*Cutting: cutting the panicles and straw.
*Hauling: moving the cut crop to the threshing location.
*Threshing: separating the paddy grain from the rest of the cut crop.
The most important consideration in harvesting is the degree of maturity of the grain, which is determined by measuring moisture content. The optimum moisture content of the rice grain at harvest time is 21 to 24 percent.
The point of maturity is generally reached 28 to 32 days after flowering. If the crop is allowed to stand in the field after it reaches maturity, large losses occur in the both the field yield of the crop harvested and the percentage recovery of head rice after milling.
Early harvesting produces a higher quality milled rice. When grain is allowed to remain in the field after it is mature “sun checking” (cracking of the grain) occurs and many of the grains break during the grain is wetter and requires more drying before it can be stored. In addition, threshing early harvested paddy is more difficult.
The most common systems of paddy harvesting in Asia including:
1. Manual harvesting and handling
2. Manual harvesting followed by machine threshing
3. Machine harvesting with a reaper followed by machine threshing
4. Combine harvesting
Objectives of good harvesting:
*Maximize grain yield
*Minimize grain bosses
*Minimize quality deterioration
Rice milling is the process where in paddy is transformed into a form suitable for human consumption, therefore, it has to be done with utmost care to prevent breakage of the kernel and improve the recovery.
Harvesting process of rice
