Advances in Rice Production Technology : Theory and Practice

Contents: 1. Introduction. 2. Morphology, growth and development of the rice plant. 3. The climatic environment. 4. Rice soils. 5. Varietal Improvement. 6. Mineral nutrition of rice. 7. Cultural practices. 8. Nutrient Management. 9. Water management. 10. Weed Management. 11. Management of insect pests and diseases. 12. Efficient cropping and farming systems. 13. Postproduction technology. 14. Yield gaps and constraints analysis. References. Index.

For centuries rice yields in the tropics have been rather static. Rice is essentially a smallholder’s crop grown mainly for subsistence. The possibilities for further area expansion have now reached their limit in most rice growing countries at the time when population growth and, thus, the demand for more rice, is at its peak. For a considerable time researchers have focused a significant portion of agricultural research on rice with emphasis on development of modern rice technology.