| Abstract: | Field experiments were conducted over 2 years using six rice (Oryza Sativa L.) cultivars to investigate the effect of two planting methods, transplanting (TP) and direct sowing (DS), on grain quality and nutrient utilization. Brown and head rice percentages, grain width, amylase, and protein content were greater in TP than in DS, whereas the opposite effect was found for chalkiness rate, gel consistency, and alkali spread value (ASV). Dramatic differences were also found between the two planting methods for nutrient harvest index and utilization efficiency, with TP having greater phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) harvest indexes, nitrogen (N) and K utilization efficiencies, and lower N harvest index and P utilization efficiency than DS. Moreover, significant differences between these genotypes could be found for both nutrient harvest index and utilization efficiency. The correlation analysis showed that rice chalkiness, transparency, gel consistency, amylose, and protein contents were all significantly correlated with N, P, and K nutrient traits. In addition, significant interactions between rice cultivar and planting methods for both rice quality and nutrient traits were also found. |
