Managing drill sown rice

Summary

Drill sowing rice has several advantages over aerial sowing while achieving the same grain yield potential. Increased water productivity and profitability are the most important benefits of drill sowing. Other benefits include no wind or muddy water problems during establishment, fewer aquatic weeds, fewer bloodworms, reduced duck and snail issues and minimal lodging.

Drill sowing can take many forms but generally involves drilling the seed into the soil before applying flush irrigations to establish the crop. Permanent water (PW) can then be applied anytime between the two-leaf stage and late tillering.

Topics include:

• field layout
• site preparation
• time of sowing
• management at sowing
• herbicide application
• irrigation management
• in-crop fertiliser management