Rice is an important hot climate plant. It is among the grains used as basic nu-trients in the world and in our country. In terms of production in our country, wheat ranks 4th after barley and corn.

Soil Preparation: There is no soil selectivity in rice. However, it prefers soils with low water permeability and rich in organic matter. The optimum pH for rice cultivation is between 5.5-7.5. It can also adapt to soils with pH levels ranging from 3-8. It is one of the most ideal plants for the improvement of salty soils. Soluble salt concentration in the soil should be below 600 ppm. The most important issue in soil preparation for rice is to level the field well. In a well-leveled field, pans can be made larger, water control becomes easier, water is saved, best results can be obtained from pesticide and fertilization applications, and mechanization becomes easier. As a result, high and quality efficiency is obtained. The paddy field begins to be prepared in autumn by deep plowing with a sock plow. The field that spends the winter in this way is doubled deeply in the spring. Later, after the construction of the fields surrounded by berms and tractors, light soil cultivation is carried out with a disc harrow or crowbar. 

Seed: The seed to be planted must be clean, certified seed free from seed-borne diseases, pests (blight, fusarium, white tip nematode), weeds and red rice seeds. By using only high-quality seeds, the yield can be increased by 20-25%. The amount of seeds to be planted varies depending on the characteristics of the variety, planting time and soil fertility. Small-grain varieties can be planted at 15 kg/da, medium-grain varieties at 17-18 kg/da, and large-grain varieties at 20 kg/da. The amount of seeds to be sown per m2 is 500-600.

Planting time: Rice is a summer planted plant. Although it varies depending on the region, planting is done in May. In our southern regions, planting for the second crop can be done until June 15. For very good germination, soil and water temperature must be above 18 0C. The critical temperature is 12-15 0C. Early planting should not be done considering the warming of the weather. Otherwise, it may cause plants to be damaged by cold.

Planting Method: Three planting methods are applied in the world for rice.  These are: Spread sowing, Seeder sowing and Seedling planting methods. The method applied in Turkey is the spread sowing method. In this method, the seeds are kept in water for 1 day (24 hours), then they are removed from the water and allowed to germinate by soaking at regular intervals for 48 hours. Seeds whose grass roots have started to appear (snap) are thrown into pans filled with water at a depth of 10-15 cm, either manually or with seed spreading machines. In broadcast sowing, 16-18 kg of seeds are used per decare.

Crop Rotation: If rice is planted repeatedly in the same field, productivity decreases and it becomes difficult to fight against weeds and diseases. After rice has been planted for 2-3 years in a row, one of the forage crops should be planted in the field. Legume forage crops should be preferred because they increase nitrogen compounds in the soil.

Fertilization: First of all, fertilizer should be used after taking soil samples from the pans where rice will be planted and having them analyzed. The recommended nitrogen fertilizer for paddy is Ammonium Sulphate fertilizer. 80 kg should be used per decare. Half of the Ammonium Sulphate fertilizer can be applied with planting and the other half can be applied 55-60 days after planting; Some of it should be used at planting, some at the beginning of tillering and the rest 50-60 days after planting. Zinc deficiency is seen in sodic soils with high pH and in areas where excess soil has been removed during soil leveling. Before planting, 20 kg of Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) fertilizer should be applied per decare as phosphorus fertilizer. 

If there is zinc deficiency, 1-2 kg/da of Zinc sulfate or Zinc oxide should be used before planting. In case of zinc deficiency occurring after planting, fertilization can be done by overhead spraying up to 5-7 days before the beginning of the zinc sulphate cluster formation period.

Irrigation: 5-6 days after planting, the water in the field is drained, and the seedlings are allowed to adhere to the soil by waiting for 5-6 days. Then, watering is done at a depth of 2-3 cm initially, increasing the depth as the plant grows. When the water depth reaches 10-15 cm, it is not raised further and is kept at this depth until the end of the growing period. Continuous availability of water in the field prevents the growth of many weeds and creates a good environment for the development of rice. Watering is stopped 30-40 days after flowering. Paddy rice needs excess water 10-12 days before tillering, during flowering and during fertilization. These periods are called "critical periods" in paddy cultivation.

Harvest and Threshing: Paddy is harvested when 80% of the clusters acquire straw color and the grains at the bottom reach the hard wax period. In this period, the moisture content of the grains is between 22-24%. They are immature in early harvest. Efficiency and efficiency decrease due to chalky, green grains. In late harvest, the rate of broken grains increases due to damage from animals such as birds and rodents. Drying problem arises.

Drying: For safe storage of the paddy crop, the humidity rate must be reduced below 14%.  While drying under the sun; The paddy crop is laid on hard concrete or similar ground. The thickness of the exhibition should not exceed 4-5 cm. It should be mixed frequently with a shovel or rake.

Storage: During storage, rice moisture should be below 14%. If it is high, microorganism activity and insect damage increases. The relative humidity of the warehouse should be below 60% and the temperature should be kept as low as possible. If the sacks are stored in piles on a platform made of wood, air circulation is provided between the sacks and the ground. If the rice to be used as seeds will be stored for more than 2 years, the grain moisture must be below 13% and the ambient temperature must be around 100C.