WETLAND RICE CULTIVATION
IMPROVED VARIETIES
Sitara, Cagivou, Boldgrain, Star and Nuinui are the recommended varieties
They are:
• Short statured- Do not lodge (fall over)
• Early maturing (110-130 days)
• Respond to fertilizers (high yield) • Not sensitive to day length.
• Long slender grains.
• Good grain quality (better prices).
• Hard fluffy rice on cooking.
• High yielding.
YIELD
• 4 to 6 tonnes/ha
FOR HIGH YIELDS
• Use improved varieties
• Use good cleaned seeds
• Prepare field well
• Follow good cultivation practices
• Control weeds and pests and diseases
GOOD FIELD PREPARATION
Good tilth up to 15-20 cm deep for:
• Better water & weed control
• Better rotting of weeds and trash
• Easier puddling and leveling.
• Even plant growth.
Rain fed:
• First ploughing in October/ November
• Followed by 1 or 2 harrowing, another plough & harrowing Puddle & levelled.
Irrigated:
Proper rotovation for incorporation of weeds and trashes.
Puddle and leveled.
Note:
• Band the fields to retain water
• Level well for better water control
• For rain fed - transplanting is better
• For irrigation - transplanting or broadcasting.
SEED RATE
• For transplanting – 7.5 -10.5kg/ac or 18 -26kg/ha
• For broadcasting – 26 – 30kg/ac or 65 - 75kg/ha
• For Mechanical Transplanter – 13kg/ac or 32kg/ha
GOOD & CLEAN SEED
Use seeds that are:
• Pure with low moisture content
• Uniform-large seeds
• Good germination
• Free from weed seeds
• Free from seed-borne diseases and pests.
SPACING
Transplanting - 25cm between rows and 25cm within rows with 3-4 seedlings per hill at 3-4 weeks after germination.
NURSERY AND SEEDING
A. For transplanting seed bed.
• Prepare fine seedbed near water source and near to the planting site.
• Seed bed area 1/20th (500m²) equivalent to the area to main paddy field to be planted.
• Prepare 1-1.5 metre wide raised nursery beds of any convenient length with provision of drains of 50cm width between beds for good management.
• Sow the sprouted seeds on the nursery beds using a seed rate of 26kg/ha.
• Apply adequate fertilizer with basal P and K and top dressed with N if soils are poor.
• Protect the seedlings from insect pests.
• Uproot and transplant seedlings in 3-4 weeks (18-21 days)
Sprouted seed method
• Immerse rice bag in water for 24 hours.
• Remove bag from water and cover with rice straw for 38-48hrs.
• Turn bag once or twice and keep it wet during the period.
• Remove sprouted seed from bag and sow in prepared seed bed.
For Broadcasting
• Prepare the land well with 1520cm deep in dry conditions.
• Allow water in the field and pud-dle the field twice followed by perfect leveling
• Sow sprouted seeds at a rate of 70 - 80kg/ha.
GOOD CULTIVATION PRACTICES
• Maintain water level for weed control (3cm-5cm)
• Hand weed when necessary
• Apply fertilizer at correct time-and correct dozes.
• Look out for pests and diseases where necessary use chemicals for weeds, pests and diseases.
FERTILIZERS FOR TRANSPLANTED
RICE (1 ha)
For seed bed
- 2.5kg super phosphate as basal at land preparation and 1.0kg Urea after one week of germination.
For the Field:
- At final puddling/ planting; 80 kg/ac or 200kg/ha (SSP) Super phosphate and 34kg/ac or 84kg (70%) Muriate of potash.
- Urea (N) - 3 weeks or 25 days after transplanting; 49kg/ac or 122kg/ha (70%)
- At panicle initiation stage (50 to 65 days from seeding) - 21kg/ac or 52kg urea (30%) and 14.5kg/ac or 36kg Muriate of Potash (30%).
Fertilizers For Broadcast Rice (1 ha)
• At final puddling apply 80kg/ac or 200kg of superphosphate and 34kg/ac or 84kg of potash.
• On 3 to 4 week old crop, top dress with 49kg/ac or 122kg of urea.
• At panicle initiation stage (50 to 65 days from seeding) apply 21kg/ac or 52kg of urea and 14.5kg/ac or 36kg of Muriate of Potash.
WEED CONTROL
Control weeds with:
• Proper land preparation
• Proper water control
• Hand weeding
• Use of Weedicides
CHEMICAL CONTROL
• Broad leaf weeds and sedges - Apply MCPA 1.5L/ac or 3L/ha or 85 110ml/16L of water. Spray 3-4 weeks after transplanting and before booting for transplanted and 6 weeks after germination and be-fore booting stage for drilled or broadcasted rice.
• Narrow leaf weed/Grass weedsspray Propal at a rate of 300 -350ml/16L of water when using knapsack, 30 knapsack per hectare or 4L/ac or 10-11.5L/ha.
PEST CONTROL Plant Hoppers:
Most destructive – sucks plant juice, causes wilting, and death. Spray Bifenthrin 30ml/ 16L of water using knapsack, or 40ml/16L of water using Mistblower, spray Diazinon at 48ml/16L of water or apply Malathion at 30ml/16L of water.
Rice Armyworm:
Cuts leaves and panicles, spray Carbacide 29g/16L of water in a Mist blower or spray Bifenthrin at 30ml/16L of water using knapsack sprayer and 40ml/10L of water when using a Mistblower.
Rice Leaf Roller:
Attacks leaves, spray leaves with Carbacide at 29g/16L of water using knapsack sprayer, and use 39g/10L of water in a Mist blower and apply Bifenthrin at 30ml/16L of water. Spray when required Leaf roller damage
DISEASE CONTROL
No serious rice disease in Fiji.
SOME POINTS TO REMEMBER
• With improved varieties 2 crops a year can be harvested.
• Traditional varieties are not suitable for double cropping.
• Fine grain varieties fetch better prices in the market.
• For maximum yields from improved varieties, maintain high levels of management.
HARVESTING
• Harvest when it is about 80% mature.
• Thresh immediately after harvest to maintain grain quality.
• Dry immediately after threshing to 11 – 13.5% moisture content for seed purpose and 14% moisture levels for milling.
STORAGE
• Fill in clean bags.
• Keep in well aerated cool and dry place.
• Stack bags on planks away from walls.
• Chemicals can be used to control grain moth and rice weevil. Drying may also help often.
GROSS MARGIN
• Transplanted - $1,012.00 - $1,214.40 per acre or $2,500.00 -$3,000 per hectare.
• Broadcasted - $769.12 - $931.04 per acre or $1,900.00 - $2,300 per hectare.