SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ (PIA) — The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) urges farmers to harvest rice at the correct maturity stage and use combined harvesters to improve grain quality, reduce losses, and increase income.
PhilRice Supervising Science Research Specialist Arnold Juliano said proper timing of harvest plays a critical role in maintaining both yield and market value of rice.
He explained that farmers can estimate harvest timing based on crop maturity and field observation.
“Farmers are generally familiar with their crop’s maturity period, including early- and late-maturing varieties that can reach up to 120 days. However, a key indicator is when most panicles turn golden yellow, signaling that the rice is ready for harvest,” Juliano said.
He added that rice should be harvested at 85 to 90 percent maturity for manual harvesting and 90 to 100 percent when using a combined harvester.
Manual harvesting requires slightly earlier timing to prevent grain losses due to repeated handling, while combined harvesters minimize losses as grains are immediately processed by the machine.
He warned that harvesting too early results in immature grains that lower milling recovery and selling price, while delayed harvesting exposes crops to pests, lodging, extreme heat, and nighttime cooling that cause grain cracking and increases the proportion of broken rice.
To ensure proper timing, Juliano recommended the use of a grain moisture meter to measure moisture content before harvesting.
The recommended moisture content is 18 to 21 percent during the dry season and 20 to 25 percent during the wet season to ensure good grain quality.
Juliano also highlighted that using a combined harvester improves efficiency and reduces production costs in harvesting operations.
“In manual harvesting, farmers typically spend about 15 percent of their total harvest cost, but with a combined harvester, costs drop to around 8 to 10 percent, allowing for savings and better recovery, while also eliminating expenses for labor, food, and materials like sacks,” he said.
The machine reduces labor requirements from about 20 workers per hectare to only one operator with minimal assistance, allows harvesting of up to four hectares in a day, and enables immediate harvesting during the rainy season to avoid losses when a typhoon is expected.
PhilRice continues to promote proper harvesting practices and modern technologies to help farmers improve productivity, reduce losses, and strengthen the agriculture sector and enhance food security in the country. (CLJD/MCAL, PIA Region 3-Nueva Ecija)
