Managing sodic soils for better productivity and farmers’ income by integrating use of salt tolerant rice varieties and matching agronomic practices

•Participatory research ensured better technology packaging, validation and adoption.•Gypsum and pressmud–mediated land reclamation better alleviates sodicity stress.•Denser planting and additional N improved crop resilience and yield in sodic areas.•Improved genetic tolerance and agronomic management bridged yield gaps and enhanced farmers’ income.