Influence of duck integration, green manure and fertilizer levels on weed dynamics, productivity and profitability in rice ecosystems

The main staple food of the Indian subcontinent is rice and the careless use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers has negatively impacted rice production. In order to improve sustainable rice production, the duck rice farming system is one of the novelties that can be applied by wetland farmers to reduce the weed seed bank, weed growth, pest load and increase the soil fertility and productivity of land use in rice fields. In this study, field experiments were conducted during Summer, Kharif and Rabi 2023 at Wetlands. Experimental treatments, viz. green manure - rice - duck treatment, were established to compare with the control and a conventional treatment in the absence of duck. Integrating GMI with Daincha followed by Rice-Duck farming and applying 100 % RDF significantly reduces weed density and increases the rice yield (6333 kg/ha), economic returns and profitability compared to other treatments.