The possibility of replacing puddled transplanted flooded rice with dry seeded rice in central China: A review

Replacement of puddled transplanted rice (PTR) by dry seeded rice (DSR) can potentially reduce consumption of resources and decrease emissions of greenhouse gases while maintaining grain yields in central China. However, dry seeding has not been widely adopted in this region. This review was undertaken to better understand the problems and opportunities for replacing PTR with DSR in central China. The performance of DSR in comparison with PTR is reviewed with regard to crop performance, water productivity, nitrogen use efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions and root development. With good water management, grain yield of DSR is similar to or higher than yield of PTR while increasing irrigation water productivity and nitrogen use efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and decreasing labor requirement. However, problems that include lodging, weak root development, weed and weedy rice infestations and poor crop establishment under drought, waterlogging, or chilling stresses might limit wide-scale adoption of DSR in central China. Varieties bred and selected for dry seeding, guidelines for improved nutrition, water, and weed and weedy rice management practices, and the development of suitable planting machines and sowing management for DSR are needed.