An flooded rice experiment was carried out, throughout the 1991/92 growing season, at the Soil Science Department experimental field, Federal University of Santa Maria. The experiment was conduct in Albaqualf soil to evaluate the effect of different soil tillage systems on initial plant growth, plant height and grain yield. The rice variety BR IRGA 414, was used in a randomized block design with four replications. The results demonstrated that rice dry matter accumulation in the initial plant growth were affected by soil tillage systems. The plants under minimum tillage delayed growth and initial development was slower in comparison with the ones under conventional tillage. Generally, at different sampling periods, plant heigth was shorter under minimum tillage except at havesting time. The minimum tillage system did not affect grain yield. despite of slower initial dry matter accumulation and lower plant heigth.
flooded rice; minimum tillage; conventional tillage; dry matter; plant heigth
