Site selection
Rice requires more water than most other crops. It is recommended to plant rice in lower parts of the wetlands field to reduce the risk of being scorched during drought.
Seed selection
It is difficult to determine seed viability with the naked eye. It is advisable to carry out seed selection using the flotation method. A farmer can identify good seeds by putting the grains in a basin of water.
The grain that floats is not viable. Separate the sunken seeds (filled grain) of higher germination and better growth from those floating seeds (empty grain) that are of poor viability.
Line planting is recommended to ensure optimum seeding depth, plant population and easier weed control. The seeds should be dry before being planted.
Weeding
Weeds hinder rice’s access to sunshine, soil nutrients and water. They also attract insects, rodents and diseases. Rice fields must be done at least two times at three and six weeks after germination, either by hand or hoe.
Harvesting
The stems of the rice are cut close to the ground using serrated sickles. This method of harvesting is faster than harvesting panicles using a knife. Harvesting should be done when 80-85% of the grains are yellow-coloured.
Threshing
Threshing can be done by beating to logs with sticks or using a thresher. Threshing by beating increases the chances of broken grains at milling.
It is thus advisable to use a thresher. Threshing can be done by beating, but it is better to use manual peddle threshers and wooden ones. Drying should be done on tarpaulin to keep the rice clean.
Drying
Open air drying under the hot sun heat is widely practised in the tropics. Rice should be dried on a tarpaulin or a clean drying floor free of stones to keep it clean.
Rice should be dried slowly with 4-5cm thickness and needs to be turned over every 30 to 60 minutes to allow equal exposure to the sunlight. The rice can take a month to dry properly. If the rice dries too quickly, there are chances of more broken grain at milling.
Seed maintenance
Rice is a self-pollinated crop and harvested seed can be used for the next season and the yield will not decrease as long as the seed is maintained.
It is recommended that a farmer separates seed multiplication plot from other areas and removes off-types (variety you do not want) from the plot.
A100m2 seed multiplication plot is enough to get seed for one acre for the next season.
