Direct seeding of rice

Direct seeding, is practiced in parts of India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and has become increasingly important rice establishment method in Southeast Asia. There are two different systems of direct seeding rice, namely the wet and dry systems.

Direct seeding offers advantages as faster and easier planning, reduced labor and drudgery, earlier crop a maturity by 7-10 days, more efficient water use and higher tolerance of water deficit and often higher profit in areas growth and assured water supply.

Direct seeding eliminates the use of seedlings and related operation such as seeding, nursery preparations, care of seedlings, pulling, bundling, transporting and transplanting. Therefore it requires less labor.

In direct seeded irrigated rice culture, the field is leveled after puddling and pre-germinated seeds are broadcast or machine-drilled onto the puddled soil.

Under the wet direct seeding systems, pre-germinated seeds are sown on the saturated land that has been prepared under wet conditions.

In the dry direct seeding method, land preparation is done under dry conditions, immediately followed by seeds sown before either, irrigation water is supplied or rainfall to enable germination and seeding establishment. The rice that has been dry seeded is less vulnerable to drought stress because its root system is established earlier and deeper.
Direct seeding of rice