These amazing photographs are more reminiscent of precious stained glass or mosaic, if you don’t know what it really is. Rice fields - amazing beauty the creation of human hands. Similar fields can be seen in the Philippines, Bali and, of course, China. Perhaps it is the cultivation of rice - an extremely labor-intensive and painstaking task - that is one of the main factors that shaped the character of the Chinese, about whose hard work and patience legends have been created.
Rice terraces in China are a whole work of art, and for a fee tourists are brought to admire the rice fields in person.
Since ancient times, all operations were performed manually. Rice is not a plant that lives naturally in water, but people in Asia (most likely in China, but some claim it was in Indonesia) have discovered that rice grown in a field flooded with water yields 20 times more than on 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 was cultivated in the area as early as 8,000 years ago.
Rice crops in China are small cell areas filled with water and separated by a network of narrow earthen rollers. The surface of such a site 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 ancient times until recently, this process, difficult to mechanize, has been carried out manually.
The process of growing rice in a flooded field begins with its cultivation. The peasant harnesses the oxen to the plow and plows the land. Even today, as China and other East Asian countries experience rising living standards and Westernization, there are still no machines in the fields. Most often you can find a peasant plowing the land with a wooden plow pulled by cattle. The process of flooding a field involves mixing soil with water and turning it into a homogeneous mud.
When the soil is mixed, rice grains are planted in special “greenhouses”. Direct planting on the field does not give good results, since grains have difficulty germinating in a flooded field. The soft seedlings are harvested when they reach a height of about 10 cm. Bunches of rice stalks are then made and taken to the flooded field for planting. They do not need to be placed in the ground by hand, but simply thrown into the water and they will take root on their own.
In a flooded field, water insulates the rice sprouts from heat and cold and creates a complete and balanced ecological system that provides itself with everything it needs. A flooded rice field does not require artificial fertilizers. It can maintain a constant level natural fertilizers for a long time, if you “help” it a little: burn the remains of the 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, the rice begins to bloom - when the shoots 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, the rice grains begin to form and become hard.
In the photo, the rice fields look lush and colorful: bright green sprouts are buried in the water, which reflects the blue and endless 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 occurs.
Rice fields appear colorful from above. Used as "paint" different varieties rice For example, ordinary grains yellow rice from a distance they look light green, and brown ones - 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.
Selection of early and late varieties allows in many areas of China to collect two harvests per year, and on the Leizhou Peninsula and Hainan Province - even 3 harvests. For this late-ripening varieties they 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 a peasant harvests ripened rice that shimmers in gold, by lunchtime the field plowed for new crops is black, and in the evening it is already green seedling).
Unhulled rice, also known as paddy, is brought from the paddy field. It is then dried and the grains are separated from the rice straw and weeds.One of the most interesting paintings in China even today are carpets of rice lying on the roads or near houses.
At the first stage of processing, the rice husk is removed, which protects the grains from damage. After this, brown rice goes on sale. It is made from whole grains of rice, leaving behind a nutritious bran shell that gives it its characteristic brownish hue and nutty flavor.
At the next stage of rice processing, during the grinding process, the bran shell is removed. Rice loses most of everyone nutrients. Rice that has gone through all stages of polishing is called white, since only white, smooth rice grains containing a significant amount of starch remain. By content of vitamins and minerals White rice inferior to brown or parboiled rice, but it is the main type of rice consumed throughout the world.
There is a technology for processing rice - steaming. Unhusked 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 are transferred to the rice grain.
Every kilogram of rice you buy in the supermarket is doused with an average of 4,000 liters of water. The Chinese have learned from great art regulate the flow of rivers to water their rice fields, sometimes using canals that direct the water directly into the fields. The water on them is in constant movement and does not stagnate. Water that sits for too long heats up and can harm the seedlings as they begin to grow. Additionally, standing water can attract mosquitoes and cause illness. Rice has wonderful property- it can be grown year after year on the same field without interruption, even for 2000 years (unlike other crops, during the cultivation of which the field must rest). The reason is that in deep water, in which 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 begins to turn yellow. Rice sold in stores can easily be stored for three years before opening the package.
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, improves health and expels disease from the body.” The Chinese use not only rice grains, but also straw. It goes to roofing, to making wide-brimmed sun hats. Rice straw is used to weave shoes, baskets and mats, make umbrellas and fans, durable thin paper, and rice husks are used to package porcelain products.
