Rice field. rice cultivation technology. Terraced Rice Fields - A Wonder of the Northwest Region Rice Fields in the Mountains
The song of the development of virgin lands in the mountains
According to the legend of the North-West region, about 4 centuries ago, representatives of small ethnic groups, such as Mong, Zao, La-chi ..., migrated to these lands, began to settle in them, however, in four large valleys of the North-West region: Muong Thanh ( Dien Bien), Muong Lo (Yen Bai), Muong Than (Lai Chau), Muong Tak (Shon La) already lived indigenous peoples: Thai, La Ha. Thus, the aliens had to choose to live in the mountain strips of Khau Fa (Mu Kang Chai - Yen Bai), Hoang Lien Son (Shapa - Lao Cai) and Tai Con Lin (Hoang Shu Phi - Ha Giang) - a terrain with a height of 1000 - 1600 meters above sea level to build villages, found villages.
To provide for their livelihood, these ethnic groups have chosen such forms of agriculture as the cultivation of corn and rice on earthy mountains with large slopes. At first, terraced fields were formed only at the foot of the mountains so that the inhabitants could use the water for irrigation. Subsequently, when the population increased, they began to gradually cultivate the mountains to the very peaks, creating terraced fields there. In this way, large areas of the magnificent terraced mountain fields that we can see today were gradually created.
The creation of terrassed fields on virgin lands is a filigree process. Mr. Ku Ah Zhang, a representative of the Mong ethnic group from the commune of La Pan Tan (Mu Kang Chai), said: “The experience of the ancestors shows that the mountain chosen for agriculture should have a moderate slope, and streams, as a water source, should be able to roll, and it is also necessary to have some gravel and stone. Terraced fields are erected in the spring, usually from January to March, and from April to May they carry the water needed for agriculture.
According to Mr. Lee Van Thach (Thung Nguyen Commune, Hoang Shu Phi), the most difficult step in the process of developing virgin lands and creating terraced fields is the rolling of the field and the creation of the banks of the field, because they are responsible for water conservation and water leveling for all fields. . Mr. Thach explained, “Our Zao ethnic group use hoes to clear the ground, creating banks for the fields, then trample down the soil with their feet, and then press it firmly with a hoe. The difference between high and low fields is usually from 0, 5 to 2 m. When water runs into the fields, the banks absorb water, connecting with each other and hardening.
The process of developing the mountainous area continued from year to year, from generation to generation, creating terraced fields as monumental artistic paintings on the slopes of the mountains.
|
The landscape of terraced fields in Nam Ti commune is one of the most beautiful in the whole system of terraced fields in Hoang Su Phi (Ha Giang) area. Photo: Nguyen Thang
|
The history of the formation of terraced fields organically connected with the history and culture of the Mong, Zao, La-chi, Nung ethnic groups living in such areas as Mu Kang Chai, Hoang Shu Phi and Sapa. In the spiritual life of these ethnic groups, there are ideas that all things in the world have their own soul, therefore terraced fields, working tools and rice are deified, there is a Field God, a Rice God, a Thunder God, a Water God...
The imprint of polytheism is clearly expressed through the worship of working tools, the worship of the God of the Fields and the God of Water, which takes place among the Mong ethnic group on New Year(December to lunar calendar). Mr. Zhang Ah Chee from Khao Fa (Mu Kang Chai) commune spoke about this custom: "All year round, hoes and plows helped us to produce rice and corn, so they need a break on New Year's Eve. Thus, our ethnic group has a custom decorate hoes and plows with colored paper, and then bring them to the altar to thank them and remember their ancestors."
And in the community of Zao Do, Hoang Shu Phi county, there is a kind of festival - a ritual of sacrificing the soul of rice. Representatives of the Zao Do ethnic group believe that rice in terraced fields has a soul, like a person. Shaman Chieu Choi Hin of Ho Thau commune, director of this year's rice soul sacrifice ritual, said: him to return home so that the next season will bring a bountiful harvest."
An element of polytheism is also the worship of the God of Thunder in the village of Shuoi Thau, Ban Luok commune, which is located in the mountainous region of Tai Con Lin, among representatives of the ethnic groups Zao, Mong, La Chi, Nung. Shuoyi Thau Village Head Mr. Dang Hong Kanh said that 300 years ago, when the Zao people cultivated terraced rice fields in the area, there were years of lean years due to drought. When the peasants built temples to worship the God of Thunder, the weather was good for agriculture with enough rain. Following that tradition, and today, in a new cultural environment, the people of Hoang Shu Phi also pay attention to this sacred temple, where they pray for the coming of rain.
Terraced fields that bring prosperity
Mr. Zhang Ah Thong, Chairman of the Mu Kang Chai District People's Committee, who was born and raised on the slope of Khau Fa Mountain, spoke proudly of the area's landmark: "Our fathers created terraced rice fields. Since 2007, when the terraced rice fields at Mu Cang Chai were declared a national landmark by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, they have become a common heritage and must be preserved.The terraced fields not only enable the production of rice and corn, but are also the face and soul of our Mong ethnic group."
According to Mr. Zhang A Tong, in last years The Mong and Thai people of Mu Cang Chai County use science to cultivate the terraced fields more efficiently, so rice yields averaged 53 tons/ha. In 2014 alone, Mu Cang Chai County's total food production reached nearly 27,000 tons, contributing to food security in the area.
 Mong women in Mu Kang Chai county work in the field to prepare a site for planting young rice. Photo: Hoang Ha
|
Terraced fields located in 3 communes: Che Cu Nha, La Pan Tan and Ze Shu Phin attract tourists to admire the beauty of these places during the rainy season and the rice ripening season. Every year Mu Kang Chai county organizes the Terraced Fields Festival, attracting tourists during the harvest. The Terraced Fields Festival is essentially a festival to honor the people who have worked hard and diligently to successfully create terraced fields in this mountainous area that bring prosperity to the residents,” said Mr. Zhang Ah Tong proudly.
In Hoang Shu Phi, the history of the formation of terraced fields dates back to 3-4 centuries. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism officially recognized 760 hectares of a total area of 3,000 hectares of terraced fields in the area of Hoang Shu Phi belonging to the communes of Ban Luoc, San Sa Ho, Ban Phung, Ho Thau, Nam Ti, Thong Nguyen as a national treasure.
| In the ranking of the most surreal landscapes in the world, conducted by The Daily Telegraph newspaper (UK), the terraced fields of the North-West region of Vietnam took 8th position out of 14. ( |
Rice is one of the oldest cereal crops in the world. Thanks to their useful properties and good digestibility, this product is very popular, and in some countries even has the honor of being national dish. Proper cultivation of crops allows you to get an unprecedented harvest of the most valuable product.
Culture Features
Rice is a grain that contains carbohydrates (80 g), proteins (7.13) g, fats (0.66 g), water (11.61 g). It also contains B vitamins, iron, copper, selenium, trace elements. The grain has a shell, under which the white part is located. It is most commonly eaten.
