Rainfed rice - IRRI books - International Rice Research Institute

RAINFED RICE A SOURCEBOOK OF BEST PRACTICES AND STRATEGIES IN EASTERN INDIA
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moisture. In situ green manuring is better than growing the green manure
crop elsewhere and incorporating it into the soil in another field.
Application of nutrients based on soil test values
Almost all the districts in eastern India have soil-testing laboratories. Before
sowing operations, test the soil for its available nutrient content. Apply an
adequate amount of the required nutrients.
Application of appropriate type of fertiliser
Do not apply ammonium fertilisers to soils having high pH, as it encourages
volatilisation loss of ammonia from the soil. Instead, urea will serve as a,
better source of N.
Placement of fertilisers
Apply fertilisers in the furrows along the seed at the time of seeding in
direct-seeded rice and incorporate it before transplanting in the transplanted
crop.
Inclusion of legumes in rice-cropping systems
Include a legume/pulse crop (e.g., mungbean) after wet season rice
depending upon the availability of soil moisture. This improves soil fertility
due to the presence of useful bacteria (i.e., Rhizobium sp., N 2 -fixing bacteria)
in the root nodules of the pulse crop. In upland soil, include a pulse crop as
a sequential crop (e.g., rice-pigeonpea-rice) or as an intercrop (e.g., rice +
pigeonpea). Incorporate the crop residues of the pulse crop into the soil to
enhance the N content. Rice + pigeonpea is one of the best rice-based
cropping systems. The combination of rice, a shallow-rooted crop, and
pigeonpea, a deep-rooted crop, helps maximise utilisation of soil moisture
and nutrients.
Phosphorus (P) application
Phosphorus deficiency is common in rainfed upland soils. In P-deficient
soils, mix P fertiliser [single superphosphate (SSP)] with compost or FYM in
a 1:2 ratio. Incubate the mixture for 72 h and place it in the seed furrows to
improve P availability.