By the way, it's interesting...
According to preliminary results, Russian rice exports in 2012 reached historically maximum value - 334 thousand tons, which is twice the figure in 2011, reports the Institute of Agricultural Market Studies (IKAR).
Almost in equal quantities Rice groats and raw rice were supplied abroad. “Our rice is becoming increasingly popular in foreign markets due to its high quality and competitive price level,” notes ICAR. Libya purchased the largest volumes of Russian rice. Türkiye, 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 cereals have traditionally been imported mainly by the countries of the former USSR,” explains ICAR. At the same time, Egypt, which produces and exports rice, for the first time in last years purchased almost 17 thousand tons of rice cereal from Russia. (proof)
So, after all, not all agriculture is dead yet?
I just thought... from a stereotyped worldview, I know how rice is grown in China (or in those places), something like this:
What about in Russia? I haven’t seen such fields here! ABOUT! Which means there is a topic to rummage around on the Internet... useful...
Man has been growing rice and eating it for seven thousand years. This is evidenced by ancient manuscripts of India and China, ancient rice fields with a system of canals for irrigation, remains 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 back in the 5th millennium BC. By about 500 BC, rice fields had been established across large parts of India, China, and South and Southeast Asia.
When spread, rice easily adapted to harsher weather conditions: in South Asia, rice required a lot of water and warmth all year round, and in central China, Korea and Japan, varieties have taken root that easily tolerate night cold and require large quantity water.
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 short-grain and medium-grain. He gave good harvest 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 along with the British, French and Japanese. On the North American continent on the coast Pacific Ocean Mostly short-grain rice varieties brought by Japanese emigrants grow, while long-grain rice grows on the Atlantic coast and the southern United States. However, even before the arrival of the colonists, the Indians of North America collected and ate wild rice growing in the Great Lakes region. This perennial grass- a distant relative of rice - produced grains distinguished by their extraordinary color and taste, and also superior in nutritional properties regular rice
Rice was brought to South America by the Spaniards and 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 from China (the so-called rice cultivated without flooding with a layer of water). It was grown not with constant flooding, but with periodic releases of water into the checks. The soil almost never dried out. From the sowing, 158 poods and 36 pounds of grain were collected. The entire harvest was purchased by the loan office. We bought another 800 pounds of seeds from China. They were distributed free of charge to the population for sowing. In 1895, 30 thousand poods of grain were already collected.
But later, for some reason, they decided that keeping the fields in a “swampy state” was dangerous 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 sowing were made on the initiative of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. He gave instructions to the Astrakhan governor to grow “Saracen millet,” as rice was then called, in the lower reaches of the Volga. However, how this venture ended is unknown.
The attempt to sow rice, undertaken by Peter the Great, was successful. 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.
Rice terraces in China
There are three types of rice fields: check, dry and estuary. In the fields, rice is grown under constant flooding until the crop is almost ripe, and the water is drained before harvesting. Approximately 90% of the world's rice production is obtained in this way. Dry rice is grown without artificial irrigation in areas with big amount precipitation. The same varieties can be grown in checks and dry land, but in the first case the yield is usually higher. Estuary rice is grown in floodplains during floods. In this case, special varieties are used with a rapidly lengthening stem, and the panicles float on the surface of the water. Every year, this method of rice cultivation is possible only on small areas land, and it produces much less grain than check grain, but it is an extremely important source of food for the population of river valleys in Asia.
The main environmental factors limiting rice sowing are temperature and soil moisture. Rice - heat-loving plant, however too high temperatures lead to its excessive vegetative growth and mutual shading of shoots in crops. The abundance of sunny days, favoring photosynthesis, usually leads to higher yields.
Rice is a facultative hydrophyte, capable of transferring oxygen from leaves to submerged roots, so to reduce competition with weeds and increase yield, fields can be kept watered throughout the growing season.
In rice-growing areas with hilly terrain, rice is grown on slope terraces enclosed by ramparts that retain water in the plots. On the plains, irrigated rice fields are usually carefully leveled (graded) to ensure uniform irrigation and good drainage, and divided into land-lined areas (checks) that are flooded with water through a system of canals.
Rice is undemanding when it comes to soil, but for its cultivation, silty and clayey soils that retain water well are preferred. However, sandy soils, despite low natural fertility, with adequate processing they often produce the highest yields.
