INFLUENCE OF HARVESTING METHODS ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF RICE IN THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

Abstract

In this study, the influence of two different paddy harvesting methods (manual harvesting and combine harvesting) on paddy yield, head rice yield and white rice yield was investigated. Field trials were set up in three different locations in the rice producing regions Kocani, Cesinovo-Oblesevo and Stip under the standard production technology, adopted in the entire Macedonian rice production. Two Italian introduced varieties (San Andrea and Onice) were included in the trials. Samples were taken from the treatments with different methods of harvesting (manual and combine harvesting) from which the paddy rice yield data were collected directly. In order to determine the head rice yield, laboratory milling of paddy grains was performed on a paddy quality testing machine (three average samples of 100 g per treatment, duration of milling 1,40 min.). On the base of the data for paddy rice yield and head rice yield, the white rice yield was estimated. According to the results obtained, the highest paddy rice yield (11,925.67 kg ha -1 ) as well as the highest white rice yield (6,710.57 kg ha -1 ) were achieved in the treatment with manual harvesting in Kocani region (San Andrea variety). The highest head rice yield (65.80 %) was determined in the treatment with manual harvesting in Stip region (Onice variety), while the lowest head rice yield (43.90 %) was in the treatment with combine harvesting of the variety Onice in Kocani region. In general, the method of manual harvesting resulted in higher values of paddy yield, head rice yield and white rice yield compared to the method of mechanized, combine harvesting in all the examined treatments (two varieties, three locations).