Crop Calendar
A cropping calendar is a picture of the rice growing season from the fallow period and land preparation, to crop establishment and maintenance through to harvest and storage.
The benefits of using a crop calendar are being able to:
- Plan for input purchase and use,
- Develop cash flow budget for the year,
- Determine credit need and period of requirement,
- Determine labor requirements and plan for peak usage times, and
- Organize contractors for land preparation and harvesting.
Create a crop calendar
- Determine the best date to plant. This information can be gathered from local experience, agricultural advisors and leading farmers in the district.
- Determine the time the variety takes from planting to harvest. The length of time from establishment to harvest is known for each variety. It may vary a little depending on the growing conditions especially water availability and solar radiation. Normally short duration varieties take 100−120 days, medium duration 120−140 days, and long duration 140 days or more to reach maturity.
- Most varieties take 50−55 days from panicle initiation to harvest.
- Mark on the calendar the date of planting and then when each other operation needs to be done (ploughing, weeding, fertilizing, and harvesting).
- Then determine how much labor, equipment and finance will be required at each step during the growing period.
- Pin the calendar in a prominent place to remind you when things need to be done.
| Duration | 150 - 155 days |
| Crop calendar | Transplanting |
| Season | Sali |
| Best planting window | May 25 – June 01 |
| 1st plowing | 21 - 14 DBS |
| 2nd plowing | 15 - 10 DBS |
| 3rd plowing | 7 - 5 DBS |
| 4th plowing | 2 DBS |
| Harrowing | 2 DBS |
| Raised bed preparation | 1 DBS |
| Seed soaking | 4 DBS |
| Seed incubation | 2 - 3 DBS |
| Sowing | DOS |
| 1st plowing | 21 - 14 DBT |
| 2nd plowing | 15 - 10 DBT |
| 3rd plowing | 7 - 5 DBT |
| 4th plowing | 2 DBT |
| Harrowing | 2 DBT |
| Crop protection in nursery | 7 DBT |
| Crop protection at planting | DOT |
| Planting | 30-35 DAS/DOT |
| Basal application of fertilizer | 2 DBT |
| 2nd dose of fertilizer | 25 - 35 DAT |
| 3rd dose of fertilizer | 60 - 65 DAT |
| Post emergence herbicide application | 3-5 DAT |
| Weeding | 15 - 25 DAT |
| Crop protection at Tillering | 25 - 45 DAT |
| Crop protection at PI | 55 - 60 DAT |
| Crop protection at grain filling | 95 - 100 DAT |
| Drain water | 105 - 110 DAT |
| Harvesting | 120 - 125 DAT |
| Storage | 7 DAH |
