GRAIN CROPS - World Food: Production and Use - page 112

Figure 3.29. Manual rice harvest.
resulting in empty panicles. Spores of the fungus remain in the soil for several years to
serve as a source of infection for new crops. Resistant varieties are being developed.
3.4.10 Harvest and Storage
Rice is harvested when grain moisture drops to 15 to 18 percent. Harvesting grain with
higher moisture content will cause problems of mold and insect losses. As shown in
Figure 3.29, much of the rice in the world is harvested by hand. The plants are cut,
bundled, and transported to a central threshing area.
Large areas of rice production have rice combines to harvest the crop. These are
similar to wheat combines but with track propulsion to get through damp areas of
the field. A rice combine being moved to another field in the Dominican Republic is
shown in Figure 3.30.
Figure 3.30. Rice combine between fields.