How to Grow Upland Rice? A Comprehensive Analysis of Planting Techniques and Management Methods
Upland rice, also called dryland rice, is an ecotype formed by rice through long-term domestication and evolution under dryland conditions without a water layer. It is adapted to dryland cultivation and can also be planted in paddy fields or low-lying land. So, how do you grow upland rice?
1. Varieties
In production, you should choose varieties that have passed national or provincial approval and are managed through an integrated system of breeding, propagation and promotion. For example, nationally approved varieties include Zhonghan 297 and Lvhan No. 1, and Anhui Province-approved varieties include upland rice 906 and Xinliangyou 212.
2. Direct seeding
Upland rice is also called drought-resistant water-saving rice. Unlike the “rice” grown in paddy fields, upland rice does not need a water layer throughout its life. It is usually direct-seeded in dryland or dry fields and then relies on rainfed cultivation, or on this basis receives a moderate amount of supplemental irrigation. But upland rice is not wheat or corn; during special critical periods it must have irrigation conditions, otherwise yield will be greatly affected. Although upland rice has light and temperature requirements similar to rice, its total water requirement over its life is about 2/3 of rice, or 1/2 or less.
3. Soil
Upland rice is most suitable for planting in low-lying, flood-prone dryland and rice fields short of water. It is also suitable for mountainous areas with more rainfall, and for hilly land and dryland that can be irrigated.
From mid-May to mid-June, sun-dry the rice seed for 1—2 days before sowing. Mechanical drilling or manual hole sowing is preferable, with 3—5 kg of rice seed per mu (use the lower seed rate for sandy soil and the higher seed rate for clay soil), and a sowing depth of 2—4 cm. If the weather forecast at this time shows no effective precipitation, irrigate the first thorough watering in a timely manner to strive for early, uniform and full seedlings. At the 3—4 leaf stage of the seedlings, conduct field inspections; if there are missing plants or broken rows, you can move dense seedlings to fill sparse areas.
4. Fertilization
Base fertilizer: apply sufficient base fertilizer before plowing, 20-30 kg of ternary compound fertilizer; seed fertilizer: before sowing, apply 15 kg of ternary compound fertilizer and 10 kg of urea by hole or furrow; topdressing: at the 3—4 leaf stage of the seedlings, apply 8 to 10 kg of urea and 5 to 10 kg of potassium fertilizer per mu; about 60 days after sowing, apply 10 kg of urea per mu, and at the grain-filling stage spray 70 to 100 ml of plant nutrient solution.
5. Pest and disease control
1. Control of mole crickets: together with the base fertilizer, use 30 kg of phoxim granules per hectare to prevent mole crickets from eating seeds, tunneling and letting air reach the soil, and causing seedling death.
2. Control of rice blast: at the early stage of rice blast occurrence and 2-3 days at the heading stage, Fuji No. 1 can be used for control.
Because upland rice requires less water, it is distributed relatively widely in northern China. Fellow farmers can choose whether to plant rice or upland rice according to the local rainfall amount.