Rice was sown three or four times at three-week intervals in the
field in each of two years, and performance in three stress trials was compared with that in corresponding irrigation trials,
with the aim of quantifying the response of the crop to water stress of 23-34 days' duration developing at different growth
stages. When drought occurred during vegetative stages, it had only a small effect on subsequent development and grain
yield. The reduction in yield of up to 30% was due to reduced panicle number per unit area in one trial, and reduced number
of spikelets per panicle in another.