Productivity and Quality of Basmati Rice (Oryza sativa) Under Organic Farming of Rice-Based Cropping Systems.

A field experiment was conducted at the research farm of IARI, New Delhi during 2006-08 to find out the suitable combination of organic sources for organic farming of rice-based cropping systems. The treatments consisted of two cropping systems (rice-wheat and rice-wheat-mungbean) in rows and six combinations of organic manures and biofertilizers [farmyard manure equivalent to 60 kg N ha^-1 (FYM), Vermicompost equivalent to 60 kg N ha^-1(VC), FYM + crop residue @ 6 tha^-1 of rice and wheat and 3 tha^-1 of mungbean, rice residue was used in wheat, wheat residue in rice in rice-wheat cropping system and in mungbean in rice-wheat-mungbean cropping system (CR), VC+CR,  FYM+CR+biofertilizers (B) and VC+CR+B] in columns. Biofertilizers consisted of blue green algae+cellulolytic culture (CC) +Phosphorus solubilizing bacteria (PSB) in rice and Azotobacter+CC+PSB for wheat and Rhizobium+PSB for mungbean. RWM cropping system gave 7% higher grain yield in the first and 9% in the second year than RW cropping system. Application of FYM, VC, FYM+CR, VC+CR, FYM+CR+B and VC+CR+B increased grain yield over control by 23, 30, 40, 46, 50 and 55% respectively, in 2006 and by 24, 34, 38, 49, 52 and 59% respectively, in 2007.

Rice grain analysis for cationic micronutrients showed a significant increase in the treatments have 2 or more organic amendments over control. Rice grown under RWM cropping system gave significantly higher protein content in rice grain than rice grown under RW cropping system. The protein content in rice grains also increased by application of different combinations of organic manures and biofertilizers and obtained highest (8.5-8.7%) with VC+CR+B and lowest, 7.1% in control both. Different organic manures and biofertilizers slightly improved hulling, milling, head rice recovery before and Length elongation ratio and breadth expansion ratio after cooking in scented rice. Therefore, organic management practices improve sustain productivity and maintain quality.