Effect of Plant Spacing and Number of Seedlings per Hill toTransplanted Rice (Oryza Sativa X Oryza Glaberrima) under Irrigation in Middle Awash, Ethiopia

Aims: The scientific information available with regards to the response of transplanted rice to plant spacing and number of seedling per hill for its optimum production is very limited. Hence, a field experiment was carried out to assess the effect of plant spacing and a number of seedlings per hill on yield components and yield of transplanted rice under irrigation at Werer, Middle Awash.

Methodology: Factorial combinations of six plant spacing (20 x 10 cm, 20 x 15 cm, 20 x 20 cm, 30 x 10 cm, 30 x 15 cm and 30 x 20 cm) and three seedlings (2, 3 and 4) were laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications.

Results: Number of days to 50% heading, days to 90% physiological maturity, Number of total tiller per hill, Number of effective tiller per hill, plant height (cm), panicle length (cm), Number of grain per panicle, 1000 seed weight and straw yield were significantly affected by the main effect of spacing. Moreover, a number of days to 50% emergence, Number of total tiller per hill, Number of effective tiller per hill, plant height (cm) and straw yield were affected by a number of seedling per hill. Grain yield and above ground biomass yield were also affected significantly by the interaction effects of spacing and number of seedling per hill. The highest grain yield (5327 kg ha-1) and biomass yield (14348 kg ha-1) were obtained from 20 x 20 cm spacing and 3 seedlings per hill the lowest grain yield (2957 kg ha-1) and biomass yield (7181 kg ha-1) obtained from 20 x 10 cm spacing and 2 seedlings per hill. Optimum plant spacing and a number of seedlings per hill were important management practice.

Conclusion: Therefore, it can be concluded that spacing 20 x 20 cm with 3 seedlings per hill appears as the best combination to obtain maximum grain yield of NERICA-4 under a transplanted system of the irrigated condition.