<p>Regenerative practices, such as biochar application, alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation, and resource-efficient planting method, could offer potential solutions to address soil health deterioration, water scarcity, and low productivity in rice production. The study aimed at evaluating the effects of biochar, planting methods, and AWD irrigation on growth, physiology, grain yield, and water productivity (WP) of rice. A pot experiment was conducted using three biochar doses (0, 10, and 20 t ha⁻¹, corresponding to 0, 80.2, and 160.4&#xa0;g pot⁻¹, respectively), two planting methods [transplanting (TP) and wet direct seeding (WDS)], and two irrigation regimes (saturation at 0&#xa0;kPa and AWD irrigation at −15&#xa0;kPa soil moisture tension). Biochar-treated plants at both 10 and 20 t ha⁻¹ improved rice growth, yield, and physiological traits, with 20 t ha⁻¹ outperformed 10 t ha⁻¹ in traits, such as plant height, spikelet number per panicle, and stomatal conductance. Compared with saturation, AWD irrigation saved 30% water input without reducing grain yield. Similarly, WDS enhanced root dry matter (9%), shoot dry matter (8%), and panicle number per plant (5%) than transplanted rice without noticeable yield reductions. Interactively, rice plants grown under both 10 and 20 t ha⁻¹ biochar along with AWD irrigation performed similarly for most tested traits, including net photosynthetic rate and grain yield. Both TP and WDS planting methods had largely similar performance, regardless of biochar doses and irrigation regimes. Rice established through WDS method using 10 t ha⁻¹ biochar combined with AWD irrigation enhanced growth, physiology, grain yield, and WP; however, before large-scale adoption, field-level validation is recommended.</p>