MODULE 12
Harvest and
Postharvest
Technologies
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Key Check 8. Cut and
threshed the crop at the right
time.
08/28/2021 2
Learning Objectives
• Name the different rice postproduction
processes;
• Enumerate and discuss the existing practices
for each process;
• Determine the appropriate harvest and post-
harvest mechanization technologies; and
• Discuss the ways of minimizing losses for
each process.
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Rice postharvest practices
HARVESTING FIELD DRYING
PILING
THRESHING
CLEANING
PADDY DRYING
STORAGE
MILLING
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The state of rice harvest and
postharvest technologies in
the Philippines?
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OUTCOMES
At the end of the lesson, participants are expected to be able to:
• Determine the right time to harvest the rice crop;
• Discuss the potential losses due to wrong timing of harvest;
• Briefly discuss manual harvesting processes; and
• Determine the appropriate machinery and technology to be used
during harvesting.
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STRUCTURE
• Right time to harvest the rice crop
• Losses due to wrong timing of harvest
• Manual harvesting processes
• Appropriate machinery and technology to be used
during harvesting
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Postharvest losses (%)
Postproduction 1974 1984 1994-95* 2008-09**
operation
Harvesting 1-3 *-5 *-5 1.73-2.38
Gathering/pilin 2-7 *-1 *-2 *-0.17
g
Threshing 2-6 0.1-5 0.04-5 1.29-3.57
Drying 1-5 *-1 1-9 4.53-7.22
Storage 2-6 3-5 0.4-5 0.30-1.11
Milling 2-10 6-8 *-6 4.16-7.26
Total 10-37 9-23 1-32 12-21.71
Mean 24 16 16.54 16.86
08/28/2021 Source: Technical Reference Guide
8 on
Grains Postharvest. BPRE, 2000
Postharvest losses (%)
The average national rice postharvest
loss is 14.42%.
Milling has the highest milling loss -
5.47%
08/28/202 Source: Technical Reference Guide
9 on
1
Grains Postharvest. BPRE, 2000
Harvesting
The process of cutting
and collecting the
mature rice crop from
the field.
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Manual harvesting
Cutting
Hauling
Piling
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Methods of cutting
Panicle knife (Ani-ani)
Sickle
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Mechanical harvesting
PhilRice Rotary Reaper
capacity up to 2 hectares/day
powered by 6 hp gasoline
engine
easy to repair and maintain
costs about 50% lower
than imported reaper
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Mechanical harvesting
Stripper harvester
Grains are stripped from the
panicles leaving the straw still
anchored on the ground.
Threshing is done during
harvesting operation
Capacity up to 1 ha/day
(clean grains) with 6-10
workers
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Mechanical harvesting
Rice combine
Western Combine Japanese Combine
PhilRice Mini-combine
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Cutting height
Height of cutting depends
on the threshing method to
be used.
Panicle harvesting
(Yatab or Ani-ani) Foot threshing
Sickle harvesting
Mechanical harvesting Axial flow thresher
Pedal thresher
Sickle harvesting
or “Hampasan”
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Importance of timely harvesting
High quality grains
Good market price
High market acceptability
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Importance of timely harvesting
Too early
Unfilled/half-filled spikelets
Low milling recovery
Too late
High shattering loss
Low milling recovery
Damage due to rats and birds
Reduced quality of grains
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Assessment indicator to achieve
Key Check 8
20-24% MC is
ideal time to
harvest
1 3 4 5
2
ripened
If grains are golden grain (80-85%
mature), the crop is ready for harvesting.
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Key Check recommendation
Harvest the rice crop when the
moisture content of grains is 20-25%
during wet season and 18-21% during
dry season.
Use a grain moisture meter.
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Key Check recommendation
Drain the field 7-10 days before harvesting.
Uniform maturity
To avoid wetting the grains
during harvesting
To facilitate harvesting
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Threshing
Process of detaching or separating
rice grains from the panicle.
Requisites for better
threshing operations
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OUTCOMES
At the end of the lesson, participants are expected to be able to:
• Determine the right time for threshing the rice crop;
• Briefly discuss the traditional threshing method;
• Compare the traditional and mechanical methods of threshing by
identifying their respective advantages and disadvantages; and
• Describe ways how to minimize losses during the threshing
process.
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STRUCTURE
• Right time for threshing the crop
• Traditional threshing method
• Mechanical vs. traditional threshing: comparative
advantages and disadvantages
• Ways to minimize losses during threshing.
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Threshing
Grains should be immediately threshed to
prevent, if not minimize, losses both in quantity
and quality.
