Which of the following crops is suitable for cultivation in alkali (sodic) soils and often recommended as a salt-tolerant option?

Correct option is A

· Agronomic recommendations for alkaline (sodic) soils list rice among the suitable and relatively salt-tolerant crops, along with cotton, millets, berseem and sugarcane.
· Rice grown in flooded conditions can better tolerate high exchangeable sodium and high pH than many upland crops, making it a common choice in reclaimed alkali soils.
Why other options are wrong
· (b) Pea – more sensitive to salinity/alkalinity; generally, not preferred as a first crop on strongly alkali soils.
· (c) Lucerne (alfalfa) – moderately salt-sensitive during establishment and prefers well-drained neutral to slightly alkaline soils, but is not as tolerant as rice in strongly sodic conditions.
· (d) Strawberry – considered salt-sensitive and unsuitable for high-pH, sodic soils.