Yield components and characteristics of hybrid rice with different mechanical transplanting methods under low sowing rate

Objective  To compare yield components and characterisitcs of hybrid rice with different mechanical transplanting methods under low sowing rate, and explore mechanical transplanting methods for hybrid rice.

Method  Two kinds of mechanical transplanting methods (mechanical transplanting of blanket seedling and mechanical transplanting of blanket seedling with bast fiber mulch film ) for early and late rice under low sowing rate were arranged and compared in Zhaoqing and Jiangmen in Guangdong Province. Artificial transplanting of pot seedling was used as the control. The robust seedlings were cultivated by precision sowing with low sowing rate. The accurate transplanting was achieved by transplanter.

Result  When the sowing rate was 65 g buds per plate, there was no significant difference between the actual yields of two kinds of mechanical transplanting and artificial transplanting of pot seedling, and the differences among three different transplanting methods in early and late rice experiments were 0.17%−0.66% and 1.01%−3.24%. The effective panicle number was the key influencing factor of yield. Ensuring moderate effective panicle number was the key for raising yield. The main difference of panicle traits of different transplanting methods was found in the number of secondary branch. There was little difference in the number of primary branch.

Conclusion  Mechanical transplanting of blanket seedling can realize high yield by increasing the proportions of middle panicle, cumulative proportion of large and middle panicles, and coordinating seed setting rate and other factors under low sowing rate.