Establishment of the crop:
There are many practices of establishing rice plants to the soil, but he two most common and followed ways are either transplanting or direct seeding.
Transplanting, a back breaking method of transferring pre-germinated seedlings from a seed bed (where they are to sprout) to the wet field, is the most popular plant establishment technique across Asia. This method, while requiring less seed to begin with, requires a great deal of labour.
Before transplantation, seedlings are first established in a ‘nursery’ area, which can be found separate to the cultivated field where they are to fully develop. They will then grow in this isolated area for a period of time between twenty to eighty days, before being transported to the main field. Seedlings are transplanted either by machine or, in poorer areas, by hand.
Direct seeding is the process when a dry seed is spread by hand or machinery in a certain area, where it shall grow until it is ready for harvest. In tropical ecosystems where a large amount of rain occurs, dry seed can be manually placed onto the soil’s surface, and then incorporated into the earth by ploughing while the soil is still dry.
There are many practices of establishing rice plants to the soil, but he two most common and followed ways are either transplanting or direct seeding.
Transplanting, a back breaking method of transferring pre-germinated seedlings from a seed bed (where they are to sprout) to the wet field, is the most popular plant establishment technique across Asia. This method, while requiring less seed to begin with, requires a great deal of labour.
Before transplantation, seedlings are first established in a ‘nursery’ area, which can be found separate to the cultivated field where they are to fully develop. They will then grow in this isolated area for a period of time between twenty to eighty days, before being transported to the main field. Seedlings are transplanted either by machine or, in poorer areas, by hand.
Direct seeding is the process when a dry seed is spread by hand or machinery in a certain area, where it shall grow until it is ready for harvest. In tropical ecosystems where a large amount of rain occurs, dry seed can be manually placed onto the soil’s surface, and then incorporated into the earth by ploughing while the soil is still dry.