The root system of the plant has a fibrous structure, it contains cavities. These cavities ensure the delivery of oxygen to the soil flooded with water.
In the process of growth, rice looks like an ordinary bush with nodular stems. The thickness of the stems ranges from 2 to 4 mm. Height is 40 cm or more. In some cases, the length can reach 4 meters.
The leaves are oblong in shape. The inflorescence looks like a corolla up to 20 cm long. It can be grouped in one direction, or it can be wide open. On it are spikelets with short legs.
At first the plant has green color. As it matures, brown shades appear.
Rice culture appeared several thousand years ago. As it spreads across the globe, the adaptive qualities of the plant appeared, helping it to survive in various weather conditions. Chernozem or silty soil, which contains a lot of organic matter, is suitable for growing an annual plant. Rice ripening can last up to 120 days. In order for rice to be stored for as long as possible, it is necessary to provide it with a warm, humid growing environment.
Due to its beneficial properties, rice culture is widely used in various spheres of life. It should be noted that cereals are used not only in cooking. It is effectively used in medicine, production. With the help of it, paper products, baskets, ropes are made. Straw is an excellent feed for livestock because it contains many nutrients.
Why does it grow in water?
Rice crop prefers very high humidity. It is through the water that all the necessary substances are fed. In addition, water rids the plant of weeds, allowing you to get a bountiful harvest.
To provide this crop with suitable conditions for growth, the land is zoned. Water is poured into the formed zones. At the time of the appearance of the first shoots, the soil should be saturated with water.
There are several ways to water rice.
- Constant. The soil is always in water.
- Partial. At the beginning and at the end of plant growth, the water layer is made smaller.
- Temporary. During certain periods of plant growth, the desired water level is maintained.
It is also important to note that the cereal plant prefers shade. The most favorable temperature for growth is 18 degrees above zero. Although rice will produce a crop and at a temperature range of 12 to 40 degrees above zero.
Depending on the thermometer, rice takes a different amount of time to get saturated with water. So, at a fairly critical temperature of 12 degrees above zero, the plant will need a week to saturate with water. The higher the temperature, the less time it takes to absorb moisture, which is necessary for full growth. For example, at a temperature of 30 degrees, it will take only 12 hours.
Varieties
Around the world there are about 40,000 types of rice. In China alone, 10,000 different varieties have been bred.
All varieties differ according to the following criteria:
- type of cultivation;
- growing area;
- duration of cultivation;
- dimensions;
- color;
- grain density and shape.
On the shelves of shops you can find about 20 varieties of rice, which differ in the type of processing, price. At the same time, a low price does not mean a poor quality product.
In addition to the usual white rice, there are grains of brown, brown and even black, which is inherent in wild varieties. The color depends on the type of cleaning of the grain shell.
It is important to note that the darker the color, the more natural the product is and the more useful substances it contains.
In Asia, an unusual variety of rice is grown, which has a brown-brown hue. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that during cooking, the size of the grains increases several times. The longer the shelf life of the beans, the better they taste.
Depending on the size of the grain, the following types of rice are distinguished.
- Long grain. This type is often used for preparing basic dishes. The size of the grain is 8-9 mm. The product is airy and does not stick together.
- Medium grain. This type has dimensions of about 5 mm. Most often used for making desserts. The product has a uniform texture, retains its shape after cooking.
- Small grain. The grain size is approximately 4x2 mm. The product has a sticky texture, contains a large number of starch. It is often used to make sushi.
The following varieties of rice are widely distributed.
- Basmati. The product has long grains. It has a pleasant taste, fragrant smell. Is an traditional dish Indian cuisine.
- Jasmine. The product is represented by long thin grains of white color. Has an aromatic smell. It is a traditional Chinese dish.
- Wild. The grains are dark in color up to black. The length of such fruits can be different.
According to the type of processing, the following types are distinguished.
- Sanded. Rice is white. The grains can be in the form of a circle or oval, medium or large.
- Brown unpolished. This type of culture is represented by various grain sizes. There are long, short, medium grains. Unlike traditional white rice, only the rice husk is removed during processing. The germ and bran remain in the product. Such a product is considered the most useful.
- Paddy. This is an unprocessed grain. Its shelf life can reach several years.
- Steamed. Such grain is pre-soaked in liquid. Then steam treatment takes place.
- Broken. During processing produce a fracture of the grains. Large parts are used for cooking, and small particles are ground into flour.
- Shell. After grinding the grain, the outer shell remains, which serves as a nutritious feed for livestock.
Where are they grown?
Asia is considered the birthplace of rice. A tropical climate is suitable for grain crops, so it can be found in India, Indonesia, China, and America. In Russia, rice fields prevail in the Krasnodar Territory, namely in Krasnodar. The Kuban has the most suitable climate for growing rice. The presence of a special type of soil, which is located in the lower reaches of the Kuban River, allows you to get the best harvest.
Rice also grows in the CIS countries, for example, in Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. It can be seen in Australia, Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines. On the territory of Russia, culture can also be found in the Astrakhan region, Primorye, and the Chechen Republic.
Wild varieties of rice can be found in Canada and America. In appearance, they bear little resemblance to traditional grains and are very resistant to environmental influences. Their favorite localization is small lakes. It should be noted that such rice is difficult to process, and also difficult to collect. Therefore, it is not cheap.
Plains and even mountainous surfaces are also suitable for planting rice.
There are various fields for growing crops.
- Dry valleys. The location of such fields excludes the creation of artificial devices for additional irrigation. In view of natural conditions the soil is intensively saturated with moisture.
- Estuary. The main task is performed by the bays of the rivers, which are used to grow the rice field. For such a field, a special variety of rice with a minimum ripening period is selected.
- Irrigated. Special flooding of the area is carried out with the help of dug pits. Water is removed two weeks before harvest. After the soil dries up, the crop is harvested.
Agricultural technology
The technique of growing rice involves carrying out certain activities to create favorable conditions.
- Before sowing the seeds, they are cleaned. To do this, sorting mechanisms are used. After cleaning, a quality check is carried out. Unsuitable seeds are thrown away.
- Before sowing, about a week, the seeds are dried. Then put in warm water for several days. After that, they are dried again and only after that they are laid in the prepared soil. The depth of the seeds should not exceed 8-10 cm. Rice is sown in rows, crosswise or randomly from the plane. It should be noted that in Asia they prefer to do everything by hand, while in the West they more often resort to using the latest technology.
- The soil is prepared in advance. To do this, it is treated with steam or forage grasses and legumes are planted, which contribute to the drying up of marshy areas. In addition, herbs are the best source of nutrition for the earth. Exposure to steam helps the soil recover faster.
It is important to note that after growing legumes or grasses, rice can be sown for three years in a row. If we resort to the technology of tillage with steam, then such soil is suitable for sowing rice crops only for two years in a row.
