Apply 50 kg manure/100 m2 (air dried) to the seedbed before land preparation. Apply 16-20-0 fertilizer (or a similar compound fertilizer) at a rate of 1 kg/100 m2, 10 to 15 days after sowing and when there is standing water. Grow seedlings in the nursery for 25 to 30 days. Avoid transplanting of much older seedlings if possible.

In alkali/sodic soils, apply zinc to the seedbed (basal or broadcast) at a rate of 5 to 10 kg ZnSO4 per hectare. Alternatively, the roots of the seedlings can be dipped in a suspension of 2-4% ZnO (i.e., 20-40 g ZnO/l H2O) before transplanting. There is no evidence that root dipping in a P-suspension can serve to improve the P nutrition substantially.