Youngsun Kim, who farms 13.22 hectares of eco-friendly rice in Jangseong, has completely controlled rice bakanae disease using a method that deviates from the JADAM recommendation of “diluting JADAM Sulfur (JS) 100 times in cold water and soaking for 38-72 hours.” Instead, Kim uses a 100-fold dilution of JS in 60°C water for a 10-minute seed soak. This rice seed disinfection method, which has never failed in 20 years, is outlined below:

1. Seed Selection Instead of self-collecting seeds, apply for non-disinfected government-supplied seeds.

2. Disinfection Preparation Fill a large tank with 2,000 liters of water, heat to 60°C, and add 18 liters of JS (approximately 100-fold dilution).

3. Seed Soaking Place 10 kg of rice seeds in a net bag and soak in the 60°C JS 100-fold solution for 10 minutes. (If the water temperature is 65°C, soak for about 7 minutes.)

4. Rinsing Remove the seed net after 10 minutes and rinse in cold water for about 1 minute using a tractor to lift and lower the bag. Prepare approximately 1,500 liters of cold water in advance for this step.

5. Germination Preparation Discard about half of the JS mixture and add cold water to adjust the water temperature to 32°C. Alternatively, discard all the JS mixture and refill with fresh cold water adjusted to 32°C; residual JS does not affect germination.

6. Germination Set the germination tank to 32°C, add the seeds, and change the water after 24 hours.

7. Monitoring Sprouting After another 24 hours (on the third day), sprouting begins. Sprouts should not grow too long—described as "pigeon breast" size, meaning just barely emerging. Check the seeds every two hours at this stage to remove them from the germination tank at the right time.

8. Post-Germination When sprouts just emerge, turn off the germination tank, drain the water, and soak the seed bags in cold water to cool them completely. Then, remove the bags and dry the seeds thoroughly in a rice seed net for about a day before sowing on seedling trays.

9. Seedling Tray Management Stack the seedling trays and cover them with nonwoven fabric and plastic. Ensure ventilation at the bottom to prevent overheating of the trays.

10. Field Preparation After about three days, when white sprouts emerge on the trays, move them to the seedbed field. Lay the trays, cover with nonwoven fabric, and quickly flood the trays with water until submerged, then drain immediately.

* Note When germinating seeds, do not place thick-hulled varieties (e.g., Shindongjin) in the germination tank with thin-hulled varieties (e.g., Saechungmu). Disinfect thick-hulled seeds a day earlier, soak in cold water, and then place in the germination tank to ensure simultaneous sprouting.

Other articles by Kyeongho KimInterviewed on : 2025.05.09 14:51

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