Rice is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's population, especially in Asia. It is the second most produced grain after maize. As maize is often grown for purposes other than human consumption, rice provides more calories globally than any other grain. Rice is normally grown as an annual plant in tropical and subtropical regions, with rainfall, temperature, day length, and sunlight being important factors for its cultivation. However, problems include small and marginal farmers, floods, low soil fertility, pests, and drought.

1. RICE

2. WORLD POPULARITY Rice is the seed of a monocot plant Oryza sativa , of the grass family (Poaceae). As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East, South, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and the West Indies . It is the grain with the second highest worldwide production, after maize ("corn").

3. IMPORTANCE Since a large portion of maize crops are grown for purposes other than human consumption, rice is probably the most important grain with regards to human nutrition and caloric intake, providing more than one fifth of the calories consumed worldwide by the human species.

4. Statistics It depends up on the variety and soil fertility. It has long, slender leaves 50–100 cm long and 2–2.5 cm broad. The small wind-pollinated flowers are produced in a branched arching to pendulous inflorescence 30–50 cm long. The edible seed is a grain (caryopsis) 5–12 mm long and 2–3 mm thick. Rice is normally grown as an annual plant Although grown in tropical areas it can survive as a perennial. Can produce a continuous crop for up to 20 years. The rice plant can grow to 1–1.8 m tall,

5. RAINFALL Rainfall is the most important weather element for successful cultivation of rice. The distribution of rainfall in different regions of the country is greatly influenced by the physical features of the terrain, the situation of the mountains and plateau. The regions experiencing very heavy rainfall in the country are : Western Ghats (the western slopes and the coastal region) In the Assam region. The sub-mountain Himalayan region, Deccan plateau, Eastern Ghats with coastal plains and the vast Gangetic plains.

6. TEMPERATURE Temperature is another climatic factor which has a favorable and in some cases unfavorable influence on the development, growth and yield of rice. Rice being a tropical and sub-tropical plant, requires a fairly high temperature, ranging from 20° to 40°C. The optimum temperature of 30°C during day time and 20°C during night time seems to be more favorable for the development and growth of rice crop.

7. D AY L ENGTH O R S UNSHINE Sunlight is very essential for the development and growth of the plants. In fact, sunlight is the source of energy for plant life. The yield of rice is influenced by the solar radiation particularly during the last 35 to 45 days of its ripening period. The effect of solar radiation is more profound where water, temperature and nitrogenous nutrients are not limiting factors. Bright sunshine with low temperature during ripening period of the crop helps in the development of carbohydrates in the grains.

8. ORIGIN Although its parent species are native to South Asia and certain parts of Africa, centuries of trade and exportation have made it commonplace in many cultures worldwide.

9. Some of the major problems in rice cultivation About 78% of the farmers are small and marginal in the country and they are poor in resource. The problems of flash floods, water logging/ submergence due to poor drainage are very common in East India. Continuous use of traditional varieties due to the non-availability of seeds and farmers lack of awareness about high yielding varieties. Low soil fertility due to soil erosion resulting in loss of plant nutrients and moisture.

10. Some of the major problems in rice cultivation (contd.) Low and imbalanced use of fertilizers, low use efficiency of applied fertilizers particularly in the North-Eastern and Eastern States. The Eastern region experiences high rainfall and severe flood almost every year which lead to heavy loss. Heavy infestation of weeds and insects/pests. Delay in monsoon onset often results in delayed and prolong transplanting and sub-optimum plant population (Mostly in rain fed lowlands). In the years of scanty or adverse distribution of rainfall, the crop fails owing to drought etc.

11. Made By- Somya Tyagi VIII Nishaat