Comparative Analysis of Water Productivity in Aerobic vs. Puddled Transplanted Rice

Abstract

The increasing scarcity of water resources in rice cultivation has necessitated the evaluation of alternative production systems to enhance water productivity without compromising yield. This study presents a comparative analysis of water productivity in aerobic rice and puddled transplanted rice systems to assess their efficiency under varying irrigation regimes. The proposed methodology involves controlled field experiments with both cultivation practices, integrating measurements of irrigation input, soil moisture dynamics, evapotranspiration, and crop growth parameters. Key performance indicators such as grain yield, water productivity, and water use efficiency are evaluated using standard agronomic techniques. The collected data are preprocessed through cleaning, normalization, and statistical validation to ensure consistency and reliability. Advanced analytical and machine learning models, including regression analysis, Random Forest, and Artificial Neural Networks, are employed to analyze the relationship between water input and crop yield across both systems. Experimental results indicate that aerobic rice significantly reduces water consumption compared to puddled transplanted rice due to the elimination of continuous flooding. Although puddled transplanted rice achieves slightly higher yields under optimal conditions, aerobic rice demonstrates superior water productivity and resource efficiency. The study also highlights that proper irrigation scheduling and soil moisture management in aerobic systems can narrow the yield gap while maximizing water savings. The findings emphasize the potential of aerobic rice as a sustainable alternative for water-limited regions. The study concludes that integrating efficient cultivation practices with data-driven analysis provides a viable approach for optimizing water productivity and ensuring sustainable rice production.