Rice germinates as a single culmed seedling, but soon after the seedling stage it produces primary, secondary and tertiary tillers.
Tillering begins around 40 days after planting and can last up to 120 days. Rice tiller is a specialized grain-bearing branch that is formed on the unelongated basal internode and grows independently of the mother stem (culm) by means of its own adventitious roots.
Tiller number increases, at a point more rapidly (active tillering stage), until the maximum tiller number (maximum tillering stage) is reached. Tillering is stopped after tertiary tillers have been produced.
Number of tillers per plant depends on the differentiation of axillary buds at leaf axils and the succeeding development of the tiller buds.
Tillering potential of rice, an important aspect in rice cultivation, is genetically controlled. Tillers from the rice plant emerge in a specific chronological sequence and it mainly depends on its duration and morphology.
Tillering gives the crop the necessary number of stalks required for a good production. Several factors, such as variety, light, temperature, soil humidity (irrigation), spacing and fertilization practices influence tillering.
Rice tillering occurs in a two-stage process: the formation of an axillary bud at each leaf axil and its subsequent outgrowth.
Tillering of rice
