Comprehensive insights into integrated rice-based co-culture systems in the top five rice-producing countries enhancing productivity and smallholder livelihoods

The integration of rice farming and coculture remains underutilized as a strategy to enhance productivity and improve smallholder farmers' livelihoods, despite its potential to increase income, productivity, and sustainability. This study employed a systematic literature review following PRISMA guidelines and bibliometric analysis using Scopus and ScienceDirect databases to comprehensively assess and explore integrated rice co-culture farming in top five rice-producing countries. Out of 828 recorded articles, 24 were deemed eligible for review after the selection process. Findings indicate that rice co-culture farming provides significant ecological benefits, including enhanced nutrient cycling, reduced dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and improved soil fertility. This integrated system also promotes biodiversity by naturally regulating pest populations and contributes to climate change mitigation by reducing methane emissions. Moreover, rice co-culture farming can deliver high rice yields of up to 14.8 t ha⁻¹ and increase farmers' income by up to 17013 USD or 8.67 times compared to rice monoculture. However, challenges such as high initial investment, complex water management, and market accessibility limit its widespread adoption. This review highlights the importance of policy support, training programs, and infrastructure development to facilitate broader implementation. By leveraging the benefits of rice based co culture farming, smallholder farmers can achieve higher economic returns, sustainable production, and improved food security, making it a promising solution for global agricultural sustainability. • Rice co-culture enhances yields and farmer income. • Integrated systems improve soil fertility and nutrient cycling. • Co-culture reduces chemical inputs and methane emissions. • Biodiversity and natural pest control increase in co-culture fields. • Policy support is key to scaling rice co-culture adoption.