Bangladesh Agron. J. 2024, 27(1): 19-22 

INFLUENCE OF DATE OF TRANSPLANTING ON THE YIELD 

PERFORMANCE OF SALT TOLERANT RICE VARIETIES 

DURING BORO SEASON 
 

T. Akter 
 

Agronomy Division, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Gazipur 
Corresponding author, Email: tahminatanni.ag@gmail.com 

 

(Received: 03 November 2024, Accepted: 31 March 2025) 

 

Keywords: Dry-season Boro rice, Salt-tolerant rice varieties, Transplanting date optimization, 
Coastal region agriculture 

 

Abstract 
 

Future food security in Bangladesh relies heavily on effective adaptation strategies for dry-
season Boro rice production in coastal regions. This study focused on yield performance by 

evaluating the different transplanting dates as an adaptation approach for dry-season Boro 
rice. An experiment was conducted in Kamargati village, Kaliganj upazila under Satkhira 
district to assess the effect of rice variety, transplanting date, and their interaction on the yield 

performance of salt-tolerant Boro rice during December 2023 to February 2024. The study 
included three varieties: BRRI dhan67, BRRI dhan97, and BRRI dhan99, with five 
transplanting dates: 15th December, 30th December, 15th January, 30th January, and 15th 
February. The experiment followed a split-plot design with three replications. Results showed 
that var. BRRI dhan67 yielded the highest grain (5.58 t ha−1) when transplanted on 15th 
December. In the transplanting from 15th to 30th December, BRRI dhan99 outperformed 
BRRI dhan97 in terms of yield. However, after 15th January, increasing soil and water 
salinity led to crop damage, resulting in no yield. The challenge of early transplantation arises 

due to the prevalence of T. Aman rice in the area, while late transplanting faces difficulties 
from increasing salinity in soil and water. The results indicate significant differences in yield 
based on the variety and planting date, with var. BRRI dhan67 consistently producing higher 
yields in early stages.  

 

Introduction 
 

Rice (Oryza sativa) is a crucial staple crop, feeding billions of people worldwide. The 

Boro season, or winter rice, is one of the most important for attaining high yields in Bangladesh 

(Uddin, 1993; Sikder et al., 2021). To mitigate the challenges posed by saline conditions, salt-
tolerant rice varieties have been developed, showing promise for sustaining rice production in 
affected regions (Thirumeni et al., 2024).  

Transplanting time is crucial in the Boro season as it significantly affects yield 
performance. Delayed transplanting may expose the crop to lower temperatures and shorter 

day lengths, which can negatively impact flowering, grain filling, and yield as a whole (Khan et 

al., 2022).  

Because of the high salinity levels, Bangladesh's Boro season salt-tolerant rice varieties 

still show yield variability depending on transplanted time (Islam et al., 2021). Alam et al. 2020 
showed that by avoiding the crucial reproductive stage during periods of high salinity, early 
transplanting in December enabled salt-tolerant cultivars to yield more. In saline-affected areas, 
yield and water productivity can also be increased by modifying the dates of planting and 
utilizing salt-tolerant rice cultivars (Sarangi et al., 2021).  

Farmers can optimize planting schedules to enhance production and minimize crop loss 
by conducting research on salt-tolerant rice cultivars under different transplanting dates. It is 



20                                                                                                                               Akter 

possible to improve the management of rice production in vulnerable areas in order to ensure 
both food security and economic stability by knowing how transplanting date affects yield, 
especially in saline are. In order to determine the best time to plant in saline-prone salt-tolerant 
rice cultivars in Boro season under various transplanting dates was done.  
 

Materials and Methods 

 
Experimental site  

The experiment was conducted at farmer’s field in Kamargati village under the Kaliganj 

upazila of Satkhira (AEZ 13, Ganges Tidal Floodplain) during Boro season from December 
2023 to May 2024. 

 

Experimental details 

The study consisted of three BRRI salt tolerant varieties viz, BRRI dhan67, BRRI 
dhan97 and BRRI dhan99 with five transplanting dates: 15th December, 30th December, 15th 
January, 30th January, and 15th February. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design 
with three replications. Forty-five days old seedlings were transplanted in 5 m × 5 m rows using 

2-3 seedlings hill−1 maintaining spacing of 20 cm × 20 cm. Fertilizer and cultural practices were 
followed as per BRRI recommendations.  

 

Data collection and analysis 
The crops were harvested at different dates because of variety and different date of 

transplanting. The maturity of crops was determined at the time when 90% of the grains 
became golden yellow in colour. Then the harvested crops of each plot and variety were 
bundled separately, properly tagged and brought to the threshing floor. Grains were separated 
from the plants by pedal thresher. The grains then were cleaned, weighed and dried in the sun. 
Then the grain moisture content was adjusted to 14% moisture content. Finally grain yields 
unit−1 area were converted to t ha−1. Data were collected on yield and yield attributes and mean 
difference were compared by least significant difference (LSD) test. 
 

Results and Discussion 
 

Effect of transplanting dates on grain yield 

The results showed that a significant variation in yield across transplanting dates and 
rice varieties, emphasizing the importance of optimal planting time for maximizing yield. Rice 
var. BRRI dhan67 showed the maximum yields of 5.58 and 5.13 t ha−1 when transplanted on 
December 15 followed by December 30. However, yield dropped sharply to 2.83 t ha−1 by 
mid-January and reached zero by January 30. BRRI dhan97 showed consistently lower yields 
across all dates, with a peak yield of 3.54 t ha−1 on December 15, followed by a gradual decline 
to 3.33 t ha−1 by December 30, and further reductions in January. BRRI dhan99 exhibited 
moderate performance, at 4.12 t ha−1 on December 15, decreasing steadily to 1.91 t ha−1 by 
January 15, and ceasing production in late January. 
 



Influence of date of transplanting on the yield performance of salt tolerant rice varieties                             21 

 
Fig. 1. Yield (t ha−1) of different varieties over time 

 
The Fig. 1 showed that all varieties marked decline in yield over time, reaching zero by 

late January. Salam et al. (2019) identified BRRI dhan67 as a high-yielding variety in saline-
affected areas, corroborating its peak performance in this study. However, delays in 
transplanting expose crops to adverse environmental conditions, such as increased salinity and 
temperature fluctuations, leading to reduced yields. 

 

Effect of Environmental Conditions on Yield 

 

Rising soil and water salinity from January to April had a negative impact on rice yields 
(Fig. 2).  

 
Fig. 2. Salinity data 

 
BRRI dhan67, recognized as salinity tolerance (Islam & Gregorio, 2013; Salam et al., 

2019), performed best under optimal conditions but suffered yield reductions under increased 

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salinity stress in January. The reduced yields of BRRI dhan97 after December 30 may also 

reflect its sensitivity to temperature fluctuations, as noted by Najeeb et al. (2021). 

 

Conclusion 
 
The results showed the critical importance of transplanting dates in maximizing rice 

yield under saline conditions. The optimal transplanting Boro rice was identified as December 
15–30, with yields declining significantly beyond this period. Rice var. BRRI dhan67 identified 
the most promising variety for saline-prone areas, while BRRI dhan97 and BRRI dhan99 
require further evaluation to enhance performance under sub-optimal planting conditions. 
However, this study's limitation to a single location highlights the need for broader research to 
account for varying environmental factors across different regions. Future studies should include 
more varieties and locations to better understand yield performance across different 
environments. 

 

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