Seed Production For Rice

Rice Seed Production

What is seed?

A seed is defined as a living grain used for planting. Every seed is a grain but every grain is not a seed.

What is quality seed?

Quality seed is pure, clean and viable. Pure seed is without any mixture of other types or varieties whereas clean seed is free from weed seeds, litter, stones and diseased, damaged or deformed grains. Viable seed is a healthy seed with appropriate moisture content and high germination potential.

Characteristics & importance of quality seed:

Characteristics:

• Should have genetic purity
• Should have physical purity
• Should be free from other crop seeds
• Should be free from weed seeds
• Should be free from diseases
• Should have high germination and vigour
• Should have optimum moisture content (13%)

Importance of quality seed:

• Quality seed has high germination percentage and good seedling vigour
• Less weeds and use of herbicides
• Strong and uniform plants with pest and disease tolerance
• Uniformity in maturity
• Less/no off-types
• High yield and good market price

Why quality seed production?

Use of quality seed is the foundation of success in rice farming. By using quality seed, rice yield can be increased by 5-20%. In order to achieve higher seed yields, rice seed production should be undertaken in the most favourable areas where irrigation is guaranteed, and with adequate and balanced use of fertilizers together with integrated nutrient and pest management.

Production methodology

Selection of variety:

• Select a variety that suits your land type
• It should have high yield potential, stress tolerance (biotic & abiotic), and stability over seasons
• It should have right growth duration to match the season
• Should have good quality grain and marketability

Click here to see some of the popular rice varieties of Odish and their characteristics.

Nursery management:

Selecting proper land is the first step towards nursery management for seed production. A total nursery area of 0.05 – 0.1ha (5-10% of the total area to be transplanted) should be prepared for transplanting 1 ha of land. Raised bed nursery should be prepared near to irrigation facility. For machine transplanting prepare a modified mat nursery. Avoid shade and flood prone locations.

Seedling age for transplanting: 15-25 days old seedlings depending on variety duration.

Seedbed height: 5-10cm, width: 1-1.5m, length: convenient length

Alleyways: 30-50cm between two beds

Land preparation: Plough, puddle and level the field properly. FYM/compost (1 quintal/0.1ha nursery area) should be incorporated during final land preparation.

Seed treatment: Soak seeds for 24 hours then treat with fungicides like ‘Carbendazim’ or ‘Thiram’ @ 2g/kg of seed. Biopriming with ‘Trichoderma’ (10g/kg of seed) can be done for control of seed borne diseases and promotion of plant growth.

Seed rate: 40-60g/square meter. Sow pre-germinated seeds uniformly and cover the bed with paddy straw

Fertilizer application: For 0.1ha of nursery area, incorporate 5-10 kg Nitrogen and 5kg phosphorus and 5kg Potash into soil before sowing.

Land selection & preparation (Main field):

Selection of land:

• Should be fertile, light textured and free from weeds
• Should have proper irrigation and drainage system
• Should not have shade
• Size should be homogeneous and flood free

Land preparation:

• Plough the field twice to get a good tilth
• Flood (3-5cm of standing water) the field 2 days before puddling
• Incorporate FYM (Farm Yard Manure/Compost) @5t/ha during land preparation. Green manure like, sesbania can also be incorporated.
• Puddle, incorporate the basal dose of fertilizer and level the field well

Transplanting

Age of seedling: Depending on duration of the variety, 15-25 days old seedlings should be transplanted. It is always better to avoid delayed transplanting as it results in poor tillering and early flowering. Transplanting can be done either manually or mechanically.

Spacing:Ideal spacing under a good management should be 20×10 (row to row x hill to hill) square centimeters. A minimum row spacing of 20cm helps operating rotary weeder. 2-3 seedlings per hill should be transplanted at a depth of 3cm.

Nutrient/Fertilizer management

Balanced fertilizer application is essential for the cultivation of seed crop. Apply 60-80 kg Nitrogen (N) per hectare in 3 splits. Incorporate the basal dose of NPK uniformly in the soil at the time of final puddling. Apply split doses of N during early tillering and panicle initiation. Drain out water before top dressing of N fertilizer and irrigate again after 24 hours.

Note:Apply lime (2 t/ha) once in three years for acidic soils (pH<5). To know soil property, contact your nearest agriculture office.

For short duration varieties apply NPK at 60:30:30 ratio.

The dosage of fertilizer depends upon the duration of the crop. For production of bold and highly vigorous seeds, foliar nutrition plays a major role. Spraying 2% DAP results in higher seed yield with good quality seed. Depending upon the duration of the crop, the stage for DAP spray also varies.

