also: なえしろ
rice nursery; seedling bed
A specially prepared bed where rice seedlings are grown before being transplanted to the paddy field.
In spring, farmers sow rice seeds in the nursery bed.
苗代で育った苗を田んぼに植え替える。
The seedlings grown in the nursery bed are transplanted to the paddy field.
time to prepare a rice nursery
native raspberry (Rubus parvifolius)
silverthorn; thorny elaeagnus; thorny olive
Standard kanji spelling for the rice nursery bed.
Alternate reading; less common than なわしろ but still used.
Compound of 苗 (seedling) and 代 (substitute, or in this context, a prepared plot). The reading なわしろ is a sound shift from なえしろ.