SEVAI Self Help Groups are involved in intensive Rice paddy cultivation.

Paddy harvesting and taken to paddy separation from straw

SEVAI SHGs cultivate Paddy and the harvesting is going on.SHG Member, Alamelu says,” The paddy yield for 2014-15 is encouraging as they had suffered drought for the past two years and now the SHG is express their happiness of this paddy yield. She further adds, “Harvesting is the process of collecting the mature rice crop from the field. Paddy harvesting activities include cutting, stacking, and handling, threshing, cleaning, and hauling. These are done individually or a combine harvester is used to perform the operations simultaneously. It is important to apply good harvesting methods to be able to maximize grain

paddy separation

yield, and minimize grain damage and quality deterioration. Grain moisture content ideally is between 20 and 25% (wet basis). Grains should be firm but not brittle when squeezed between the teeth. Harvest at minimal surface moisture. The crop should be cut when 80−85% of the grains are straw colored i.e., yellow-colored. Generally the ideal harvest time lies between 130 and 136 days after sowing for late-maturing variety, 113 and 125 for medium duration, and 110 days for early-maturing varieties. For dry season harvesting, an optimum time is 28 to 35 days after heading emergence of panicle tip from leaf sheath. In wet season harvest, optimum time is 32 to 38 days after heading”. The women self hep groups women are given training in Paddy rice production by the experts of Agriculture. The experts say, “As a main source of nourishment, rice is by far one of the most

paddy collection and loading into lorries

important commercial food crops. Because cultivation is so widespread, development of four distinct types of ecosystems has occurred. Rice is mostly eaten steamed or boiled”. Varieties of rice are selected and grown specifically for their end use. Prior to planting, minimal soil manipulation is needed to prepare for cultivation. The cultivation of rice begins by planting water-soaked seeds in a properly prepared bed. Oftentimes, the seedlings are transplanted to the paddy when they reach a certain size. When the grains begin to ripen, the water is drained from the fields. Harvesting begins when the grain yellow and the plants start to droop. Depending on the size of the operation and the amount of mechanization, rice is either harvested by hand or machine. Once harvested, the rice is usually dried in the fields with the help of sunshine. Then, the fields are plowed before planting. Rice is most often planted on river deltas and plowing is accomplished with a disk plow, an off-set disk plow, or a chisel. Adequate irrigation of the terrace or river delta bed is

Paddy-straw rolling transported to Sirugamani cow farm as cow fodder

required and accomplished by leveling and by controlling water with pumps,

Paddy taken from field to trucks

reservoirs. Quality control practices vary with the size and location of each farm. Large commercial rice farms in the United States more often than not apply the most effective combination of herbicides, fertilization, crop rotation, and newest farming equipment to optimize their yields. Smaller, less mechanized operations are more likely to be influenced by traditional cultural methods of farming rather than high technology. Certainly, there are benefits to both approaches and a union of the two is ideal. Rotating crops during consecutive years is a traditional practice that encourages large yield as is the planting of hardier seed varieties developed with the help of modern hybridization practices. Straw from the harvested rice plants is used as bedding for livestock. Oil extracted from discarded rice bran is used in livestock feed. Hulls are used to produce mulch that will eventually be used to recondition the farm soil”-Govin.