Recently, a nursery mat made from rock wool has realized transplanting of the younger seedlings with the ordinary transplanting machines for Chibyo and Chubyo(3 and 4～5 leaved seedling, respectively). The seedlings defined as the 'Nyubyo' or 'Nursling seedlings' became possible to achieve economic profits from the reduction in both working time and costs. It being widely noticed as a strategy to solve the difficulties in current rice cultivation. The nursling seedlings are 1.4 to 2.5 leaves and height at 4.5 to 7cm, grown 4 to 7 days after seeding. They maintain still up to 50 to 80% of their nutrients in the endosperm, and can grow by using only their own nutrients for a certain period of time after transplanting. Nursling seedlings take 2 days in the nursery chamber at 32~circC after seeding, and 2 days in the greening house at 25~circC . This is only 4 days, all together, to make the nursling seedlings of 1.5 leaves which are ready for transplanting. Watering is only needed once at the sowing time. It only takes 1 or 2 waterings even to raise a seedlings for a period of 7 days. The number of nursery boxes can be reduced because it is possible to sow more densely(220 to 240g per box), thus it only needs seedlings of 15 to 16 boxes per 10 a which leads to a reduction in facilities and space needed. Temperature during the nursery period can be artificially adjusted more precisely which may lead to the prevention of temperature stress. The nursling seedlings can root rapid by because the crown roots from the coleoptile node begin to emerge immediately after transplanting. They show strong resistance to low temperature (12~circC ) and deep-planting. There is no danger in the rooting of the seedlings even if half of their height is buried into the soil. Moreover, it can root at a rate of up to 65 to 80% even if the full height of the seedlings is buried. They show also strong resistance to submergence (10～15cm). The nursling seedlings tend to grow by producing tillers from lower nodes. It is therefore, necessary to control to keep the proper numbers of tillers per unit area. They have no fear in the delay of heading and their yield components can be so well balanced that the same level of yield was achieved with the nursling seedlings compared to that with Chibyo. It was further suggested that if the surplus tillers can be avoided by such cultivation practices, the number of grain per panicle can be kept greater and higher yield can be realized. Practical experiments with the nursling seedlings conducted in 1989 and 1990 by farmers in various areas showed exciting results. The nursling seedlings will become widely spread, or at least occupy an important position in Japanese and also in Korean rice cultivation techniques.tivation techniques.

• Kiyochika Hoshikawa