The field experiments were conducted at Agronomy Main Research Farm, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India during rabi (November–March) seasons of 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 to evaluate direct and residual effect of nutrient management and rice establishment methods on phenology, growing degree days, growth, yield and economics of groundnut in rice–groundnut cropping system. The experiments were laid out in split-plot design with three replications. Carryover effect of direct seeding rice favourably influenced the succeeding groundnut crop as compared to that grown after transplanting which had superior growth parameters resulting in 25.7% higher pod yield, oil yield (1.24 t ha-1), gross return (` 136612.7 ha-1) and net return (` 63965.0 ha-1). Residual effect of organic management to preceding rice significantly increased growth, yield attributes, growing degree days at physiological maturity and net return, resulted in highest pod yield of 2.48 t ha-1 in groundnut which was at par with that grown after INM in rice, but was on an average, 17.0% higher than inorganic practice in rice. INM to groundnut increased yield parameters and economics of the crop resulting in 19.7 and 39.3% higher pod yields than 100% and 75% soil test based fertiliser, respectively. Hence, INM under direct seeding to kharif rice benefits the succeeding groundnut crop and direct application of 75% STBN (inorganic)+25% STBN (FYM)+0.2 LR+biofertilisers to groundnut proved beneficial for improving phenology, growing degree days, growth, yield and economics of groundnut in rice–groundnut cropping system.

Continuous mono-cropping of rice has resulted in decline or stagnation of yield output due to the occurrence of multiple nutrient deficiencies and worsening of soil physicochemical properties accompanying increased pressure of insect pests and diseases. The basic concept of integrated nutrient management (INM) is maintenance or adjustment of soil fertility and supply of plant nutrients to an optimum level for sustaining the desired crop productivity through optimisation of benefits from all possible sources of plant nutrients in an integrated way. Augmenting a rice-based cropping system with pulses is a prevalent and indigenous cropping system under rainfed conditions. Considering the above facts, experiments were conducted to evaluate the impacts of integrated nutrient management on productivity of aromatic rice–greengram cropping system and nutrient balance of the post-harvest soil for agricultural sustainability under rainfed conditions in two consecutive years (2017–2018 and 2018–2019) with six main plots and three subplots. The experimental findings revealed that the treatment comprised of 50% recommended dose of fertiliser (RDF) through chemicals + 50% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) through farmyard manure (FYM) increased the plant height, tillers, dry matter accumulation, leaf area and leaf area duration, and yield parameters in short grain aromatic rice. Similarly, preceding application of 50% RDF + 50% RDN through FYM to rice and further application 75% RDF + Rhizobium+ phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) to greengram increased the growth characteristics and yield parameters—such as pods/plant, seeds/pod, grain yield, stover yield, and harvest index—in greengram. It was concluded that the treatment consisting of 50% RDF (chemical fertiliser) + 50% RDN (FYM) to rice and 75% RDF + Rhizobium + PSB to greengram increased the productivity of the rice–greengram cropping system. Furthermore, the adoption of INM has positively impacted post-harvest soil nutrient balance.

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The results of a field experiment conducted during the kharif season of 2007 and 2008 at OUAT, Bhubaneswar on basmati rice varieties under system of rice intensification (SRI) showed that application of organic manure (FYM 15.0 t ha -1 ) improved growth attributes like plant height, tillering, LAI and CGR of basmati rice varieties, increased panicle production and filled grains panicle -1 , produced high grain (4.42 t ha -1 ) and straw (6.57 t ha -1 ) yields and fetched the high gross return comparable to those of INM (50% RDF+7.5 t FYM ha -1 ), but significantly greater than those of inorganic fertilization (RDF). However, use of RDF (60-30-30 kg N-P 2 O 5 -K 2 O ha -1 ) was more remunerative in terms of net returns and returns per rupee invested than organic manuring or INM practice due to higher cost of organic manures. The basmati rice variety Pusa Basmati-1 performed better than Geetanjali. Similarly, crop planted at close spacing (20×20 cm 2 ) showed improved growth and increased yield and profit over those of wide spacing (25×25 cm 2 ); but growth, yield and economics of basmati rice did not vary much between the crops planted with 10 and 15-day old seedlings. The results suggest to grow Pusa Basmati-1 at 20×20 cm 2 spacing with 10 or 15-day old single seedlings under organic manuring or INM practice for better growth, higher yield and greater profit.

