The alternative farming systems, many based on UC research, were employed to address whole-system concerns, including:

• long-term soil quality issues

• cultural control of weeds
• reduction of external inputs, and
• integration of regional rice cultivation into the larger landscape.

UC research established that:

		winter flooding,
		straw incorporation,
		winter cover cropping,
		summer water depth management,
		drill seeded rice, and
		dry seeded rice

can reduce the need for synthetic nitrogen and pesticide inputs.

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