Characterization of Biomass Production and Seedling Establishment of Direct-Seeded Nogyangbyeo, a Whole Crop Rice Variety for Animal Feed

Experiments were conducted with aims to (1) estimate the biomass yield potential, (2) characterize the biomass and digestible dry matter production, and (3) reveal the characteristic seedling establishment of a whole crop rice variety, Nogyangbyeo, in dry- and wet-seeded rice. Maximum aboveground total biomass of Nogyangbyeo was 18 t $ha^{-1}$ in dry-seeded rice and 20 t $ha^{-1}$ in wet-seeded rice. Biomass yield potential of Nogyangbyeo was lower than that of Dasanbyeo. Comparatively, Nogyangbyeo was straw-dependent and Dasanbyeo was grain-dependent for biomass accumulation. Percentage of digestible dry matter (DDM) was higher in panicles than straw. Digestible dry matter yield was determined mainly by biomass yield rather than DDM percentage. Number of seedling establishment in Nogyangbyeo was $73m^{-2}$ in dry-seeded rice and $109m^{-2}$ in wet-seeded rice. Poor seedling establishment of dry-seeded Nogyangbyeo in the field condition was the result of low seed germination under low temperature and poor seedling emergence by deep sowing. Low seedling emergence rate of Nogyangbyeo was attributed mainly to slow elongation growth by slow leaf development and partly to mesocotyl and 1st internode lengths, not to genetically defined leaf length. The slow elongation growth of Nogyangbyeo was the same even in the high daily mean temperature of $24^{\circ}C$. Results suggest DDM yield in rice can be improved simply by increasing biomass and whole crop rice varieties should be adaptable to direct-seeding.