Impact of tillage cum crop establishment methods and nutrient management strategies on wet rice ( Oryza sativa L): crop productivity, water footprint, soil health and profitability in typic Ustochrept soils under semi-arid sub-tropical environment

The current research was conducted in 2019 and 2020 during rainy ( Kharif ) seasons to determine various tillage-based crop establishment methods and nutrient management strategies that could be implemented to reduce different field inputs viz. water and nutrients for enhancing water footprint, soil health, productivity and profitability of rice ( Oryza Sativa L) in Typic Ustochrept soils under semi-arid sub-tropical environment. The conventional puddled transplanted rice (CT–TPR) was recorded significantly higher grain yield (4043 and 4129 kg ha −1 ) and straw yield (6271 and 6379 kg ha −1 ) than wide bed transplanted rice (WBed–TPR) treatments. The improvement in the grain yield was about 4.39% and 4.03% under CT–TPR than WBed–TPR during 2019 and 2020. The highest total water footprint (TWFP) was observed under CT–TPR, whereas WBed–TPR (0.44 kgm −3 ) yielded the greatest water productivity (WP IRRI ), respectively. The highest net profit, B: C ratio and soil health indicators, i.e ., particulate organic carbon (POC), total organic carbon (TOC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) in soil, were also recorded maximum in WBed–TPR than CT–TPR respectively. Among the nutrient management practices, with the applications of recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF), farm yard manure (FYM), phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB), Azatobactor and zinc worked synergistically and increased grain yields by 53.4, 51.3, 47.9 and 46.2% over their respective control. The improved soil health status, i.e., POC, TOC and MBC in soil, was highest with (N 9 ) organics practices @ FYM (30 t ha −1 ) + PSB (5 kg ha −1 ) + Azotobacter 20 kg ha −1 + ZnSO 4 25 kg ha −1 . The highest TWFP was observed with N 1 (control) and N 2 (100% RDF + ZnSO 4 25 kg ha −1 ), while lowest was found in N 9 (organic practices), respectively. Results also indicated that highest net profit, gross income and B: C ratio were recorded in 100% RDF + ZnSO 4 25 kg ha −1 + FYM (5 t ha −1 ) + PSB (5 kg ha −1 ) + Azotobacter 20 kg ha −1 (N 7 ), respectively.