Direct cultivation of rice by seed tape technology

An experiment as factorial with completely randomized block design with four replications during two continuous years (2019-2020) was carried out in order to evaluate the efficiency of rice (Oryza sativa L.) by seed tape technology and its comparison with transplanting and traditional direct seeding cultivations. The first factor consisted of two rice cultivars (Khazar and Hashemi) and the second one consisted of ten levels of seed priming treatment with three methods (transplanting, traditional direct and direct with seed tape technology). The two main challenges of rice production in traditional transplanting and direct seeded methods are the high share of labor and the increased cost. Therefore, new methods of cultivation should be sought to reduce the cost of rice production. In the present study, direct seeded of rice with seed priming treatments and seed tape technology, with reduction of labor and cost is presented. Agronomy parameters and cost production factors were evaluated in these three methods. The results showed that the use of direct seeded method with seed tape technology increased rice yield by eight percent and saved 25 percent in cost, as well as a 11 percent reduction during the growing period, 30 percent in the number of labor per hectare, 26 percent in the production cost per kilogram of white rice and 2.2 percent in the cost-benefit index in Hashemi cultivar compared to the cultivation method. Therefore, direct seeded with seed tape technology, done for the first time in Iran, is effective in reducing the cost of rice production.