Improving the performance of direct seeded system of rice intensification by seed priming

Water-wise crop production is gaining enormous attention due to looming water crises world. System of rice intensification (SRI) is a promising method for water-saving rice cultivation; however, it is more labor-intensive than the traditional method of rice production. Direct seeding (DSR) in SRI may be evaluated for potential benefits of both DSR and SRI. This study was conducted to evaluate the potential of rice seed priming in improving the performance of direct seeded SRI. Rice was direct seeded using primed seeds. For priming, seeds, of two rice cultivars Super Basmati and Shaheen Basmati, were overnight soaked in water (on-farm priming), soaked in aerated solution of CaCl₂ (osmopriming) or water (hydropriming) for 48 h. Direct seeding with dry seeds and conventional transplanting were taken as controls. Seed priming improved the seedling emergence, plant height, tillering, kernel weight and the paddy yield in DSR in both tested cultivars. However, paddy yield was higher from conventionally transplanting rice. Nonetheless, DSR in SRI using primed seeds had high benefit cost ratio than conventional transplanting or direct seeding using dry seeds. In conclusion, seed priming techniques may be employed to improve the performance of direct seeded SRI.