Rice cultivation technique
The sinks of the rice fields should be ordered with their large side facing the usual blowing winds in order to avoid the formation of big waves on the ground. The last could draw away the young plants towards the ground banks causing this way an uneven distribution of the plants in the field. In advance, in the case of cultivating new rice fields it is possible to result in ground bank ruin from the large waves.
The sinks’ ground banks should be strong because their possible ruin, during the period of cultivation grow, could create serious water hold problem. The restoration of the damaged banks after the seeding period implies the deposit of high expenses because work takes place in clay ground. In advance, disasters are caused in a large part of the field, from the draw away of ground from the destroyed banks and from the needed ground for the restoration of the damaged banks.
Cultivation activities:
-
Tilling right after the rice harvest,
-
Tilling before seeding in spring,
-
-
Apply basic fertilizers, and
-
The most important activity for the rice cultivation is leveling. Rise cultivation is especially easy and the large output is certain as long as the fields are well leveled. The difference between the highest and the lowest point of the sink should vary between 2 – 5 cm/100m. The last 15 years sink leveling takes place using a machine directed by laser. This has as a result the very good leveling of the fields designated to be rice fields.
Regarding the seeding period, it depends in the ground’s and environment’s temperature. When the water temperature is above 12 Celsius degrees, the seeding can take place without damage dangers. Good environmental conditions for the rice’s seeding take place in Northern Greece for:
The rice producer in general has to consider that the seasonable seeding effects to a larger bearing. The needs of the rice plants in water vary during the various stages of their grow. Critical faces need regular water supply are germinate and the period that includes the phases:
Water quantity 1100-1400 m3 /1000 sq. m. for a cultivation period, is considered to be enough for a rice cultivation area with satisfactory performance. The water height in the stage of growing should not exceed 10 cm. When water does not have the same height this results in the exposure of some parts of the field and may cause imp development and make the grown seeds vulnerable to rodent and fowl.
The highest water high (above 15 cm) during the seedbed grow results in the development of thin shanks and cachectic plants and the slow root development. The height should be adjusted in order to avoid diseases and boost the plant growth. The most imps will stop growing or will grow really slow if they are fully covered in water. After the reconciliation the step-by-step increase of the water height till 15 cm must take place in order to ensure the development of fears and the formation of vital pollen in the case of low temperature environment.
Remove of water from the rice field, except off course from the final (10-15 days before the harvest should be avoided). The water height maintenance can be accomplished with the immediate restoration of all leakages in the irrigation system. 35 lit/min every 1000 square meters is the ideal supply for the flood of a field. This water supply will flood 100000 square meters rice field in almost a day time. In a typically clay ground, draining the water should take place when the plants are fully in the ear and all the panicles face the ground and start to grow. One more guide for draining is when 90% of the panicles have the terminal grain at the stage of hard paste. The perfect harvest time keeps up with the largest possible mill performance as well as with the smaller break of the grains. According to experimental activities, the grain harvest should take place when its moisture fluctuates between 19-21%.
Rice as an agricultural, industrial, and consumer good.
The average field area was about 30000 square meters in 1980s, while today is almost 56000. It is expected though to increase because no new rice cultivators are added to the list, while older cultivators owning smaller fields, do not have the appropriate machines for the rice cultivation and retire, renting their fields to others. The rice cultivators’ number was around 6200 in 1980 and in 2000 they had been reduced to 4300.
The rice mill industry plays an important role in market configuration because it leads consumers in certain types of products. There were 8 small capacity rice mills in 1950 which produced only white rise, whereas today their number comes up to 28, of bigger capacity. The majority are rather old. Twenty of them produce only white rice, while eight produce parboiled and white rice. The parboil procedure was used for varieties of type Indica, when those started to be cultivated. Likewise, the same procedure was used for type Japonica the last two decades. The last one tends to increase while years pass, because profit is bigger since the mill output increases, as the grain break ability decreases and bran utilization takes place to turn it to an eatable product.
The rice consumption has not appear any substantial changes as it remains at the same levels the last 10 years (6.5 kg per capita per year), though it has increase by 26% since 1981. However, there exists evidence that quality preferences have come through very important changes. In particular, Japonica type is preferred from the Greek consumers, while Indica type represents 30% of the domestic consumption. As it concerns Japonica type, consumers show their preference towards long grain varieties compared with medium or short grain ones. This tense is believed to continue the next decades. Finally, the demand for flavored rice increases in the Greek market.
Greece imported rice until 1960. Since then and till 1983, the import-export balance was positive only when the expanse of the cultivated area exceeded 200.000.000 square meters. That period the imported in our country rice was pilled Indica type, whereas the one exported was Japonica mostly not pilled and broken. Greece has become self-contained considering rice since 1984. Though balance between import and export was positive the last period, Indica rice production was low and din not cover the consumption need until 1993. Then and forward, this type production covers twice the needs, while there is a 15-20% shortage in Japonica type rice.
The inadequate rainfall during the last years puzzles the rice cultivators, the water distributors, and the state considering the cultivation abidance. However, the water savings thanks to better leveling of the fields, using the Laser leveling machines, combined with the expected projects for irrigation and strain water savings and with the use of water coming from activated sludge (Thessaloniki county low land), provide hopes for the maintenance of the cultivated areas between 200.000.000 – 250.000.000 square meters, whose production will cover the rice country needs. Indica type holds the 30% of the total cultivated area, which makes us self-contained in this type rice. Fixed target should be the balance in production between Indica και Japonica types, in order to achieve in their self-containment. The systematic implementation of rotation of crops, wherever this is possible, the use of production weeds and especially the extensive use of Greek varieties will help to face the diseases and non-extinguished imps. The constant rice mill modernization and the maintenance of the quality control will establish Greek rice competitive.