The field experiments were conducted at Agronomy Main Research Farm, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India during rabi (November–March) seasons of 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 to evaluate direct and residual effect of nutrient management and rice establishment methods on phenology, growing degree days, growth, yield and economics of groundnut in rice–groundnut cropping system. The experiments were laid out in split-plot design with three replications. Carryover effect of direct seeding rice favourably influenced the succeeding groundnut crop as compared to that grown after transplanting which had superior growth parameters resulting in 25.7% higher pod yield, oil yield (1.24 t ha-1), gross return (` 136612.7 ha-1) and net return (` 63965.0 ha-1). Residual effect of organic management to preceding rice significantly increased growth, yield attributes, growing degree days at physiological maturity and net return, resulted in highest pod yield of 2.48 t ha-1 in groundnut which was at par with that grown after INM in rice, but was on an average, 17.0% higher than inorganic practice in rice. INM to groundnut increased yield parameters and economics of the crop resulting in 19.7 and 39.3% higher pod yields than 100% and 75% soil test based fertiliser, respectively. Hence, INM under direct seeding to kharif rice benefits the succeeding groundnut crop and direct application of 75% STBN (inorganic)+25% STBN (FYM)+0.2 LR+biofertilisers to groundnut proved beneficial for improving phenology, growing degree days, growth, yield and economics of groundnut in rice–groundnut cropping system.

Continuous mono-cropping of rice has resulted in decline or stagnation of yield output due to the occurrence of multiple nutrient deficiencies and worsening of soil physicochemical properties accompanying increased pressure of insect pests and diseases. The basic concept of integrated nutrient management (INM) is maintenance or adjustment of soil fertility and supply of plant nutrients to an optimum level for sustaining the desired crop productivity through optimisation of benefits from all possible sources of plant nutrients in an integrated way. Augmenting a rice-based cropping system with pulses is a prevalent and indigenous cropping system under rainfed conditions. Considering the above facts, experiments were conducted to evaluate the impacts of integrated nutrient management on productivity of aromatic rice–greengram cropping system and nutrient balance of the post-harvest soil for agricultural sustainability under rainfed conditions in two consecutive years (2017–2018 and 2018–2019) with six main plots and three subplots. The experimental findings revealed that the treatment comprised of 50% recommended dose of fertiliser (RDF) through chemicals + 50% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) through farmyard manure (FYM) increased the plant height, tillers, dry matter accumulation, leaf area and leaf area duration, and yield parameters in short grain aromatic rice. Similarly, preceding application of 50% RDF + 50% RDN through FYM to rice and further application 75% RDF + Rhizobium+ phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) to greengram increased the growth characteristics and yield parameters—such as pods/plant, seeds/pod, grain yield, stover yield, and harvest index—in greengram. It was concluded that the treatment consisting of 50% RDF (chemical fertiliser) + 50% RDN (FYM) to rice and 75% RDF + Rhizobium + PSB to greengram increased the productivity of the rice–greengram cropping system. Furthermore, the adoption of INM has positively impacted post-harvest soil nutrient balance.

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The results of a field experiment conducted during the kharif season of 2007 and 2008 at OUAT, Bhubaneswar on basmati rice varieties under system of rice intensification (SRI) showed that application of organic manure (FYM 15.0 t ha -1 ) improved growth attributes like plant height, tillering, LAI and CGR of basmati rice varieties, increased panicle production and filled grains panicle -1 , produced high grain (4.42 t ha -1 ) and straw (6.57 t ha -1 ) yields and fetched the high gross return comparable to those of INM (50% RDF+7.5 t FYM ha -1 ), but significantly greater than those of inorganic fertilization (RDF). However, use of RDF (60-30-30 kg N-P 2 O 5 -K 2 O ha -1 ) was more remunerative in terms of net returns and returns per rupee invested than organic manuring or INM practice due to higher cost of organic manures. The basmati rice variety Pusa Basmati-1 performed better than Geetanjali. Similarly, crop planted at close spacing (20×20 cm 2 ) showed improved growth and increased yield and profit over those of wide spacing (25×25 cm 2 ); but growth, yield and economics of basmati rice did not vary much between the crops planted with 10 and 15-day old seedlings. The results suggest to grow Pusa Basmati-1 at 20×20 cm 2 spacing with 10 or 15-day old single seedlings under organic manuring or INM practice for better growth, higher yield and greater profit.

A field experiment was carried out in participatory mode on farmers’ field at Bhoimunda village of Jharsuguda block under Jharsuguda district, Odisha during Kharif season of 2017, 2018 and 2019 to study the efficiency of nutrient management along with green manuring crop on productivity, profitability and soil fertility of rice under Western Central Table Land Zone of Odisha, India. The adopted village was selected by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Jharsuguda, Odisha under National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with four treatments replicated five times taking rice (cv. Sahabhagi dhan) as test crop.  The treatments comprised of four viz. T1: Farmer’s practice (NPK @ 50:20:20 kg ha-1), T2: Recommended dose of fertilizer (NPK @ 60:30:30 kg ha-1), T3: 75% RDF + Green manuring of dhaincha  (Sesbania aculeata) with seed rate of @ 25 kg ha-1 and T4: Soil Test Based NPKZnB @ 75:38:30:6.25:1.25 kg ha-1 + Green manuring.  Results revealed that application of Soil Test Based NPKZnB @ 75:38:30:6.25:1.25 kg ha-1 along with green manuring producing dry biomass 5044 kg ha-1  (T4) recorded significantly higher growth and yield attributes, grain yield (4.04 t ha-1), straw yield (5.15 t ha-1), harvest index (43.92%) as well as nutrient uptake in grain and straw of the crop over farmers practice. The same treatment recorded significant improvement in soil pH, organic carbon, available macronutrients (N, P and K) and micronutrients (Zn and B) status of soil after harvest of the crop. The highest benefit: cost ratio (1.62) and returns (Rs. 28559 ha-1) were recorded with the same treatment (T4) over farmers practice. The present study showed that use of green manuring along with balance nutrition, is an important strategy to maintain and/or improve soil fertility for sustainable crop production in drought prone areas as well as remunerative rice production by the farmers in Odisha, India.