2013 Volume 82 Issue 1 Pages 69-75
This study was conducted to establish a method of sparse planting culture of rice cultivar ‘Hokuriku 193 ’in the Hokuriku district of Japan. For 3 years (2009–2011), ‘Hokuriku 193’ was cultivated by sparse planting i.e., decreasing the number of seedlings per hill or increasing hill distance, under early (late April to early May) and standard (mid- to late May) planting conditions, and their growth, yield, and yield components were examined. The numbers of stems and the leaf area index were lower in the sparse planting plot than in the standard plot. Growth was poorer in the early plot than in the standard plot. However, under sparse planting conditions the grain-to-straw ratio was higher in the early plot and the yield was the same as that in the standard plot. The yield in sparse planting culture decreased at a lower population density. The yield loss due to planting fewer seedlings per hill was less than that due to planting with increased hill distance at the same population density.
