Tillering capacity of rice depends on the genotype, on resources available for growth and the level of physiological stresses. The aim of this work is to examine tillering dynamics of three genetically contrasting rice cultivars: IAC47 (upland-adapted, O. sativa, japonica, low-tillering), Javaé (lowland-adapted, O. sativa, indica, high-tillering) and CG14 (broadly adapted, O. glaberrima)