Flooding and draining

32. Flooding.

If you want water in any particular check, block up the main irrigation channel with earth. The water then flows into the distribution channel.

Make a hole in the levee of the check you want to flood Block up the distribution channel with earth. The water will flood the check.

When there is a good depth of water in the check, close the hole in the levee, open the distribution channel and flood the next check.

Flooding

33. Draining.

When you want the water to flow out of a check, you can make a hole in the levee that divides the check from the feeder drain. Or you can push a pipe through the levee, for example a bamboo, to connect the check with the drain .

Draining

To connect the check with the drain

34. When to flood and drain.

In order to produce a higher yield, the rice must constantly stand in water.

But It Is wrong to flood the field always to the same depth of water.

For the first 6 to 8 days after transplanting, leave the soil a liquid mud.
If the soil becomes dry, let in only a little water.

About a week after transplanting, when the rice has begun to grow, flood the field with 2 to 3 centimetres of water and leave for 45 days.

But, twice during these 45 days, drain the field in order to apply fertilizers.

Each time, drain for 2 days.

After 45 days, that is, 2 months after transplanting, increase the depth of water to 10 centimetres.

When the panicles have formed and are turning yellow, the rice field must always be well flooded. It should have about 20 centimetres of water.

Afterwards gradually make the water less deep.

10 days before harvesting, drain all the water away.

Drain all the water away