"SEC | S20W2: How to cultivate a paddy"

This is another beautiful moment to make my entry known on the topic for the week. Cultivation of paddy or rice is one important impact of agriculture as rice occupies a major share in the world's consumed grains.

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What is the method of rice seedbed preparation, and what steps are taken in preparing the soil for rice cultivation

In preparation, rice cultivation, seedbed, and soil preparation is one we should get correctly to anticipate better yield.

In preparation for paddy seedbed, we have to take into consideration the land in which we want to use. Ghe land should be cleared and unwanted substances like debris and weeds removed from it for zero toleration to obstacles.

The next thing we need to do is to plough and harrow the land to help loosen and aerate it properly. In doing this, it will also help bring smoothness of soil texture and break down any soil clods still congiled in the land.

When smoothening and levelling of the land is achieved, we now have to flood the soil to help soften it for easy sowing. This could also be dried or drainage path created to allow for free flow of water in case of flooding or waterlogging.

On the other, soil preparations in this case should entail that we should test the soil to ascertain its pH level. This is important in the lifecycle of our paddy as we expect improved yield. This could be immediately followed by applying fertilizer based on the testing already done. The use of organic to improve its fertility could be the best.

We can now go for improved seedlings capable of withstanding the weather conditions and as well as considering planting spaces to avoid overcrowding. We can not undermine the effects of pests and diseases, this could be considered in eradiciating them earlier or reducing their potency.

The essence of soil and seedbed preparations in paddy is to make adequate preparations to reduce pest and diseases attack, improve our crop yields just as expected, attain to an improved soil structure and fertility that help improve paddy growths, and better use of water during the entire process.

What is the importance of planting rice seeds at the right time?

Doing anything at the right time is the beginning to getting them done optimally. Therefore, paddy isn't an exception to this scenario as this would help improve our crop yield. The importance of doing this can not be overemphasized.

Planting at the right time helps us to work in tadem with the right climate, hence leveraging on favourable weather conditions that promote better temperatures for the paddy.

Since temperatures are major determinants, doing it rightly and on the right time would indicate the use of adequate planting soil temperatures favourable to the germination of rice.

Leveraging on the best planting time, we could leverage on rain fall times for the best planting seasons since rice requires adequate water supply and availability so as to reduce course on external irrigation activities.

We also know that planting rice at the right time would help reduce risks of crop failures* that may occur. Also is a better management of pests and diseases in the paddy farm, and as well improves crop quality and yield all year round.

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How is regular irrigation and fertilizer applied after sowing rice seeds?

The use of both fertilizer and irrigation is important to the cultivation of paddy. They are necessities if we must improve our yield.

Irrigation

The land needs to be irrigated at different intervals with both initial and continuous flooding happening depending on the situation on the ground. Just feel days after planting our rice. This should be done within range and in calculation to avoid prolonged.l waterlogging. Thereafter, another flooding should happen a couple of weeks to maintain adequate moisture and soil temperature. In doing this, we should also have a drying mechanism in place should incase waterlogging is observed to avoid rots and build up of fungi diseases. In this case, a drainage system should be introduced.

We already know that the use of drip and precision kind of irrigation method of flooding could be best to avoid waste and evenly distribution of water across the farm land.

Fertilizer

During seedbed and soil preparations, we are expected to respond to soil requirements based on the soil testing procedure. In a situation where the soil needs to be padded with nutrients, there is a need to apply the required NPK during planning time based on soil testing outcomes.

This could be followed up by adjusting our fertilizer application throughout the stages as they grow. How healthy, leafy, or other observations should be considered as we introduce fertilizers at different stages.

What are the major pests and diseases of rice crops, and how can they be controlled?

There is no crop that is free from the attack of pests and diseases. How much they are affected depends on many factors and how they also resist these pests and diseases. It also depends on how well they are managed all the process.

Common Pests of Rice

These are the common pests of rice, mostly in our paddy farms;

• The "Brown plant Hopper" that sucks most of the saps from our rice and.hence causing retarded growth in crop yield.
• The "Green Leaf Hopper" that are majorly vectors for.voral transmission. They also function like.the brown hopper that sucks plant saps.
• The "Rice Leaf Folder" that twist the plant leaves, eats majority part of them that later distorts photosynthesis, which is an important feeding plan for plants.
• Others are the "stem borer" and "gall midge" that affects rice stems.and tissues.

Common Diseases of Rice:*

These are the common diseases mostly in our paddy farms;

• The Bacterial Leaf Blight
• Fungal Diseases like rice blast, sheath blight, and root rots
• Viral diseases like the Tungro Virus.

Control Measure for Rice Pests and Diseases

• The use of improved grains and resistant varieties are natually suitable for pest control.
• Use of natural and biological means like the introduction of birds in the field.
• The use of friendly chemicals and insecticides.
• The use of neem oil as means of pest repellent.

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What are the next steps after harvesting the paddy, and what are the steps to be taken to preserve the paddy?

When harvest is donenand completed, the next thing that should bother us is the quality and longvity of the paddy. In achieving this, we will have to carry out the following functions.

Drying:
This is to help remove moisture from the grain. The purpose of this is to guarantee zero tolerance of fungal and bacterial infestation.

Threshing & Winnowing:
This is required to help remove grains from the straw and chaff. When this is done, cleaning can now.commence where impurities and broken grains are seperated.

Paddy is well Preserved in a dry and well ventilated spaces void of direct effect of sunshine. Moisture should be at a controled environment to avoid fungal buildup.

Silos, warehouses, and storage bags are long term storage medium for better paddy preservation.

In conclusion, no work put in to drive food security that is less valuable. The process may look tudious.and laborious but harvest time are usually happy moments. Rice still remains one of the top consumed cereals in the world. Hence, more attention should continually be challenged towards its sustenance.

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