PERFORMANCE AND POSSIBILITIES OF ORGANIC RICE PRODUCTION IN COASTAL DELTAIC RE GION OF KARAIKAL

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1 Progressive Research An International Journal Print ISSN : , Online ISSN : Volume 10 (Special-V) : , (2015) Society for Scientific Development in Agriculture and Technology Meerut (U.P.) INDIA PERFORMANCE AND POSSIBILITIES OF ORGANIC RICE PRODUCTION IN COASTAL DELTAIC RE GION OF KARAIKAL G. Vijayalakshmi, R. Mohan, R. Poonguzhalan and S. Sundaravarathan Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Col lege of Ag ri cul ture and Re search In sti tute, Karaikal. Key words : ABSTRACT A field investigation was carried out during Samba, to find out the feasibility and performance of organic rice production at the coastal deltaic region of Karaikal. The experiment was conducted with two varieties (IW ponni and Sigappu Kawuni) under three vermicompost levels (V0 control, V1 1 t ha-1, V2 2 t ha-1) and three panchagavya levels (P0 control, P1 spraying every 10 days interval, P2 spraying every 20 days interval). The results of the field experiment had revealed that the variety IW ponni with either 1 t ha-1 or Panchagavya foliar spraying at every 20 days interval had proved to be economically viable and produced profitable returns. The highest net and B: C ratio was obtained in IW ponni with (51,393 and 2.41) or without (22,112 and 1.61) premium price condition under application of 1 t ha-1 without panchagavya foliar spraying. Or ganic rice, Panchagavya, Vermicompost, Economics. Increased /indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers has lead to several harmful effects on the soil environment by affecting soil health in terms of physical, chemical and biological properties, ground and surface waters and even atmospheric pollution. Long term use of fertilizer had declined the grain yield under intensified rice cropping system. However, Organic farming system shall solve all these problems as its principles are based on natural closed ecosystem. It is considered as one of the best options for protecting / sustaining soil health and is gaining lot of importance in present day agriculture (Pathak et al., 1992; Carpenter boggs et al., 2000). Organic farming is a production system which avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetically compounded fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators and livestock feed additives. To the maximum extent feasible, organic farming system should rely upon crop rotations, crop residues, animal manures, legumes, green manures, off farm organic wastes, mineral bearing rocks and bio-fertilizers to maintain soil productivity, tilth, to supply plant nutrients and biological means to control insects, weeds and other pests. Vermicompost is rich in macronutrients (0.56% N, 1.48% P 2 O 5 and 0.36% K 2 O) besides having plant growth promoting substances, humus forming microbes and nitrogen fixers (Bano et al., 1987). It is an appropriate technique for the disposal of solid wastes. It helps in effective and efficient recycling of animal wastes, agricultural residues and industrial wastes using low energy. On the other hand, Panchagavya, a Vedic formulation and an organic product from the five products of cow (Natarajan, 2002) is used to boost the yield of crops and to restrict the incidence of common diseases, enhanced the biological efficiency of crop plants and keeping quality of crops. By 2020, demand of fertilizer shall increase to nearly 345 million tonnes to meet the food requirement of the increasing population. However, the rice production must be increased by an estimated 56 per cent over the next 30 years to keep pace with population growth (DRD, 2012). Rice occupies 11 percent of world s crop area and is a staple food for more than 70 per cent of the world s population. More than 90 per cent of the world s rice is grown and consumed in Asia. It is one of the most important staple food crops in the world and provides necessary daily dietary requirements for millions of people (Kush, 1997). In view of the above, present investigation was carried out to find out the potential of vermicompost and panchagavya and feasibility of organic rice production. MATERIALS AND METHODS A field experiment was carried out during Samba at eastern farm of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru College of Agriculture and Research Institute, Karaikal. The soil was sandy clay loam having organic carbon % with ph- 6.75, available N Kg ha -1, available P 2 O Kg ha -1 and available K 2 O Kg ha -1. The field experiment consist of three factors viz., Factor I (Cultivars): C 1 IW Ponni, C 2 Sigappu kawuni; Factor II (Vermicompost levels): V 0 control, V 1 1 t ha -1, V 2 2 t ha -1 and Factor III (Panchagavya levels): P 0 control, P 1 - Panchagavya spraying 2 % at 10 days interval, P 2 - Panchagavya spraying 2 % at 20 days interval. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with three replications. The yield parameters and yield were recorded and the economics was calculated on the basis of both prevailing local market price and with 50 per cent premium price for rice grains.

