Growing Rice

1. Selection of Seed :-
(i) For maximum production, good quality seeds are selected. Seeds should be grown, harvested and processed correctly
(ii) Good seed give uniform plant stand, early crop growth and resistance to pest and diseases.
(iii) Good seeds are uniform in size and more than 80% will germinate.
(iv) Most important step in rice production is choosing seed of desired variety and environment in which it will grow.
2. Land preparation :- Before plantation, loosening and turning of soil (ploughing) and leveling of soil is done. Weeds are also removed. Seeds are planted at right depth. Farmers plough the land using animals or tractors.
3. Crop establishments : two ways are there.

(i) Transplanting :- Pre germinated seedlings are transferred from a seed bed to wet field seedlings are transplanted by either machine or hand
(ii) Direct seeding :- dry or pre-germinated seeds are sprayed in the field (broadcasting) by hand or planting them by machine. And then loosening and turning of soil is done.
4. Water management :-
(i) In the rice field water should be in flooded condition.
(ii) If there is scarcity of water various methods such saturated soil culture, alternate wetting and drying, raised beds, mulching ( a covering as of straw or plastic sheet spread on the ground around plants to prevent evaporation of water), and use of aerobic rice (variety) is done.
5. Nutrient management :- due to presence of excess of water, very less or no nitrogen fertilizer is required.
But according to field condition other fertilizers are added.
Pest control :- for good production, rodents, insects diseases and weeds need to be controlled. Weedicide, pesticide, herbicide are used.
To control pest, conditions that do not allow pest to survive such as their predators are used.
6. Harvesting :-
(i) Depending on the variety of rice crop, within 105-150 days, the crop gets matured. Crop is harvested which includes cutting, stalking handling, threshing, cleaning and hauling.
(ii) Harvesting is done manually or by machines. Rice crop is cut using hand tools like sickles or knives and needs more time and labour. When machines are used less time and labour but it is very costly as combine harvesters (machine) are used.
After cutting, the grain is separated from the stalk and cleaned.