Improving Water Seeding Establishment System in Rainfed Lowland Rice Zuziana Susanti, Priatna Sasmita and Zaqiah Mambaul Hikmah
Research Center for Food Crop, National Research and Innovation Agency, Cibinong Indonesia
Abstract
Rainfed lowland is the second largest rice field in Indonesia after irrigated areas which covered 1.4 million ha. Rainfall is the main source of water thus farmers do not move out the water out of the field even during broadcasting to ensure its availability until harvest. As consequences water-seeding system is the most popular rice establishment. An experiment aims to determine the use of iron-coated seed in improving the growth and yield of rice had been conducted in South Sulawesi, Wajo during wet-season 2018. The study was design in split-plot with 4 replication. The main plot was planting system comparing between transplanting at 21 days after sowing and water-seeding system with iron coated seeds. The subplot was fertilizer rate which were 100% of fertilizer recommendation, 75%, 50% and 25%. Transplanting system resulted in significantly higher grain yield at average 6.01 t/ha compare to broadcasting at 4.98 t/ha. At 100% fertilization from the recommended dosage, the net income in transplanting significantly higher by 22% compared to the broadcasting. Consistently even though the fertilizer dosage is reduced to 75% and 50% of the recommended fertilizer dose, the net income in the transplanting system is always higher due to the costly daily labor.
Keywords: Broadcasting, coated seed, water seeding, fertilizer
