Department of Agronomy, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore-641 003, India.
Rainfed rice in the coastal saline tract is generally cultivated during the northeast monsoon, which contributes about 50 per cent of total annual rainfall due to the depression and cyclonic effect in the Bay of Bengal. Direct seeding of rainfed rice is commonly followed in the coastal saline tracts. Direct seeding reduces the duration by one or two weeks. Under rainfed conditions, the adoption of management practices such as drought and nutrient management will improve the grain yield. Application of Azospirillum, better seed hardening, nutrient management and weed management practices help in better crop establishment and increase the productivity of rice under rainfed conditions.