In the United States, rice is planted from March to June. There are different methods of sowing - 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 farming is not mechanized, rice seeds are first germinated in beds, and then the 30-50 day old seedlings are transplanted into nests of three or four 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. When the wax ripeness phase begins, the water is discarded 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? ,
And like this
This probably reminded many of “in the Leninsky district they threshed for the Motherland’s granaries... and thus fulfilled 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 also saw rice fields in Primorsky. There are dry-land rice varieties that do not need flooding. Yields are, by definition, lower than conventional ones, but the growing areas are much wider.
FUN FACTS
Man began to grow rice 7-8 thousand years ago.
About 500 million tons of rice are produced on Earth every year.
To grow one kilogram of rice, you need to spend 5000 liters of water.
In North America, rice fields are planted by airplane, while in some parts of Asia, each grain is still planted by hand.
The most commonly found brown rice is long grain rice; Brown short grain or medium grain rice is less popular.
Compared to other grains, rice contains more potassium and phosphorus.
Rice is a source of complex carbohydrates necessary for a balanced diet.
The average Asian eats rice at least twice a day.
The main ingredient of classic English pudding is rice.
Rice contains eight essential amino acids.
Most of the vitamins and minerals are found in the bran coating, which remains only on the grains of brown rice.
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".
sources
This plant is native to the countries of Southeast Asia. The widespread spread of rice culture was facilitated by high degree its adaptability: demanding of heat and moisture southern culture perfectly tolerated the temperate climate and temperature changes in Japan and China and less moisture when growing in India.
In the south of Europe, round-grain and medium-grain varieties that do not require large amounts of water have taken root. During the colonization of America, rice was brought there by immigrants and became widespread throughout the continent.
But even before the arrival of the first settlers, the indigenous peoples of North America used for food the seeds of a similar cereal crop that grew wild along the banks of rivers and lakes.
How does rice grow in Russia?
IN Tsarist Russia The first experience of cultivating rice dates back to the time of Ivan the Terrible; it was on his order that “Saracenic millet” was first planted in the Astrakhan lands.
Peter the Great achieved the greatest success in spreading this culture. Round grain rice began to be cultivated in the lower reaches of the Volga and became firmly established in the diet of our ancestors.
In the twentieth century, rice growing became one of the most promising and rapidly developing areas Agriculture, and the areas allocated for sowing in southern Russia were significantly increased.
Now rice is successfully cultivated in Stavropol, Primorye and Krasnodar region, as well as in the Astrakhan and Rostov regions.
The resulting harvest not only meets the needs of the domestic market, but is also partially exported abroad.
Rice grown in Russia is called the most northern, since this heat- and moisture-loving crop is simply not able to survive in areas further than the Rostov region. To adapt the plant to specific climatic conditions, back in Soviet time
Breeders developed their own medium-grain and long-grain varieties, which are successfully used to this day. This cereal is grown in Russia traditional way on flooded fields.
But there are also dry-land varieties that grow without flooding. Their yield is lower than that of conventional ones, but the areas of application are much wider.
Growing methods A hectare of rice requires twice as much watering as other grains. Plantations where rice is grown under conditions of constant flooding are called checks.
In this way, 90% of the world's total product volume is obtained. In addition to the wet method, there is also a dry growing method.
In nature, some species grow in mountainous areas on hillsides and manage to complete their growing season during the rainy season.
The practice of dryland cultivation shows that without additional irrigation the plant cannot fully develop, but the required volume of water is two times less than that needed by an ordinary representative of this species.
- Growing conditions Temperature. For normal development plants with a growing season lasting 150 days, average summer the temperature should be at least 22-30 °C. As a result, rice cultivation in temperate climate
- limited. Humidity. Originally a marsh plant, rice requires special conditions cultivation: For full development and growth, a mass of standing water is needed. Root system
- plants have cavities that provide access to oxygen in the flooded soil. The soil. Most suitable soil for sowing are clayey and loamy, slightly acidic soils fertile lands
. Sowing work lasts from March to April. To prevent depletion and waterlogging of the soil, another cereal crop is planted in its place every 2–3 years.
Growing technology
Rice plantations are small flooded areas or terraces on the slopes of hills, surrounded by low ramparts of earth. The growing process begins with preparing the soil. In Asian countries, much of the work in rice fields is still done by hand.
Seed material is prepared separately. Rice grains are germinated in special greenhouses, since when planted directly on a flooded field, the seedlings do not germinate well.
