Panicle Differentiation (PD) – is closely associated with “jointing” or the internode elongation stage. PD is roughly equivalent to 1/2 to 3/4 inch internode elongation (Fig 1-6).
At this point, the panicle is 1 to 2 mm in length and the branching of the panicle is visible (Figure 1-7). This is a critical stage during rice plant development. At this stage, the environment can have a major effect on rice plant development. The second yield component, number of potential grains per panicle, is set by the time this development stage occurs.
Figure 1-