For site specific nutrient management, it’s better to use Rice Crop Manager

Weed management

Weeds can reduce rice yield varying from 20 to 80 per cent if not controlled even at an early stage. Plough the field twice at an interval of 20 days before transplanting. Water may be impounded after allowing the weeds to grow in between ploughings. The emerging weeds get incorporated well into the soil and are fully decomposed during the final land preparation. This practice not only controls the weeds but also enhance the fertility of soil. Nice puddling of fields at transplanting suppresses weeds effectively. Within three days after transplantation, pre-emergence herbicide butachlor @1.5 – 2.0 kg/ ha, mixed with 20 kg sand, should be applied to the field. Apply post emergence herbicides, bispyribac sodium 0.4ml/lit of water. Keep the water level up to 5 cm thereafter so that weed growth can be suppressed.Use rotary weeder from 15 days after transplanting at 10 days’ interval. It saves labour for weeding, aerates the soil and root zone, prolongs the root activity, and improves the seed filling through efficient translocation of nutrients. After 30-35 days, a hand weeding is essential.

Water management

Since the water requirement of rice is higher than that of any other crop of a similar duration, assured and timely supply of irrigation water has a great influence on the yield of the crop. In the life cycle of rice plant there are certain critical stages like tillering and flowering, when rice crop should not be subjected to any moisture stress. Ensure enough water from panicle initiation stage to flowering (heading). Application of small quantities of water at short intervals to keep the soil saturated is more effective and economical than flooding at long intervals. The field should be irrigated or drained based on the growth stage of the crop.

• Up to the third stage of panicle development: shallow (2-3 cm)
• From heading to grain filling: no shortage of water
• One week before harvesting: water drained out
• AWD (alternate wetting & drying) to maintain a mix of aerobic and anaerobic soil conditions.

Pest and disease management

The best control for pests and disease problems is prevention. The use of treated seeds, removing plants affected by diseases and balanced use of fertilizers are the major disease management practices.

Major Insect, pest and diseases	Management
Stem borer	Clipping of leaf tips before transplanting, harvesting close to ground and flooding fields after harvest of crop. Spray/apply cartap hydrochloride 50 SP @ 2 g or acephate 1.5 g or chlorantraniliprole 0.3 ml or dimethoate 30 EC @2 ml per litre of water when Economic Threshold Level (ETL) of 5% dead-hearts/white ears or one egg mass per m2 or one female moth per m2 were noticed. Apply cartap hydrochloride 4% GR @ 8 kg per acre at tiller initiation stage. Tricho cards can be kept starting from 35 DAT @ 20,000 eggs per acre at 10 to 15 days interval for 3 to 4 times.
Brown plant hopper	Alleyways of 20 cm wide after every 2 m; recommended nitrogen fertilisers. Follow alternate wetting and drying Avoid early sprays to protect natural enemies Avoid resurgence causing pesticides like chlorpyriphos, profenophos, triazophos, phorate granules and synthetic pyrethroids (Deltamethrin, cypermethrin, cyhalothrin). When all measures are exhausted, it is recommended to apply pesticides like buprofezin 1.6 ml or pymetrozine 0.6 g or acephate 1.5 g or ethofenprox 2.0 ml per litre of water when the population crosses 10 to 15 numbers per m2 at tillering stage and 20 to 25 numbers per m2 at panicle initiation stage The important point of consideration is to have 200 litres of spray fluid, thorough coverage and rotation of chemicals.
Leaf folder	Elimination of alternate grassy weed hosts, reduced nitrogen usage, running a rope across crop to dislodge the larva from their folds Release of Trichogramma chilonis @20,000 per acre starting from 35 days after transplantation and repeat 3 times at fortnightly interval. Spray acephate 1.5 g or cartap hydrochloride 2.0 g or chlorantraniliprole 0.3 ml per litre of water when the leaf damage crosses 1 to 2 per hill or chlorantraniliprole 0.4%GR @ 4kg per acre or cartap hydrochloride 4% granules @ 8 kg per acre may be applied as the pest crosses ETL.
Blast	Use of disease-free seed. Seed treatment with tricyclazole @ 2g/kg seed as dry seed dressing or 1g/L of water for wet seed dressing Adoption of clean cultivation. Reduced application of nitrogenous fertilizers with more number of splits. Field should not be drained in case of disease incidence. As soon as the disease is noticed one of the following chemicals may be sprayed. – Tricyclazole 75 WP @ 0.6 g/L; – Isoprothiolane 40 EC @ 1.5 ml/ L; – Thiophanate-methyl @ 1g/L A need based second spray at 10 days interval.
Sheath blight	Use of disease-free seed. Seed treatment with Carbendazim 50 WP @ 2g/kg seed as dry seed dressing or 1g/L of water for wet seed dressing. Adoption of clean cultivation and removing weed flora on field bunds and in the field. Reduced application of nitrogenous fertilizers with more number of splits. As soon as the disease is noticed, one of the following chemicals may be sprayed. Hexaconazole 5 EC or Validamycin 3 L @ 2ml /L. A need based second spray at 10 days’ interval.
False smut	Selection of good healthy seed. Removal and destruction of smutted grains at the time of winnowing. Application of nitrogenous fertilizers in more number of splits. Spray Hexaconazole @ 1ml/lit or Chlorothalonil @ 2 g/lit of water at tillering and pre-flowering stages if the fields are known to be affected year after year.
Bacterial leaf blight	Reduced application of nitrogenous fertilizers with more number of splits. When the disease is noticed, stop or reduce the further application of nitrogenous fertilizers. None of the chemicals tested so far could check the spread of the disease in the field. Combine application of Pseudomonas fluorescence and Trichoderma harzianum (0.5%)

