Cultural practices of Rice (Oryza sativa) | Processing, Pests

Hello, welcome to this hall on the cultural practices of rice.

Table Of Contents

1. Meaning Of rice
2. Land preparation
3. Rice varieties
4. Methods of propagation
5. Nursery practices of rice
6. Planting date
7. Diseases of rice
8. Pests of rice
9. Processing of rice

What Is Rice

Meaning: Rice is another popular cereal crop grown and consume by nearly half of the world population. It is also a member of the grass family (gramineae). The seed or fruit of rice is a caryopsis, i.e, it has its epicap fused with the mesocarp.

Rice Cultural Practices

Land Preparation: Land preparation is the first cultural practices of rice, this is done either manually, using cutlass to clear the bush and remove stump and hoe to make ridges or mechanically by ploughing, harrowing and ridging

Rice Varieties/Cultivars: This include the swamp rice (toma, BG79 and GFB24) and the upland rice (agbede).

Climatic and soil Requirements: In this cultural Practices of rice, rice requires a temperature of over 20°c, 75% to 120% of rainfall for upland rice and over 250cm for swamp rice, and light fertile soil.

Method of Propagation: Rice is propagated by seed. Rice can be propagated manually or mechanically.

Seed Rate: 65kg/ha at two to three seeds per hole.

Planting Date: Rice is planted in Southern part around April and may, and between August and September in the North.

Planting: Rice can be planted by broadcasting, sowing or drilling of the seeds at 2cm to 7cm deep.

Nursery Cultural Practices Of Rice: Swamp rice requires nursery which is done in fertile, water soaked soil. Seeds are broadcast and germination begins after 4 to 5 days and the seedlings are transplanted at between seven to eight weeks of growth to the field. Seeds are sown in nursery around May to June and transplanted in July to August to the field.

SPACING: 25cm to 30cm apart, depending on the variety.

Other cultural Practices of Rice includes the following below:

1. SUPPLYING AND THINNING: This can be done where applicable

2. FERTILIZER APPLICATION: Apply 150kg or three bags of N.P.K fertilizer per hectare at planting by broadcast.

3. WEEDING: Weeding is done to ensure rapid growth of rice.

4. PESTS AND DISEASES: These should be prevented or control by spraying with appropriate chemicals.

5. MATURITY PERIOD: Rice matures in four to seven months depending on variety.

6. HARVESTING: Red heads of rice are cut off with knife, sickle or combine harvester.

PROCESSING OF RICE

1. Sun-drying: This is done immediately after harvesting for three to four days.

2. Threshing: This is The separation of the grains from the stalk by either beating with stick, treading with feet or by the use of mechanical threshers.

3. Winnowing: After threshing, the chaff or unwanted dust and remains of stalks are removed by winnowing. This is a fanning operation usually done by throwing the grains in the air to blow away the dust and other residues. After winnowing, the grains of rice remain enclosed by the husk to form what is called PADDY.

4. Parboiling: This processing of rice is used to reduce the breakage of rice during pounding. It also brings some vitamins to the outer layers of the grains and it also reduced the labor required to remove the Husk. The PADDY rise is heated by putting it into boiling water for about 12 to 15 hours. The rice swells and the husk are forced apart. The parboiled Rice is now Sun dried.

5. Hulling: This is the remover of the husks from the grains. The grains are pounded gently to remove the expanded husks. The husks are then separated from the rice by winnowing.

6. Polishing: In some cases, the PADDY rice is threshed by machine, and polished. Polishing involves the use of specially designed machines to remove the husks and other layers covering the grains. The potion removed is known as rice bran which is very rich in protein and vitamins. Consumption of polished rice may cause vitamin deficiency disease called beri-beri due to the removal of the bran rice in protein.

STORAGE OF RICE: Rice can be stored as PADDY rice or in processed form in silos or jute bags.

PESTS OF RICE

Birds: These are pest feed on the grains, leading to low yield of rice.

• Control: employ children to scare the birds.
• Use scare Crows.
• Practice early harvesting

2. Rodents: Cane rat and grasscutter cut the plants and seedlings on the feed, leading to great loss.

• Control: Set or use traps.
• Fence the farm around.

3. Rice Weevils: This is a store pest. Adults and lavae bore into the grains and reduce them to powder.

• Control: Fumigate store with phostoxin tablets.

DISEASES OF RICE

1. Rice Smut: It is caused by a fungus (tilltia horrida) which is spread by wind. The grains turns into a mass of black spores.

• Control: Use resistant varieties
• use recommended fungicides to spray the crops.

2. Rice Blight: It caused by a fungus spread through the soil. Longitudinal red or yellow spots develop on the leaves, leading to poor yield of crops.

• Control: Use resistant varieties.
• Use clean seeds.

3. Brown Leaf Spot: It is caused by a fungus. It causes small narrow brown spots which appear on the leaves.

• Control: Plant resistant varieties.
• Uproot and born infected plants.

I believe you have learnt something? The meaning of rice, Cultural Practices, pests and diseases of rice and control measures.. I think you should also check out on my other article on pests and diseases of crop and control methods.

Revision Questions

1. What is rice?
2. Explain the land Preparation of rice
3. Briefly explain the nursery practices of rice.
4. What are the methods of rice propagation?
5. List the diseases of rice and control methods.
6. What are the pests of rice?
7. List six ways of processing of rice.