Rice farming is most extensive in China, which is the largest producer of rice in the world. Other major producers include India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Thailand.
Techniques involved in rice farming include:
- Traditional Method:
- Seed Selection and Preparation: High-quality seeds are selected and soaked in water for germination.
- Land Preparation: Fields are plowed and leveled to create a flat surface, often flooded with water to prepare the paddy fields.
- Transplanting: Seedlings are grown in nurseries and then transplanted into the prepared paddy fields.
- Irrigation: Paddy fields are kept flooded with water to a depth of about 5-10 cm until the rice plants are established.
- Weeding and Fertilization: Regular weeding and application of fertilizers are necessary to ensure healthy growth.
- Pest and Disease Management: Pesticides and other measures are used to protect the crop from pests and diseases.
- Harvesting: Rice is harvested using sickles, knives, or mechanical harvesters.
- System of Rice Intensification (SRI):
- Younger Seedlings: Transplanting younger seedlings (8-12 days old) with wider spacing.
- Reduced Water Use: Intermittent irrigation rather than continuous flooding, allowing the soil to dry intermittently.
- Aeration: Aerating the soil by turning it over, promoting root growth and soil health.
- Organic Fertilizers: Using compost and other organic fertilizers instead of chemical ones.
- Weeding: Regular and timely weeding to ensure the crop is free from competition.
- Direct Seeding:
- Dry Direct Seeding: Sowing pre-germinated seeds directly into dry soil.
- Wet Direct Seeding: Sowing seeds into puddled and leveled wet soil.
- Zero Tillage: No plowing before seeding, reducing labor and conserving soil moisture.
- Mechanized Farming:
- Machine Transplanting: Using machines to transplant seedlings, which increases efficiency and reduces labor.
- Combine Harvesters: Using combines for harvesting, threshing, and cleaning the rice crop in one operation.
- Precision Agriculture: Using GPS and other technologies for precise application of water, fertilizers, and pesticides.
China employs a combination of traditional and modern techniques, with significant investment in mechanization and precision agriculture to increase efficiency and yield.