Rice Cultivation About Rice Plants The rice plant ( Oryza sativa ) is one of the most important food crops worldwide, providing staple food for millions of people across the globe. This plant has a long history in both cultural traditions and agricultural practices, playing a crucial role in global food security. Rice was first cultivated around 10,000 years ago in what is now China and India. From there, rice cultivation spread to Southeast Asia, Japan, Korea, and eventually across the world. Rice is a resilient crop that can tolerate diverse climatic conditions, but it thrives best in tropical and subtropical regions. Rice is broadly classified into two main types: Oryza sativa (Asian rice) and Oryza glaberrima (African rice). Oryza sativa , commonly known as paddy rice, is the most widely grown and distributed type globally, while Oryza glaberrima is more prevalent in West Africa. There are thousands of rice varieties with varying characteristics such as harvest times, disease r...