Traditional drying systems

Traditional drying systems are still practiced in many areas because of its low cost and ease of management. These  include methods, such as:

• Sun drying - spreading grains under the sun, on mats and pavements
  • Mat drying - used in small to medium-scale drying where threshed grain are placed on mats, nets, or canvas
  • Pavement drying - often used in large-scale drying for grain collectors and millers, where grains are laid on pavements specifically made for drying
• Field drying and stacking - a method for pre-drying hand-harvested crops before threshing  where farmers  cut rice panicles in the field and stacked them in small piles on top of the crop stubble

Although field drying and stacking is still practiced in some areas, it is not recommended because it can lead to high losses when grains become overdried and shattered.