Rainfed it is mostly intercropped with cereals, castor bean, niger, groundnut, pulses and gingeli. With groundnuts, ragi is the subsidiary crop. Liberal manure, mainly sheep and cattle, is applied. Green manures such as cowpeas, sunnhemp, artificial manures and oil cakes, have been used on both irrigated and unirrigated crops. Artificial fertilizers are usually applied near close of intercultural operations.
Inorganic nitrogen depresses crop yields on poor land, but enhances yields on fertile land.
Phosphate acts as a limiting factor controlling response to nitrogen. Minute amounts of zinc sulfate increase yields of both grain and straw. Seed inocculated with B. azotobacter increases yield. Ragi is chopped and weeded at intervals of 14 days or so. The number and frequency of irrigations varies with seasonal conditions.