Article Title: Sustainable Management Practices for Rice-Fallow Areas to Enhance Nutrient Use Efficiency

Rice-fallow areas are an important yet under-utilised component of rice-based farming systems, particularly in eastern India, where large areas of land remain uncultivated after the kharif rice harvest. These fallows are characterised by low residual soil moisture and inappropriate management, leading to low system productivity. Enhancing nutrient use efficiency (NUE) in rice-fallow systems is essential to improve crop yields, minimize nutrient losses and ensure long-term soil sustainability. This review discusses the importance of sustainable nutrient management practices for improving NUE in rice-fallow areas. Practices such as balanced fertilisation, integrated nutrient management (INM), crop diversification with short-duration legumes, residue management and microbial bioaugmentation to rice and subsequent crop in sequence contribute to improved nutrient cycling, soil health and resource use efficiency with higher yield. Adopting these approaches can transform rice fallow lands into productive systems while preserving environmental integrity and supporting sustainable agricultural intensification.