This gives additional opportunity improve the initial growth of the crop by removing weak shoots. When the sprouts reach 10-15 cm, they are planted in the ground in rows, at a distance of 20-30 cm from each other.
Traditionally it was believed that incoming water supplies the plant with everything it needs and destroys weeds. But despite this, throughout the entire period of growth and ripening, rice requires constant attention and care.
The water layer on the plantation is regulated depending on weather conditions. If the temperature drops sharply, part of the liquid is drained, allowing the earth to warm up. After the first leaves appear, the water layer increases. Ideally, the plant should be no more than half flooded.
The flowering period begins 2 months after planting in the ground. By this point, the plant has already reached 50-55 cm. The flowers are small, collected in an inflorescence panicle about 20 cm long, and have a subtle pleasant aroma.
Periodically, the water filling the checks is drained and refilled. In different areas, this procedure is carried out with different frequencies - usually it is done once every 3-4 days, sometimes less often. Before harvesting, the water layer from the plantation is completely removed.
How long does it take for rice to grow?
Different varieties have different ripening rates. Based on the duration of the growing season, rice is divided into 4 types:
- Ultra-early (100-115 days).
- Early ripening (116-130 days).
- Mid-season (131-155 days).
- Late ripening (more than 156 days).
How is sea rice grown?
Sea rice is a no less ancient crop, but has nothing to do with cereals, and received its name for its external resemblance. In fact, it is a fungus, as a result of whose vital activity they produce organic acids, enzymes and vitamins.
Even in ancient times, it was used to make a healing and tonic drink that tasted like kvass.
If you follow the rules, raising it at home will not be difficult. Material for breeding is sold in herbal pharmacies.
To grow you will need:
- Sterilized glass three-liter jar.
- Filtered unboiled water.
- Gauze and rubber band to cover the neck of the jar from dust and insects.
- Non-metallic sieve.
- Dried fruits and sugar.
- Seed material.
In order not to disturb the biochemical reactions and fermentation that this amazing organism creates, you must strictly follow the rules of hygiene and monitor the infusion time.
If you overexpose the drink, its taste will be hopelessly spoiled.
Stages of growing sea rice in a jar
- Rinse the mushroom.
- Prepare a nutrient solution in a jar by mixing 4 tbsp. l. sugar in 1 liter of liquid, so that no grains of sugar remain.
- Place the mushroom in a nutrient medium, adding dried fruits.
- Cover the neck of the jar tightly with gauze.
- Place in a shaded place, away from electrical appliances.
- In 1-2 days the drink will be ready. It is poured into glassware, dried fruits are removed. The mushroom must be carefully washed through a sieve. Then repeat the process.
Regular use of this drink restores metabolism and helps fight overweight, relieves problems with joints and blood vessels and has a mild tonic effect on the entire body.
Rice is a very ancient and most widespread crop on Earth. The homeland of rice is Asia, although now it is distributed almost everywhere to the globe. This is not surprising.
Its fruits, rich in amino acids, have excellent taste qualities and are easily perceived by the human body.
The use of cereals occurs in various areas of national production. You will learn about the process of growing rice in this article.
Features of rice
How does this plant grow? In order for the rice crop to grow fruitfully, it will require very moist soil.
This tropical annual plant prefers shade. An important condition for its growth there is a liquid regime in the phases of formation.
For example, when seedlings appear, the soil must be filled with liquid.
Further suitable criteria are such when the field will be covered with a layer of moisture. Temperature influences the grain swelling process.
At a temperature of +13 above zero, in order to germinate, a seed absorbs moisture within five to seven days, at +17, a couple of days will be enough, and at +27, only 15 hours will be enough.
The interval in which this crop will actively grow is quite large and varies from +12 to +41 inclusive. Best temperature is +18, and the duration is up to three days. The seed stops growing at +10, maximum +12 degrees.
The cultivation of this plant is carried out using special five- to nine-field crop rotations.
In order to obtain large yields, the agromeliorative conditions for growing this crop must be favorable.
To do this, rice fields are freed from flooding. On them plant dry crops, usually, forage grasses, or leave areas fallow.
This means that the crop rotation of rice as a crop includes fallow and grass fields.
After flowering of such predecessors as leguminous plants and herbs, rice can be sown within three years. If the field was planned to fallow, then two years. Grasses are included in the rice crop rotation for a reason: they destroy weeds in swampy places, soaked in the nutrients of the earth, show themselves to be the best quality feed.
