Preparing the Rice Fields

As I reported a couple weeks ago, rice is being planted in greenhouses now in preparation to go in the fields at the end of May. I spent the last few days in an area south of Harbin known for the 'best' rice in China.
I found more rice seedlings thriving in greenhouses.
I also found farmers in the fields preparing the land to plant the seeds.
The lighter soil where this man is standing is the old paddies from last year that were harvested and let to wait out the winter. The dark soil (in the land that has been tilled) is one of the attributes many people associate with Heilongjiang province being able to produce high quality rice.
There are gas-powered trackers to turn the soil.
And hand-powered ones.
And some people do it by hand.