In Asia, there is a special technique for growing cereals. In order to select the most viable grains that will give a good harvest in the future, the seeds are sown in greenhouses. Mud with water is used as soil. After the length of the sprouts reaches 9-10 cm, they are placed in water. Then, when the length of the sprout reaches 45-50 cm, the plant begins to bloom, emitting the smell of cooked rice.
The harvested crop is dried, left in special places where temperature and humidity are strictly controlled. At proper storage grains stay fresh throughout the year.
When growing rice in the Kuban, modern technology is used.
The whole growing process is divided into three stages.
- The soil is watered abundantly. Do it in the spring when the weather is warm.
- The second stage is started after the plant grows up to 15-20 cm. The field is intensively flooded with water.
- The third stage involves the drying up of the soil. Work is carried out approximately two weeks before harvest.
The required water level is maintained with the help of modern devices.
In Russia, several types of technologies for growing grain crops have been developed that allow you to get a high yield, for example:
- tillage with the help of mechanical leveling of the surface, fertilization, saturation of the soil with herbicides;
- processes using technical units, plows, allowing to obtain smooth plowed soil;
- technology without the use of fertilizers allows the cultivation of varieties of dietary rice;
- modern herbicide-free agricultural technology allows you to effectively deal with weeds.
The use of modern technological methods for growing rice crops has expanded the scope of this invaluable product, which is known throughout the world.
How rice is grown and harvested, see the video below.
If you want to conduct an interesting experiment, then plant rice in your area. We have revealed the secret of how to do it right and how to care for this plant.
The content of the article:
Rice began to be cultivated a very long time ago - back in the middle of the 5th millennium BC. e. in Thailand. Then rice cultivation spread to Indochina, and after that they began to be practiced in East and Southeast Asia. Later, from Indochina, rice came to India, and from there - to Europe and Central Asia. In Europe, it was cultivated mainly in the Mediterranean, but it was not until the 19th century that the cultivation of this crop acquired an industrial scale.
Types of rice cultivation
Surely many have seen in feature or documentary films how rice is grown in Asia. A worker stands in the water and plants seedlings of this crop or processes it. Yes, rice loves moist soil. There are 3 main types of rice cultivation:
- upland;
- torrential or irrigation;
- firth.
The second type of rice cultivation involves the cultivation of this crop in torrential fields or checks. These areas are specially flooded, for example, by digging trenches and flooding them. 2 weeks before the harvest, the water is drained and the rice is harvested already on dry soil. This type of obtaining this grain is the most common. Nearly 90% of the world's rice production is grown in this way.
In places where floods are frequent in spring and summer, rice is also cultivated in bays. Thus it was grown many centuries ago. Now this method is used in some regions of Southeast Asia, but now it is considered ineffective, and growing rice in torrential fields has become the most popular.
Although it is a heat-loving crop, elevated temperatures lead to too much vegetative growth, to the detriment of ear development. Rice is a light-loving crop and will produce high yields where there is a lot of summer sunny days. This grass feels good on clay, dusty soils. Provided sufficient soil fertilization, it can produce a good crop on sandy soil.
Not everyone knows why rice is grown in water. This culture perfectly tolerates flooding, since the roots of the cereal will still not be left without oxygen, and foliage supplies it to them. It takes oxygen from the air and lowers it to the roots. Water delivers nutrients and helps to resist weeds, so yields are noticeably increased. In order to provide such conditions for the cereal, on the flat lands they divide the plots with shafts, and water is poured into the channels formed between them.
The possibility of growing rice in the country
If you have a free plot of land, you are in a warm region, you can provide enough moisture for rice, then you can try to get this crop in your backyard. Usually in a swampy place where water stagnates, nothing grows, so you can take this area under rice. Traditionally, in our region, it is cultivated in the Kuban, but you can try to grow rice in slightly cooler areas. The main thing is that there are such conditions:
- a plot warmed by the sun all day;
- For 3–6 months, the temperature during the day was around +21–+25°C, and at night it would fall no lower than +15, lower temperatures will reduce the ability of the plant to resist diseases;
- the possibility of using water meadows or the presence of soil that retains moisture;
- an irrigation system that allows you to grow rice in water, and drain it half a month before harvest.
Types and varieties of rice for cultivation
Here are the varieties of rice used to grow it in the Kuban:
- "Krasnodar-424";
- "Liman";
- "With a finger";
- "Grateful";
- "Kurchanka";
- "Kasun";
- "Darius-8".
- Short grain. When cooked, it becomes sticky, soft, slightly sweet. It is used for making cereals, casseroles, meatballs, sushi.
- Medium grain. During heat treatment, the grain of this species acquires tenderness, juiciness, a light creamy taste and a little stickiness.
- Long grain has lush and light rice grains that are drier than other varieties. When cooked, it remains crumbly unless overcooked.
- Fragrant no wonder it has such a name. This type of rice has a rich smell and taste. This species includes varieties such as "Black Japonica Rice", "Basmati", "Red", "Jasmine".
- Sweet the species is quite sticky, forming a sticky mass when cooked. It is often used to make dishes that are then stored in the freezer. After defrosting, their taste and appearance practically does not change.
- Arborio. This rice becomes creamy during the cooking process, the center of the grain remains firm. Perfect for risotto and other Italian dishes.
How to grow rice yourself?
After you have chosen the type and variety of cereal, it's time to start preparing the soil. It is best to use clay, but so that its acidity is low. On light soils, it is advisable to add clay so that it retains water.
If you don't want to grow rice on a large scale, you're interested in seeing it grow, develop, get some of your own crops, then use containers for that. In cold weather, they can be brought into the greenhouse and create favorable conditions for the cereal.
Prepare a sunny plot of land by digging it up and picking out the weeds. In Asia, rice is first grown in seedlings and then planted in rows in prepared moist soil. You can do the same, but this method is laborious.
If it is poor, add mineral fertilizers to it, mix them with the ground. Spread the seeds after 10 cm, sprinkle them with a layer of compost or mulch. Organic compost retains moisture well, so its use is especially successful in dry climates.
When seedlings reach 2 cm, add water by 2.5 cm or water them well. If you have sown the seeds too often, when the seedlings grow to 5-7 cm, thin out. They can be transplanted to another place. As a result, rice should grow in a row at a distance of 30 cm from each other, and the distance between the grooves is 25–30 cm.
If all conditions are met, the entrances will grow rapidly and in a month they will reach a height of 15-17 cm, and after 3-4 months the grain will begin to ripen, the ears will grow to 35-40 cm at this time. Then you need to drain the soil, stop watering it . In 2 weeks under such conditions, the plant will turn yellow, and the grain will dry.
After this, the ears must be watered well again or the grooves filled with water. A day later, they lower it, again stop watering the plants and wait for the grain to finally turn yellow. At the same time, it must not be allowed to crumble.
Then the stems are cut together with the ears, laid out in a dry, ventilated room to dry for 2-3 weeks. You can put them in the sun or wrap them in newspaper. After drying in the air, this must be done in the oven. It is heated to +80°C, the rice is removed from the ear and dried to a golden brown color.