Threshing dripping wet palay using a mechanical
thresher should be avoided to prevent losses due
to poor grain cleaning & separation
Observe recommended threshing speed to
prevent grain damage
Thresher must be properly cleaned if paddy
is to be used for seeds
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Traditional Threshing Methods
Manual threshing
Methods
a) Trampling/Treading
- rubbing action
- Human/animal foot treading
b) Flailing
(20-60 kg/h/person) - beating action (hampasan)
Hampasan
(15kg/h/person)
Treading Trampling
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Mechanical threshing
McCormick-type Thresher
“Tilladora”
Pedal (1-2 cavans/h)
Thresher
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Mechanical threshing
Axial Flow Thresher
(10-40 cavans/hr)
Japanese head-feed type
(20-24 cavans/hr)
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Key Check recommendation
Thresh palay immediately after
harvest; within the day of harvest
during wet season and not to exceed
2 days during dry season.
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OUTCOMES
At the end of the lesson, participants are expected to be able to:
• Discuss the importance of cleaning drying paddy (palay) properly;
• Determine the proper methods of paddy cleaning drying and the
advantages of mechanical over traditional drying methods; and
• Explain ways/practices of minimizing losses during paddy
cleaning and drying.
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STRUCTURE
• Importance of proper cleaning and drying
• Methods of paddy cleaning and drying
• How to minimize losses during paddy cleaning and
drying.
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Grain cleaning
The process of removing straw, chaff, unfilled/ half-
filled grains and other impurities from the grain.
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Importance of grain cleaning
Affects storability and milling
quality of palay
Uncleaned palay is more prone to
deterioration
Most mechanical threshers are already
equipped with grain cleaning components
Palay for seeds require further cleaning
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Manual winnowing/Sieving
Natural occurring wind
Mechanically generated air draft
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Mechanical Grain Cleaners
Power Grain Cleaner
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Paddy drying
The process of removing excess moisture up to
a level safe for storage (13-14%).
Importance:
Makes long storage possible without
deterioration
Maintains viability of seeds over a long
period
Gives product greater economic value
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Paddy drying
Methods
Sun drying
Heated Air Drying
In-storage Drying (low temperature
drying)
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Sun drying
Characteristics 2-4 cm
Low cost but weather dependent
Requires manual stirring to attain uniform drying
Prone to grain fissuring
Prone to dust/stone
contamination
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Heated air drying
PhilRice
Flatbed Dryer
30 cm
6 tons capacity per batch at 4-6 hr/batch
Rice hull-fueled heating component
Complete drying to 13-14%
Can be used to dry palay for seed
purposes at regulated temperature (43 C)
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OUTCOMES
At the end of the lesson, participants are expected to be able to:
• Determine the importance and process of proper storage of
paddy;
• Explain the milling process and the degree of milling; and
• Describe ways of reducing losses during storage and milling.
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STRUCTURE
• Importance of proper storage of paddy
• Methods of proper paddy storage
• The milling process
• Reducing losses during storage and milling
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Storing
Harvests must be stored properly to avoid deterioration of seed quality
and damage from pests and diseases. Store only what is needed to
minimize costs.
Seed is the carrier of the
genetic potential for higher
crop productivity
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Storage fungi
Aspergillus. flavus Penicillium sp.
Storage fungi growing on rice seed.
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In-storage drying
In-storage
Bin Dryer
1000 - 6000 cavans capacity/batch
Forced convection – axial flow or
centrifugal fan
Drying takes weeks or even months
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Storing
Rice is subject to deterioration because of
changes in temperature and relative humidity.
10-14% MC safe for storage
18% MC temporary storage for 7-14 days,
but there might be a danger of aflatoxin
contamination
Storage area must be:
Clean and free from pests
With good ventilation
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Storing
Bag Storage Hermetic Storage
Methods
Bag Storage System
- Jute or synthetic fiber sacks
Hermetic Storage
Bulk Storage System
- Bulk
- Silowarehouse
storage Bulk Storage
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Hermetic storage
Rice is hygroscopic – absorbs moisture from the air
around
Rice seed MC will become the same as the surrounding air
EMC – equilibrium moisture content
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Milling
Process of removing the husk and
the bran layers to produce an
edible, white rice kernel free of
impurities.
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Degree of milling
• Brown rice • 0% bran removed
• Under milled rice • 25%
• Regular milled rice • 50%
• Well milled rice • 75%
• Over milled rice • 100%
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Key Check 8. Cut and threshed the crop
at the right time.
08/28/2021 50
Rice postharvest practices
HARVESTING FIELD DRYING
PILING
THRESHING
CLEANING
PADDY DRYING
STORAGE
MILLING
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Mabuhay ang mga
AEWs!!!
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For more information, please contact:
Dr. Aurora M. Corales
PhilRice Focal Person – BRIA FARMERS
amcorales@[Link]
[Link]
Mr. Matthias Radek
Chief Advisor
GIZ Agriculture-DPP Projects
[Link]@[Link] Credit
[Link]
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