Abstract

Basically, there are two methods of rice plant establishment namely transplanting and direct seeding. Direct seeding is the major method of rice planting being used in Fogera plain. However, transplanting is the major means of rice planting used in other parts of the world Therefore, field experiments were conducted in the area for two growing seasons during the 2018 and 2019 cropping years. The objective of the experiment was to study the effects of seedling age at transplanting on the yield and yield components of the crop under rain-fed condition. The treatments consist of six seedling age 0, (dry seed as a control) 7, (pre-germinated), 14, 21, 28, 35 days old seedlings were laid in RCB Design with three replications. Data were collected on yield and yield components of the crop. The data were subjected to analysis of variance using SAS software. Economic analysis was also performed to compare the economic advantage of the treatments. The results of the experiment indicated that seeding age was (p<0.001) affecting, Plant height, number of total tillers per m2 and number of filled grains per panicle. Whereas seedling age also (p<0.01) affecting panicle length, number of filled grains per panicle and grain yield. Moreover age of seedlings for transplanting (p<0.001) affecting straw yield and thousand grain weight. The highest grain and straw yield (4.54 and 11.7 t/ha-1) was obtained from 21 days old seedling age respectively. The economic analysis indicated that 21 days old seedling age was the most profitable treatment with mean net benefit of 75132.0.Birr ha-1. Therefore it can be concluded that twenty-one days old seedling age in the nursery was appropriate and recommended for transplanting method of rice production in Fogera plain.