Effect of organic agriculture on yield of rice and wheat under rice-wheat cropping system

Abstract

The rice-wheat cropping system is central to India’s food security but faces stagnating yields and soil degradation under conventional farming. This study evaluated the effect of organic agriculture practices farmyard manure (FYM), green manures (Sesbania and Leucaena), blue-green algae (BGA), and Azotobacter applied individually or in combinations, on rice and wheat productivity in an Inceptisol at ICAR-IARI, New Delhi, during 2020-21 and 2021-22. Eight treatments were tested in a randomized block design. Results showed that integrated organic inputs significantly enhanced yields compared to conventional farming. In rice, the highest yields (5.20-5.48 t ha⁻¹) were obtained under combined application of SGM + FYM + BGA, while wheat yields peaked (4.60-4.88 t ha⁻¹) under SGM + FYM + BGA in rice and LGLM + FYM + Azotobacter in wheat. Sole applications of FYM or conventional practices produced the lowest yields. Findings highlight that integrating organic manures and biofertilizers improves productivity, sustains soil health, and offers a viable alternative to input-intensive farming.