Abstract: Studies were initiated for two consecutive years to find out the effect of time of transplanting and seedlings hill⁻¹ on the productivity of rice in Dera Ismail Khan district of North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Pakistan. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with split plot arrangements. Main plots consisted of four transplanting dates viz. 20th and 27th of June and 4th and 11th of July while sub-plots contained 1, 2, 3 or 4 seedlings hill⁻¹. Among transplanting dates, June 20th planted crop gave highest paddy yield and net return with 1 seedling hill^–1. It explains that the use of more seedlings hill⁻¹ not only adds to cost but is also a mere wastage of natural resources. Based on research findings, we conclude that the use of 1 seedling hill⁻¹ is most appropriate for timely sowing otherwise 4 seedlings hill^–1 should be used to compensate for the yield gap in late transplanted rice.

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