Rice, wheat, and maize are the world’s three leading food crops; together, they directly supply more than 42% of all calories consumed by the entire human population. Human consumption in 2009 accounted for 78% of total production for rice, compared with 64% for wheat and 14% for maize. Rice is the essential food crop for people in low- and lower-middle-income countries of these three major crops. Although rice consumption is spread across income classes relatively equally in low-income countries, the poorest people consume relatively little wheat.

In this micromodule, you will learn about the pre-planting phase of rice farming. It involves choosing the suitable variety, Developing a cropping calendar, and preparing the rice field for planting.