Upland rice is drought-tolerant and poor-soil-tolerant, making it a rice crop suitable for dryland cultivation.

Upland rice, also known as dryland rice, is a rice crop that can grow on dryland and slopes relying on natural rainfall. It belongs to the same genus Oryza as ordinary paddy rice, but through long-term breeding it has developed strong drought tolerance. Its cultivation method is similar to that of dryland crops such as wheat and foxtail millet, and it does not require long-term flooding, so it is widely grown in water-scarce areas and hilly and mountainous regions.

Compared with paddy rice, upland rice has a well-developed root system with strong water and nutrient uptake capacity, good leaf water retention, a generally shorter growth period, and relatively good tolerance to poor soil. Growing upland rice eliminates the steps of raising seedlings, transplanting, and long-term irrigation, making management relatively extensive and significantly reducing water use, which aligns with the direction of water-saving agriculture. However, upland rice still has certain requirements for soil moisture; if severe drought occurs during the sowing period, seedling emergence will be affected, and appropriate supplementary irrigation during key growth stages helps ensure stable yields.

At present, many upland rice varieties have been bred in various regions, including varieties such as Zhonghan 3 and Taixuan 1, as well as distinctive types such as black upland rice, and new water-saving and drought-resistant rice varieties continue to be released. When selecting seeds, growers generally consider local rainfall, soil, and crop rotation conditions, giving priority to varieties with good drought tolerance and strong yield stability.

Upland rice can be cooked as rice or porridge just like ordinary rice, and in some areas it is also used in coarse grain blends and specialty rice development, with market demand gradually attracting attention. Common problems in cultivation include heavy weed infestation, damage by birds and animals, and lodging, which are mostly addressed in production through pre-emergence herbicide application after sowing, rational close planting, and selection of lodging-resistant varieties. Overall, upland rice provides a water-saving rice cultivation pathway for water-scarce areas and the utilization of dry, poor soils.