Abstract
The effects of application of chitosan solutions on the growth of rice seedling was investigated. Chitosan solutions were applied by germinating the seed in the solution, spraying the seedlings with the solution or immersing the seedlings in the solution during the nersery period. The rice seedlings were grown under submerged condition in the temperature-gradient chamber. Although each chitosan treatment slightly promoted seedling growth, a significant difference by the paired t-test was seldom found. However, when all application treatments were tested together, significant differences were found statistically in leaf number, dry weight and the amount of nitrogen absorption. The promotive effect of chitosan increased with increasing mean temperature during seedling growth period. These results indicated that chitosan application slightly promoted the growth of rice seedlings, especially at mean air temperature higher than 20—22°C during the seedling growth period.