After that, the grain is cooled and separated from the husk by rubbing between the palms. Everything, rice grown with your own hands, is ready to eat. Now you have the opportunity to compare which rice dishes are tastier - your own or bought in a store.
If you do not grow it, then now you will have an idea of how rice is obtained in the regions, where it is supplied to stores from, and how much work is invested in each grain.
For more information on growing rice, see this video:
Electrical package
25.02.2019
"Rice is the head of everything" simple Asian wisdom. But the way it is, in different situations, rice can replace bread, meat and even vegetables. But let us turn to the culture of growing rice.
The oldest traces of rice cultivation date back to the middle of the 5th millennium BC. e., found in Thailand. Over the next thousand years, rice cultivation spread throughout Indochina, and eventually into Southeast and East Asia. In the 2nd millennium BC. e. Indochinese rice was imported to India, from where it came to Central Asia and Europe during the campaigns of Alexander the Great.
In the 2nd millennium BC. e. on the territory of modern China, the main rice-growing region was the southern lands in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, which belonged to the proto-Vietnamese tribes. At the end of the 1st millennium BC. e. Thanks to the contacts of the Chinese with their southern neighbors, rice came to the neighboring regions of China. Gradually, rice became the dominant agricultural crop in the Central Asian region.
Usually, in countries with a tropical climate, two crops of rice are harvested a year, in some places there are even three. But still, the fields are given a little "rest" between crops.
In Thailand, now is just the time for sowing the "first" rice. This is an amazing time: the end of winter, it is still cool, the fields were harvested all January. And then one fine morning, sitting on a bike, I go out onto a narrow path and find myself among rectangular lakes - the fields were flooded with water. The water surface shimmers and shimmers in the morning rays of the sun, it becomes even fresher.
Over the next weeks, gently green sprouts will begin to break through and everything around will be covered with a light green veil. The same feeling happens when spring comes in Russia and the buds open on the trees, the first leaves appear.
Blooming trees and flowers add bright colors and impressions. Passing annual. By the way, sakura grows in the mountains in northern Thailand. In February, many tourists come to admire its bloom.
photo by Elizaveta Voinova
But perhaps the most magical rice place for me personally remains Ubud, Bali. The abundance of rain and the hot climate are ideal for growing rice.
The mountain town is literally buried in the greenery of rice fields and water channels.
Rent a zen house among the rice terraces, take a bike ride along the narrow winding paths among the fields, run into a traffic jam of a flock of geese and wait a good 15 minutes for them to pass, or maybe dine at a restaurant overlooking the endless expanses of rice topped by the peak of Agung volcano ? Yes, for sure! at the same time, to complete the picture, add unusually colorful sunsets and sunrises, aromas of flowering all year round frangipani and the endless sounds of temple ceremonies to the cononade of frog choirs. Here it is enchanting Ubud.
But back to the practical nuances of growing rice. In the mountainous areas, rice is grown on terraces, which are created on the slopes of the mountains and fenced with ramparts to retain water. Currently, due to the creation of terraces, there is a strong erosion of the soil, the destruction of slopes, leading to landslides and, in general, a change in the terrain. On flat lands, torrential rice fields are usually leveled to ensure even irrigation and good drainage, and divided into sections by ramparts, after which they are flooded with water through a system of channels.
Rice fields are usually kept flooded with water, periodically changing the depth of flooding depending on the phase of plant development and to control pests and weeds. When rice ripens, water is drained from the fields, and the soil is dried to 18-22% moisture, and only then the crop is harvested.
In Bali, when the rice is ripe and waiting to be harvested, fishing lines are pulled over the fields with plastic ribbons that rustle as they develop in the wind and drive the birds away from the harvest.
The Balinese also like to tie kites that hover in the air high above the rice field, but this is more for beauty than practical use.
When it's harvest time, harvesters take to the fields. Here, from the memory of a Soviet person, frames from the cartoon “Well, wait!” pop up, when the wolf is rolled into a metal grid-cube, all this is accompanied by a simple melody from the same place) I even conducted a survey among compatriots, this associative mechanism works for absolutely everyone.
Environmentalists are sounding the alarm. It turns out that growing rice is accompanied by the release of millions of tons of methane gas into the atmosphere. This, of course, negatively affects the environment, but humanity cannot refuse to produce rice.
This cereal crop is one of the main sources of calories for 45% of the population of our planet. The largest rice producers are China, India, and Thailand.
People began to cultivate this cereal as early as 8 thousand years ago. During this time, more than 100 of its varieties have been bred, some of which ripen in just 3 months.
But in most areas, the cultivation of this important crop has remained as it was before our era. It is quite difficult to mechanize this process, so manual labor is still used in the rice fields.
More than a billion peasants are engaged in the cultivation of this cereal. We invite you to see photos of rice terraces, which are located right on the slopes of the hills.
How much labor it took the peasants to create such fields! But some of these terraces have been created for centuries. For example, . It took 500 years to build them.
As you can see in the photo, monthly green sprouts are planted in the ground flooded with water. Under such conditions, this valuable cereal yields more than in dry land. In addition, water protects the soil from weeds and some pests.
After about a month and a half, this plant begins to bloom. From the outside it looks very nice. Moreover, the inflorescences can be both black and purple - each variety has a different color.
After 90-200 days, the peasants begin harvesting. Again, without the use of any technique. And in some regions, the fields are immediately plowed and new shoots are planted again! Thus, it turns out to collect 2 crops per year. In some areas, the norm is 3 crops.
What is most interesting, rice is an unpretentious culture. For example, in China it has been grown for several millennia in the same fields. Yield is not affected.
Although such a “trick” will not work with our wheat. After several years of sowing, the field should “rest” for several years.
Where the terrain allows, this "white wheat" is grown on the plains. But provided that they are perfectly flat - without slopes. Otherwise, it will not be possible to evenly fill them with water.
In Asian countries, in addition to the cereal itself, stems are also used. They are used to make the roofs of dwellings, the famous straw cone hats and rice paper.
Did you know that more than 350 million tons of rice are eaten every year on Earth?
Photo.
This is one of the main attractions of China. Rice has been the basis of the diet of every inhabitant of this great country for many thousands of years. Therefore, traditions are followed not only in the ceremony of eating. Art is the process of growing rice.
"Have you already eaten rice today?" - not idle curiosity, but a greeting from the Chinese when they meet. The life of an ordinary resident of China cannot be imagined without this grain crop. And rice is sown not only on the plains, but also on the slopes of the mountains.
Famous are a real marvel of engineering. They began to be erected as early as the 13th century AD. The most high-quality and delicious varieties are grown in Yunnan province. Extending for tens of kilometers Chinese rice fields. Here, at an altitude of 200 - 2000 meters above sea level, on an area of 20 thousand square meters, there are thousands of terraces.
Everything is created by hand without the use of any modern technological advances. In fact, rice fields in Yunnan is an autonomous crop growing system. Water, flowing down from the mountain peaks, floods the holes. As a result, weed grass does not grow later, the soil is enriched with nitrogen and all favorable conditions are created for rice ripening. At the same time, rice grains are germinated in special nurseries, which are then manually planted in flooded holes.
