Abstract:
Agronomic practices such as transplanting age, plant spacing, and water application regimes in irrigated paddy production can have a significant impact towards the performance in rice growth
and yield. A study was conducted to investigate the optimum transplanting age for maximum rice
productivity under the systems of rice intensification (SRI) technology. The study treatments
adopted were three representing 8, 12 and 15 days old seedlings replicated 3 times each. The experiment was set in randomized complete block design (RCBD) and transplanted at spacing 25 cm
× 25 cm between rice hills. The rice variety tested was TXD 306 Super SARO, which was recommended by the ministry of Agriculture in Tanzania. Data was collected throughout the growing
season in two mixed short rains and dry season of September 2013/2014 and September
2014/2015. Data collected included biomass at vegetative, flowering and harvesting stages, total
number of tillers per hill, number of productive tillers per hill, number of grains per panicle and
rice grain yield at the end of the season. Data was analyzed using SAS software version 9.1. The
results suggested that transplanting at younger age of 8 to 12 days was recommended for Mkindo
area in Mvomero Distirct, and other areas with similar soil conditions and agro ecological characteristics.
