Evaluation of varieties and local manurial sources for organic rice (Oryza sativa) production

Field experiments conducted at ICAR Research Complex for Goa, for two years during 2009 to 2011 to standardize locally available nutrient sources for different rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties indicated that high yielding rice ‘Karjat-3’ and red kernelled rice ‘Revathy’ recorded significantly more productive tillers (8.99 and 8.94/hill, respectively) and panicles per unit area (276 and 262 per m², respectively) over scented rice ‘Pusa Sugandh- 5′. Rice variety ‘Karjat-3’ recorded significantly higher grain yield (3.13 t/ha) over ‘Revathy’ (2.50 t/ha) and ‘Pusa Sugandh5’ (1.80 t/ha). Application of recommended fertilizers recorded significantly higher productive tillers (9.3/hill), total dry matter (26.1 g/hill), panicles per unit area (268/m²) and higher grain yield of rice during first year of experimentation and the pooled mean (3.15 t/ha and 3.09 t/ha, respectively). Use of Glyricidia + Eupatorium each at 5 t/ha yielded 87% of the yield (2.69 t/ha) recorded with recommended fertilizers indicating its feasibility for use as nutrient source for rice production. Higher increase in organic carbon was observed with FYM @ 10 t/ha (1.44% O.C.) and paddy straw + water hyacinth each at 5 t/ha (1.36% O.C.). Application of Sesbania rostrata @10 t/ha resulted in higher microbial growth in soil in terms of fungi (10.39 ×10³ CFU/g), bacteria (17.5×10⁵ CFU/g) and actinomycetes (10.28 ×10⁴ CFU/g) and yield of rice.