Patent ID: 8087201

Claim:
A method for irrigating and fertilizing rice using a sprinkler irrigation system, said method comprising the steps of: providing a sprinkler irrigation system; determining an amount of water to be applied to the rice based on external factors; determining an amount of fertilizer to be applied to the rice based on external factors; applying water to the rice through said sprinkler irrigation system wherein, between a combination of irrigation water and rainwater, the rice receives an average of between about 6 and 25 mm of water per week between its planting and its emergence from the soil's surface, an average of between about 13 and 75 mm of water per week between said emergence and its panicle initiation stage, an average of between about 19 and 102 mm of water per week between said panicle initiation stage and its initial ripening stage; and applying a fertilizer to the rice through said sprinkler irrigation system.