How To Grow Rice In 7 Easy Steps

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The rice, which is also called paddy, is the chief food item of more than half of the world’s population. It is majorly grown in Asian countries and used to make many dishes like a pilaf, fried rice, biryani, pulao, fried rice, puddings, etc. The rice plantation is very popular and is carried around the whole world. Some people cultivate rice on a large scale to earn money, while others grow rice on small farms for their livelihood. India, Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan are the biggest exporter countries of rice in the world. They ship a hundred kinds of long grain rice, medium-grain, and short-grain rice to the other countries. Jasmine and Basmati rice are the two most popular types of long-grain rice. India is the largest producer and exporter of Basmati rice, while Egypt is the biggest producer and exporter of Jasmine rice.

You will be surprised to know that rice plants come from the family of grass: Oryza Sativa and Oryza glaberrima. Rice is an annual plant, meaning its roots, stem, flower, and leaves expire annually. The height of the rice plant lies between 3.3 to 5.9 feet. If you are interested to know how rice plants are grown, you are in the right place. In this article, we are going to describe the 7 easy steps for planting rice.

Choose The Right Seed

The first thing you need to do is to buy seeds from the gardening or a supply store. Although there are myriad varieties of rice seeds, it is always recommended to choose high-quality seeds. The good quality rice seeds increase agricultural production and are less affected by weeds and pests. When buying seed, you should also consider the climatic conditions and soil texture of a particular area.

Choose The Land To Grow The Rice

The next step is to select a good location to cultivate the rice seeds. Rice-seeds can be planted in various soils like silts, loams, and gravel. However, alluvial soil is the best for the cultivation of rice. It is better to choose soil with a pH value between 5.5 to 7.5 for growing rice. The rice plants require a good amount of sunlight for proper growth and development. Therefore, you must choose the location that has access to full unobstructed sunlight.

Sow The Seeds

Soak the rice seeds for 12 to 32 hours in the water (this will reduce the germination time). Then plant them within 5 millimeters of the soil surface. Some people also prefer to plant pre-germinated seedlings in the wet fields with the help of intensive labor.

Care The Seeds

Now you need to care for the seeds by providing an optimal amount of water to them. You need to keep the field consistently moist to grow rice. The rice plants produce higher yields when grown in wet and muddy soil. Not just that, water also conquers the harmful weeds and pests that harm the rice crop.

Nutrient Management

The rice crop needs specific nutrients to develop properly. The soil in which rice is grown must be rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, zinc contents. You can use organic fertilizers to increase these nutrients in the soil. Apply some of the fertilizers while preparing the soil and apply the remaining within a 1-month interval.

Wait For The Rice Plants To Mature

The rice crop takes 4 months to get mature. Drain the excess water from the rice field after 120 days, and the rice plants turn into golden color within 2 weeks. The golden color indicates that the paddy is ripe and ready for harvesting.

Harvest The Rice

There are two ways to harvest the rice plants; traditional and mechanical. The traditional harvesting system makes use of a sickle, while the mechanical cutting system uses a machine called reapers. You can follow any of the harvesting methods as per your convenience.

Wrapping Up:

Rice does not just taste good, but it poses several health benefits too. India produces the best Basmati and is the biggest exporter of Basmati rice globally. You will find Indian Basmati rice in almost every street in Asian countries.