Rice is the staple food of around three billion people, most of them in Asia, which accounts for 90% of global rice consumption. Rice constitutes a major source of nutrition and contributes a significant share of dietary energy in a number of Asian countries. Among 23 species of the genus Oryza, Oryza saliva L. is cultivated in Asia and O. glaberrima Steud. in West Africa. O. saliva L. is further differentiated into indica and japonica. Rice has immense diversity, and it is estimated that more than 100,000 varieties of rice exist in the world. India has an ancient heritage of rice cultivation and has over 70,000 cultivars of rice germplasm.
Agronomic practices encompass many areas of conservation—from practicing reduced-tillage methods, which lessen the need to till the soil before each crop, to managing planting populations, which ensures crops are not over- or undercrowded, and therefore are in optimal growing conditions. These small changes in farmers' routines can yield major dividends at harvest. The agronomic practices majorly include using appropriate seeding rates and fertilizer, keeping narrow rows, using hybrid maturities, and applying starter fertilizer doses.
After using effective agronomic practices, proper postharvest processing and handling is an important part of modern agricultural production. Postharvest processes include the integrated functions of harvesting, cleaning, grading, cooling, storing, packing, and transport. Postharvest technologies occur between the producer and the consumer—processes protect produce to preserve quality, reduce damage, travel distances, grade and categorize, document sources, and label. Postharvest handling involves the practical application of engineering principles and knowledge of fruit and vegetable physiology to solve problems. Therefore, it needs a closer coordination between all segments of the industry from the grower to the consumer, with great emphasis on proper postharvest handling, a multidisciplinary and systems approach to problem-solving, a greater use of computer control and communications technology, and a greatly renewed emphasis on mechanization.
The increased grain yield and improved rice quality are absolutely necessary to feed the world's galloping population and to maintain its health and nutrition. Thus, the recent approach for rice production includes the improvement of both yield and grain quality to cater for consumer demand and also to increase the nutritional level of the general public.
Presently, the India is producing more surplus than is needed nationally. Improvement in quality provides assurance that the surplus will find a rewarding market. The genetic makeup of grain is the major factor influencing the quality of rice. Modern programers continually strive to refine and improve the genetic characteristics that influence quality in the most desirable product. Another factor is the environment under which the plant is grown, such as the light rainfall and temperature. Similarly, soil and the management practices affect the grain quality. Careful harvesting and postharvest handling may maintain or even improve the rice quality. Quality characteristics in rice may be categorized into three broad areas. (1) Physical characteristics include moisture content, shape, size, whiteness, translucency, chalkiness, head rice, broken rice, brewers, green kernels, and yellow kernels. (2) The analysis of physicochemical characteristics of rice include amylose content, protein content, gel consistency, volume of expansion of cooked rice, water absorption, and cooking time. (3) The organoleptic properties of cooked rice include color, aroma, hardness, stickiness, and consistency.
This book, Agronomic Rice Practices and Postharvest Processing: Production and Quality Improvement, addresses these three important aspects of rice. For convenience of the readers, the book has been divided into four parts. Part 1 takes into account Recent Trends and Advances for Higher Production and Quality Improvement and consists of four chapters covering climate-resilient agriculture practices in rice through an Indian perspective; climatic effects, relative performance, and constraints in direct-seeded versus transplanted rice of Asia; constraints in temperate rice culture and interventions to mitigate the challenges; and recent advances and trends in system of rice intensification. Part 2 covers Nutrient Management for Rice Production and Quality Improvement, which consists of three chapters. Effect of zinc on growth, yield, and quality attributes of rice for improved rice production; integrated nutrient management in transplanted rice by pelleting technique; and effect of different organic sources of nutrition on growth, yield, and quality of rice are discussed in detail. Part 3 addresses Weed Management for Improved Rice Production through a chapter describing precautions and future implications in weed management and integrated weed management in zero-till direct-seeded rice. Part 4 deals with Postharvest Processing for Rice Quality Improvement. It includes two chapters discussing, effect of parboiling on different physicochemical and cooking properties of rice and nutritional quality evolution in rice.
The book has taken the present shape due to the contributions of renowned scientists, researchers, and professors through their tireless research. We are sure that this book will be a useful guide for the rice researchers working in the area of agronomic practices, postharvest processing, and quality improvement in rice.
Deepak Kumar Verma
Prem Prakash Srivastav
Altafhusain B. Nadaf
Editors
[EBOOK] AGRONOMIC RICE PRACTICES AND POSTHARVEST PROCESSING (Production and Quality Improvement), Edited by Deepak Kumar Verma, Prem Prakash Srivastav, Altafhusain B. Nadaf, APPLE ACADEMIC PRESS
Keyword: ebook, giáo trình, AGRONOMIC RICE PRACTICES, POSTHARVEST PROCESSING, cây lúa, lúa gạo, thực hành nông nghiệp trồng lúa, chế biến sau thu hoạch lúa gạo
