Introduction to harvesting

What is harvesting?

Harvesting is the process of collecting the mature rice crop from the field. Paddy harvesting activity includes cutting, stacking, handling, threshing, cleaning, and hauling. It is important to apply good harvesting methods to be able to 1) maximize grain yield, and 2) minimize grain damage and quality deterioration.

Harvesting can be done manually using sickles and knives, or mechanically with the use of threshers or combine harvesters. Regardless of the method, a number of guidelines should be followed to ensure that good grain quality is preserved during harvest operations and harvest losses are kept to minimum.

• Harvest at the right time with the right moisture content;
• Avoid delays in threshing after harvesting;
• Use proper machine settings when using a threshing machine;
• Clean the grains properly after threshing; and,
• Dry the grains immediately after threshing

Video on Harvesting