Yield Characteristics and Related Agronomic Traits Affected by the Transplanting Date in Early Maturing Varieties of Rice in the Central Plain Area of Korea

In response to elevated temperature, a shift in the rice planting period was proposed as a promising option in temperate regions. To understand the yield response of early maturing rice to different transplanting dates and to analyze the related agronomic traits in the central plain area, we performed a two-year study using different transplanting dates and six varieties in Suwon, Korea. The maximum head rice weight was achieved in the treatments transplanted between June 14 and 29, depending upon the varieties. The optimal mean temperature during the 40 days from heading stage for attaining the maximum head rice weight was 21.8°C on the average of six varieties. The index of head rice weight was positively correlated with the indices of both the milled rice weight and head rice percentage, the latter showing a higher coefficient of determination. The highest milled rice weight was commonly achieved from the treatment transplanted on June 29, where the head rice weight was also the highest. The index of milled rice weight was significantly correlated with the indices of grain filling percentage and number of spikelets per area, but not correlated with the index of 1000-brown rice weight. The transplanting date with the highest milled rice yield produced the largest number of spikelets per area, greatest biomass at the heading and harvesting stages, and highest level of harvest index. We suggest that the optimal transplanting date for early maturing rice varieties in the central plain area is from June 14 to 29. High head rice yield in this study was attributed to increased spikelets owing to the increased biomass production at the heading stage, enhanced grain filling due to the high biomass production and harvest index at maturity, and improved head rice percentage.