Why Rice Is Grown In Water? Although not all rice species require water to grow, nearly all do. Rice requires water to grow, but it can also be planted in water and grow directly from it. It is critical to have the appropriate amount of water when maintaining rice plantations. If grown in water, the same levels as when sowing is maintained during the tillering phase, i.e. 1 to 2 inches. The level should be raised to 6 inches during the rolling stage and 8 inches during the brooming stage. Continue reading to learn more about rice cultivation in water.
Because it is easily digestible, has a mild effect on the digestive tract, and does not create any difficulty indigestion, rice, like wheat and rye, is predominantly utilised for human consumption. Rice comes in two varieties in stores: refined white and integrated dark. White rice is a rich source of vitamin B, iron, phosphorus, and magnesium, despite the fact that brown rice has more fibre, vitamin E, phosphorus, and calcium. Grains include between 60 and 70 percent carbohydrates, between 6 and 8 percent protein, 2 percent fat, 10 percent cellulose, and 6 percent minerals.
Rice’s Morphology and Biological Characteristics:
The wiry root has evolved for life in water. The nodal node serves as the ancestor of the secondary root system. The majority of roots grow in the shallower soil, which is only 6 inches deep. The bottom portion of the hollow stem, which is made up of internodes and nodules, can grow to a height of 20 to 60 inches.
The leaf is made up of a sleeve that develops into a lengthier stalk than other cereals and leaf blades. The flowers are made to resemble a broom. The grain is a fruit. It is tough to digest rice husk. Three to five months are spent in the vegetative stage.
Growing Rice in Water:
Rice isn’t really grown in the water, just to be clear. It is sown into the ground on farms, and later the same farms are submerged under water. Due to this flooding, rice is reported to require a lot of water—roughly 2.5 times as much water as is required to grow a crop of wheat or maize.
Because a specific amount of water must be provided from budding to pre-harvest, it can only flourish with irrigation. In regions with more than 1000 mm of annual rainfall, mountain rice (Oryza Montana) flourishes without irrigation. The water must be clear, not colder than 55 °F, and have a salt concentration of no more than 1.8%. Although water from lakes and wells is often used, river water is the greatest kind. The needed water volume is between 20,000 and 30,000 m3/ha.
It may grow on a variety of soil types, but rich fertile soils with favourable physical and chemical qualities will produce the finest crops. Rice grows well on diluvial and alluvial soils. The soil is typically near rivers, allowing for better and less expensive irrigation. The soil must be sufficiently level without a slope and not more waterproof.
It can be refilled with nitrogen at planting time, following which the water is decreased for a few days and increased again after feeding. The plantation’s soil is dried out ten days prior to harvest in order to facilitate harvesting.
Harvesting Rice from Water:
It’s time to harvest the rice plant once it reaches full maturity. Grain quality will suffer from early harvesting, and there is a chance of lying down and consequently higher losses if harvesting is done too late. Early September and later September are when the earlier types are harvested.
The harvest is primarily carried out by hand, with the exception of huge crops, which can also be handled by harvesters, after the plantation has been dried out and its water removed. If rice grains have more than 14% water after harvest, they must be dried before being properly stored.
Interesting Information Regarding Rice:
For more than 6500 years, rice has been farmed. It has its roots in India and China, from whence it originally spread to Syria and east Africa before making its way to Europe. Although it thrives in tropical and subtropical temperatures, several European nations, such as Italy and Macedonia are also well renowned for cultivating rice due to their abundance of sunny days and warmer climes. Although Alexander the Great brought rice to Greece in the 4th century BC, rice was produced there in the 8th century.
Rice is also grown in America today. About 600 million tonnes of rice are produced annually worldwide, mostly in China, India, and Indonesia. Rice cultivation requires a lot of water, hence human labour is still primarily used on plantations rather than machinery.
A GMO variant known as Golden Rice was developed in 1999, and carotene was added to give it a unique hue. The production of this rice will be moved to underdeveloped nations, where cooking will turn the rice’s carotene into vitamin A. Despite claims of its high quality, this rice’s cultivation failed as a result of inadequate information on its actual quality, health effects, and other factors given its genetic modification. Even the legislation in China forbids testing this rice on youngsters.
