Rice, particularly in Asia, takes place most of the world's rice production and is thus one of the most popular agricultural products in Asia. Rice is grown in more than 110 countries. The top 5 rice producing countries worldwide are China, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Vietnam. Also, the leading countries in rice export are India, Thailand, USA, Pakistan and Vietnam. Besides, rice is successfully grown in Mediterranean countries (Italy, Morocco, Greece), Latin America (Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina) and even in Central Europe (Belgium, Netherlands). Rice is believed to be the third most important agricultural product after sugar and corn.
Information about the rice plant
The rice or paddy (Oryza sativa) plant is an annual, monocotyledonous herb belonging to the family Poaceae (Gramineae). Oryza rice varieties are grown for consumption and the seeds of the plants are collected. For the most part, rice is an annual herb. However, rarely, the rice plant grows as a perennial and can live for 10 years or more. The growing period (from seedling to harvest) of an annual rice plant varies between 95 days (early varieties) and approximately 250 days (late varieties). Medium early varieties can be harvested 120-150 days after sowing.
Rice plant consists of root, stem, leaves and inflorescences. The root system length of the plant is from 25-30 cm to 100 cm. Rice seed is often called a grain. When the clusters are mature, each rice plant normally contains 50-60 or more than 120 grains. Grain consists of three main parts; endosperm containing husk, bran and embryo.
