Assessment of Organic and Natural Farming Practices with Paddy Straw Mulching for Sustainable Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) Cultivation and Soil Fertility in Northwest India

Abstract

Aims: The study aims to evaluate the effects of organic and natural farming nutrient management practices and paddy straw mulching on the growth, yield, soil fertility, and productivity potential of radish under field conditions. Study Design: A field experiment was conducted using a split-plot design with three replications, comprising five main-plot nutrient management treatments and two sub-plot mulching treatments, over three consecutive growing seasons. Place and Duration of Study: Research Farm, School of Organic and Natural Farming, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, India, during three consecutive growing seasons from 2019 to 2021. Methodology: Radish was evaluated under five nutrient-management treatments, including combined organic and natural farming, natural farming alone, and an unfertilised control, with two mulching treatments. Paddy straw mulch was applied at 8 tonnes per hectare in the relevant mulched treatment. Agronomic observations, including leaf length, number of leaves per plant, root length, root girth, root weight, and root yield were recorded. Soil organic carbon and nutrient availability were also assessed to determine changes in soil fertility. The experiment was replicated three times and data were compared among nutrient management and mulching treatments. Results: The combined organic + natural farming treatment (T₁) recorded the highest mean values for leaf length (37.7 cm), number of leaves per plant (14.8), root length (28.1 cm), root girth (10.9 cm), root weight (216.4 g), and root yield (565.0 q ha⁻¹), outperforming natural farming alone (T₄) and the unfertilised control (T₅). Paddy straw mulch (S₂) at 8 tonnes per hectare significantly improved crop performance, recording mean leaf length of 32.9 cm, 13.6 leaves plant⁻¹, root length of 24.7 cm, root girth of 8.2 cm, root weight of 204.5 g, and root yield of 537.6 q ha⁻¹ compared with non-mulched plots. The combined organic and natural farming practices also improved soil organic carbon and the availability of essential nutrients. Conclusion: Combining organic and natural farming practices, particularly when combined with paddy straw mulch at 8 tonnes per hectare, improved radish growth, root development, yield, and soil fertility. The findings indicated that this integrated approach has strong potential for sustainable and productive radish cultivation under organic and natural farming systems.