🌾 Rice Production Technology

This lesson provides a field-to-harvest view of rice production technology with climate, variety, management, and protection decisions relevant for exam and practical use.

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Importance of Rice

Rice (Oryza sativa) is the 2nd most important cereal crop globally after wheat and is the primary staple food for more than half the world's population. India is the 2nd largest producer of rice in the world with an annual production of approximately 120 million tonnes (MT). Rice is cultivated on about 155 million hectares (Mha) globally. It is a C3 plant that thrives in tropical and subtropical climates. It plays a central role in food security, cultural traditions, and rural livelihoods across Asia.

Botanical Classification

• Scientific name: Oryza sativa L.
• Family: Poaceae (Gramineae)
• Chromosome number: 2n = 24
• Sub-species: indica (tropical, spreading), japonica (temperate, upright), javanica (tropical, large grain)
• Rice is an annual grass with hollow culms, flat leaves, and a terminal panicle bearing spikelets.

Climate Requirements

• Temperature: 20–37°C optimum; germination requires 10–12°C minimum
• Rainfall: 150–200 cm well-distributed; supplementary irrigation needed in low rainfall zones
• Photoperiod: Many traditional varieties are short-day plants (photoperiod-sensitive); modern HYVs are photoperiod-insensitive
• Rice is a water-loving crop and tolerates flooding for extended periods

Soil Requirements

• Soil type: Clayey loam to heavy clay preferred
• pH: 5.5–6.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
• Low percolation rate is desirable to retain water in puddled lowland rice
• Heavy soils retain water better and reduce irrigation requirement

Classification of Rice Crop

• By season: Kharif crop in North India (June–November); year-round cultivation in South India (3 crops/year possible)
• By ecology:
  • Lowland transplanted rice: Most productive; puddled paddy fields
  • Upland rice: Direct-seeded on non-flooded, well-drained soils
  • Medium land rice: Partially flooded conditions
  • Deepwater rice: Grown in areas with >50 cm standing water; can elongate rapidly

Varieties

High-Yielding Varieties (HYVs)

• Pusa Basmati 1121: Semi-dwarf, aromatic, extra-long slender grain
• IR 36: Short duration, blast-resistant, widely adapted
• Swarna (MTU 7029): Most popular HYV in eastern India; semi-dwarf
• MTU 1010: Fine grain, suitable for eastern India

Hybrid Rice

• DRRH-3: First successful hybrid; yield 6–8 t/ha
• PHB-71: Good yield potential, wide adaptability

Drought-Tolerant Varieties

• Sahbhagi Dhan: Sub1 gene-less, upland-tolerant variety
• DRR Dhan 42: Developed by DRR, Hyderabad; tolerates aerobic conditions

Submergence-Tolerant Varieties

• Swarna Sub1: Swarna + SUB1 gene; tolerates 2 weeks of submergence
• CR Dhan 500: NRRI, Cuttack; Sub1-based submergence tolerance

Aromatic Varieties

• Basmati 370: Traditional basmati, Pakistan and India border belt
• Taraori Basmati (HBC-19): Karnal, Haryana; traditional basmati
• Pusa Basmati 1: Semi-dwarf aromatic; high yield; GI-tagged (Basmati)

Seed Rate

• Transplanted method: 25–30 kg/ha seed for nursery (1 ha nursery = 10 ha main field)
• Direct-seeded rice (DSR): 80–100 kg/ha

Nursery Management

Wet Bed (WRT) Nursery

• Puddled beds 1.0–1.5 m wide; 6–8 cm water maintained
• Seeds pre-soaked 24 hrs, incubated 24 hrs, sprouted seeds broadcast
• 25–30 days old seedlings transplanted

Dry Bed Nursery

• Used in areas with limited water; seeds sown on dry prepared beds
• Suitable for early Kharif season planting

Key principle: 1 ha nursery is sufficient to transplant 10 ha of main field.

