Crop performance and soil-plant nutrient dynamics in rice-lentil system altered with rice cultivation practices in alkaline soil

Abstract Aerobic or partially-aerobic rice cultivation techniques like direct-seeding of rice (DSR) and system of rice intensification (SRI) are gaining recognition, particularly for water-saving. However, their productivity is often constrained by several deficiencies in the soil-plant system (crop nutrition in particular). The study aimed to assess crop eco-physiology and soil-plant nutrient dynamics in rice-lentil system in an alkaline Fluvisol as influenced by different rice cultivation techniques (RCT) viz., DSR, SRI and conventional transplanted flooded-rice (PTR). The lower (9–11 %) yield of DSR crop compared to PTR crop was attributed to reduced root growth, effective tiller, and panicle and seed weights. Likewise, the SRI crop yield was lower (4–7 %) than the PTR crop. The reduced availability of soil KMnO4-N (7%) and Olsen-P (9%) in the rice seasons caused lower N (12–14 %), P (10 %), K (5–7 %) accumulations in DSR crop as compared to PTR crop (p