2 718 G. Vijayalakshmi et. al. Table-1 : Influence of varieties, vermicompost levels and foliar application of panchagavya on LAI and DMP of rice at flowering stage. Treatments LAI DMP (Kg/ha) I.W. Ponni (C 1 ) V V V Mean S. Kawuni (C 2 ) V V V Mean V V V Mean C NS V P NS 1143 NS C x V NS 1617 NS V x P NS 1980 NS C x P NS 1617 NS C x V x P NS 2801 NS Table-2 : Influence of varieties, vermicompost levels and foliar application of panchagavya on No. of productive tillers hill-1 and panicle weight (g) of rice. Treatments No. of productive tillers/hill Panicle weight (g) I.W. Ponni (C 1 ) V V V Mean S. Kawuni (C 2 ) V V V Mean V V V Mean C 0.8 NS 0.15 NS V P 1.0 NS 0.18 NS C x V 1.3 NS V x P 1.7 NS 0.32 NS C x P 1.3 NS 0.26 NS C x V x P 2.3 NS 0.45 NS

3 G. Vijayalakshmi et. al. 719 Table-3 : Influence of varieties, vermicompost levels and foliar application of panchagavya on No. of productive tillers/hill and panicle weight (g) of rice. Treatments Grain yield (Kg/ha) Straw yield (Kg/ha) I.W. Ponni (C 1 ) Mean S. Kawuni (C 2 ) Mean V V V Mean C NS V 270 NS 740 NS P 270 NS 740 NS C x V NS V x P 467 NS C x P 381 NS 1047 NS C x V x P 660 NS 1814 NS RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Effect on growth attributes : Increased growth attributes will consequently result in increased yield attributes and grain yield. Higher LAI (Table-1) was produced by application of 2 t ha -1 (5.88) when compared to control (4.40). It might be due to constant and higher release of available nutrients from vermicompost. Similarly, DMP produced by the application of 2 t ha -1 was significantly higher than other treatments (Table 1). The results of increased LAI with higher vermicompost levels were earlier reported by Muddu kumar (2007) and the higher DMP with increased vermicompost levels was reported by Shwetha (2007). Effect on yield attributes : Increased vegetative growth in terms of higher LAI and DMP had consequently resulted in more number of productive tillers, panicle weight and spikelet fertility with lower spikelet sterility. Application of 2 t ha -1 had conspicuously increased (Table 2) the productive tillers (13), panicle weight (2.4g) than when compared to control (12 and 1.8g, respectively). Murali and Setty (2000) had also earlier reported the increased number of productive tillers under vermicompost treatments when compared to control while working on scented rice. Effect on Grain and Straw yield : Totality of a varietal characteristic to respond to various vermicompost and panchagavya treatment could be expressed by the grain or straw yield. The grain yield of rice under organic growing condition was significantly different between varieties. However, the vermicompost and Panchagavya treatment had produced only numerical variations and was not significant (Table 3). Choudhary and Gautham (2007) and Bano et. al. (2012), however, reported a significant good response to the vermicompost application in pearl millet. Similarly, application of green manure + 2 t ha -1 along with bio fertilizers had produced noticeably higher grain yield in rice as reported by Avudaithai (2011). In spite of these earlier reports, the results of the present investigation had proved only a positive response to the application of vermicompost but not able to establish a significant or noticeable grain yield increase. The reason might be the limited levels of the vermicompost under study or the field which was maintained organically for more than eight years would have built up their organic carbon status to supply enough

