Wild rice - a potential new crop for Finland

Abstract

Wild rice (Zizania palustris L.), an aquatic grass that grows naturally in lakes and slowly flowing rivers in North America, has been used as a food for thousands of years by some aboriginal tribes. In natural stands, the seeds mature in the autumn and overwinter on the lake bed. They germinate in May, with growth to maturity requiring approximately 100 days. The similarity of growing conditions between North America and Finland suggests that wild rice might succeed in northern Europe. The wild rice plant and the production of both organically grown Canadian wild rice and paddy-grown wild rice in the USA are briefly described in this review article together with the results of preliminary growth trials and an assessment of its agricultural role in Finland.