Crop Harvesting Criteria

Harvesting

Harvesting is the process of removal of entire plants or economic parts after maturity. The economic product may be grain, seed leaf, root or entire plant. The remaining portion of the stem that is left on the field after harvest is known as stubble.

Criteria for harvesting of crops

Crops	Maturity Symptoms and Criteria for harvesting	Harvesting Stage
Rice	32 days after flowering Green grains not more than four to nine per cent Percentage of milky grains less than one per cent Moisture content of grains less than 20 per cent 80 per cent panicles straw coloured and grains in lower portion of panicle in hard dough stage. At least five hills are to be studied at maturity
Sorghum	40 days after flowering Grain moisture content less than 28 per cent  Yellow coloured ears with hard grains
Pearl Millet	28 to 35 days after flowering Compact ears, on pressing hard seeds come out
Finger millet	Brown coloured ears with hard grains
Maize	Less than 22 to 25 per cent moisture in grain Husk colour turns pale brown 25 to 30 days after tasseling
Wheat	About 15 per cent moisture in grain Grains in hard dough stage Yellowing of spikelets
Sugarcane	The ratio of brix between top and botton part of cane nearly one Brix 18 to 20 per cent Sucrose 15 per cent
Redgram	35 – 40 days after flowering 80 – 85 per cent of pods turn brown
Blackgram Greengram	Pods turn brown or black with hard seeds inside pods
Groundnut	Pods turn dark from light colour. Dark coloured patches inside the shell. Kernels red or pink On pressing the kernels, oil is observed on fingers
Cotton	Bolls fully opened
Sugarcane	Leaves turn yellow, sucrose content more than 10 per cent and brix reading more than 18 per cent

Moisture content of grains for safe storage

Crops	Moisture Content (%)
Paddy, raw rice	14
Parboiled rice	15
Wheat, barley, maize, sorghum, pearlmillet, finger millet and pulses	12
Groundnut pods, rape and mustard	6