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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

I gleaned this from two different sites and it confused me a bit.  Both 
sites were worded the same Rice grows at temps above...blah blah.  I 
think the 50 degrees is a germination temp and the 75 is a 'grows well 
at minimum temp'  As you know, it gets a whole lot hotter than that in 
places where rice is typically grown.  I think those are minimum temps.


eureka AT hctc.net wrote:
> On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 01:13:01 -0500
>   EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net> wrote:
> > Rice needs a minimum temp of 50-55 degrees to germinate 
> > and grow. 
> > During active growth, temps need to be near 75
>
> Sounds like I will need to plant in the spring instead of 
> summer, that's when our temps are in this range. By May, 
> it's too hot. The seeds will have to go in production 
> about the same time as everything else--I'm wondering if 
> I'll have room in the green house. If my calculations are 
> correct (9 per sf), I would need 1,593 rice plants to fill 
> 177 sf at 4 inches spacing. That would be about 25 flats 
> of rice plants! I'm wondering if I could use a hybrid 
> method with Fukuoka's and just seed directly.

Direct seeding may actually be better for small scale homestead apps, 
but that is something we will have to decide individually. Easier work, 
shorter season, but less yield.



> He writes "Of course the usual method is to keep several 
> inches of water in the paddy throughout the growing 
> season. Farmers have been growing rice in water for so 
> many centuries that most people believe that it cannot be 
> grown any other way". According to him, "Rice plants grow 
> best when the water content in the soil is between 60 and 
> 80 percent of its water holding capacity. When the field 
> is not flooded, the plants develop stronger roots and are 
> extremely resistant to attacks by disease and insects". He 
> only holds water for one week in June (that's Japan's 
> monsoon season) to kill dry-field weeds. (not sure what 
> month this would correspond to our respective climates). 

Where was Fukuoka in Japan?
http://www.jelitto.com/english/japan.htm




> He has already interplanted with clover, and the water 
> knocks back the clover, allowing the rice to get 
> established, and once it does, the clover fills in again 
> as a cover crop helping to retain the moisture in the 
> soil. I presuming he is using a short type of clover. 
> Using his method, the plants are more compact, making less 
> straw, but about the same amount of grain.


It would seem to me that the while the clover prevents weeds, it would 
also inhibit tillering, no?  Does he mention that?


--
“Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to 
hate. Hate leads to suffering.”        Yoda