Rice — Package of Practices
The main kharif cereal for flooded fields — transplant young seedlings, hold a shallow water layer through tillering and flowering, and keep nitrogen balanced.
Overview
Rice is the main kharif cereal across much of India, grown for grain in puddled, flooded fields. It needs warmth, sunshine and an assured supply of water.
Most crops are transplanted from a nursery, though direct seeding is used where water and weed control allow. Steady water at tillering and flowering, balanced nitrogen and a timely pest watch decide the yield.
Climate & season
Rice likes warm, humid weather (about 20–37 °C) with bright sun at grain filling.
- Main season is kharif; irrigated areas also grow summer rice.
- Needs assured water through the main growth period.
- Sunny ripening improves grain filling.
Soil & land preparation
Best on heavy clay to clay-loam soils that hold water, at pH about 5.5–6.5 (tolerates a wider range).
- Puddle to a soft, level bed that checks water loss and weeds.
- Incorporate 10–12 t/ha farmyard manure or green manure.
- Good levelling gives even water depth and a uniform crop.
Choosing a type & seed
Choose by duration (short, medium or long), grain type and tolerance to local stresses such as flooding or salinity; hybrids give higher yields. No specific cultivar is named here.
Seed rate
- Transplanting: 40–50 kg/ha (nursery for one hectare).
- Direct-seeded: 60–100 kg/ha.
- Hybrids: 15–20 kg/ha.
Seed treatment
- Treat with a recommended fungicide (and bio-agent where used).
- Use healthy, filled seed; a salt-water float removes light, chaffy seed.
Sowing, nursery & spacing
- Raise a nursery on a well-prepared, fertile seedbed.
- Transplant 20–30 day seedlings, 2–3 per hill.
- Space about 20 × 15 cm (closer on poor soils).
- Keep a thin film of water at transplanting for quick establishment.
- Where direct-seeding, sow into moist, level, weed-free fields.
Nutrient management
Rice is a heavy nitrogen feeder; split the nitrogen to match demand. Phosphorus and potash support roots and grain filling.
| Input | Dose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Farmyard manure | 10–12 t/ha | Basal, well-rotted |
| Nitrogen (N) split | 100–120 kg/ha | Basal · active tillering · panicle initiation |
| Phosphorus (P₂O₅) | 50–60 kg/ha | Full basal |
| Potash (K₂O) | 40–50 kg/ha | Basal; split on light soils |
Water management
Keep a shallow layer of 2–5 cm standing water through the main growth stages.
- Most critical at tillering, panicle initiation and flowering.
- Where water is scarce, alternate wetting and drying saves water with little yield loss.
- Drain the field one to two weeks before harvest.
Weed management
- Weeds hit hardest in the first 30–45 days, especially in direct-seeded crops.
- Use a recommended pre- or early post-emergence herbicide with one or two hand weedings.
- Good puddling, levelling and water cover suppress many weeds.
Plant protection
| Problem | Type | Watch for | Manage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stem borer | Pest | Dead hearts early; white earheads later | Destroy egg masses, light traps, recommended insecticide at threshold |
| Brown planthopper | Pest | Hopper burn — drying patches at plant base | Avoid excess nitrogen, alternate wetting/drying, recommended insecticide |
| Leaf folder | Pest | Folded, scraped leaves | Conserve natural enemies; spray only at threshold |
| Blast | Disease | Spindle spots on leaves; neck rot | Balanced nitrogen, resistant types, recommended fungicide |
| Bacterial leaf blight | Disease | Yellow, drying leaf margins | Clean seed, avoid excess N, good drainage |
| Sheath blight | Disease | Oval lesions on sheaths in dense crops | Wider spacing, balanced N, fungicide if severe |
- Use healthy seed, balanced nitrogen and proper spacing.
- Conserve natural enemies and scout weekly.
- Avoid excess nitrogen, which invites planthoppers and disease.
- Spray only at the economic threshold, following the label.
Use crop-protection inputs responsibly
Read the label, use the recommended dose, wear protective gear while spraying, and strictly observe the pre-harvest (waiting) interval before picking — on crops harvested repeatedly this matters at every picking. Prefer cultural and biological methods first and spray only when monitoring shows it is needed.
Harvesting & yield
Harvest when about 80% of the grains are firm and straw-coloured, generally 110–140 days.
- Thresh, clean and dry grain to about 14% moisture (lower for storage).
- Yields of about 4–6 t/ha are common, higher with hybrids and good management.
