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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Early Access

Sustainable rice production in low-SOM soils: The case for green manure adoption

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.11644
Submitted
6 September 2025
Published
18-03-2026

Abstract

In intensive rice-based rotations, reliance on high rates of chemical fertilisers (CF) often results in low nutrient-use efficiency and attendant environmental risks. To evaluate the potential of organic amendments (OAs) to mitigate these issues, we conducted a Boro–Fallow–Transplanted Aman (T. Aman) field trial for two years (2022–2024), with 7 treatments: an unfertilised control; farmer-practice CF; full recommended dose (RD) of CF; and 4 treatments combining 75 % RD of chemical fertiliser with farmyard manure (FYM), poultry manure (PM), compost, or green manure (dhaincha). Dhaincha was cultivated during the fallow interval, while all OAs were applied at T. Aman, with residual effects assessed in the subsequent boro season. All combined OA + 75 % RD treatments produced comparable grain yields (3.01–6.33 t ha-1), each delivering 50–52 % higher grain and 47–50 % higher straw yields than the unfertilised control. Notably, the green manure treatment achieved the highest nutrient uptake and post-harvest soil carbon stocks, boosting soil organic carbon by 12–26 % relative to the control. These findings demonstrate that integrating moderate chemical inputs with targeted organic amendments, especially green manure, can maintain or enhance rice productivity while improving soil fertility and reducing dependence on CF.

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