Rice Growth: An Integral Part of Rice Production

The foremost step for a thriving harvest is to create a crop calendar. It provides a solid framework for all the farming activities and allows for better planning of subsequent procedures and production cost. From land preparation to storage, a crop calendar provides a definite schedule for rice production.

Formulating a crop calendar, choosing the variety of seeds and preparing the land are all integral parts of pre-planting. However, in this post, we’d be discussing the growth stage. The growth stage involves a number of processes from planting rice to controlling weeds, pests and diseases, all of which are pivotal for a thriving harvest.

1. Planting Rice

As such, there are two methods of seed plantation; direct seeding and transplanting. Transplanting involves raising the seedlings in a seedbed prior to plantation in the field, while in direct seeding, seedlings are planted directly in the field.

While choosing the right plantation method, a number of factors are in play; ecosystem, available labour, soil type, planting season, etc.

2. Water Management

Perhaps you already know that rice is extremely sensitive to lack of water. Thus it becomes pivotal to implement effective management practices for maximum yield. As a general rule, rice is grown in a land which is continuously flooded for about 10 days prior to the harvest. Flooding the land is an integral way to prepare for sowing and controlling weeds, and ensures that there’s sufficient water.

In Asia, a typical amount of 1500 mm of water is required for irrigation. Just so you know, irrigated rice receives about 40% of the total irrigated water; that’s about 25% of this world’s freshwater resources.

For effective water management, one should:

- Construct field channels

- Land preparation for minimal water shortage

- Leveling the field

- Repairing cracks and holes in the fields

3. Soil Fertility

Another important factor for plant’s healthy growth and sustenance is soil fertility. Therefore it is essential that you apply nutrients to the crop for maximum soil fertility. Owing to the nutritional imbalance in the fields, a number of crop-related problems can arise.

For optimum soil fertility, establish an achievable yield target, regulate the fertilizer use and regularly supply optimum amounts of nutrition.

4. Controlling Weed

Utilize the share of sunlight, water and nutrition meant for rice, weeds effectively decrease yields, elevate production costs, and subsequently reduce product quality. Yield loss is worst during the initial 30 days of sowing. Weed control is therefore important to prevent yield and production losses, both during land preparation and early growth.

5. Controlling Pests and Diseases

As estimated, farmers lose about 35% of their yearly yield to crop diseases and pests. To limit these inhibitors, one should:

- Clean the field between seasons

- Use pest resistant, clean seed varieties

- Encourage natural pest inhibitors and don’t over apply fertilizers

- Don’t use fertilizers within the first month of sowing

Article Source : EzineArticles 

Of Rice And An Economy Driven by Women: Bittersweet Tale

Kogi is a centrally located state in Nigeria which is formed at the confluence of River Benue and Niger, giving rise to the name 'confluence state'. This story today is of rice and an economy driven by women. The women of Kogi, who are quietly but actively involved in the local rice trade spread across every corner of the state.

At any point of the process, from sowing and nurturing to harvesting to the sale, these women can be seen keeping the wheels of the economy moving. They keep their households up and running and function as breadwinners for their families; keeping the plates filled and education completely funded.

But, as the course of their daily life moves along, their vision deteriorates, rendering them a sight as good as a blind, turning the providers dependent. As it so happens, the women spend their days beating and threshing the rice. In the process, the seedlings often hit the cornea, causing laceration, which ultimately leads to corneal abrasion.

Even with the failing vision, a few of them choose to give their farms visits. And, for the lack of modern equipments, they spend their days using sticks, hoes and cutlasses, and sometimes, even their bare hands.

Ibaji, one of the local government areas, is blessed with rich alluvial soil and a skilled workforce. It's at Ibaji where most of the rice is grown, while most of the rice mills and other processing structures are at Idah.

While men are mostly involved in milling and transportation, the women workforce continue to push ahead with their farming work, despite their growing troubles, forging ahead feeding their families and educating their children.

The women of Kogi actively steer the state's rice industry cultivating the land, sowing the seeds, nurturing the plants and conveying the cultivated crop to vehicles, who take it all the way to Ibaji.

Those who feed on the locally produced rice have been heard singing its praise, claiming how the rice is free of stones, delicious, abundant in nutrition and gets cooked very easily.

The rice industry as a whole possesses a huge problem. Once the rice has been milled, women tend to take the husk away and sift it again in order to obtain the remnants of the rice. Inhaling the fine dust with their eyes and nose wide open, their lifespan is going to be significantly affected. They wouldn't see as long as they are supposed to, and wouldn't live as long as they should have lived. Adding to the trouble is the carcinogenic nature of the problem, which has the potential to further shorten the lifespan of these heroes.

The women in Kogi go through a lot to keep their homes healthy and alive. Someone rightly said, not all heroes wear cape.

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Article Source: EzineArticles