Rice plant population guidelines

Summary

Rice growers in southern NSW should aim to achieve a plant population in the range of 100 to 200 plants/m² for all sowing methods. High grain yields can be achieved with plant populations below 40 plants/m², but there is a declining trend in yield with a decreasing plant population.

As plant population decreases, the number of tillers each plant produces increases, as does the number of grains per panicle. At low plant populations, it becomes increasingly important that plants are evenly spaced for grain yield to be maintained.

Topics include:

• plant population recommendations
• sowing method
• row spacing for drill sown rice
• recommended sowing rates
• measuring plant number when establishment is poor