Growth and yield of rice as affected by transplanting dates and seedlings per hill under high temperature of Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan

Studies were initiated for two consecutive years to find out the effect of time of transplanting and seedlings hill?1 on the productivity of rice in Dera Ismail Khan district of North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Pakistan. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with split plot arrangements. Main plots consisted of four transplanting dates viz. 20th and 27th of June and 4th and 11th of July while sub-plots contained 1, 2, 3 or 4 seedlings hill?1. Among transplanting dates, June 20th planted crop gave highest paddy yield and net return with 1 seedling hill–1. It explains that the use of more seedlings hill?1 not only adds to cost but is also a mere wastage of natural resources. Based on research findings, we conclude that the use of 1 seedling hill?1 is most appropriate for timely sowing otherwise 4 seedlings hill–1 should be used to compensate for the yield gap in late transplanted rice.