ABSTRACT
Pre-harvest sprouting in rice frequently ranges from 0-20 percent, mainly in nondormant varieties exposed to prolonged rains and lodging during grain maturation particularly in japonica cultivars. World production of rice was about 470 million tonnes of rough rice in 1984 of which at least 90 percent was produced and consumed in Asia. Dormancy in rice grain is not true embryo dormancy because excised embryos germinate readily. Full utilization of rice grain requires appropriate grain size and shape, excellent milling quality, and the desired cooked rice texture. Grain breakage during desiccation in the field and post-harvest drying should be minimized because rice is consumed mainly as whole-grain milled rice. Incorporating dormancy into rice varieties reduces pre-harvest sprouting. Draining fields as the grain matures not only allows hardening of paddy fields in time for harvest but also prevents grain wetting in case of lodging.
