XVI International Botanical Congess
Seedling establishment is one of the most important agronomic traits in direct seeding rice cultivations. We investigated the effects of 3 plant growth regulators (PGR), including abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellin (GA), ethrel (ET) on the seedling growth and seedling establishment under field conditions. Seedling establishment rate (SER) was increased by the PGR treatment. Single application of GA and combined applications of ABA with ET, and ET with GA significantly increased the SER over that of the control. The growth of different organs of rice seedling, such as coleoptiles, first leaves and second leaves were also increased by the PGRs treatment. In conclusion, high seedling establishment rate in the no-tillage direct seeding cultivation will be possible by using the proper combinations of PGRs.