EFFECT OF AGE OF SEEDLING AND NUMBER OF SEEDLINGS PER HILL ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF TRANSPLANT AMAN RICE

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Field Laboratory, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur during June to October, 2007/ The objectives of the experiment were to investigate the effects of (a) age of seedling (2, 3, 4 and 5 weeks old) and (b) number of seedlings hill' (1, 2 and 3) on the growth, yield and yield components of transplant aman rice cv. BRRI Dhan33. The growth characteristics were significantly influenced by seedling age, number of seedlings hill’ and their interaction. Five weeks old seedling contributed to the highest plant height, total tillers hill, number of leaves hill’, leaf dry weight hill’, root dry weight hill and total dry matter hill! at 20 days after transplanting while the lowest were obtained with two weeks old seedling. Nonetheless at harvest, four weeks old seedlings were the best treatment in relation to productivity of BRR] Dhan33. Various seedling ages, different levels of number of seedlings hill! and their interactions significantly influenced the yield parameters. The highest effective tillers hill, effectivity index of tillers, panicle length, total spikelets panicle”, grain, straw and biological yields were higher with four weeks old seedling though the lowest results were found from the two weeks old seedling. Two seedlings hill’ were the best performer in respect of yield and yield components. Effective tillers hill’, effectivity index of tillers, total spikelets panicle”, grains panicle™', grain, straw and biological yields were higher with two seedlings hill! than those of one or three seedlings hill’. The 1000-grain weight was unaffected by the seedling ages, number of seedlings hill’ and their interactions. Finally, four weeks aged seedling demonstrated the best performance in respect of grain yield and thus, this variety may preferably be cultivated with two seedlings hill” to obtain appreciably good yield in aman season.