• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.60-73
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• 1989

Two field experiments were carried out to assess the applicability of a central composite design (CCD) in determining optimum culture condition of an early rice cultivar, Unbongbyeo in southern Korea. A central composite design with two replicates was applied to five levels of five factors such as the number of hills per 3.3m2, the number of seedlings per hill, the levels of nitrogen, the transplanting date and the seedling age (Experiment 1). The levels of planting density were ranged from 30 hills to 150 hills per 3.3m2 ; the number of seedlings per hill from 1 seedling to 9 seedlings per hill; the levels of nitrogen application from 1 kg/l0a to 21 kg/l0a; the transplanting date from June 15 to July 5; the seedling age from 25 days to 45 days. A fractional factorial design was applied to three levels of five factors tested in CCD (Experiment 2). Yield per hill and per unit area were examined and the results obtained from both experiments were compared. The benefits from the central composite design were discussed. Maximum yield of brown rice per unit area was obtained at the combination of the central levels of one of five factors when the other four factors were fixed at central point. Furthermore, brown rice yield per unit area affected by interaction of two factors was maximized at the central point when the remain three factors being fixed at the central level. The responses of five factors to brown rice yield per hill and unit area were found to be a saddle point in both designs. Actual values of the stationary points were 107 hills per 3.3 m2, 4 seedlings per hill, 10 kg nitrogen per l0a, transplanting date of rice on June 26 and 33 days of seedling age in the central composite design. Brown rice yield per unit area at the stationary points were estimated 439 kg/l0a in the central composite design and 442 kg/l0a in the fractional factorial design. Considering the number of experimental treatment combinations, the central composite design was rather convenient in reducing the number of treatment combinations for similar information. It was more convenient for an experimenter to present the results from the central composite design than those from the fractional factorial design. Considering the optimum yields of brown rice per unit area at the stationary points being verified as saddle points in both designs. inter-heterogeneity of each of the factors should be avoided in setting up factors in pursuit of inducing unidirectional response of the factors to yield. Even though both the lower and higher levels in the central composite design being beyond the region of an experimenter's interest. they were considered highly valued in interpretation of the results. Conclusively. the central composite design was found to be more beneficial to optimize culture condition of paddy rice even with several levels of various factors were involved.