To obtain uniform and better germination and to ensure adequate and healthy tillering, it is necessary that the seeds should be placed at optimum depth. Seeding depth is determined by physical condition of the soil (bulk density), soil moisture status, seed size and type of genotype. Dwarf varieties are more sensitive to deep sowing than tall varieties. Large seeded varieties can be seeded deeper than small seeded ones. Sandy soils or souls with good organic matter and tilth permit deeper sowing than clay soils.The higher the soil moisture, the shallower is the seed placement.

Seed sown at half to 5 cm depth take about 4 to 6 days for emergence of their plumule while the seeds exposed on the surface as well as those below 5 cm depth require 6 to 10 days. Seed lying at a depth below 10 cm from the soil surface germinate but fail to emerge out of soil and die (Pillai 1958). Best seeding depth for upland rice is found to be 2 to 4 cm for obtaining uniform crop germination, tillering and crop stand (Srivastava 1981; Das et al. 1999).