See rice terraces in China travelers come from all over the world. A spectacle that delights in any period. From November to April you can see flooded fields. The sky and the sun, clouds and the moon are reflected on the water surface.
In the spring, a rice field in Yunnan turns into a green carpet. In autumn, the fields are painted in bright autumn colors. The bewitching appearance of the patchwork carpet is so fantastic that it is not immediately possible to believe in the reality of its existence. The landscape seems to have been painted with the brush of a skilled artist.
The locals took care of the tourists, creating convenient conditions for everyone to enjoy the amazing picture and capture it on their camera. Here you can find viewing platforms from where amazing view of the rice terraces of China. True, admission to them is not free, but a symbolic amount of 50 yuan (equivalent to 250 rubles) is, indeed, a small fee for an amazing experience.
Longji (Dragon's Range) - rice terraces of the Chinese province of Guangxi in the Longsheng Mountains
Located 27 km south of Longsheng Township, extensive rice terraces "Dragon's Ridge", layer by layer cover the hills and mountains. These are one of the most famous terraces in all of China, famous far beyond China for their fabulous landscapes.
The Longsheng old people have a saying: "Where there is land, there will be rice terrace." In the Chinese province of Guangxi, a two-hour drive from the city of Guilin, the problem of sowing and growing rice on steep slopes has long been solved. As early as the Yuan Dynasty, at the end of the 13th century, the large-scale task of planting rice in the Longsheng Mountains began.
It took four centuries to create the paddy fields known as Longji. During this time, many generations worked hard on the terraces to provide their families with a year's supply of rice. But besides that, they created an amazingly beautiful area. It is not for nothing that the Chinese call this small miracle “delightful terrace”.
V different time This area looks different every year. The water accumulated during the winter spills onto the fields in the form of rain in the spring. In summer, the winds blowing the rice shoots turn the fields into green rice fields. In autumn, the ripened crop field acquires a noble golden color, and in winter the entire slope is covered with snow.
The people who were forced to settle en masse in this hilly area during the Yuan Dynasty faced the problem of a lack of harvest due to the peculiarities of the region: the growing population could not get a large enough harvest. Therefore, people came up with an unusual technique for better use of arable land.
The pinnacle of human ingenuity is natural rainwater, which is the only source of water in mountainous areas. Water is stored in reservoirs and in spring rice fields filled with water. The staggered terraces ensure that all the water is used without residue.
The Zhuan ethnic group call the terraces the "Dragon's Spine". From a height of 800 meters, it can be seen with the naked eye that the fields look like the scales of a dormant dragon with a winding ridge.
Rice fields, the highest point of which is located at an altitude of 1100 meters, cover an area of 60 square kilometers.
Visitors are always welcome here, and many locals even open small inns for travelers. visiting rice fields of china, you can learn a lot about the culture and characteristics of the local population. The terraces are best visited in spring or summer to discover them at their best. Arriving in autumn, you will see tall rice, the terraces will look like undulating hills.
For centuries rice terraces were in the possession of families, from generation to generation they were passed from father to son. When the communists came to power, the rules changed: at the birth of a person, a certain allotment of land is allocated to him, and after death, the local committee alienates it for its own use and later transfers it to someone else.
Although each family is able to grow crops only for their own needs, rice is grown here not only for food. After all, in life there is always a place for small joys. And every year, part of the harvest, the so-called glutinous rice, is used to make rice wine.
Now, when the twenty-first century is in the yard, the role of rice fields, of course, is not as important as before. More and more young people go to work in Longsheng or further afield. And, despite the fact that the terraces are still sown with rice, they no longer serve as the main source of income for the local population.
The rice grown here cannot be sold at a competitive price, since the area of the terraces simply does not allow obtaining large volumes of grain. However, these Chinese rice fields are increasingly included in tourist maps and villagers annually earn more from tourism than from rice fields. So rice plantations in longsheng will be as long as they do not get bored with tourists.
Rice terraces in China
Seeing once, one gets the impression that rice cultivation in this country is carried out with the help of landscape design.
The construction of rice terraces began as early as the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). They are the culmination of deep wisdom and hard work. And what are the names of the viewing platforms around the rice terraces in China: "Nine dragons and five tigers", "Seven stars around the moon" ... Here they are called "the most beautiful in the world" and "the only ones under the clouds."
To get to the famous Longji rice terraces, you need to climb through the village of Ping An, located 27 km south of the town of Longsheng in Guangxi province.
These are some of the most famous terraces in all of China, thanks to the fabulous scenery.
rice terraces occupy an area of 66 sq. km. They are located at an altitude of 300 to 1,100 meters above sea level and with a slope between 25 and 35 degrees, sometimes even 50.
A ticket to the observation decks costs 50 yuan (about 250 rubles).
On the terraces surrounding the village of Ping An, there are those very two viewing platforms with picturesque names: "Nine Dragons and Five Tigers" and "Seven Stars Around the Moon".
Still, it is unusual to observe man-made "field-steps" picturesquely curving on the slopes:
The rice harvested on Dragon's Backbone is considered one of the best in the country. There are many reasons for this: it is mountain water, soil and huge forces applied to grow rice.
A photo for estimating the scale is a step in human growth!
In the photographs, the landscapes seem rather monotonous, but in reality they are not!
View of rice terraces varies depending on the time of year. In the spring, when water irrigates the rice fields, the terraces look like large shiny ribbons wrapping around the slopes of mountains and hills:
At the beginning of summer, the rice terraces turn green:
And this is what rice fields look like when it's time to harvest:
These amazing photos are more like precious stained glass windows or mosaics if you don't know what it really is. Rice fields - amazing beauty creation of human hands. Similar fields can be seen in the Philippines, Bali and, of course, in China. Perhaps it is the cultivation of rice - an extremely laborious and painstaking occupation - one of the main factors that shaped the character of the Chinese, whose diligence and patience are legendary.
Rice terraces in China are a whole work of art, and for a fee, tourists are brought to admire the rice fields live.
Since ancient times, all operations were performed manually. Rice is not a plant that lives naturally in water, but Asians (most likely in China, but some claim it was in Indonesia) have found that rice growing in a field flooded with water yields 20 times more than in a dry field - how cereals or other crops are grown.
Rice has been cultivated in China since ancient times. Excavations carried out in the village of Hemudu (Zhejiang Province) indicate that rice has been cultivated in this area for 8,000 years ago.
Rice crops in China are small patches filled with water and separated by a network of narrow earthen ridges. The surface of such a platform must be perfectly flat and strictly horizontal, which is why its size is so small.
Of course, it is easiest to grow rice on the plains, but mountain slopes are also adapted for such sites, creating artificial terraces on them. First, rice is sown in special nurseries, and after about a month, young plants are transplanted into the field. From antiquity until recently, this process, which is difficult to mechanize, has been carried out manually.
