Rice (Oryza sativa) cultivation in Brazil

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is staple food for the population of South America, including Brazil. In Brazil, it is produced under 2 ecosystems known as upland and lowland. Furthermore, based on farm size, rice is cultivated on small, medium and large farms in Brazil. Small-and medium-farm holdings contribute 26% rice production, while large-scale farms contribute 74% of total rice production in the country. Major part of rice production is totally mechanized in Brazil. During 2012–2013 cropping season, Brazil produced about 12 million tonnes of paddy rice. Area planted under both systems is about 2.62 million ha. Average yield of upland rice is about 1.8 Mg/ha and lowland rice is about 7.0 Mg/ha. Low yield of upland rice compared to lowland rice is due to many biotic and abiotic stresses. These stresses are drought, low soil fertility, diseases, insects and weeds. Lowland rice is mainly grown in 2 southern states known as Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. Upland rice is mainly grown in the central part of Brazil, locally known as Cerrado region. Upland as well as lowland rice is planted during the rainy season which occurs from October to March. Average rainfall in the Cerrado region is about 1,500 mm and in the southern region where lowland rice is mainly planted is 1,400 mm. Average minimum and maximum air temperature in the Cerrado region during rice-growing season is about 19 and 28°C respectively. Overall, minimum and maximum air temperature during lowland rice growing season in the 2 southern states is 16 and 27°C. Brazil is the fourth largest grain producing country in the world after China, USA and India. However, it is projected that Brazil will be supergrain producing country in the world in the coming decades owing to large land area, water availability, favourable climatic conditions and availability of technology.