The introduction of a steam link is of great importance, especially for performing repair tasks associated with land reclamation. Moreover, it is thanks to green manure fertility increases. Fallow rice plantings are sown with the following plants:
- rapeseed;
- Vikoy;
- peas;
- soy;
- buckwheat and other plantings, as well as mixtures.
Where does rice grow?
This plant is cultivated in areas with a tropical climate, but it is also found in the subtropics. Today, the cereal is widespread in India, China, Indonesia, and South America. In Asian countries around the world, the crop is cultivated by hand.
American breeders, for example, have developed a more advanced sowing method - from an airplane to the field. Cultivated rice grows in flooded, pre-cooked flat rice fields.
Suitable for plowing up undemanding varieties dry areas and plateaus. There is a wild form of rice, which does not look like the white rice we are used to. It is found in the United States and Canada in numerous lakes of not very large sizes.
Rice farming: where and how to grow rice
The main types of farming for growing this crop are considered to be the following:
Why does rice grow in water?
This cereal crop is a plant that is not afraid of flooding. The root system receives oxygen supplied by the leaves from the surrounding air.
Nutrition for plantings brings water, it also allows you to fight weeds, due to which the level of productivity increases. To create suitable conditions for convenient growth of this cereal crop, field lands using rollers they are divided into zones. Channels are created that are filled with water.
. Sowing work lasts from March to April. To prevent depletion and waterlogging of the soil, another cereal crop is planted in its place every 2–3 years.
Technological process Rice cultivation in checks is not dependent on weather conditions, since it is entirely under human control. This method is most used for growing cereals. Planting rice is done in this way.
To grow seedlings, grains are sown into pre-prepared cells. Their germination is carried out at an air temperature of +13/+16 degrees.
After this, the resulting ready-made seedlings are planted on the check.
After two or three days, the checks are filled to the water level above the soil plane within 13-15 cm. optimal growth planting needs warmth, for this reason the temperature should be at least +25 degrees.
When the time comes to exterminate the weeds, the water is released. After weeding, which is done manually, the checks are filled again. In order for this cereal to ripen and the soil to dry out, the water is first drained before harvesting the cereals. Approximately this must be done when the stem Green colour changes to lemon.
Chinese breeders have received 10 thousand varieties of this cereal. They differ in growing conditions, growing region, ripening period, as well as external characteristics: dimensions, color scheme and grain density.
Flooded rice fields may be suitable for cultivating some varieties, while dry soil may be suitable for others. Rice farming in China is done in fields flooded with water.
Planters move along them on foot or on boats, regardless of weather conditions. An original method is used for planting rice.
Seeds are sown in a specially designated greenhouse. Soil becomes dirt mixed with water. This is done in order to select the most resilient plants that will be able to grow successfully in the future.
When the sprouts reach 10 cm in height, they are thrown into the water; in the ground they will all establish themselves spontaneously. When they grow to 50 cm in height, it is time to bloom. The smell of flowers is similar to the smell of boiled rice, but it is softer and sweeter.
During this period of time, grains are formed. After harvesting, the rice is placed directly on the roads to dry, then it is sent to the warehouse. Humidity in the storage facility is continuously monitored.
If the grains are provided with impeccable conditions, then this cereal can be stored for 12 months, in packaged form - up to three years. Every year about 600 billion kg of rice, but still it is not enough to satisfy the demands of the entire population of this large country.
History of rice in our country
Just recently, the windows of almost all domestic stores had the opportunity to boast of a large amount of Kuban rice. shopping centers. Active cultivation of this crop in their native country began under N. Khrushchev, but at first these were not very large rice fields.
Even before, Peter the Great, and then revolutionary figures after the end of Soviet power, began attempts to grow this cereal crop in industrial scale. And only when in the sixties of the last century were land reclamation devices and industrial cultivation of cereals in the Krasnodar region became real.
Kuban rice
At present, farmers are able to grow 90 percent of all rice produced in our country only in the Krasnodar region. For this purpose, all conditions have been created in the territory under consideration.
The Krasnodar region is distinguished by a suitable natural environment and unique climatic conditions. The cultivation of this cereal in the Krasnodar region is carried out using such lands, which are called floodplain and floodplain. Their location area is the lower reaches of the Kuban River. Always in this place warm weather and there is always a supply of agricultural inputs.
