FOOD CROPS OF INDIA RICE CROP RICE METHODS

FOOD CROPS OF INDIA RICE CROP

RICE • • • METHODS OF CULTIVATION – SOWING – METHODS OF SOWING BROADCASTING DIBBLING DRILLING TRANSPLANTATION JAPANESE METHOD HARVESTING PROCESSING

BROADCASTING • SOWING OF SEEDS BY HAND. • PRACTISED WHERE LABOUR IS SCARCE / SOIL IS DRY/ NOT VERY FERTILE SOIL/ YIELD IS LOW.

DIBBLING • DROPPING OF SEEDS AT REGULAR INTERVALS IN PLOUGHED FURROWS. • COMMON IN NORTHERN PLAINS.

DRILLING • SEED DRILL IS USED FOR SOWING SEEDS. • SEED DRILL TIED TO BACK OF THE PLOUGH/ SEEDS ARE PUT INTO THE FUNNEL OF THE SEED DRILL] • THE PLOUGH MAKES FURROWS IN SOIL AND SOAKED SEEDS ARE GRADUALLY RELEASED AND SOWN INTO THE FURROWS MADE BY THE PLOUGH.

ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF DRILLING METHOD • ADVANTAGES – • NO WASTAGE OF SEEDS • SEEDS SOWN AT CORRECT DEPTH AND CORRECT INTERVALS • DISADVANTAGE – • A CAPITAL INTENSIVE TECHNIQUE

TRANSPLANTATION • SEEDS ARE FIRST SOWN IN SMALL PLOT OF LAND OR NURSERY AND ALLOWED TO GROW INTO TINY PLANTS CALLED SEEDLINGS. • GOOD DOSE OF NUTRIENTS ARE PROVIDED FOR THE GROWTH OF SEEDLINGS. • AFTER SEEDLINGS COME UP, THE HEALTHY AND WELL DEVELOPED ONES ARE PICKED AND TRANSFORMED / TRANSPLANTED TO THE REGULAR FIELD. • PROPER DISTANCE BETWEEN ROWS OF SEEDLINGS MAINTAINED TO LET EACH SEEDLING GET SUFFICIENT SUNLIGHT, WATER & NUTRIENTS.

ADVANTAGES OF TRANSPLANTATION • ENABLES TO SELECT ONLY HEALTHY SEEDLINGS FOR CULTIVATION. / BAD SEEDLINGS CAN BE REJECTED. • ALLOWS BETTER PENETRATION OF ROOTS IN SOIL. • PROMOTES BETTER DEVELOPMENT OF SHOOT SYSTEM. • RIGHT SPACING ALLOWED FOR PLANTS TO GET UNIFORM SUNLIGHT, WATER & NUTRIENTS. • GREATLY INCREASES YIELD OF CROP.

SOME MORE FACTS ON TRANSPLANTATION • PRACTISED IN AREAS OF FERTILE SOIL. • NEED PLENTY OF LABOUR. • TRANSPLANTING RICE SEEDLINGS IN A FLOODED FIELD TAKES PLACE AFTER THE PLANTS HAVE GROWN IN A NURSERY FOR ABOUT 30 TO 40 DAYS.

JAPANESE MEHTOD OF RICE CULTIVATION • INCLUDES HIGH YIELDING VARIETIES OF SEEDS. • SOWING DONE IN RAISED NURSERY BEDS AND TRANSPLANTING IS DONE IN ROWS TO MAKE WEEDING AND FERTILIZING EASY. • INVOLVES HEAVY DOSAGE OF FERTILIZERS. • USED IN MAIN RICE PRODUCING REGIONS OF INDIA LIKE WEST BENGAL. • PROPER IRRIGATION SUPPLIED.

HARVESTING • CUTTING AND GATHERING OF MATURED CROP IS DONE BY HAND OR MACHINE. • WHEN CROP IS RIPE, IT IS HARVESTED WITH SCYTHES AND ALLOWED TO DRY IN THE FIELDS FOR 3 TO 4 DAYS. • IT IS THEN THRESHED BY HAND BY BEATING THE PADDY HEADS AGAINST A HARD ROCK. [ PADDY = RICE WITH HUSK] • NOWADAYS FARMERS USE A COMBINE HARVESTER THAT CAN DO HARVESTING AND THRESHING AT THE SAME TIME.

PROCESSING • GRAINS ARE SEPARATED FROM HUSK. • GRAINS ARE POLISHED TO MAKE THEM LOOK MORE ATTRACTIVE AND IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY. • POLISHING OF GRAINS SHOULD BE AVOIDED AS IT REDUCES NUTRITIVE VALUE BY DESTROYING VITAMINS FOUND IN OUTER LAYERS.