Effects of Ditching on Seedling Stand in Wet Direct Seeding Rice Culture

In order to develop more stable seedling stand method in wet direct rice seeding culture, the effect of making the drainage ditches was studied in both methods of broadcast seeding on floody paddy surface and puddled-soil drill seeding. In a broadcast seeding on floody paddy surface, the ditching after seeding using a tractor or small ditch maker improved the seedling stand, and reduced the floating seedling and herbicide injury by accelerating the drainage. Suitable ditching time was at 2 days after seeding (DAS) for the tractor and at 3 DAS for the ditch maker. In the puddled-soil drill rice seeding culture, the ditching before seeding with a ditch maker at 3 days after draining effectively improved the seedling stand due to quick draining through well formed the seeding furrows. In the puddled-soil drill seeding, seedling stand number showed higher in both ditching plots synchronized with seeding compared with both only draining treatment at 1 DAS without ditching and the flooding plot condition for 6 DAS. And the suitable ditching depth was 6 cm, as considered the ditching status and drained status. These results suggest that the ditching in wet direct rice seeding is an resonable practice for improving the seedling stand through the accelerating drainage of field.