Determination of Optimum Spacing and Transplanting Age for Saro5 (TXD 306) Rice Variety Under System of Rice Intensification in Mvumi-Kilosa, Tanzania

Abstract

In the determination of optimum age and spacing on yield and yield components of SARO rice variety, an experiment in split plot format based on randomized complete block design with 3 replications was conducted. Factors of Experiment consisted of three levels namely seedling ages (10, 12 and 14 days after emergency) and three levels of spacing (20×20, 25×25 and 30×30) cm. The results showed that a combination of 10 days aged seedlings spaced at 25 cm x 25 cm resulted into the highest number of total tillers, number of productive tillers, he quantity of grain yield, the quantity of shelled paddy as well as the shelling percentage, while a combination of 14 DAE spaced at 20 cm x 20 cm resulted into the lowest of all mentioned parameters. The seedlings of 12 DAE spaced at 20 cm x 20 cm resulted into the plants with the highest height compared to other age –spacing combination, while the seedlings of 14 DAE spaced at 30 cm x 30 cm resulted into the lowest plant height. This means that the experimental plots which resulted into the highest shelling percentage had low percentage of rice husks while the plots resulted into low shelling percentage had high percentage of rice husks. The biomass produced was highest in the seedlings of 10 DAE with 25 cm x 25 cm which might be attributed to the large number of total tillers produced. Therefore, the combination of 10 aged rice seedlings at the spacing of 25 cm x 25 cm has been recorded to result into the highest yield and yield components for Mvumi area in Kilosa District.