4 720 G. Vijayalakshmi et. al. Table-4 : Economics of organic rice production with premium price under different varieties, vermicompost and panchagavya levels Treatments Improved white ponni Sigappu kawuni Common Treatme nt Total Grain yield Gross Rs.ha -1 Kg ha -1 Rs. ha -1 Net B:C ratio V 0 P V 0 P V 0 P V 1 P V 1 P V 1 P V 2 P V 2 P V 2 P V 0 P V 0 P V 0 P V 1 P V 1 P V 1 P V 2 P V 2 P V 2 P V 2 Vermicompost 2 t/ha. nutrients in the absolute control. Similarly, none of the treatments viz. varieties, vermicompost and Panchagavya had proved its significant influence in registering the straw yield, however, remained statistically on par among them individually. Between the two varieties under study for their performance under organic cultivation, the variety IW ponni was found to register statistically higher grain yield and out yielded the local traditional variety Sigappu kawuni. Nearly, averaged across various treatments, IW ponni had registered 145 per cent more grain yield than Sigappu kawuni. Interestingly, from the significant cultivar vermicompost interaction, it could be noted that the traditional rice variety Sigappu kawuni had registered statistically equal grain yield in all vermicompost treatments including control without vermicompost application, whereas the IW ponni responded well to the vermicompost application by registering significantly higher grain yield. It could be very well concluded from the above results that the traditional rice variety, due to its habitual response, it mainly rely equally well on the native soil nutrients and decomposed off farm inputs, whereas the IW ponni has the potential to uptake nutrients more from the decomposed off farm inputs. ECONOMICS The gross of various treatments under without and with premium priced condition ranged from Rs. 30,338 to 62,062 ha -1 and Rs. 45,507 to 93,093 ha -1, respectively (Table 4 and 5). Among the varieties, the Sigappu kawuni had performed better under absolute control by registering higher grain yield and gross (2467 Kg ha -1 and Rs. 34,538, respectively) when compared to IW ponni (2167 Kg ha -1 and Rs. 30,338, respectively). As the response of Sigappu kawuni to either vermicompost application or Panchagavya was poor, the increase in the gross due to application of the treatments was not also substantial. However, the IW ponni had responded well to the vermicompost and Panchagavya application and the highest gross (Rs. 62,062 ha -1 ) was obtained in IW ponni when vermicompost was provided at 2 t ha -1 coupled with Panchagavya foliar application at every 20 days interval. The highest net of Rs. 51,393 and Rs. 22,112 ha -1, if priced with or without premium rates, respectively was obtained in IW ponni when supplied 1 t ha -1 and with no Panchagavya foliar application (Table 4 and 5). In the traditional rice variety (Sigappu kawuni), application of both vermicompost and Panchagavya at any levels proved uneconomical as the net remained negative. Similarly, the Benefit ratio (B : C) of organic rice if priced at non premium condition, it ranged above 1.0 in case of IW ponni whereas in case of traditional rice variety it ranged below 1.0 under both vermicompost and Panchagavya application. However, under premium priced condition,

5 G. Vijayalakshmi et. al. 721 Table-5 : Economics of organic rice production without premium price under different vermicompost and panchagavya levels Treatments Common Treatme nt Total Grain yield Gross Rs./ha Kg/ha Rs./ha Net Improved white ponni V 0 P V 0 P V 0 P V 1 P V 1 P V 1 P V 2 P V 2 P V 2 P Sigappu kawuni V 0 P V 0 P V 0 P V 1 P V 1 P V 1 P V 2 P V 2 P V 2 P V 2 Vermicompost 2 t/ha. B : C ratio the B: C ratio was above 2.0 in case of IW ponni and above 1.0 in case of traditional rice variety. REFERENCES 1. Avudaithai, S. and Somasundaram, S. (2011). Effect of organic manuring, biofertilizers, panchagavya and neem products on rice yield under sodic soil. Green Farming. 2 (5): Bano, R. S., Gautam, R. C. and Rana, K. S. (2012). Effect of different organic sources on productivity and quality of Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) and their residual effect on Wheat (Triticum aestivum). Ann. Agric. Res. New Series. 33 (3): Bano, K., Kale, R. D. and Gajanan, G. (1987). Culturing earthworms Eudrillus eugeniae for the cast production and assessment of worm cast as biofertilizer. J. Soil Bio. Ecol., 7 : Carpenter boggs, L., Kennedy, A. C. and Reganold, J. P. (2000). Organic and biodynamic management effects on Soil Biology. Soil Sci. Soc. American J., 64: Choundary, R. S and Gautham R. C. (2007). Effect of nutrient management practices on growth, yield and quality of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum). Ind. J. Agron. 52 : DRD. (2012). Directorate of rice development. State wise area, production and productivity of rice during to Govt. of. India, Mini. Of agrl. 250.A, Pataliputra colony, Patna Kush G. S. (1997). Origin, dispersal, cultivation and variation of rice. Plant Mol Biol. 35: Muddukumar, C. L. (2007). Organic nutrient management and plant protection in green chickpea production system. M.Sc (Ag) Thesis, University of Agriculture sciences, Dharwad, pp Murali, M. K. and Setty, R. A. (2000). Effects of levels of NPK, vermicompost and growth regulators (Triacontanol) on growth and yield of scented rice. Mysore J. Agric. Sci. 34(4): Naik, V. R., Kunnal, L. B. and Dodmani, M. T. (2010). Comparative economics of organic and inorganic cultivation of tomatoes in Karnataka. Green Farming.1 (5): Natarajan, K. (2002). Panchagavya Amanual. Other India press. Mapusa. Goa. India. Pp: Pathak, H., Kushwala J. S and Jain M. C. (1992). Evaluation of manurial value of biogas spent slurry composted with dry mango leaves, wheat straw and rock phosphate on wheat crop. J. Indian Soc. Soil Sci. 40: Shwetha, B. N. (2007). Studies on nutrient management through organics in soybean wheat cropping system. M.Sc. (Ag) Thesis. University of Agriculture sciences, Dharwad, pp Sukhatme, P. V. and Amble.V. N. (1985). Statistical methods for agricultural workers (Ed). ICAR. New Delhi.