Comparative Study on the Performance of Rice Varieties under Organic Practices in Central and North-Eastern Plateau Region of India

Abstract

The present study was conducted at the Organic Farm of Divyayan Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Ranchi, during the Kharif season of 2020 to evaluate the response of high-yielding rice varieties under organic management. The primary objective of the study was to assess the influence of organic cultivation on growth, yield attributes, yield, and economic returns of selected rice varieties and to identify the most suitable genotype for organic production systems. The experiment comprised five rice varieties, namely Swarna Shreya, Prabhat, Rajendra Suwasini, Sahbhagi Dhan, and Rajendra Kasturi, laid out in a Randomized Block Design with four replications under a uniform organic management schedule. Organic manures and organic plant protection measures were applied following the standard organic production protocol. The results revealed significant differences among rice varieties in all growth and yield parameters under organic conditions. Among the varieties, Swarna Shreya recorded the tallest plants (137.21 cm), while Prabhat exhibited the highest leaf area index (5.84). Regarding yield attributes, Prabhat and Rajendra Suwasini produced the maximum number of panicles per hill (28.00), while Rajendra Kasturi recorded the longest panicles (28.84 cm). The highest fertility percentage (94.12%) was observed in Swarna Shreya, whereas Prabhat showed the maximum test weight (26.69 g). In terms of yield performance, Prabhat recorded the highest grain yield (58.94 q ha⁻¹), straw yield (79.61 q ha⁻¹), and biological yield (138.52 q ha⁻¹), followed by Swarna Shreya, which produced a grain yield of 45.97 q ha⁻¹. The harvest index was also highest in Prabhat (42.52%). The economic analysis revealed that Prabhat achieved the maximum gross return (INR. 146,257.23 ha⁻¹), net return (INR 109,957.82 ha⁻¹), and benefit–cost ratio (3.04), surpassing all other varieties. Based on the overall performance, it was concluded that the rice variety Prabhat was found to be the most productive and economically viable under organic farming conditions in the central and north-eastern plateau region of India and hence, can be recommended for large-scale cultivation in organic rice production systems to achieve higher yield and profitability while maintaining environmental sustainability.