RICE CULTIVATION
The origin of the rice
cultivation has been known is the earlest nine century.
Rice is one of the major agricultural products in Bali. It is also the main diet for them.
The Balinese are Very religious.
Offering are usually used to begin to do something, including to plant rice.
For this purpose a temporary bamboo shrine may be built where “ “DewiSri “ Goddness of agriculture are offered with offering consisting of fruits, rice,
cakes decorated with flowers of many varieties and so on.
Before the field is ploughed and hoed, the grass and rice stubbles are burnt to fertilize the soil. Afterward the field is flooded considerably.
At the same time the farmer has planned rice seeds at the adjacent nursery.
After the seeds about 25 to 40 days of age, then they are transplanted to the field prepared.
The field is flooded regularly and ploughed and hoed again and again till the soil is finely chopped and turned up and down several times. The preparation of the soil is continued.
It is then worked into a smooth mud, being leveled by buffaloes acrpss
the field vice versa for a number of required rotations. A number of men sometimes women too are planting the rice shoots.
Brought from the adjacent nursery, where the seeds have been sprouted.
Without measuring device each seeding is precisely placed next to each other,
neither too close nor too far.
After the rice are planted, the field is carefully weeded ion the first few weeks and throughout the growth of the rice.
After the rice is one or two months of age.
The weeding is formed by using an appropriate tool regularly irrigated and controlled and sprayed with insecticides and pesticides.
This must be seriously done
because se sometimes there are a sudden attach made by rice constructive insects.
As the grain begins to develop heads, the farmer is obliged to install or construct
an elaborate system to keep to birds especial the rice birds away.
The crop is harvested with the spirit of Gotong Royong meaning mutual help of friends,
relatives or the harvesting association known as “ Sekehe Manyi “.
They cut each rice had one by one with a tiny blade. Once all rice is cut and
gathered into bundles.
Then they are carried to the farmer’s rice barn to be sio
