The Effects of Crop Establishment Method, Soil–Water Regime and Integrated Nutrient Management Practices on Sustainability of Rice Yield in North-Eastern India

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted in rice fields of the mid-tropical plain zone of north-eastern India with an aim to develop options through integrated management of soil, water, nutrition and plant for sustainable rice production. The experimental fields were managed in three transects by growing rice under the system of rice intensification (SRI), integrated crop management (ICM) and conventional rice culture (CRC) with fertiliser treatments of NPK100–100–100; NPK100–100–100 + FYM; and NPK50–50–50 + FYM + biofertiliser. The results reveal that the SRI and ICM systems of rice culture give a good yield with better water use efficiency. The quantity of water required for producing one kilogram of rice was 1498 L in SRI and 1535 L in ICM compared to 1883 L in CRC. The requirement of fertiliser under SRI and ICM methods of transplanted rice was less than half of the fertiliser requirement of the CRC method. The soil–water regime, crop establishment method and integrated nutrient management (INM) practices significantly influenced the sustainability yield indices (85–99%) of rice in this climate scenario.