The process of growing rice in a flooded field begins with its processing. The peasant harnesses the bulls to the plow and plows the land. Even today, with China and other East Asian countries rising living standards and undergoing a process of "Westernization", there are still no machines in the fields. Most often you can meet a peasant plowing the land with a wooden plow pulled by cattle. The process of flooding the field involves mixing the earth with water and turning it into a homogeneous mud.
When the earth is mixed, rice grains are planted in special "greenhouses". Direct planting in the field does not give good results, since the seeds germinate with difficulty in a flooded field. The soft seedlings are harvested when they reach a height of about 10 cm. They then make bunches of rice stalks and take them out into the flooded field for planting. They do not need to be placed in the ground with your hands, but simply thrown into the water and they will take root themselves.
In a flooded field, water insulates the rice sprouts from heat and cold and creates a whole and balanced ecological system that provides for itself. A flooded rice field does not need artificial fertilizers. It can maintain a constant level of natural fertilizer for a long time if it is given a little "help": burn the remains of sprouts in a dry field (at the end of the harvest season) and mix them with the ground; scatter animal excretions or food debris; grow fish or ducks in a flooded field - their secretions provide the field with nitrogen.
Rice ripens in 140 to 210 days. Modern varieties developed in the laboratory can mature in 90 days. After about two months, rice begins to bloom - when the sprouts reach a height of 50-60 cm. Rice inflorescences consist of 70 small flowers that suddenly bloom early in the morning. The smell of a rice field is similar to the smell of cooked rice at home - sweetish and very delicate. After flowering, rice grains begin to form and become firm.
In the photo, the rice fields look juicy and colorful: bright green sprouts are buried in the water, which reflects the blue and boundless sky. After a while, the fields turn into a thick green wall.
And only in the third month, when the rice terraces acquire a golden hue, the harvest takes place.
Rice fields look colorful from above. Different varieties of rice are used as "paint". For example, grains of ordinary yellow rice look light green from a distance, while brown rice looks almost black. Over the centuries-old history of rice cultivation in China, no less than 10 thousand of its varieties have been bred - different in appearance, color, taste, spikelet size, grain yield, ripening time and many other indicators. Six varieties are considered elite.
The selection of early and late varieties allows in many parts of China to collect two crops a year, and on the Leizhou Peninsula and in the province of Hainan - even 3 crops. To do this, late-ripening varieties are planted between rows of early-ripening rice even before it ripens, or they are cultivated in place of already harvested early rice. The powerful "green energy" of rice fields is spoken of in an old Chinese proverb - "In one day the field is golden, black and green" (in the morning, the peasant removes ripened rice shimmering with gold, by lunchtime the field plowed for new crops is black, and in the evening it already turns green seedling).
Paddy, also known as paddy, is brought from the paddy field. Then it is dried and grains are separated from rice straw and weeds. One of the most interesting paintings in China, even today, is rice carpets lying on roads or near houses.
At the first stage of processing, the rice husk is removed, which protects the grains from damage. After that, brown rice goes on sale. Consisting of whole grains of rice, it retains the nutritious bran shell that gives it its characteristic brownish tint and nutty flavor.
At the next stage of rice processing, in the process of polishing, the bran shell is removed. Rice loses most all nutrients. Rice that has gone through all the stages of polishing is called white, since only a white, smooth grain of rice containing a significant amount of starch remains. In terms of vitamin and mineral content, white rice loses to brown or parboiled rice, but it is this that is the main type of rice consumed throughout the world.
There is a rice processing technology - steam processing. Paddy rice is soaked in water and then treated with hot steam under pressure. Then the grains are dried and polished like regular rice. After processing, the grains of parboiled rice acquire an amber-yellow hue and become translucent. When steamed, up to 80% of the vitamins and minerals contained in the bran shell pass into the rice grain.
Every kilo of rice you buy at the supermarket is watered with an average of 4,000 liters of water. The Chinese have learned with great skill to regulate the flow of rivers to water their rice fields, sometimes with canals that direct the water directly to the fields. The water on them is in constant motion and does not stagnate. Water that sits for too long heats up and can damage seedlings at the very beginning of their growth. In addition, stagnant water can attract mosquitoes and cause disease. Rice has a remarkable property - it can be grown year after year in the same field without interruption even for 2000 years (unlike other crops, when growing which the field must rest). The reason is that in the deep water where rice grows, there is duckweed, which absorbs nitrogen and thus provides the rice with natural fertilizer.
Fresh rice, just picked from the field, can be stored for about a year. Then it starts to turn yellow. Rice that is sold in stores can easily be stored for three years before opening the pack.
Rice in China is used for a variety of purposes other than being a staple food, including making a variety of flatbreads, sweets, liquor, rice vinegar, and the like. widely known and medicinal properties rice. Chinese doctors believe that rice "protects the stomach, strengthens health and expels disease from the body." The Chinese use not only rice grains, but also straw. She goes to the roof, to make wide-brimmed sun hats. Shoes, baskets and mats are woven from rice straw, umbrellas and fans are made, strong thin paper is made, and rice husks are used in the packaging of porcelain products.
By the way, this is interesting...
According to preliminary results, the export of Russian rice in 2012 reached its historical maximum - 334 thousand tons, which is twice the figure in 2011, according to the Institute for Agricultural Market Studies (IKAR).
Rice groats and paddy rice were delivered abroad in almost equal quantities. "Our rice is becoming more and more popular in foreign markets due to its high quality and competitive prices," IKAR notes. Libya acquired the largest volumes of Russian rice. Turkey, which in 2009-2011 occupied a leading place in the list of buyers, moved to second place. The main share of purchases of both countries is paddy rice. "Rice-groats have traditionally been imported mainly by countries former USSR", - explains IKAR. At the same time, Egypt, which produces and exports rice, for the first time in recent years, bought almost 17 thousand tons of rice groats from Russia. (proof)
So, all the same, not all agricultural products are dead yet?
I thought here ... according to a stereotyped worldview, I know how rice is grown in China (well, or in those places), something like this:
But what about in Russia? Something I have not seen such fields here! O! So there is a topic to delve into the Internet ... useful ...
Man has been growing rice and eating it for seven thousand years. This is evidenced by the ancient manuscripts of India and China, ancient rice fields with a system of canals for irrigation, the remains of pottery with traces of rice. The place of origin of rice has not been precisely established, however, according to some scientists, its culture originated in India, as evidenced by the growth here of intermediate forms between wild and cultivated rice. One of the oldest centers of rice culture is China, where it was grown as early as the 5th millennium BC. By about 500 BC, rice fields were laid out in large parts of India, China, South and Southeast Asia.
When spread, rice easily adapted to harsher weather conditions: in South Asia, rice required a lot of water and heat all year round, and in central China, Korea and Japan, varieties that easily tolerate night cold and require little water have taken root.
In Asia, rice is still planted and harvested by hand. It has been cultivated for centuries on small plots of land, on hillsides and mountain plateaus.
