Yoshida - 1981 - Fundamentals of Rice Crop Science

2.1 RICE-GROWING REGIONS
Because the rice plant is highly adaptable to its environment and because man has
succeeded in modifying that environment, rice can now be grown in many different
locations and under a variety of climates. Rice is grown in northeastern China at
latitude 53°N; in central Sumatra on the equator; and in New South Wales,
Australia, at 35°S. It is grown below sea level in Kerala, India; at or near sea level in
most rice-growing areas; and at elevations above 2,000 m in Kashmir, India, and
Nepal. It can be grown under upland conditions, under moderately submerged
conditions, and in 1.5–5 m water.
0ryza sativa, the dominant rice species, is believed to have originated somewhere
in Southeast Asia. Today, it is cultivated in Asia, Africa, Europe; North,
Central, and South America; and Oceanea. Production statistics reveal that Asia is
not only the home area of O. sativa but also the major rice-growing area of the
world (Table 2.1). However, O. sativa is a newly introduced crop on the other
continents, including Africa where O. glaberrima, the other cultivated species of
Oryza, originated. The indica rices are widely grown in tropical regions such as
Southeast Asia; japonica rices, which are adapted to cooler areas, are largely
grown in temperate countries such as central and northern China, Korea, and
Japan. Both indica and japonica rices can also be grown in subtropical regions such
as Taiwan.