Rice paddy? (again)

[WuZhuiQiu]

Hi, I'm planning to model some traditionally-irrigated lowland rice paddy, but am wondering where in each field (or cluster of fields) to represent the parts of the berms that get opened and then resealed for irrigation - any ideas? Would there be one per berm edge? Would they be towards the middle of each edge or near a corner?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Kabutoni]

I have simulated Rice Paddies with Busch's Wild Grass rolls: http://www.busch-model.com/online/?rubrik=14&topnav=3&art_id=7216&sprach_id=de&spur_h0=1 Pretty accurate, plus you can easily repaint them with an airbrush. I'm sure there are alternatives for this brand elsewhere. Unfortunately I have no photos of how I've used it... :BangHead:

[KenS]

I think the question was more "how do the real ones get irrigated".  Here's some info:

 

"A typical paddy system consists of a holding pond and a network of canals, ditches and wooden or bamboo conduits to transport water to and from the paddies. The holding pond is usually at the head of a valley and collects water that seeps naturally from the surrounding hillsides. From the holding pond the water is carried down slopes in narrow ditches to run alongside the paddies. These ditches are always kept at a level slightly higher than the paddies.

 

Dikes are built around the fields to keep water in the paddy. Simple sluice gates, often comprised of a thick board and a few sandbags are set up at intervals along the ditchs. The amount of water entering a paddy can be regulated by opening and closing these gates. A drainage canal usually runs down the center of the valley. New innovations include concrete-sided canals, water pumped from underground sources and abandonment of holding ponds."

from Rice Farming in Japan, History, Paddies, Planting Harvesting and Mechanization page.

 

Which suggests that you need to think of the paddys as being along a path through which water can flow, eitehr bypassing the paddys or being diverted through them, with ingress and egress gates to control the level within the paddy. But the number and placement of gates is probably highly variable, and making one of each to suggest irrigation is probably sufficient if you are low on space.

 

A bit of googling turned up some photos:

 

Here's one with what looks like a very simple irrigation gate:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yosuiro_Kurokawa_06b6508qv.jpg

 

And a set of three showing a more sophisticated system:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tahara_Station_J9_09.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tahara_Station_J9_10.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tahara_Station_J9_11.jpg

 

And some larger views:

 

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PLANTING_OUT_RICE_SEEDLINGS.jpg

 

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RicePaddyJapan1.jpg

 

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SCATTERING_ARTIFICIAL_MANURE_IN_ADJUSTED_PADDIES.jpg

 

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abiki_Station_J9_33.jpg

[WuZhuiQiu]

Thanks, both!

[cteno4]

Wu,

 

Check out Paul ingrahms article on making paddies, some good ideas

 

http://japanrailmodelers.org/pages/modelingjapan/ricefields.html

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

[WuZhuiQiu]

Thanks, cten04! I've been to that website, thanks to another link on the forum, but it's always worth mentioning in a thread on rice paddy.

[cteno4]

You're welcome. I keep searching for those odd bits out there for some other use that would make good rice plants and paddy bits! Please share any ideas/techniques you compete up with and your results!

 

Jeff