Three growth phases

Post date: Apr 12, 2012 3:16:35 AM

The growth of the rice plant is divided into three phases:

1. vegetative (germination to panicle initiation);
2. reproductive (panicle initiation to flowering); and
3. ripening (flowering to mature grain)

• In the tropics, the reproductive phase is about 35 days and the ripening phase is about 30 days.
• The differences in growth duration are determined by changes in the length of the vegetative phase.
• For example, IR64 which matures in 110 days has a 45-day vegetative phase, whereas IR8 which matures in 130 days has a 65-day vegetative phase.