TürkçeRice is the plant and seeds of the Grain family Oryza sativa (Asian rice) or less commonly Oryza glaberrima (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera Zizania and Porteresia, although the term is wild and domesticated, it can also be used for primitive or uncultivated varieties of Oryza.
As a grain, bred rice is the most widely consumed staple food for more than half of the world’s human population, particularly in Asia and Africa. It is the third highest production agricultural product worldwide after sugar cane and corn. Because large portions of sugarcane and maize crops are used for purposes other than human consumption, rice is the most important food crop for human nutrition and caloric intake, providing more than one-fifth of the calories consumed by humans worldwide. There are many varieties of rice, and culinary preferences vary regionally.
Oryza sativa with small wind-pollinated flowers The traditional method for growing rice is to flood the fields when placing young seedlings or afterward. This simple method requires good irrigation planning, but it reduces the growth of less resistant weeds and pest plants that do not grow under water and deters the pest. While waterlogging is not essential for rice cultivation, all other irrigation methods require more effort for weed and pest control during growing periods and a different approach to fertilizing the soil.
A single grain of rice under a hand-made microscope Monocotyledonous rice is normally grown as an annual plant, but in tropical areas it can also live as a perennial and produce crops by sprouts from a pruned rootstock for up to 30 years. Rice cultivation is well suited for countries and regions with low labor costs and high rainfall. But rice can be grown almost anywhere, even on a steep hill or mountain range, using water-controlled terrace systems.