What are the maturity stages of rice? The latest explanation is here

Rice is the main food crop for people in our country, and rice is basically grown throughout the south. When rice matures is a question that some farmers care about. Although different varieties have different maturity times, most ordinary ones have the same timing. In fact, what I mainly want to introduce today is how many stages the entire rice maturity period goes through and roughly how long it takes. This will help everyone understand the real situation of rice maturity.

1. Milk-ripe stage

Generally, grain filling begins one week after flowering. During grain filling, the inside of the grain is a milky white liquid and has not hardened. As it grows, it begins to accumulate starch nutrients, gradually gaining some weight, and finally it begins to harden while the inside begins to turn white, but the husk is still green. This short period is called the milk-ripe stage. It lasts about one week.

2. Dough-ripe stage

During this period, the grain begins to harden, but it can still be crushed by pinching it with your hand. It has a hardness like candle wax, and there are still some sticky substances. The green color of the husk gradually disappears and turns light yellow, but there is still a little green, not completely gone. At this time, the weight has already stabilized. It will not gain more weight. This period lasts about one week to a little more than one week.

3. Yellow-ripe stage

The grain has completely turned yellow, has little moisture, and no sticky substances. At this time, pressing it with your hand no longer easily crushes it. At this point, the plant has also turned yellow to a large extent, and only the base of the plant is green. The dry matter content is already complete, and the maturity level has reached more than %95, so it can basically be harvested.

4. Dead-ripe stage

At this time, the rice grains have fully matured and should be harvested as early as possible. Otherwise, the rachis and stems bearing the grains are likely to turn yellow and dry out and are easily broken. The grains are likely to fall into the field. The soil in the field is basically relatively dry, with no standing water. It looks like only 40% humidity. If it is not harvested at this time and rain occurs, the grain is likely to mold and deteriorate. The rice ears are relatively heavy, and some are likely to lodge in the field.

Rice maturity goes through these four stages. It is best to harvest at the yellow-ripe stage, which can ensure yield without loss. Harvesting right when it matures means it will not fall off. Harvesting will not be too early; if it is early, it may not yet be mature, and there will be a certain loss.