Rice is harvested through a series of steps involving cutting, threshing, cleaning, drying, and bagging. The process can be done manually or mechanically.
Harvesting Process
- Cutting: Mature rice stalks (panicles) are cut just above the ground, typically using sickles or knives when done manually. In larger farms, combine harvesters are used to cut the rice efficiently
- Threshing: This step separates the rice grains from the stalks and husks. Manual threshing involves beating or trampling the cut rice, while mechanical threshers or combine harvesters handle this automatically
- Cleaning: After threshing, the grain is cleaned to remove immature, unfilled, or non-grain materials. This can be done manually or with machines
- Drying: The freshly harvested rice grains contain moisture and must be dried to about 20–25% moisture content to prevent spoilage. Traditionally, rice is sun-dried in the field, but mechanical dryers are also used to speed up the process and maintain quality
- Bagging and Storage: Once dried and cleaned, rice grains are bagged for transport and storage. Proper storage in cool, dry conditions helps maintain rice quality until milling
Harvesting Methods
- Manual Harvesting: Involves cutting by hand with sickles, manual threshing, and cleaning. Common in smaller or less mechanized farms
- Mechanical Harvesting: Combine harvesters perform cutting, threshing, and cleaning in one operation, making the process faster and reducing grain losses
Timing
Rice is harvested when grains are firm but not brittle, usually when 80–85% of grains turn straw-colored (yellow). Moisture content at harvest should be between 20–25% for optimal yield and minimal loss
. In summary, rice harvesting is a multi-step process that can be done manually or with machines, involving cutting, threshing, cleaning, drying, and bagging to ensure maximum yield and quality preservation. Mechanical combine harvesters streamline these steps into a single operation on large farms, while smaller farms often rely on manual methods. Proper timing and moisture management are critical to successful harvesting
