Long-Term Impacts of AI-Enabled Precision Land Leveling and Site-Specific Nutrient Stewardship on Water Productivity, Nitrogen Use Efficiency, and Soil Carbon Dynamics in RWCS of NWIGP

Abstract

Sustaining productivity of the rice-wheat cropping system in the Indo-Gangetic Plains requires fundamental improvements in soil-water-nutrient interactions under intensifying resource constraints. This study assessed the long-term (2015-2025) impacts of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled precision land leveling integrated with site-specific nutrient management (SSNM) on crop productivity, irrigation water use, nitrogen use efficiency, and soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics through large-scale farmer-participatory trials in Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Shamli, Baghpat, Hapur, Ghaziabad, and Moradabad districts of western Uttar Pradesh, India. Precision-managed rice yields increased from 5.6 t ha⁻¹ in 2015 to 6.5 t ha⁻¹ in 2025, representing a 25-30% advantage over farmer practice, while wheat yields improved from 4.8 to 5.6 t ha⁻¹. Precision land leveling reduced irrigation water requirement by 22-26% in rice and 15-20% in wheat, increasing water productivity to 0.55-0.58 kg grain m⁻³ and 1.65-1.75 kg grain m⁻³, respectively. Despite 20-30% lower nitrogen application rates under SSNM, crop nitrogen uptake increased, resulting in nitrogen agronomic efficiency exceeding 25 kg grain kg⁻¹ N in rice and 28 kg grain kg⁻¹ N in wheat by 2025. Partial factor productivity of nitrogen surpassed 40 kg grain kg⁻¹ N in rice and 35 kg grain kg⁻¹ N in wheat. Soil analyses revealed sustained SOC sequestration rates of 0.18-0.22 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ under precision management, with significant enrichment of labile carbon fractions and microbial biomass carbon. System-level rice equivalent yield increased by nearly 30% over the decade, demonstrating that AI-enabled precision land leveling combined with nutrient stewardship enhances productivity while restoring soil health. The findings confirm that integrated precision tillage and nutrient strategies offer a scalable pathway for climate-resilient intensification of rice-wheat systems under the vision of Vikshit Bharat 2047.