「How does rice grow?」

Introducing each process of Japanese rice production
We will introduce the production of "paddy rice", which is commonly practiced in Japan.

＊Rice field preparation January to mid-May＊

・Raising the rice field

Rice cultivation is the work of tilling and leveling the soil in a rice field, creating waterways, and preparing it for planting seedlings. This refers to the work of cultivating rice fields by adding organic matter such as rice straw and fertilizer. This is done with a tractor.

・Edge coating

Applying mud to the edges of rice fields hardens the soil and prevents water from running off. Applying mud to the rice fields also suppresses the growth of weeds and makes the rice fields easier to manage.

・Basic fertilizer

Fertilizers containing key nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are used. These nutrients are necessary for crop growth and promote crop growth by supplementing nutrients that are lacking in the soil.

・Irrigation

Irrigation is the process of adding water to rice fields in preparation for the work called plowing. Water from agricultural canals is used.

 

・Puddle

It is done with the water withdrawn. It is mainly used to remove weeds that have grown on the ridges and banks of rice fields.
Specifically, puddling involves scraping away weeds that have grown on the edges and banks of rice fields using agricultural tools such as a hoe or plow. This prevents weeds from taking root and promotes rice field management and crop growth. This is usually done before planting rice or when the rice seedlings are small. In addition to removing weeds, it also improves soil aeration, increases water flow, and increases oxygen in the soil. This is expected to allow the crop roots to grow healthier and improve yield and quality.

 

＊Seed Rice Preparation (Tanemomi) March to April＊

・Obtaining seed rice

Seed rice is very important in rice cultivation, and using high quality seed rice will affect yield and quality. Seed rice is selected taking into account the rice variety, local climatic conditions, soil characteristics, etc.

・Seed Rice Processing

Sorting (Sorting Machine): First, the harvested seed rice is sorted. A sorter is used to remove defective seeds and foreign matter. Only high quality seed rice remains. The selected rice seeds are dried in a dryer or in a well-ventilated place. Sufficient moisture is removed and the moisture content is adjusted to the appropriate amount to preserve the seed rice. If the seed rice is infected with diseases or pests, treat it with appropriate pesticides and insecticides. This prevents the occurrence of diseases and pests and ensures healthy seed rice. After processing, the seed rice is packed in appropriate containers or bags and stored in a dry place. Proper storage conditions are maintained to protect the seed rice from moisture and pests and to preserve its quality.

・Seeding

Soak the selected rice seeds in water. The water should completely cover the seeds. Usually, the soaking time is from several hours to half a day, but this varies depending on the variety of rice seed and conditions. After a period of time, drain the soaked water. This will allow the seed rice to absorb the appropriate amount of moisture and promote germination. After draining, keep the seed rice in a moist environment. It is usually stored in a bag or container to retain moisture. This will maintain the humidity necessary for the seeds to germinate. After a period of time, check to see if the seed rice has germinated. Germinated seed rice is used for rice planting.

 

＊Seedling Production April to June＊

・Preparing seedlings

Before you start producing seedlings, prepare the "seedling allowance" for raising seedlings. Rice paddies and fields are used for seedlings, and sometimes plastic greenhouses are used.

・Sowing seeds

Sow the seeds evenly in the seedling box filled with soil. After the seeds are sown, the seedling boxes are lined up in the nursery to grow the seedlings.

・Seedling Management

After sowing, avoid exposing seeds to sunlight to promote germination. It is also important to properly manage temperature, water, nutrition and transplanting.

＊Rice planting/management May to August＊

・Planting rice

Currently, the most common method is to use a rice transplanter. Seedlings are placed in a rice transplanter and driven through the rice field, allowing them to be planted at even intervals.

 

＊Harvest to table October＊

・Falling Water

About 10 days before the rice harvest, ``falling water'' is performed to drain the water from the rice fields.

・Harvest

The time for harvesting is about 40 days after the ear appears, and when the rice ears turn golden and droop, it is the signal for harvesting.
Combine harvesters can not only harvest rice, but also thresh, separate paddy from ears, sort paddy and process straw at the same time.

・Drying

Once the grain is harvested, it is transported to a drying facility to gradually reduce its moisture content to the optimum level for storage before it is sent for milling.

・Setting / Milling

Once the drying process is complete, the rice is "hulled" using a hulling machine. This is a process that removes the husk from the rice and turns it into brown rice. From there, we use a sorting machine to separate the rice that can be shipped from the waste rice.

After the rice is polished to remove the bran layer from the brown rice, it is finally ready to be served as white rice.