To know more about insect pests, diseases and their management, download the “Rice Doctor Odisha” Mobile App from Play Store. Download here.

Roguing

Roguing of off-types and voluntary plants at several stages is essential for obtaining physical and genetic purity. Off-types can be identified by their morphological characters (eg. height, leaf size, leaf shape and colour, panicle shape, panicle size and pigmentation) in the late vegetative/early flowering period.

Off types can be identified by observing the characteristics of plants:

• Taller or shorter than most of the population (main crop)
• With different colour leaves, sheath or straw
• Presence or absence of awns
• Angle of flag leaf
• Earlier or later panicle emergence
• Diseased or insect damaged plants

Harvesting

It is important to harvest the crop at the right time. Early or late harvesting will reduce the quality and quantity of the harvest.

Optimal time of harvesting:

• 20-22% grain moisture
• 80-85% of panicles turns straw colour

Click here to know more about harvesting.

Post-harvest processing

Threshing: Dislodging seeds from the panicle is called threshing. While threshing, care should be taken to avoid mechanical injuries on seeds. For manual threshing, wooden blocks should be used to avoid damage to seeds. In case of machine threshing, speed/machine setting should be adjusted. The seed moisture content should be 15-18% during threshing.

Winnowing: Winnowing should be done on a clean surface to remove dirt and other unwanted materials. Winnowing can be done both manually and mechanically using hand operated and power operated fans.

Drying: For drying, lay the seeds under the sun on a mat and spread them thinly. Mix and turn the seeds 4 to 5 times in a day. Repeat the process for about 2 to 3 days. Dry seeds immediately after threshing in less humid atmosphere. Bring the moisture content to 13% for safe and better storage.

Storage: The seed kept safely from season to season or harvest to marketing is called storage. The ideal storage condition is that there is no exchange of air or moisture between the seed and the outside environment. Seeds with moisture in them become damp, moldy and vulnerable to insect attacks. Storing seeds in a cool dry environment keeps them viable for longer period. Before storage, seeds are treated with 2g/kg of Thiram.

Use of IRRI Super Bag for storage

The IRRI Super Bag is a farmer-friendly hermetic storage bag that allows cereal grains and other crops (eg, coffee) to be safely stored for extended periods. Relative to traditional storage systems, super bags;

• Control insect grain pests (without using chemicals)
• Extend the germination life of seed for planting from 6 to 12 months,

Stages of seed multiplication

Seed class	Development process
Nucleus seed	Nucleus seed is produced by a breeder or institution which possesses 100% genetic and physical purity. Generally, it is produced by a breeder/institution using the basic nucleus seed stock. Nucleus seed is used for production of breeder seed.
Breeder seed (Tag colour: Yellow)	Breeder seed is directly controlled by the originating plant breeder, sponsoring institution or firm which supplies the initial source. Breeder seed production means the increase of each inbred seed stock obtained from nucleus seed in an isolated field. Breeder seed is used for the production of foundation seed.
Foundation seed (Tag colour: White)	Foundation seed is obtained from breeder seed. It is genetically pure and is the source of certified seed. Foundation seed is produced under the control of the originator or sponsoring institution or licensee.
Certified seed (Tag colour: Blue)	Certified seed is produced from foundation, registered, certified, or other approved seed stocks. To be certified, seed must meet certain rigid requirements regarding purity and quality. Certified seed is available for general distribution to the farmers for commercial crop production. Certified seed can not be used to produce certified seed again without the approval of the state certification agency.
Truthfully labelled seed (TLS)	Truthfully labelled seed is produced from certified seed by cultivators and private seed growers. Though this type of seed does not need certification, seed and field standards should be maintained. In the case of notified varieties, germination and purity is tested for truthful labelling.

