Some Ecological Observations on Rice-Growing in Malaysia(<Special Issue>Proceedings of the Seminar on the Problems of Rice-Growing Villages in Malaysia)

Abstract

Rice cultivation and its environment in the continental part of Southeast Asia are now quite a familiar theme to the authors since they have been working there for more than a decade (Fukui, 1971 and 1974; Kaida, 1973 and 1974; Kyoto University Team, 1976; Takaya, 1971 and 1974). Except for a short visit to Java in 1973 (Fukui and Hattori, 1974; Matsumoto et al., 1974), both had no opportunity to undertake a field study on rice-growing in the insular part of Southeast Asia until recently. Their study in this part of Southeast Asia started with a two-month field trip to Sarawak by the senior author in 1976 (Kyoto University Team, 1977) followed by the one to Peninsular Malaysia by both lasting 45 days in 1977. This paper is a brief summary of their basic understanding of the rice culture and its environment in West Malaysia.