Coconut palms reflected in wet-rice fields

Coconut palms reflected in wet-rice fields

Young coconut palm trees grow along the margins of wet-rice fields. Their reflections are visible in the water of the flooded fields in which young green rice seedlings grow. The water in the rectangular fields appears aqua blue, reflecting Bali's tropical sky on a clear day. A Balinese farmer sits on a canal dyke near the largest tree to the right, and a cow grazes farther to the left. At this stage in the agricultural cycle, young rice seedlings have been transplanted into the flooded field, allowing them to gain nutrients from the water rather than just the soil. Canal gates are used to regulate the height of the water for maximum growth. As the rice plants ripen and turn golden yellow, water will be drained from this field into another one farther downslope. Using this ancient agricultural technology, Bali has been able to produce up to three rice crops per year on the same fields for many centuries.