A field experiment was carried out in participatory mode on farmers’ field at Bhoimunda village of Jharsuguda block under Jharsuguda district, Odisha during Kharif season of 2017, 2018 and 2019 to study the efficiency of nutrient management along with green manuring crop on productivity, profitability and soil fertility of rice under Western Central Table Land Zone of Odisha, India. The adopted village was selected by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Jharsuguda, Odisha under National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with four treatments replicated five times taking rice (cv. Sahabhagi dhan) as test crop.  The treatments comprised of four viz. T1: Farmer’s practice (NPK @ 50:20:20 kg ha-1), T2: Recommended dose of fertilizer (NPK @ 60:30:30 kg ha-1), T3: 75% RDF + Green manuring of dhaincha  (Sesbania aculeata) with seed rate of @ 25 kg ha-1 and T4: Soil Test Based NPKZnB @ 75:38:30:6.25:1.25 kg ha-1 + Green manuring.  Results revealed that application of Soil Test Based NPKZnB @ 75:38:30:6.25:1.25 kg ha-1 along with green manuring producing dry biomass 5044 kg ha-1  (T4) recorded significantly higher growth and yield attributes, grain yield (4.04 t ha-1), straw yield (5.15 t ha-1), harvest index (43.92%) as well as nutrient uptake in grain and straw of the crop over farmers practice. The same treatment recorded significant improvement in soil pH, organic carbon, available macronutrients (N, P and K) and micronutrients (Zn and B) status of soil after harvest of the crop. The highest benefit: cost ratio (1.62) and returns (Rs. 28559 ha-1) were recorded with the same treatment (T4) over farmers practice. The present study showed that use of green manuring along with balance nutrition, is an important strategy to maintain and/or improve soil fertility for sustainable crop production in drought prone areas as well as remunerative rice production by the farmers in Odisha, India.

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This study was conducted by Krishi Vigyan Kendra Jharsuguda, Odisha under National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture Project in 2019-2020 in the operational villages Bhoimunda and Tharkaspur of Jharsaguda district of North-Western Odisha, India. A total of 300 unsexed brooded chicks, breed Vanaraja, were provided to the farmers under the project and were randomly distributed into three treatment groups (100 birds in each treatment group) with ten replications in each group, having ten birds in each replicate. The study was undertaken for a period of 7 months, from September, 2019 to March, 2020. The study started with birds of 4th week of age and continued up to 28th week of age. Vanaraja birds of group I were let out for foraging with no supplementation, in group II birds were provided with fresh Azolla @ 200 g per bird along with foraging and birds of group III were given commercial feed @ 50 g per bird along with foraging. Weekly body weight gain upto 16th week and egg production upto 28th week were recorded. The benefit cost analysis was also evaluated. The result of this trial indicated that supplementation of azolla in instrumental in increased body weight gain along with higher egg production with better Benefit Cost ratio. Therefore, it can be concluded that feeding of Azolla to poultry birds under backyard condition @ 200 g per day per bird may be highly effective method to get more profit. Under the prevailing situation of change in climatic condition, backyard poultry is a good insurance against crop loss and feeding of azolla to backyard birds will further strengthen the economic status of farmers.

A field experiment was conducted during 2019-20 and 2020-21 to study the effect of nutrient management and rice establishment methods on rice productivity, profitability, nutrient uptake and energetics in rice-groundnut cropping system in coastal Odisha. The experiment was laid out in factorial randomised block design during the Kharif and in split-plot design during the Rabi seasons with three replications. Six treatment combinations comprising of two rice establishment methods viz., direct seeded rice (DSR) and transplanted rice (TPR) and three nutrient management practices, viz., inorganic source, organic source and integrated nutrient management (INM) to rice during kharif were allotted to the main-plots. Three nutrient management practices to groundnut viz., 75% soil test based inorganic fertilizers (STBF), 100% STBF (inorganic) and INM during rabi were allotted to the sub-plots. The results of the study revealed that TPR resulted in 3.3% higher grain yield (5.65 t ha-1) than DSR. TPR also fetched the higher mean cost of cultivation (Rs. 77, 816 ha-1) and gross returns (Rs. 1, 12, 353 ha-1) while DSR recorded more net returns (Rs. 39, 121 ha-1) and benefit cost ratio (1.68). Transplanting increased uptake of nutrients by rice crop to the maximum of 99.4 kg N, 27.9 kg P and 107.3 kg K ha-1 as compared to DSR. TPR recorded the higher energy output (1, 48, 205 MJ ha-1), energy ratio (18.0) and energy productivity (0.69 kg MJ-1) than DSR. INM exhibited the highest mean grain (6.06 t ha-1) and straw yields (7.09 t ha-1), while the organic management showed at par of these values. The INM practice also fetched 50, 781 ha-1 and 7,470 ha-1 higher net returns and 0.84 and 0.04 higher benefit: cost ratio over organic practice and inorganic nutrition, respectively. The INM practice in rice crop resulted in the maximum N, P and K uptake. But, the inorganic and organic practice in isolation have similar uptake of nutrients by the crop in accordance with their almost similar yields. The minimum energy for raising rice crop was spent in organic practice, which generated maximum energy ratio (23.4) and energy productivity (0.87 kg MJ-1) followed by INM and inorganic practice. Thus, transplanting method of rice establishment with INM approach is a viable management practice for improving productivity, profitability, nutrient uptake and energy efficiency of rice in rice-groundnut cropping system in coastal Odisha.