Simple Tips To Rice Production In Agriculture

RICE

Family – Graminae

Botanical name – Oryza sativa

Genus: Oryza

Specie: sativa

VARIETIES

There are two varieties of rice

i.             Upland rice

ii.           Swamp rice

Soil Requirement

Upland rice requires light, fertile sand loamy soil and slightly acidic P^H of 5.5 to 6.0

Swamp rice requires loamy to heavy clay soil or water logged/riverine area.

CLIMATIC REQUIREMENT

1.   Temperature 20⁰ – 30⁰c

2.   Rainfall 75cm – 120cm for upland rice which must be evenly distributed. For swamp rice rainfall of over 250cm is required.

METHOD OF PROPAGATION

Its propagation is mainly by seed. It requires nursery planting. Swamp rice is firstly planted in the nursery then seedlings can be transplanted. It is planted manually and mechanically.

SEED RATE

For upland rice, we plant 4-5 seeds per hole at about 65kg hectare. But for swamp rice 2-3 seedlings per hole.

PLANTING DATE

 Its planting date is April – May in the southern part of the country and between June and August in the North.

PLANTING DISTANCE

25cm by 30cm

POST PLANTING OPERATION

1.   Thinning

2.   Supplying

3.   Fertilizer application: NP:K 50: 20: 20 or organic fertilizer before planting

4.   Weeding: It can be done manually or mechanically

MATURITY PERIOD

4- 7 months

Harvesting: Harvesting can be done by the use of knife, sickle or mechanically.

FARM LEVEL PROCESSING

1.   Drying: it can be done naturally or artificially

2.   Threshing: This is the removal of seed from stalk

3.   Winnowing: This is the separation of seed from shaft

4.   Parboiling: Heating of rice in hot water to break or open the seed coat/hust.

5.   Hulling/milling: This is the removal of seed coat from the grains

6.   Polishing: This is the removal of rice brown which is very rich in protein and vitamin.   

STORAGE

Rice is stored in bags

DISEASES

1.   Rice smut (Fungi disease)

2.   Rice blight (Fungi disease)

3.   Rice blast (Fungi disease)

4.   Leaves spot (Fungi disease)

5.   Root rot (Fungi disease)

PESTS OF RICE

1.   Weevils

2.   Birds

3.   Rodents

USES OF RICE

1.   For food/human consumption

2.   It is used as part of the ingredient for animal feed

3.   It is used for folder