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Welcome to IRRI’s

Rice Production Course!

Introduction

Rice is Asia’s economically and culturally most important food crop and its production is regarded as the single most important economic activity on the planet. More than 2.7 billion people—most of them poor—rely on rice as their major source of food. By the year 2025, this number will grow to 3.9 billion people.

 

In the last four decades, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has dramatically demonstrated that rice yields in Asia can be increased by applying scientific principles and new technologies. For example, the use of modern varieties and improved cultural practices have increased rice yields throughout tropical Asia.

 

Although the average yield per area did increase tremendously in the last forty years, the yield gap between economically optimal and actual yields remains large in many farmers’ fields and in many countries. This yield gap may be caused by unfavorable environmental conditions and limited material inputs, but inefficient production technologies and lacking knowledge contribute greatly.

 

Click here if you wish to read more on the importance of rice.

What is this course?

This Rice Production course will show you the best practices at the moment in rice production. We will describe every step to produce rice, from land preparation and planting to post production. At each step we explain what the best management practices are to get the highest possible quantity and quality of rice.

This course deals with all the different stages of the life cycle of rice.

 

 

This course is aimed in the first place at junior researchers and extension and development workers in South-east Asia to update their knowledge on techniques associated with wetland rice cultivation. However, we feel that this course is helpful to anyone who is involved in rice production.

 

 

What are the goals of this course?

This course will enable you to

  • appreciate the importance of rice and the environments where rice is being grown

  • understand how rice varieties are developed and how seed is produced

  • recognize and apply the important techniques of rice cultivation

  • detect, identify, and solve common field problems of rice production

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additional materials:

There will be places in the course where you can, if you want, get extra information. You find this information by clicking on underlined words or clearly marked spots.

For example: ecosystems ,  moldboard plows , Click for more info Mainly attacks milled grain products. Adults and larvae feed only on the grain dust and broken kernels and do not attack the undamaged whole kernels. Infestation leads to constant and unpleasant smell of the rice.

 

Throughout the course, you will also find icons (shown below). These icons link you to additional materials, when you click on them.

 

Roll your mouse over the icons below, to find out what every icon means.

 

 

Difficult words

Most of difficult terms used in this course are explained in the glossary.

Please click on to open a list of definitions.

 

Your comments are valuable to us!

Please let us know what you think about this eCourse by sending your questions or thoughts about it to: IRRItraining@irri.org

 

Your comments will help us to improve this course.

Are you ready to begin the course?

 

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2. how to navigate through the course.

 

If you are ready to begin this course, then click the forward arrow to start the first module or use the index of lessons on the left.