Deep water rice
Deepwater rice are varieties of rice (Oryza sativa) grown in flooded conditions with water more than 50 cm (20 in) deep for at least a month. More than 100 million people in South and Southeast Asia rely on deepwater rice for their sustenance. There are two adaptations which permit the rice to thrive in deeper water, floating rice and traditional talls. Traditional talls are varieties that are grown at water depths of between 50 cm (20 in) and 100 cm (39 in) and have developed to be taller and have longer leaves than standard rice. Floating rice grows in water deeper than 100 cm (39 in) through advanced elongation ability. This means when a field where rice is growing floods, accelerated growth in the internodal of the stem allows the plant to keep some of its foliage on top of the water. The Indica cultivar is the main type of deepwater rice, although varieties of Japonica have been found in Burma, Bangladesh and India.
Deepwater rice is a staple food that is grown on around 90,000 km2 (35,000 sq mi) of land. The main areas where it is grown are in South and Southeast Asia where more than 100 million people rely its production for their livelihood. In South Asia the main area deepwater rice is grown in is the Ganges Brahmaputra basin in India and Bangladesh. In Southeast Asia the main areas of cultivation are in Burma in the Irrawaddy Delta, in Thailand in the Chao Phraya and Mekong in Vietnam and Cambodia. In these countries deepwater rice account for more than 25% of the land used to grow rice.
Deepwater rice is cultivated less in West Africa than in Asia with approximately 4,700 km2 (1,800 sq mi). Areas it is grown include the Niger river basin. Some areas in Ecuador grow deepwater rice.
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