Nutrient and Biochar Integration for Sustainable Rice Farming

Excessive and long-term fertilizer application degrades soil quality and negatively affects rice productivity. Integrated use of mineral fertilizer and biochar is an effective strategy to improve soil fertility and promote sustainable agricultural productivity. In the current research, the effect of different biochar doses in combination with reduced fertilizer dose was assessed on two rice varieties V1 (Super Basmati) and V2 and Al-Khalid Basmati). During the planting phase, four different treatment combinations including BF1 (0 t ha⁻¹ biochar + 149: 89: 62 kg ha^−1; NPK) and 5 t ha⁻¹ (biochar F2), 10 t ha⁻¹ (biochar F3), and 15 t ha⁻¹ (biochar F4) biochar doses with + 80% of recommended fertilizer (119: 71: 50 kg ha⁻¹; NPK) were added in the soil before conducting ongoing experiment. Plant height (cm), the number of tillers (m⁻²), panicle length (cm), harvest index (%), number of spikelets per panicle, grain yield (tons ha⁻¹), biological yield (tons ha⁻¹), and 1000-grain weight (g) were increased with the application of biochar. In conclusion, the performance of BF2 followed by BF3, FB4, and BF1 improved yield irrespective of varietal differences. In addition, higher rice productivity was affirmed by V2 variety as compared with V1. Biochar coupling with fertilizer in reduced combinations increased the organic matter, and nutrient dynamics that ensured promoted growth and yield attributes of rice by minimizing fertilizer demands. Therefore, an integrated dose of 5 t ha⁻¹ combined with reduced fertilizer application is recommended to enhance the yield potential of rice while maintaining agroecosystem sustainability and ecological balance.