Effect of varying seed rates and transplanting clonal tillers on the performance of rice under intermediate deepwater conditions (0–80 cm)

Summary

Under intermediate deepwater conditions (0–80 cm) at Cuttack, India, direct sowing of the semi-tall rice variety Utkalprabha with 200–800 seeds/m² produced similar yields in 1989 when heavy rainfall (105 mm) after sowing resulted in more than 50% germination, followed by the gradual accumulation of water in the field. However, in 1990, which was characterized by drought in the initial stages, leading to poor germination (35–40%), followed by a sudden accumulation of water, the crops sown at 200 seeds/m² produced a significantly lower grain yield than those sown at higher seed rates. Higher seed rates increased plant height, tillers/m² and panicles/m² but the associated decrease in panicle weight resulted in similar grain yield production. There was no decrease in the yield of crops sown at all seed rates in 1989 and at > 400 seeds/m² in 1990 when clonal tillers were removed after 60 days to transplant either the equivalent of or double the uprooted plot area. The loss due to decrease in panicles/m² with the removal of clonal tillers was compensated for by the resulting increase in panicle weight. The crop planted from clonal tillers produced a significantly higher grain yield than that planted from seedlings of equivalent age raised in a nursery seed-bed with or without fertilizer application. Furthermore, the clonal-propagated crop tolerated simulated flash-flooding better at the early vegetative stage, measured by less tiller mortality and relatively higher dry matter production than in the crop raised from nursery seedlings. Therefore, planting with clonal tillers uprooted from a well-established direct-sown crop is recommended under excess water conditions.