Responses to selection for high and low harvest indices were studied in the rice cross of Kaohsiung sen 7 x Pai-kuo-chin-yu. Selection of F3 plants proved effective producing effects on F4 progenies. Lines selected for higher harvest index tended to give higher grain yield, more spikelets per panicle and higher fertility and showed a height reduction and earliness of maturity. The heritability estimate for harvest index obtained in this experiment was quite high (64.3%), suggesting that in segregating populations selection for higher harvest index could be effective in breeding programs, if parental germplasms were chosen properly.