Rice thrives in floodplains.
Though farming in floodplains is a worldwide practice, it is particularly common in tropical regions where yearly monsoons wash rich soils downstream. Growing crops in floodplains is becoming increasingly difficult in modern times, as dams built upriver to control flooding also impede the delivery of essential sediments. The yearly inundation of the Nile in ancient times has been studied extensively worldwide. In its wake was a fertile corridor as wide as 12 miles.
Rice
A water-loving crop, rice is typically grown in irrigated or flooded fields known as paddies. Though rice grows on every continent except Antarctica, Asia is the world's largest producer. Some varieties of rice can survive in water over 20 inches deep for up to a month. Rivers and rice benefit greatly from each other. The water in rice paddies prevents weeds from smothering the rice. And rice paddies actually help prevent floods from reaching a dangerous level in regions that experience predictable monsoons.
Sugarcane
Native to Southeast Asia, sugarcane is a tropical grass resembling bamboo that grows over 12 feet tall. It is the primary source of the world's table sugar. Sugarcane is not the same as sugar beet, a second source of table sugar grown in temperate climates. Sugarcane requires plenty of sunlight and water, making it well suited to tropical and sub-tropical floodplains.
Cereal Grains
Cereal grains, primarily wheat and barley, can be grown in floodplains. Grains were the most important food grown in the Nile's floodplain in ancient Egypt, where they were the first crop planted after the annual floods. Wheat and barley can tolerate a wide variety of climates and are therefore grown over a large percentage of the world. Barley is actually among the hardiest of crops, planted as far north as the Arctic Circle.
Other
A plethora of other crops thrive in the rich soil of floodplains. Among them are vegetables such as squash, and fruits such as melons. However, fruits that grow on trees typically aren't grown in floodplains because many fruit trees cannot tolerate the seasonal inundations; exceptions include figs and pomegranates. Corn and soybeans, two worldwide staple crops, can also be grown in floodplains.