Rice seed certification process in Odisha

Registration during a season: Seed growers can apply online through OSSOPCA website by filling applicant’s details, address, land information and crop information. Receipt and scrutiny of applications are carried out by the concerned officers.

Verification & inspection of source: The concerned Seed Certification Officer (SCO) is responsible for verification of seed source and other requirement of the seed used for raising the crop.

A field inspection is carried out as per registration details to verify the prescribed field standards (verification of factors causing irreversible damage to the genetic purity or seed health). There are both online and offline modules available for completion of the procedure.

Field inspection includes: (a) Isolation i.e,3m (b)Flowering timing (c)Observation of panicles. A minimum of 2 inspections from 50% flowering to maturity is followed as part of the inspection.

The next step involves issuance of report to the grower with respect to the field inspection by the SCO.

Threshing certificate issue: Before the issuance of threshing certificate, supervision of threshing of certified field produce is carried out by the concerned officers. Similarly, other post-harvest activities like processing and packaging also comes under supervision.

Sampling slip generation: Three types of sampling slips being generated for seed testing at Seed Testing Laboratories.

Sample 1: Sent to Seed Testing Laboratory

Sample 2: Given to seed producer

Sample 3: Additional guard Sample

Seed Testing: The concerned Seed Testing Laboratory submits a seed analysis report after testing the following parameters.

• Germination test
• Physical purity test
• Moisture test
• ODV (Other Distinguishable Varieties) test
• Insect damage test and
• Pathology test

Tag & certificate issue: The passed seed lots are given certificate and certification tag by appropriate authority.

Validity of tag: The validity of certified tagged seed is 9 months from the date of seed sample testing.

Certification standards:

Seed & field Standards	Standards for certified class
Rogue/off-type (maximum)	0.20%
Objectionable weed plants (maximum)	0.020%
Pure seed (minimum)	98.0%
Inert matter (maximum)	2.0%
Seed without husk (maximum)	2.0%
Other crop seeds (maximum)	20 nos./kg
Other distinguishable varieties (maximum)	20 nos./kg
Objectionable weed seeds (maximum)	5 nos./kg
Total Weed seeds (maximum)	20 nos./kg
Seeds infected by paddy bunt	0.50%
Germination (minimum)	80%
Moisture content (maximum) for pervious containers	13.0%
Moisture content (maximum) for impervious containers	8.0%
Isolation distance (m)	3

Registration Timeline: 31st August for Kharif and 15th February for Rabi season

Certified seed sources

• Odisha State Seeds Corporation Limited (OSSC)
• National Seeds Corporations LTD (NSC)
• Private seed growers

Click here to know more about certification process for Odisha state

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in rice

 

Details of treatments	Integrated Pest Management Practices
Seeds	Select healthy seed or disease free seed resistant/tolerant to major insect pests and diseases
	Seed treatment with Trichoderma formulation @5-10g/kg seed; or with Carbendazim @ 2g/Kg of seed
Nursery	Apply Carbofuran @ 1.1 kg a.i./ ha, 5 days before pulling seedlings from nursery for transplantation. (In gall midge endemic areas)
Main field	Transplant seedlings at a spacing of 20 x 15 cm.Leave alleyways of 30 cm after every 2 m or 10 rows.Plant a bund crop (ecological engineering) for conservation of natural enemiesWithin three days after transplantation, pre-emergence herbicide butachlor @1.5 – 2.0 kg/ ha, mixed with 20 kg sand, should be applied to the fieldFor short duration varieties apply NPK at 60:30:30For long duration varieties apply NPK at 80:40:40Survey for pest incidence and level of damage at weekly interval starting from 15 DAT.If BLB symptoms seen between 20 to 30 DAT, split doses of nitrogen may be delayed, particularly the second dose.At 15 DAT, install pheromone traps with 5 mg lure @ 8 traps/ ha for stem borer monitoring. While installing make sure that the trap remains above the crop canopy.Use Trichocards 21 DAT and repeat every 15 days till flowering @2-3 cards/ acre
30 – 59 DAT	Apply post emergence herbicides, bispyribac sodium 0.4ml/lit of waterObserve bund area and if sheath blight is observed on weeds, go for spray (Hexaconazole 2ml/L or Propiconazole 1 ml/L of water). N top dressing to be taken up as given in protocol using Leaf Color ChartMid season drainage.
60 – 90 DAT >90 DAT	One spray of Cartap hydrochloride 50 WP @ 600 g / ha at 60 DAT (against stem borer/leaf folder, if incidence crosses ET value) or RanaxypyrMid season drainage should be followed in case of BPH incidence. Need based application of Propiconazole/Carbendazim (If false smut and grain discoloration is prevalent in the region, it’s better to take a prophylactic spray at flowering.