Rice yield gaps and nitrogen-use efficiency in the Northwestern Indo-Gangetic Plains of India: Evidence based insights from heterogeneous farmers’ practices

A large database of individual farmer field data (n = 4,107) for rice production in the Northwestern Indo-Gangetic Plains India was used to decompose yield gaps and investigate scope reduce nitrogen (N) inputs without compromising yields. Stochastic frontier analysis disentangle efficiency resource gaps, whereas on potential region were retrieved from Global Yield Gap Atlas estimate technology gap. Rice small (ca. 2.7 t ha?1, or 20% yield, Yp) mostly attributed gap 1.8 ca. 15% Yp). Efficiency negligible (less than 5% Yp most districts). Small associated with high input use, particularly irrigation water N, which responses observed. N partial factor productivity (PFP-N) 45–50 kg grain kg?1 fields efficient management approximately lower inefficient management. Improving PFP-N appears be best achieved through better matching rates variety types cultivated by adjusting amount urea applied 3rd split correspondance diammonium-phosphate earlier season. Future studies should assess broaden assessment presented here other indicators at cropping systems level.