Calculating Rice Seeding Rates

After variety selection and preplant fertilizer, the next decision that should be made is seeding rate. The recommended seeding rate for drill-seeding most varieties is 30 seeds per square foot to achieve a stand of 15 to 20 plants per square foot. Since the seed size differs among varieties, the actual seeding rate in pounds per acre varies by variety. An Extension publication, “RICESEED” (Rice Information Sheet No. 163), is available to help calculate seeding rates for specific varieties and is also available in a computer program available on the Cooperative Extension Service website.

In addition to calculating seeding rates for specific varieties, these resources also assist in making adjustments for soil types, planting dates, planting systems, seedbed condition, etc. The computer version can be found at: http://riceseed.uaex.edu.

The program can also assist in calibrating drills by giving the number of seed required per row foot, depending on row spacing, to achieve a given seeding rate. For example, seeding rates of 30 seeds per square foot translates to 73 lbs/acre for Wells and a drill on 7.5 inch spacing should plant 19 seeds per row foot.