Tips for germination of rice seeds

Rice cultivation in Hong Kong is planted twice a year, with the first planting from March to August and the second planting from August to November. The best temperature for rice growth is 25-35 Degrees Celsius and sufficient sunshine is required, generally, the rice quality of the second planting is better.

In order to have healthy and strong seedlings, seed selection and germination are very important. Here are some tips for germination of rice seeds:

1. Take out the rice seeds from the cold storage and store them at room temperature for 3-5 days, or even expose them to the sun for 1-2 days, warm them up to break the dormancy.
2. Use winnowing or water selection procedures to eliminate unfilled grains.
3. The rice seeds must be soaked in water for several days to promote germination due to their hard shells. The length of the seed soaking time is affected by the outside air temperature. It takes 4-5 days to soak the seeds between 14-20°C; it takes only 1-2 days to complete the soaking at high temperatures, e.g. above 30°C. Seed soaking should be placed in flowing water as much as possible. If there is no sufficient water source, the water should be changed 2-3 times a day.
4. After soaking the seeds, they can be taken out and planted on the nursery box, transplantation can be applied when 15-20 cm seedlings are ready.

Remarks: For some rice seeds with particularly hard shells or strong dormancy, acetic acid can be added during seed soaking to increase the germination rate. Adding 20-fold diluted household fruit vinegar or rice vinegar for seed soaking can help.