Harvesting

The water should be drained out from the field 7 to 10 days before harvesting. To avoid the shattering losses, the crop should not be allowed to over-mature and remain in the field after maturity. The brownish colour and dried leaves of plants indicate maturity.

Crop rotation

Profitable rice based crop rotations of Zone I comprising of Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur districts and parts of Sirmour, Kangra, Solan and Chamba districts adjoining the Punjab and Haryana State are -
Rice - Linseed - Maize Fooder,
Rice - Linseed - Potato/wheat

Control of wild rice

• Method of cultivation : In the water and maach rice cultures, wild rice can be weeded out by hand picking after the crop has been fairly established. Transplanting metod reduces the chances of wild rice and should be practised wherever feasible.
• Varietal difference : Varieties with purple foliage colour like R-575 should be grown to weed out wild rice at an early stage.
• Rotation of crop : Rice should follow wheat or linseed crop in winter.
• Seed selection : For the areas infested with wild rice, the seed for the next crop should be procured from such areas where there is no wild rice problem.
• Eradication of wild rice from cultivated areas : Wild rice growing in marshy and swampy places in the neighbourhood of cultivated fields should be destroyed before earing.