Yield response of Basmati rice to organic and conventional nutrient management under puddled and aerobic systems

Basmati rice is a high-quality aromatic crop that demands precise water and nutrient control to ensure improved yield and quality. Due to growing concerns regarding soil erosion and water stress, organic sources of nutrients along with effective irrigation have emerged as viable eco-friendly alternatives to conventional methods. This experiment was done to determine the impact of varied sources of organic nutrients on the growth, yield, soil attributes, and economic yields of Basmati rice under puddled and aerobic systems. A field experiment was conducted in the Kharif seasons of 2021 and 2022 using the split-plot design with three replications. Two irrigation systems formed the main plots: puddled and aerobic. The subplots consisted of six nutrient treatments: T1 (100% RDF), T2 (75% farmyard manure + 25% poultry manure), T3 (75% press mud + 25% poultry manure), T4 (100% poultry manure), T5 (75% night soil + 25% poultry manure), and T6 (75% urban compost + 25% poultry manure). Data was collected on grain and straw yield, yield attributes, soil fertility factors, and economic efficiency. The findings indicated that puddled cultivation yielded a greater grain yield (36.79 q/ha) than aerobic conditions (27.40 q/ha). T5 had the highest grain yield (38.63 q/ha) and better yield characteristics and soil qualities among all treatments. The worst performance was seen under T1 (19.73 q/ha). It is concluded that 75% night soil and 25% poultry manure under puddled cultivation is the most efficient, environmentally friendly, and economical method for Basmati rice production, offering a novel approach by evaluating locally available organic inputs under contrasting irrigation systems.