• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.18
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• pp.53-60
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• 2000

Seedling characteristics of rice sowed at different sowing date in an automatic facility were studied at different days after sowing (DAS). The objective was to determine the optimum sowing date and age of rice seedlings at three locations in the Kyongbuk Province of Korea viz, Andong, Euisung and Kyongsan. Heigbt and shoot dry weight of rice seedlings increased from 10 to 20 DAS and with a delay in sowing time from April to June. In these intervals shoot dry weight-height ratio decreased. For rice seeded in the last ten days of April, optimum seedling characteristics were attained between 15 to 20 DAS at Andong and Euisong and 15 DAS at Kyongsan. At the three locations, 10-day-seedlings exhibited superior characteristics to 15- and 20-day-seedlings for rice seeded in May and June. Rice seedlings of different ages were transplanted at a paddy field to determine the effect of seedling age on yield potential. The mean yield of 10-day-seedlings was 5% higher than that of 35-day-seedlings raised by the conventional method. The yield of 20-day-seedlings was 9% lower than that of 35-day-seedlings. Varietal differences in seedling characteristics of 13 rice cultivars were evaluated for the seedlings seeded in the automatic facility on June. Ten-day old seedlings ranged in height from 13.3 to 17.5 cm and shoot dry weight from 7.7 to 9.4 mg. Two cultivars, Daesanbyeo and Hwayeongbyeo, exhibited superior seedling traits compared to the remaining 11 cultivars and were, therefore, better adapted to the automatic seedling-raising facility.