Related crops
Rice — Package of Practices
The main kharif cereal for flooded fields — transplant young seedlings, hold a shallow water layer through tillering and flowering, and keep nitrogen balanced.
Overview
Rice is the main kharif cereal across much of India, grown for grain in puddled, flooded fields. It needs warmth, sunshine and an assured supply of water.
Most crops are transplanted from a nursery, though direct seeding is used where water and weed control allow. Steady water at tillering and flowering, balanced nitrogen and a timely pest watch decide the yield.
Climate & season
Rice likes warm, humid weather (about 20–37 °C) with bright sun at grain filling.
- Main season is kharif; irrigated areas also grow summer rice.
- Needs assured water through the main growth period.
- Sunny ripening improves grain filling.
Soil & land preparation
Best on heavy clay to clay-loam soils that hold water, at pH about 5.5–6.5 (tolerates a wider range).
- Puddle to a soft, level bed that checks water loss and weeds.
- Incorporate 10–12 t/ha farmyard manure or green manure.
- Good levelling gives even water depth and a uniform crop.
Choosing a type & seed
Choose by duration (short, medium or long), grain type and tolerance to local stresses such as flooding or salinity; hybrids give higher yields. No specific cultivar is named here.
Seed rate
- Transplanting: 40–50 kg/ha (nursery for one hectare).
- Direct-seeded: 60–100 kg/ha.
- Hybrids: 15–20 kg/ha.
Seed treatment
- Treat with a recommended fungicide (and bio-agent where used).
- Use healthy, filled seed; a salt-water float removes light, chaffy seed.
Sowing, nursery & spacing
- Raise a nursery on a well-prepared, fertile seedbed.
- Transplant 20–30 day seedlings, 2–3 per hill.
- Space about 20 × 15 cm (closer on poor soils).
- Keep a thin film of water at transplanting for quick establishment.
- Where direct-seeding, sow into moist, level, weed-free fields.
Nutrient management
Rice is a heavy nitrogen feeder; split the nitrogen to match demand. Phosphorus and potash support roots and grain filling.
| Input | Dose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Farmyard manure | 10–12 t/ha | Basal, well-rotted |
| Nitrogen (N) split | 100–120 kg/ha | Basal · active tillering · panicle initiation |
| Phosphorus (P₂O₅) | 50–60 kg/ha | Full basal |
| Potash (K₂O) | 40–50 kg/ha | Basal; split on light soils |
Water management
Keep a shallow layer of 2–5 cm standing water through the main growth stages.
- Most critical at tillering, panicle initiation and flowering.
- Where water is scarce, alternate wetting and drying saves water with little yield loss.
- Drain the field one to two weeks before harvest.
Weed management
- Weeds hit hardest in the first 30–45 days, especially in direct-seeded crops.
- Use a recommended pre- or early post-emergence herbicide with one or two hand weedings.
- Good puddling, levelling and water cover suppress many weeds.
Plant protection
| Problem | Type | Watch for | Manage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stem borer | Pest | Dead hearts early; white earheads later | Destroy egg masses, light traps, recommended insecticide at threshold |
| Brown planthopper | Pest | Hopper burn — drying patches at plant base | Avoid excess nitrogen, alternate wetting/drying, recommended insecticide |
| Leaf folder | Pest | Folded, scraped leaves | Conserve natural enemies; spray only at threshold |
| Blast | Disease | Spindle spots on leaves; neck rot | Balanced nitrogen, resistant types, recommended fungicide |
| Bacterial leaf blight | Disease | Yellow, drying leaf margins | Clean seed, avoid excess N, good drainage |
| Sheath blight | Disease | Oval lesions on sheaths in dense crops | Wider spacing, balanced N, fungicide if severe |
- Use healthy seed, balanced nitrogen and proper spacing.
- Conserve natural enemies and scout weekly.
- Avoid excess nitrogen, which invites planthoppers and disease.
- Spray only at the economic threshold, following the label.
Use crop-protection inputs responsibly
Read the label, use the recommended dose, wear protective gear while spraying, and strictly observe the pre-harvest (waiting) interval before picking — on crops harvested repeatedly this matters at every picking. Prefer cultural and biological methods first and spray only when monitoring shows it is needed.
Harvesting & yield
Harvest when about 80% of the grains are firm and straw-coloured, generally 110–140 days.
- Thresh, clean and dry grain to about 14% moisture (lower for storage).
- Yields of about 4–6 t/ha are common, higher with hybrids and good management.