Status of rice cultivation under Indian saline lowlands

Abstract

Abiotic stress, especially Salinity is one of the major restraints for attaining self-sufficiency in the food grain production. The Saline soils affect the crop growth both directly and indirectly by interfering with plant metabolism resulting in reduction in yield potential of various crops. As the gross cultivable lands in Indian condition are limited, extending the crop production in these problematic soils is mandatory to meet out the food requirements of the growing population. Reclamation and management of the salt affected soils by application of various organic and inorganic amendments and developing the salt-tolerant cultivars are the ways to combat with the saline environments. This article was aimed at reviewing the various innate plant mechanisms to evade salinity, effects of various soil amendments on crop growth on Saline condition and the utilization of available saline-resistant cultivars of Rice (Oryza sativa) under coastal saline conditions of Indian lowlands. As an initial step of the study, the present study reviewed all the published information available on Salinity researches and critically examined the present status, knowledge gaps and future perspectives leading to a sustainable Rice production that are pertinent to the present situation of crop cultivation.