For Transplanted Rice (TPR):

• Followed the recommended seeding rate of 20-40kg/ha high-quality rice seeds.
• Ensured hill density of 25 hills/m2 if manually transplanted, or 21 hills/m2 if mechanically transplanted.
• Ensured one healthy seedling per hill.

How to assess hill density and health status of TPR:

1. At 10 DAT, randomly select three sampling locations at least 1m from the dike and in a diagonal line across the field.
2. Count the hills from each location using a 1m x 1m quadrat for manual transplanting. For mechanical transplanting, measure a 1.1m x 0.9m quadrat.

3. Add the counts and divide the total by three to get the average number of hills/m2.
4. In every parcel, randomly select 10 hills. Each hill should have at least one healthy seedling.

For Direct Wet-Seeded Rice (DWSR):

• Followed the recommended seeding rate of 40-60kg/ha for row seeding and 60-80kg/ha for broadcast seeding.
• Ensured plant density of at least 150 plants/m2 if row seeding or at least 225 plants/m2 at 60kg/ha seeding rate if broadcast seeding.
• Plants in each quadrat have no pest damage and are uniform in leaf color and plant height.

How to assess plant density and health status of DWSR:

1. At 15-18 DAS, randomly select three sampling sites at least 1m from the dike and in a diagonal line across the field.
2. Use a 0.5m x 0.5m quadrat. Count the plants in each quadrat, compute the average number of plants per quadrat, then multiply by four to determine the average number of plants/m2.

3. In every quadrat, visually inspect plants for uniformity in leaf color and plant height, and for pest damage.

For TPR:

1. Follow these recommendations

*Size of tray: 28cm x 58cm | **Can use 12-day-old seedlings if height is not less than 15cm | Lower seeding rate in mechanical transplanting is recommended for hybrid commercial rice production because of high price of seeds.

• Sowing the right amount of seeds results in strong and healthy seedlings.
• A 20m x 1m seedbed provides enough space for seedlings to grow.
• Apply organic materials or carbonized rice hull before leveling the seedbed. This helps loosen the soil, making pulling of seedlings easier with less root damage.

  Type of soil	Rate of application
  Fine-textured	3-4 bags commercial organic fertilizer
  Medium-textured	no need to apply organic materials

   

• Young seedlings are susceptible to invasive apple snails, also known as golden apple snails (GAS). Seedlings older than 25 days will have difficulty recovering from transplanting stress and will produce less tillers.
• Close spacing results in mutual shading and less tillers. Tall plants are susceptible to lodging.
• Do not cut the leaves of seedlings before transplanting. The cut area can be an entry point for disease-causing organisms.

2. Replant missing hills within 7 DAT. Use seedlings from the same seedbed to avoid uneven maturity.

For DWSR:
1. Follow the recommended seeding rate of 40-60kg/ha for row seeding and 60-80kg/ha for broadcast seeding.

2. Prepare the field for seeding by following the land preparation and levelling recommendations outlined in Key Check 2.

3. Protect pre-germinated seeds from birds, rats, snails, and weeds by following the recommended pest management practices.

4. Use drumseeder or broadcast pre-germinated seeds evenly onto the field.

With drumseeder

5. Sow extra 1kg pre-germinated seeds on the side of the field for replanting. Replant bald areas with a radius of more than 10cm within 7-10 DAS to ensure even maturity.