paddies

Rice paddies, or paddy fields, are flooded parcels of arable land used for growing rice. They are typically leveed and filled with shallow water, which suppresses weeds and supports rice seedlings. Paddy systems are most common in Asia but are also found in Europe, the Americas, and Africa where rice is grown.

Construction and layout: Paddy fields are often terraced on hillsides to maximize cultivable area and capture rainfall. In flat regions, levees form a network of shallow basins. Water is supplied from rivers or canals and retained to maintain a constant flooded depth.

Irrigation and management: Water-control devices such as sluice gates regulate depth and drainage. In some systems, fields are connected to share water. Flooded conditions suppress weeds but increase methane production from anaerobic soil microbes.

Agriculture: Rice is grown either by transplanting seedlings into flooded fields or by direct seeding. Flooding reduces weed competition, but management is required to control pests and manage nutrients. Harvest typically follows draining the fields and collecting mature grain.

Ecology and economy: Paddy ecosystems support aquatic life and can host rice–fish farming. The systems are labor-intensive and vary with climate, variety, and technology. They also contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, especially methane, influenced by water management and soil conditions.

Global context: Major producers include China, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Thailand, with rice also grown in parts of Europe, the Americas, and Africa in suitable wetlands or irrigation schemes.