorganic fertilizers increase yield, but at the same time affects the environment. Hence, different amendments are to be investigated which acting sustainably on soil and the environment upholds yield gains.MethodsA study was carried out on acidic sandy loam soil in the irrigated summer seasons of the years of 2015–2016 and 2016–2017 to examine the effects of various amendments on rice growth, soil health and yield. The applied amendments were inorganic fertilizer blended with crop residues, farm yard manure and compost made of daily household green wastes.ResultsThe highest yield of 53.33 ± 2.09 Q/ha was recorded with application of inorganic fertilizer blended with compost and the lowest yield of 32.71 ± 3.09 Q/ha without amendment. Strong positive correlations were found between soil moisture and volumetric water content (0.982 at p < 0.001), manganese and copper (0.900 at p < 0.001), whereas available phosphorus and manganese showed a strong negative correlation (− 0.901 at p < 0.001). Performing stepwise regression analysis, yield was found affected mostly by soil moisture and total carbon out of evaluated 17 soil traits.ConclusionThe inorganic fertilization blended with the compost increased rice yield by 13.61% over inorganic fertilizer but a higher yield associated with compost demoted total nitrogen contents in soil, leading to lower soil nitrogen fertility and providing a negative feedback to sustainable agriculture. More research is required on compost development and application in different rice agroecosystems.
Highlights
Rice (Oryza sativa Lin.) is the most demanding cereal in the world
One of the most common steps taken in the direction of maintaining soil health and environment is the use of organic fertilizers
A huge volume of organic fertilizer is required for achieving potential of high yielding rice varieties, which will directly step up the cost of farming (Baruah and Baruah 2015; Baruah et al 2016)
Summary
Rice (Oryza sativa Lin.) is the most demanding cereal in the world It appears as an indispensable food for more than 50% of the world’s population. Its requirement is increasing rapidly for fulfilling the demand of ever growing human population. To meet this rising demand, different approaches are being practised, such as boosting rice production with the application of different fertilizers (Cassman et al 1998), The application of nitrogen fertilizer promotes the rice yield, but it has unfavourable effects on the environment and soil health (Leip et al 2014). One of the most common steps taken in the direction of maintaining soil health and environment is the use of organic fertilizers. The decomposition of an organic matter under humid tropical condition is relatively hasty and its gathering is minimal in upland irrigated soils
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