Paddy (Rice) Cultivation Guide: Nursery to Harvest

Updated 2026-07-10 · Crop guides

Rice feeds half the world and is the backbone crop across much of India and Asia. Yield comes down to a few decisions done well — healthy seedlings, the right transplanting age, smart water and nutrient management, and timely weed control. Here is the practical sequence.

Nursery and seed

Use certified seed of a variety suited to your season and water. Treat the seed against seed-borne disease, then raise a healthy nursery. Aim to transplant seedlings at the right age — about 20–25 days for most medium-duration varieties; older seedlings recover slowly and cut yield.

Transplanting

• Transplant 2–3 seedlings per hill at proper spacing (around 20 × 15 cm) — over-crowding wastes seed and invites disease.
• Level the field well so water spreads evenly.
• Consider SRI (System of Rice Intensification) — younger single seedlings, wider spacing and alternate wetting — for higher yield with less seed and water where it suits you.

Water and nutrients

Rice does not need continuous deep flooding. Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) — letting the field dry to a shallow depth before re-flooding — saves a lot of water with no yield loss and reduces methane. Apply nitrogen in splits (basal, tillering and panicle-initiation) rather than all at once, and correct zinc if your soil is deficient.

Weeds, pests and harvest

Control weeds early — the first 40 days matter most. Watch for stem borer, leaf folder and brown planthopper, and use resistant varieties plus need-based sprays rather than routine spraying. Harvest when about 80–85% of the grains have turned straw-yellow and are firm; harvesting too early or too late loses grain and quality.