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.
- 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.
| Crop calendar for transplanted rice | |||
| DBS – Days Before Sowing | DBT – Days Before Transplanting | DAH – Days After Harvesting | |
| DOS – Date of Sowing | DAS – Days after sowing | DOT – Date of Transplanting | |
| DAF – Days After Flowering | PI – Panicle Initiation | ||
| Activities | Timing | ||
| Nursery operations | Short duration varieties (120 or <) | Medium duration varieties (120-140 days) | Long duration varieties (140 or >) |
| Ploughing and raised nursery bed preparation | 1 DBS | ||
| Seed soaking | 2DBS | ||
| Seed treatment and incubation | 1 DBS | ||
| Sowing in nursery | DOS | ||
| Nutrient management in nursery | Need based | ||
| Crop protection in nursery | Need based | ||
| Main field operations | |||
| 1st ploughing | 15-21 DBT | ||
| 2nd ploughing | 10-15 DBT | ||
| Puddling, land levelling and Basal application of fertilizer | 1 DBT | ||
| Transplanting | 20-25 DAS | 25-30 DAS | 30-35 DAS |
| 1st Weeding | 15-20 DAT | 20-25 DAT | 30-35 DAT |
| 2nd dose of fertilizer at tillering | 15-20 DAT | 20-25 DAT | 30-35 DAT |
| Crop protection at tillering | Need based | ||
| 2nd Weeding | 55 – 60 DAT | 60-65 DAT | 85-95 DAT |
| 3rd dose of fertilizer at PI | 55 – 60 DAT | 60-65 DAT | 85-95 DAT |
| Crop protection at PI | Need based | ||
| 3rd weeding | Need based | Need based | |
| Crop protection at flowering | Need based | ||
| Drain water | 80-85 DAT/20 DAF | 110-115 DAT/25 DAF | 135-140 DAT/30 DAF |
| Harvesting | 100-110 DAT/25-30DAF | 125-130 DAT/30 DAF | 155 – 160 DAT/35-40 DAF |
| Storage | 7-10 DAH | 7-10 DAH | 7-10 DAH |
| Crop calendar for direct seeded rice | |||
| DBS – Days Before Sowing DAS – Days After Sowing DOS – Date of Sowing DAF – Days After Flowering | |||
| Activities | Timing | ||
| Main field operations | Short duration varieties (120 or <) | Medium duration varieties (120-140) | Long duration varieties (140 or >) |
| 1st ploughing | 15-21 DBS | ||
| 2nd ploughing | 10-15 DBS | ||
| Land levelling | 1DBS | ||
| Seed treatment | 1DBS | ||
| Sowing | DOS | ||
| Pre-emergence herbicide application | 3-4 DAS | ||
| Basal fertilizer application | N P & K at DOS | P&K DOS, N 10-15 DAS | P&K DOS, N 10-15 DAS |
| Post emergence herbicide application | 15-20 DAS | 20-25 DAS | 20-25 DAS |
| Manual weeding (if post emergence skipped) | 25-30 DAS | 25-30 DAS | 25-30 DAS |
| 2nd dose of fertilizer | 35-40 DAS | 45-50 DAS | 60-65 DAS |
| Crop protection at Tillering | Need based | ||
| Second Weeding | 75-80 DAS | 80-85 DAS | 105-110 DAS |
| 3rd dose of fertilizer | 75-80 DAS | 80-85 DAS | 105-110 DAS |
| Crop protection at PI | Need based | ||
| Crop protection at flowering | Need based | ||
| Drain water | 20 DAF | 25 DAF | 30 DAF |
| Harvesting | 25-30 DAF | 30 DAF | 35-40 DAF |
| Storage | 7-10 DAH | 7-10 DAH | 7-10 DAH |
