Upland rice (also called dry rice) is rice grown in dry-land environments. The term describes varieties of rice developed for rain-fed or less-intensely irrigated soil instead of flooded rice paddy fields or rice grown outside of paddies.

The term “upland rice” refers to rice cultivated in non-flooded conditions, and it can encompass various specific definitions. While most of the world's rice is grown in paddy fields or wet environments that require significant amount of water, rice itself does not inherently need flooding to thrive. However, flooded fields help ensure the ample water supply that certain rice varieties require and assist in weed suppression. Upland rice, by contrast, is primarily rain-fed or lightly irrigated and is not reliant on flooded conditions. This category includes both specially bred varieties that are drought-tolerant and traditional rice varieties that have adapted to drier environment.

Nearly 100 million people depend on upland rice as their daily staple food. Almost two-thirds of the upland rice cultivation occurs in Asia, with Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Northeastern India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam all being important producers.

Ecosystems involving upland rice are often relatively diverse, including fields that are level, gently rolling, or steep. Such ecosystems also occur at altitudes up to 2,000 m, with average annual rainfall ranging between 1,000 mm to 4,500 mm.

Soils used to grow upland rice range from highly fertile to highly weathered, infertile, and acidic soil. However, only 15% of total upland rice grows where soils are fertile, and the growing season is long.

Many upland farmers plant local rice that does not respond well to improved management practices, like intensive farming using artificial fertilizers, but these local rice varieties are well adapted to their environments and produce grains that meet local needs.

Although the rice technology of the 1960s and 1970s focused on irrigated rice, research also studied the cultivation of upland rice. Researchers produced cultivars adapted to poor soils with improved pest resistance and drought tolerance. Some have out-yielded traditional rice by over 100 percent in evaluations. Scientists at national agricultural research systems have crossed these improved strains with local cultivars, introducing hybrid varieties of rice.

New challenges are emerging^[when?] in the world's upland rice farming areas where poverty is already a problem. These farmers try to make a living by farming on deficient soil, which makes it hard to grow their crops.