Rice straw is fibrous, tough to cut, and contains large amounts of silicon.
A rice crop creates large tonnages of straw, which are hard to manage. In the fall, after harvest, heavy chisel plows are often used to begin the process of breaking down the straw. The chisel plow opens up the ground with a fork-like tool and helps bring the soil in contact with the stubble. This initiates the decomposition process. The first Caterpillar D-9 crawler tractor was brought to the farm about 20 years ago.