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In the food production sector, soil degradation due to soil salinization and sodification has become one of the universal concerns agriculture is facing. According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, around the world nearly one billion hectares of soil were facing severe levels of salinization and sodification problem that need immediate attention (FAO, 1994). The problem of soil salinity and sodicity also leads to desertification (Tóth et al., 2008). In addition to chemical inorganic amendments like gypsum, organic amendments are studied for their efficiency in reclaiming soil sodicity as addition of organic matter to soil improves soil health through various beneficial functions, thus helping in effective reclamation (Roy et al., 2006). Therefore, this study was conducted in order to investigate the utilisation of economical organic amendments as sources of soil sodicity reclamation in comparison with gypsum.An incubation study was conducted at AICRP laboratory, ADAC&RI, Trichy to assess the efficiency of different amendments in reclaiming soil sodicity. Sodic soil samples were treated with different amendments such as inorganic source (gypsum) and organic amendments (vermicompost, green manure, goat manure, poultry manure, coir pith compost and FYM) and at weekly intervals, the physico-chemical properties related with sodicity of the treated soils were analysed. It was found that gypsum was effective in reducing soil sodicity. However, organic amendment such as vermicompost was at par with gypsum in reclamation of soil sodicity.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableRice-wheat cropping system, intensively followed in Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP), played a prominent role in fulfilling the food grains demand of the increasing population of South Asia. In northern Indian plains, some practices such as intensive rice cultivation with traditional method for long-term have been associated with severe deterioration of natural resources, declining factor productivity, multiple nutrients deficiencies, depleting groundwater, labour scarcity and higher cost of cultivation, putting the agricultural sustainability in question. Varietal development, soil and water management, and adoption of resource conservation technologies in rice cultivation are the key interventions areas to address these challenges. The cultivation of lesser water requiring crops, replacing rice in light-textured soil and rainfed condition, should be encouraged through policy interventions. Direct seeding of short duration, high-yielding and stress tolerant rice varieties with water conservation technologies can be a successful approach to improve the input use efficiency in rice cultivation under medium-heavy-textured soils. Moreover, integrated approach of suitable cultivars for conservation agriculture, mechanized transplanting on zero-tilled/unpuddled field and need-based application of water, fertilizer and chemicals might be a successful approach for sustainable rice production system in the current scenario. In this review study, various challenges in productivity and sustainability of rice cultivation system and possible alternatives and solutions to overcome such challenges are discussed in details.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableRice–wheat cropping system, intensively followed in Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP), played a prominent role in fulfilling the food grains demand of the increasing population of South Asia. In northern Indian plains, some practices such as intensive rice cultivation with traditional method for long-term have been associated with severe deterioration of natural resources, declining factor productivity, multiple nutrients deficiencies, depleting groundwater, labour scarcity and higher cost of cultivation, putting the agricultural sustainability in question. Varietal development, soil and water management, and adoption of resource conservation technologies in rice cultivation are the key interventions areas to address these challenges. The cultivation of lesser water requiring crops, replacing rice in light-textured soil and rainfed condition, should be encouraged through policy interventions. Direct seeding of short duration, high-yielding and stress tolerant rice varieties with water conservation technologies can be a successful approach to improve the input use efficiency in rice cultivation under medium–heavy-textured soils. Moreover, integrated approach of suitable cultivars for conservation agriculture, mechanized transplanting on zero-tilled/unpuddled field and need-based application of water, fertilizer and chemicals might be a successful approach for sustainable rice production system in the current scenario. In this review study, various challenges in productivity and sustainability of rice cultivation system and possible alternatives and solutions to overcome such challenges are discussed in details.Not Availabl