Land Preparation and Puddling

Puddling involves repeated ploughing and harrowing under flooded conditions (2–3 ploughings + levelling + flooding). It:

• Destroys weed seedlings
• Reduces percolation loss of water
• Breaks the hard pan, creating a compact sub-surface layer
• Improves transplanting ease

Transplanting

• Spacing: 20×15 cm for dwarf HYVs; 25×25 cm for tall traditional varieties
• Seedlings per hill: 2–3 seedlings
• Optimum age: 25–30 days for HYVs

System of Rice Intensification (SRI)

• Single seedling per hill (younger seedlings, 8–12 days old)
• 25×25 cm spacing (wider spacing encourages tillering)
• Intermittent irrigation (not continuous flooding)
• Mechanical weeding to aerate soil
• Yields 20–30% higher with 40% less water

Nutrient Management

• Recommended NPK: 120:60:40 kg/ha for medium-yielding HYVs
• Split N application:
  • Basal: 50% N + full P + full K
  • Tillering stage (21 DAS): 25% N
  • Panicle initiation (40–45 DAS): 25% N
• Zinc deficiency is common in flooded rice (khaira disease); apply ZnSO₄ at 25 kg/ha

Water Management

• Maintain 5 cm standing water during vegetative growth
• Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD):
  • Allow field to dry 3–5 days between irrigations
  • Saves 20–25% irrigation water
  • Reduces methane emissions
• Critical stages: transplanting, tillering, panicle initiation, flowering

Weed Management

• 2–3 hand weedings at 20 and 40 DAT (Days After Transplanting)
• Butachlor at 2.0 kg ai/ha as pre-emergence herbicide (2–5 DAS)
• Bispyribac sodium (Nominee Gold) at 20–25 g ai/ha as post-emergence herbicide (15–20 DAT)
• SRI mechanical weeding with cono-weeder

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Major Pests

• Brown Plant Hopper (BPH): Sucking pest; hopper burn; resistant varieties (IR-36); Cartap hydrochloride
• Stem Borer: Dead heart (vegetative); white ear (reproductive); Chlorpyrifos + Cartap
• Leaf Folder: Folds leaf; window pane appearance; Lambda-cyhalothrin

Major Diseases

• Blast (Pyricularia oryzae): Leaf, neck, node blast; use Tricyclazole 0.1%; grow resistant varieties (IR-36, Swarna Sub1)
• Sheath Blight (Rhizoctonia solani): Most economically important; Validamycin or Hexaconazole
• Bacterial Leaf Blight (BLB): Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae; water-soaked margins; Copper oxychloride spray; resistant varieties

Harvesting

• Harvest when 80–85% grains attain maturity (straw turns golden yellow)
• 30–35 days after 50% flowering
• Moisture at harvest: 20–22%; dry down to 14% for storage
• Methods: combine harvester or manual cutting + threshing

Post-Harvest and Storage

• Dry grain to 14% moisture before storage
• Hermetic storage (airtight bags): prevents pest damage and moisture entry
• CAP (Cover and Plinth) storage: used by FCI for large-scale storage
• Proper drying prevents aflatoxin and mold growth

Yield Potential

• HYVs: 4–6 t/ha
• Hybrid rice: 6–10 t/ha
• Traditional varieties: 2–3 t/ha

Important Rice Varieties — Summary Table

Variety	Type	Released By	Special Feature	Yield (t/ha)
Pusa Basmati 1121	Aromatic HYV	IARI	Extra-long grain, high aroma	4–5
IR 36	HYV	IRRI	Short duration, blast-resistant	4–5
Swarna (MTU 7029)	HYV	ANGRAU	Semi-dwarf, popular E. India	5–6
Swarna Sub1	Submergence-tolerant	IRRI/NRRI	Sub1 gene, 14-day flood tolerance	4–5
DRRH-3	Hybrid	DRR, Hyderabad	High yield potential	6–8
PHB-71	Hybrid	Pioneer	Wide adaptability	6–8
Sahbhagi Dhan	Drought tolerant	DRR	Upland/drought conditions	3–4
Basmati 370	Aromatic	Traditional	Classic basmati fragrance	2–3

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Summary Cheat Sheet

Area	Key Exam Point
Crop type	Rice is a C3 cereal; major staple and irrigated crop
Critical stages	Tillering, panicle initiation, flowering are high-sensitivity stages
High-yield approach	Quality nursery, timely transplanting, split N, AWD, IPM

References

2 sources • [1] [2]

[1]

ICAR — Indian Council of Agricultural Research

Official

[2]

Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India

Official