Activities:

Visit a paddy field or tea plantation and make a report on the activities involved in the cultivation process.

I recently visited a paddy field in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. These are the steps involved in the cultivation of rice:

• Selection of seed quality: There are many types of rice seeds based on its texture, taste and fragrance.

• Land Preparation: It is done for allowing rice plants to develop a good root system. Plowing and tilling makes the soil optimum for growing rice.

• Crop Establishment: Two methods to sow the rice seeds are transplanting and direct seeding.

• Water Management: It is very important step in rice cultivation to reduce the water stress and increase the yield. Proper channeling and land levelling are done to distribute the water evenly.

• Nutrient Management: Every growth stage requires a different level of nutrients. It is also necessary to conserve organic matter of the soil.

• Crop Health Management: It is done to protect the land from the attack of insects, weeds and diseases.

• Harvesting: The mature rice crops are harvested at this stage using different techniques. The objective is to maximize the yield by minimizing the grain damage.