In the thirteenth century, in southern Europe, the fields of Sicily and Valencia were sown with rice. Rice that took root in Italy and Spain was predominantly round-grain and medium-grain. He gave a good harvest and did not require much water for irrigation. Rice later became popular in Northern and Central Europe, where it was exported from the American and Asian colonies.
He came to North America with the British, French and Japanese. On the North American continent, on the Pacific coast, mainly round-grain rice varieties brought by Japanese emigrants grow, while long-grain rice grows on the Atlantic coast and the south of the United States. However, even before the arrival of the colonists, the Indians of North America collected and ate wild rice that grows in the Great Lakes region. This perennial herb, a distant relative of rice, produced grains that were distinguished by their extraordinary color and taste, as well as superior nutritional properties to ordinary rice.
Rice was brought to South America by the Spaniards and the Portuguese. Brazil and Argentina became the largest rice producers.
In 1893, on the initiative of the Samarkand military governor, Count N. E. Rostovtsev, 14 pounds of “dry” rice seeds were purchased in China (the so-called rice cultivated without flooding with a layer of water). It was grown not with a constant flood, but with periodic inflows of water into the checks. The soil barely dried out. From the sowing, 158 poods and 36 pounds of grain were harvested. The entire harvest was purchased by the loan office. We bought another 800 pounds of seeds in China. They were distributed free of charge to the population for sowing. In 1895, already 30,000 poods of grain were harvested.
But in the future, for some reason, they decided that it was dangerous to keep the fields in a “swamp state” due to the spread of malaria. For this reason, the sowing of rice was generally prohibited, including in Armenia and Georgia. However, over time, this ban was lifted.
In the European part of Russia, the first attempts at rice cultivation were made on the initiative of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. He gave an order to the Astrakhan voivode to grow "Saracenic millet", as rice was then called, in the lower reaches of the Volga. However, how this venture ended is unknown.
Successful was the attempt to sow rice, undertaken by Peter the Great. Seeds brought from Arabia by merchants specially sent there were sown in the royal botanical garden near Astrakhan and in the delta of the Terek River on the lands of Armenian settlers. In both places, rice took root and continued to be grown in the future.
Rice terraces in China
Rice fields are of three types: checks, upland and firth. On checks, rice is grown with constant flooding until the crop is almost ripe, and the water is drained before harvesting. Approximately 90% of world rice production is obtained in this way. Dryland rice is grown without artificial irrigation in areas with large quantity precipitation. The same varieties can be bred on checks and on dry land, however, in the first case, the yield is usually higher. Firth rice is grown in floodplains during floods. In this case, special varieties with a rapidly elongating stem are used, and the panicles float on the surface of the water. Each year, this way of growing rice is possible only on small plots of land, and it produces much less grain than check, but it is an extremely important source of food for the population of the river valleys in Asia.
The main environmental factors limiting rice sowing are temperature and soil moisture. Rice is a heat-loving plant, but too high temperatures lead to its excessive vegetative growth and mutual shading of shoots in crops. The abundance of sunny days, favoring photosynthesis, usually contributes to a higher yield.
Rice is a facultative hydrophyte capable of carrying oxygen from leaves to submerged roots, so to reduce weed competition and increase yields, fields can be kept watered throughout the growing season.
In rice-growing areas with hilly relief, rice is grown on sloping terraces, enclosed by ramparts that hold water in the plots. On the plains, irrigated rice fields are usually carefully leveled (planned) to ensure uniform irrigation and good drainage, and are divided into land-lined areas (checks) flooded with water through a canal system.
Rice is undemanding to the soil, but silty and clayey soils, which retain water well, are preferred for its cultivation. However, sandy soils, despite their low natural fertility, often produce the highest yields when properly cultivated.
In the US, rice is sown from March to June. Sowing methods are different - the seeds are either embedded in the soil by machines, or scattered (sometimes from an airplane) over a dry or flooded field surface. In countries where agriculture is not mechanized, rice seeds are first germinated on ridges, and then seedlings aged 30-50 days are transplanted in nests of three or four specimens in soft soil covered with a shallow layer of water.
When sowing in dry soil, it is immediately flooded, and then the depth of flooding is periodically changed depending on the phase of plant development, as well as to control weeds and pests. At the onset of the phase of wax ripeness, the water is discharged and the soil is dried for harvesting. When harvesting with a combine, the moisture content of the grain should be on average 18-22% and not lower than 16%, otherwise it may crack.
So how is rice grown in Russia now? ,
But like this
Probably, this reminded many of "in the Leninsky district they threshed in the bins of the Motherland ... than they completed the five-year plan in three years ..."
In Russia, rice is grown in the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, in the Saratov Region, although I was told that they saw fields of rice in Primorsky. There are dry varieties of rice, they do not need flooding. Yields are by definition lower than conventional ones, but growing areas are much wider.
CURIOUS FACTS
Man began to grow rice 7-8 thousand years ago.
About 500 million tons of rice are produced annually on Earth.
It takes 5,000 liters of water to grow one kilogram of rice.
In North America, rice fields are sown from aircraft, and in some parts of Asia, every grain is still planted by hand.
Most often you can find brown long-grain rice; brown round or medium grain rice is less popular.
Compared to other cereals, rice has more potassium and phosphorus.
Rice is the source complex carbohydrates needed for a balanced diet.
The average Asian eats rice at least twice a day.
The main ingredient of the classic English pudding is rice.
Rice contains eight essential amino acids.
Most of the vitamins and minerals are found in the bran shell, which remains only on brown rice grains.
Rice is the only staple grain that grows in water.
Rice goes well with both fish and meat dishes.
The name of the Japanese car "Honda" means "main rice field".
Parboiled rice grains retain most of the vitamins and minerals.
The name of the Japanese car "Toyota" means "fertile rice field".
Rice is one of the most valuable grain crops in the world, it is one of the main food products for the majority of the population of our planet. This annual plant, a family of cereals of the monocotyledonous class.
general information
This grass has a fibrous root system, with air cavities that provide air access to the flooded soil. Rice is a shrub consisting of knotty stems, the thickness of which is about 3-5 mm, and the height is from 38 cm, it can also be 3-5 m high (deep-water forms). The stems are mostly erect, but some are ascending and creeping. The leaf is lanceolate, the inflorescence is a panicle, the length of which is 10-30 cm. The panicle is compressed or spreading, drooping or erect, depending on the rice variety. On it is located a large number of single-flowered spikelets on short legs. Whole, ordinary grain of rice consists of a hard shell, under which there is a brownish grain. Under the skin is the endosperm, the most nutritious part of the grain, which we see in the form of white rice, called polished or polished. About 94% it contains starch, about 6-10% protein, but, unfortunately, it contains almost no B vitamins and minerals. Polished rice cooks faster and is easier for the body to digest. In hot, humid climates, the product will last longer.
