Assessment of Different Crop Establishment Methods and Nutrient Management Strategies Influencing Rice Growth under Rice-Wheat Cropping System

Abstract

Rice-Wheat cropping system is a major food production system of the Indo-Gangetic Plains; however, its sustainability is increasingly challenged by intensive tillage, inefficient nutrient use, and declining soil health. A two-year field experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Research Farm, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, to evaluate the effects of crop establishment methods and nutrient management strategies on rice growth under the rice–wheat system. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with four crop establishment methods i.e. conventional puddled transplanted rice followed by conventional till wheat, conventional till direct-seeded rice followed by conventional till wheat, conventional till direct-seeded rice followed by zero-till wheat with rice residue retention, and zero-till direct-seeded rice followed by zero-till wheat with residue retention of rice and wheat and three nutrient management practices, namely farmer’s practice, recommended fertilizer dose, and Rice–Wheat Crop Manager (RWCM)–based site-specific nutrient management. Results revealed that zero-till direct-seeded rice followed by zero-till wheat with residue retention significantly enhanced plant height, tiller density, dry matter accumulation, leaf area index, and chlorophyll content compared to conventional establishment practices at various growth stages. Among nutrient management strategies, RWCM-based site-specific nutrient management consistently improved rice growth parameters over farmer’s practice and performed better than blanket fertilizer recommendations. The interaction between crop establishment and nutrient management was non-significant for most traits. Overall, the integration of conservation agriculture based crop establishment with RWCM-guided nutrient management proved effective in improving rice growth, resource-use efficiency, and system sustainability. Adoption of these practices may offer a viable strategy for enhancing productivity while conserving soil and water resources in the rice-wheat cropping system of the Indo-Gangetic Plains.