ABSTRACT
Rice is the main food staple of more than 50% of the world population (Wallace, 1998). Its production will have to significantly increase in the future to satisfy the needs of the growing population worldwide, especially in developing countries. This represents a challenge, as the development of economies and industries often implies higher anthropogenic inputs to the environment, including agricultural fields, such as those where rice is cultivated. The latter, referred to as paddy soils, will be defined and described in the first part of this chapter.