Rice growing
There are 3 types of fields on which this cereal is grown: upland, checks and firth. In the fields of checks, rice cultivation technology consists in cultivation with constant flooding until the crop ripens, then the water is drained and the crop begins to be harvested. This crop is the most common, about 90% of the world's rice production is harvested this way. Dry fields are located in areas where there is a lot of rainfall, so they do not require artificial irrigation. On both fields, rice of the same varieties can be grown, but the yield on the check fields is higher. The firth rice field is mainly located in the floodplains and is cultivated during the flood period. In this case, rice of a special variety is used, with a fairly fast growing stem, the panicles of which float on the water. Compared to growing rice in other fields, this method gives a much smaller yield, but this way it is more traditional in those regions where cereal is the most important element of nutrition for the population, for example, in Asia.
types of rice
There are thousands of different varieties rice. For example, in Asia, each field produces its own variety of this crop. It is classified according to the length of the grain, type of processing, color, aroma. According to the degree of processing, the cereal is divided into white and steamed.
There are the following types of rice:
- Paddy: Paddy rice, fresh from the field, can be stored for several years.
- Rice husk - removing it from the grain is the first stage of processing, used as animal feed and as fertilizer.
- Bran shell: obtained from the grinding process of grains, it is used for breakfast cereals and animal feed.
- Polished white rice: the most common. There are round-grain, medium-grain and long-grain rice, photos of which can be seen in the article.
- Parboiled Rice: Paddy rice is pre-soaked in water and then treated with pressurized steam.
- Brown or unpolished. There is a medium grain and the price of which is not too different from the price of polished rice, but is considered much healthier than white rice.
- Broken rice: rice grains are broken during processing, large pieces are used for confectionery and breakfasts, small pieces are used for
- And also such types of rice as jasmine, basmati, Egyptian and wild are common.
History and distribution
Rice has been consumed and grown by humans for about 7,000 years. Photos testifying to this can be found in ancient manuscripts of China and India. Even then, in the rice fields, a system of canals was used to irrigate this crop. Where he appeared for the first time is not established, but some scientists agree that India is considered his homeland. According to other sources, it is known that rice fields in China appeared as early as the 5th millennium BC and by about 500 BC were already located in Southeast and South Asia, China and India. Spreading, this grass has adapted to different weather conditions, for example, in South Asia they needed a lot of water and heat all year round, and in Japan, Korea and central China, varieties that tolerate cold and need little water have been adopted. In Asia, rice is still harvested and planted by hand, and has been cultivated for centuries on mountain plateaus, hillsides and small plots of land. In the 13th century, rice fields appeared in Sicily, he ended up in North America along with the French, British and Japanese. Rice was brought to South America by the Portuguese and Spaniards. Rice cultivation in Russia began over 300 years ago.
Rice in Russia
V Russian Empire The first rice field appeared during the time of Ivan the Terrible. A decree was issued to the Astrakhan voivode to grow "Saracenic millet", which is what rice was then called. Fields were located in the lower reaches of the Volga, but, unfortunately, the result of the experiment remained unknown.
During the reign of Peter I, "Saracenic millet" again arose in Russia, it was sown in the delta, and the fate of the crop was again lost among urgent state needs. And only in 1786 rice reappeared on the territory of Russia - it was brought by the Kuban Cossacks. Rice fields are located in floodplains, and after a good harvest, rice fields arose in Russia.
Rice consumption in the world
There are 2 approaches to the consumption of this cereal: "Western" - typical for the countries of America and Europe, and "Eastern" - for Asian countries. In eastern countries, rice is a daily food, in Europe, rice gained its fame later, and initially it belonged to exotic plants and was prepared exclusively for the festive menu. Over time, rice also became one of the main food products, but, unlike in Asia, in Europe, rice began to be cooked with poultry, meat, seafood and spices.
Need for rice crop
Every year, about 350 million tons of rice is produced on Earth. More than half of the people on the planet use it 3 times a day. And in Japan, 78% of peasant farms are focused on growing rice, for example, although the cost of rice is much higher here. The rate of consumption of this cereal per person in Asia is 150 kg per year, and in Europe - 2 kg per year. About 12-13 million tons is the annual volume of world imports and exports, that is, approximately 4% of the total crop on Earth. South America and Asia are the main exporters of rice, while Europe is the importer.
sowing rice
To clean the seeds, special sorting-separators are used, then the seeds are checked for germination, with indicators of less than 90% of the grain are considered unsuitable. 5-8 days before sowing, the seeds are dried in the sun, soaked in warm water for 2-3 days, after swelling, dried to flowability and begin to sow in pre-warmed soil up to 10 cm deep. the best way sowing of rice is considered narrow-row with flanged disc seeders or ordinary row. The cross-diagonal method of sowing rice also brings good results. On flooded soils, broadcast seeding from an airplane is used, so about 150 hectares can be sown per day with one airplane. Rice can also be grown from seedlings. This method is used in Vietnam, China, Japan and other countries. Seedling culture in the CIS countries is found in Azerbaijan.
Irrigation and care of rice crops
There are 3 ways to irrigate rice crops:
- flooding is constant - water is on the field throughout the growing season;
- shortened flooding - at the beginning and at the end of the growing season there is no water layer;
- intermittent flooding - the water level is maintained for certain periods.
In the CIS countries, mainly shortened flooding is used. On soils that are not highly saline and relatively clean from weeds, watering is carried out after sowing and before germination. After germination, the rice field is flooded, and a not very large layer of water is left during tillering - about 5 cm. Then, gradually, the water layer is increased to 15 cm, and at this level the water is until the wax ripeness of the plants. Over time, the water supply is slightly reduced so that the land dries up by ripening, and it is possible to start harvesting. To kill algae, chemically control weeds or aerate the soil, dry the rice field. Photos of this procedure can be found in many recommendations for irrigation and rice care.
Rice cultivation technologies
The All-Union Research Institute of Rice developed a technology for cultivating rice, thanks to which it is possible to obtain from 4 to 6 tons of grain per 1 hectare. The technology is designed taking into account the specifics of soils, climate, varieties.
For the southern regions and the Krasnodar Territory, 8 options for rice production technology have been developed:
- The basic technology, which includes 66 operations, is accompanied by high rice yield, high fuel consumption and high labor intensity.
- A technology in which seeds are sown to a depth of 4 or 5 cm, and includes 49 operations. Here, preliminary soil preparation is used: autumn planning and early plowing.
- A technology that combines tillage operations: leveling the microrelief, the use of mineral fertilizers and herbicides, sowing, and rolling the surface.
- The technology that provides for it does not include such operations as plowing, disking, chiselling, operational planning, plowing.
- A technology specialized in fields filled with water, that is, where the rice field cannot be dried in spring and autumn, as well as in rainy times during the sowing and soil preparation period.
- Herbicide-free technology that allows agricultural practices to fight weeds, diseases and pests.
- Technology without the use of pesticides, for the cultivation of dietary rice.
- A technology where all energy-intensive and labor-intensive technological processes are performed by KFS-3.6 and KFG-3.6 units and a PR-2.4 rotary plow. A distinctive feature of the method is smooth plowing.
