Deep Sowing of Dry Direct-seeded Rice: Cultivar Differences in Seedling Establishment and Grain Yield

May 30, 2023

In Asia, rapid economic growth has also caused a shift of labor from agriculture to other industries, and the increase in farm labor demand has increased the labor cost for rice cultivation. To address these water and labor shortages, dry direct seeding of rice (DDSR) is increasingly being used across Asia. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of different sowing depths on crop growth, phenology, and grain yield of DDSR.

Conventional rice (Oryza sativa L.) farming with transplanting in puddled fields requires large amounts of water and labor. The total seasonal water input to rice fields is typically 1300 to 1500 mm, which is two to three times the amount required by other cereals.

However, water for rice cultivation is becoming increasingly scarce owing to the lowering of groundwater levels and declining river flows in many parts of Asia. Climate change is also leading to more extreme precipitation patterns, leading to an uncertain water supply.

In Asia, rapid economic growth has also caused a shift of labor from agriculture to other industries, and the increase in farm labor demand has increased the labor cost for rice cultivation.

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Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?