A paddy field is a flooded field of arable land used for growing semiaquatic crops, most notably rice and taro. It originates from the Neolithic rice-farming cultures of the Yangtze River basin in southern China, associated with pre-Austronesian and Hmong-Mien cultures. It was spread in prehistoric times by the expansion of Austronesian peoples to Island Southeast Asia, Madagascar, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. The technology was also acquired by other cultures in mainland Asia for rice farming, spreading to East Asia, Mainland Southeast Asia, and South Asia.

మాగాణి అనగా సారవంతమైన పుష్కలంగా నీటి సౌకర్యం గల వ్యవసాయ భూమి. ఈ మాగాణి నేలలు ఎక్కువగా చెరువు నీటి పారుదల కింద ఉంటాయి. ఈ మాగాణి నేల వరి పంటకు అనుకూలంగా ఉంటుంది.