In general, there are two methods of planting crops: direct seeding and transplanting. Direct seeding is either by broadcast, hill or dibble, or by drill method. The hill and the drill methods are alternative options in row planting.
Direct seeding or direct sowing is a planting method in which seeds are directly planted on the ground in the farm or any growing surface while transplanting makes use of pre-grown plants, seedlings or vegetatively propagated clones. The term transplanting is also used to refer to the practice of replanting in which an already established plant in one location is moved elsewhere.
Direct seeding generally applies to large-seeded vegetables as well as in cereals and grain legumes. Transplanting is most common with small-seeded vegetables, vegetatively propagated crops, ornamental crops, fruit trees and many perennial crops. The term direct seeding is also commonly used to refer to the planting of seedpieces or underground vegetative planting materials directly into the soil.
Broadcast, Hill, and Drill Methods of Planting Distinguished
Broadcasting or sabog tanim, or scatter planting, is the method of planting that commonly applies to small seeds, like rice and mungbean, that are capable of germination and sustained growth without soil cover. There is no control of plant-to-plant spacing. The seeds are simply distributed on a well prepared ground by hand or with a mechanical broadcaster.
With hand broadcasting, a volume of seeds is held by the hand and thrown with a wide swath. Skill is important to ensure even distribution of seeds per unit ground area based on the desired seeding rate per hectare. For example, a seeding rate of 100 kg per hectare means that the seeds have to be distributed at an average of 0.01 kg or 10 g per sq meter. Assuming that the crop is rice with a weight of 1000 grains of 29 grams, this is equivalent to a seeding rate of about 345 seeds per sq meter.
Excessive seeding per unit area will mean that the prepared seeds will have been completely sown but a portion of the farm is still unplanted, and so additional seeds need to be procured. Conversely, seeding below the average will complete the planting of the entire farm with some seeds still left.
