The main objective of this experiment was to evaluate seed yield and yield components of four irrigated rice cultivars under different management systems, as well as, to measure the concentration of nutrients in the initial drainage water. The research was conducted during the 1998/99 growing season on a lowland area on a PLANOSOIL located at the Federal University of Santa Maria-RS, Brazil. The rice cultivars were IRGA 417, EL PASO 144, BRS TAIM and EPAGRI 108. The management systems were: conventional and minimum tillage and pre-germinated and "mix" of pre-germinated and seedlings transplants. The experimental design was a randomized aplit block with four replications. The conventional and minimum tillage were seeded in November 01st, 1998 and the pre-germinated and mix of pre-germinated and seedlings transplants were estabhished in November 18th, 1998. Seed yield was affected by management system except for the cultivar EL PASO 144 that had the same yield regardless treatments. EPAGRI 108 had the highest average yields, 8349kg ha-1. The highest number of panicles per square meter was observed in the pre-germinated and mix pre-germinated systems. The transplanted seedlings had the highest number of seeds per panicles. Regardless the management systems, EL PASO 144 presented thehighest number of seeds per panicle and EPAGRI 108 the heavier seeds. Nutrient concentration in the initial dreinage water was similar in all systems with average N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Fe concentrations of 5.02, 2.06, 10.33, 6.38, 3.51 and 2.56 mg l-1, respectively.
Irrigated rice; yield; management; water quality
