Researchers find method to ‘boost nutrient content in soil & improve crop quality’ during paddy cultivation

KOLKATA: A joint research by the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata, and the School of Environmental Studies in Jadavpur University (JU) has proved that repeated cycle of drying and wetting of paddy fields during the cultivation process can greatly increase soil nutrients due to chemical changes in the soil and thus improve the grain quality of rice compared to those grown by following conventional process.

The research assumes significance with the United Nations announcing that reducing the global pollution burden and restoring soil quality will help us grow more nutritious crops. Rice is a global crop and India produces most of the world's rice.

Agricultural soils for rice cultivation are traditionally waterlogged and require large amounts of water. But with the increasing scarcity of aquifers or groundwater, scientists around the world are trying different agronomic practices involving water management practices. “The aim was to improve the quality of both soil and crops so that consumers do not compromise on their health and nutrition. Our research has shown the way to grow high-quality nutrient-rich rice with minimal possibility of arsenic contamination in it. Soil quality is also greatly improved as beneficial soil microbial communities are promoted under this practice,” Arnab Majumder, the lead author of the study said.

Majumder, who is currently a Government of India Awarded Postdoctoral Researcher in the School of Environmental Studies, JU has been working on soil and crop quality assessment, arsenic mitigation from paddy fields, and beneficial soil microbes for the past eight years.

“The recommended method suggests keeping the soil moist and waterlogged for 2 days during rice cultivation followed by one day of drying time,” said Tarit Roychowdhury of the School of Environmental Studies, JU.