Grains & Cereals· Oryza sativa
Rice Growing Guide
A staple food crop
How Long Does Rice Take to Grow?
Rice is typically ready to harvest about 120 days after planting.
FAO. 2025. FAOSTAT: Production: Crops and livestock products. Accessed on 13 October 2026. https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL Licence: CC-BY-4.0.
Growing Conditions
Soil Requirements
Soil Type & pH
Best soil types: clay, clay loam, silt loam
pH range: 5.5 - 7 (optimal: 6.3)
Drainage: poor
Nutrient Needs (N-P-K)
Planting Guide
Yield & Economics
Common Pests & Diseases
Common Pests
- Rice stem borer
- Brown planthopper
- Rice bug
- Leaf folder
- Army worm
Common Diseases
- Rice blast
- Sheath blight
- Bacterial leaf blight
- Tungro virus
- Brown spot
Use AI crop disease detection to identify issues early and prevent crop losses.
Growing Tips
Maintain 5-10 cm standing water during vegetative and reproductive stages for optimal paddy rice growth.
Apply nitrogen fertilizer in 3 split doses: at transplanting, mid-tillering, and panicle initiation for maximum uptake efficiency.
Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation saves 15-30% water without yield loss — let fields dry briefly between flooding cycles.
Monitor for rice blast during cool, humid weather — fungal spores spread rapidly under these conditions.
Transplant seedlings at 20-25 days old for optimal establishment. Older seedlings recover slowly and tiller less.
Control weeds in the first 30 days after transplanting — this is the critical weed competition period.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Rice take to grow?
Rice typically takes 120 days from planting to harvest. Seeds germinate in about 5 days. The best planting season is spring, summer.
What soil does Rice need?
Rice grows best in clay, clay loam, silt loam soil with a pH of 5.5-7. Poor drainage is required.
What temperature does Rice need?
Rice grows best at 20-35°C. Frost tolerance: none. Heat tolerance: high.
What is the expected yield for Rice?
Across 115 countries with grounded data, reported national yields for Rice range from 300 to 13,390 kg/hectare, with a median of 4,100. These are national statistics, not a best-case figure — an individual farm's yield depends on variety, climate, soil and management. Multiple harvests per year are possible (2).
Where Is Rice Grown?
Explore region-specific growing conditions, challenges, and practices.
Key Agronomy Terms
Core farming concepts, explained in plain language.
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