Due to the fact that the specified area has a flat topography with slight slopes, it is possible to create rice fields with checks of a significant scale. In Kuban for rice cultivation use modern equipment. The technological process of cultivating culture can be symbolically divided into three periods.
In May, when the weather settles and is consistently warm, they begin to grow cereals. Ground in advance water thoroughly. When the sprouts grow to a maximum of 20 cm, they begin to flood the field. The tops of the crop should protrude from the water. On the eve of harvesting, the moisture is dried up. This is done 15, maximum 20 days before the start of work.
In the fields, the required liquid level is maintained thanks to a system of channels. To grow 1 kilogram of rice, about seven tons of water are consumed. Harvesting activities are carried out using specialized combines and only on clear, warm days. If the field is covered in fog or it rains, technical equipment is not brought into the field.
Rice, as one of the main raw material crops, is used by the following industries:
- Medical.
- Manufacture.
- Perfumery.
Rice made it possible manufacturing various products : cardboard, paper, bags, ropes, baskets and many others. etc. Rice straw is used as livestock feed, because there are undeniable benefits in it, since the rice husk is full of useful elements.
People most often prefer to eat eat white rice. However, red is considered the best in Japan. He acquires pink tint due to the influence of beneficial microsubstances. The dishes prepared from it were eaten by kings and emperors.
“Rice is the head of everything” is a simple Asian wisdom. But that’s the way it is; in different situations, rice can replace bread, meat and even vegetables. But let's turn to the culture of rice cultivation.
The oldest traces of rice cultivation, dating back to the mid-5th millennium BC. e., identified 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. in the territory modern China The main rice-growing area 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 contacts between the Chinese and their southern neighbors, rice found its way into neighboring areas of China. Gradually, rice became the dominant crop in the Central Asian region.
Typically, in countries with tropical climates, two rice harvests are harvested per year, but in some places there are three. But still, the fields are allowed to “rest” a little between sowings.
In Thailand, now is the time to sow the “first” rice. This is an amazing time: the end of winter, it’s still cool, the fields were harvested all January. And then one fine morning, I got on my bike, drove out onto a narrow path and found myself among rectangular lakes - the fields were filled with water. The water surface shimmers and shimmers in the morning rays of the sun, becoming even fresher.
Over the next few weeks, gently green shoots will begin to emerge and everything around will be covered with a light green veil. The same feeling happens when spring comes in Russia and the buds bloom on the trees and the first leaves appear.
Bright colors And blooming trees and flowers add to the impression. Passing annual. By the way, sakura grows in the mountains in northern Thailand; in February, many tourists come to admire its blossoms.
photo author Elizaveta Voinova
But perhaps the most magical rice place for me personally remains Ubud, Bali. The abundant rainfall and hot climate are ideal for growing rice.
The mountain town is literally surrounded by greenery of rice fields and water canals.
Rent a Zen house among the rice terraces, take a bike ride along the narrow winding paths among the fields, come across a traffic jam from a flock of geese and wait a good 15 minutes for them to pass, or maybe have dinner in a restaurant overlooking the endless expanses of rice crowned by the peak of Mount Agung ? Yes, of course! At the same time, to complete the picture, add unusually colorful sunsets and sunrises, the aromas of frangipani blooming all year round and the endless sounds of temple ceremonies accompanied by the cannonades of frog choirs. This is the charming Ubud.
But let's get back to practical nuances growing rice. In mountainous areas, rice is grown on terraces that are created on the slopes of mountains and fenced with ramparts to retain water. Currently, due to the creation of terraces, there is severe soil erosion, destruction of slopes, leading to landslides and a general change in the terrain. In lowland areas, flooded rice fields are usually leveled to ensure uniform irrigation and good drainage, divided into sections by banks, and then flooded with water through a system of canals.
Rice fields are typically kept submerged 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 content, and only then is the crop harvested.
In Bali, when the rice is ripe and waiting to be harvested, fishing lines with ribbons of plastic are stretched over the fields, which rustles in the wind and drives birds away from the crop.
The Balinese also like to tie kites that float in the air high above the rice field, but this is more for beauty than practical application.
When the time comes for harvesting, combines go out into the fields. Here, from the memory of a Soviet person, frames from the cartoon “Well, wait a minute!” emerge from the memory of a wolf, when a wolf is rolled into a metal mesh cube, all this is accompanied by a simple melody from the same place) I even conducted a survey among my compatriots, this associative mechanism works for absolutely everyone.