Variability of Direct Seeded Rice Cultivars in Growth, Productivity and Kernel Quality under Different Seeding Depths

Optimum seeding depth is essential to attain the maximum production potential of a cultivar. To examine the effect of various planting depths in coarse and fine aromatic rice under direct seeding, pot and field studies were executed at University of Agriculture, Faisalabad during kharif 2012. Experiment was comprised of two rice cultivars viz., super basmati (fine aromatic rice) and KSK-133 (coarse rice) which were sown at various seeding depths viz., 2, 3, 4 and 5 cm using randomized complete block design (RCBD) under factorial arrangement of treatments replicated three times. Results indicated that stand establishment attributes were statistically affected by seeding depth. Increasing seeding depth resulted in low performance of all the yield related parameters. At seeding depth of 3 cm, leaf area indices, leaf area duration, crop growth rate, total dry matter accumulation and net assimilation rate of coarse and fine rice were improved. Likewise, significantly higher yield and its related components were recorded, when crop was sown at seeding depth of 3 cm. This treatment furnished kernel yields of 5.08 and 4.23 t ha-1 in coarse and fine aromatic rice, respectively, which were significantly higher than rest of treatments. Furthermore, at same depth kernel quality was also improved in terms of lower number of sterile, opaque and chalky kernels. Nonetheless, Water absorption ratio was also higher in these kernels. As for kernels protein content concerned it was decreased with increasing seeding depth. It is concluded that sowing at seeding depth of 3 cm for direct seeded coarse and fine rice cultivars is beneficial in terms of better stand establishment, normal growth, higher yield and improved quality of rice crop