Effect of seedlings numbers per hill on the growth and yield of Kum Bangpra RiceVariety (Oryza sativa L.)

Abstract

The influence of seedlings number per hill on the growth and yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.) Kum Bangpra rice variety  was examined at the Plant Science Research Plots in Chonburi province, Thailand, during  November 2016 to  March 2017. The different treatments of transplanting were performed with the number of 1, 2, and 3 seedlings per hill and 30 x 30 cm spacing. Results revealed that transplanting with 3 seedlings compared with 1 and 2 seedlings per hill was significantly differed in plant height at the age of 15, 30 and 45 days after transplanting. At the age of 60 days, there was no statistical difference in plant height between transplanting with 2 and 3 seedlings per hill. The shortest plant was observed with 1 seedling per hill. In addition, at the age of 60 days, transplanting with 3 seedlings per hill produced the highest numbers of 21.33 tillers per hill, while 1 seedling per hill produced the lowest number of 12.28 tillers per hill, suggesting the highest tillering capacity of this variety at a ratio of 1:12 when transplanting with 1 seedling per hill. Yield components including number of panicles per hill, panicle length, number of filled grain per panicle, 100-grain weight, and width and length of un-husked grains showed no statistical difference. The filled grain weight per hill indicated that transplanting with 3 seedlings per hill produced maximum weight of 39.55 gm. per hill, while 1 seedling per hill produced minimum weight of 27.90 gm. per hill. As a result, highly statistically significant difference was observed in yield/Rai at 15% moisture; the highest yield per Rai was 703 kg with 3 seedlings per hill, and the lowest one was 496 kg with 1 seedling per hill. The current experiment therefore suggested that Kum Bangpra rice variety transplanted with 3 seedlings per hill was the most suitable to produce the highest yield.