These experiments were conducted to investigate water uptake, electrical conductivity, germination percentage, seedling growth, and seedling establishment rate in direct seeding cultivation of rice. The rice seeds of six japonica type varieties were coated with 12 kinds of polymers in a standard concentration of 0.2% using seed coating machine. The water absorption of the polymer-coated seeds under saturation conditions was not different among varieties, and was the highest in kulcel, maltrin, and waterlock on the polymer-coated seeds. The electrical conductivity with waterlock (55.0 ~mu scm-1g-1 ) was higher than the control plot (45.6 ~mu scm-1g-1 ) and other treatments. The germination of the polymer-coated seeds was 95.9% at control plot, 92.7% at low temperature and 35.7% at high temperature. The total dry weight of seed decreased in the order of low temperature, control plot, and high temperature, and was effective in pvp (polyvinyl pyrrolidone), opadry, and sacrust. The seedling establishment rate in direct seeding cultivation ranged from 74.9 to 81.0% in flooded paddy surface, and ranged from 64.7 to 76.6% in dry paddy. In both cases, it decreased in the order of early, medium and medium-late varieties, but was enhanced in daran 8600, sepirect, and sacrust. According to this study the recommended polymers for direct seeding cultivation of rice are daran 8600, sepirect, and sacrust

The conductivity test is a measure of electrolytes leakage from plant tissue. The shorter the maturation period after heading was the greater electrical conductivity (EC) of rice seed. The polymer-coated seed was not different in EC compared with non-coated seed. As soaking time of rice seed increased, EC increased gradually. The EC varied from 9.9 to 20.7~mu S cm-1g-l for control plots and from 21.3 to 41.7~mu S cm-1g-l for heat-killed seeds which were produced by autoclaving seeds at 121~circC for 20 minutes. The germination speed (the rate of 5th day) of rice seed was 94% at control plot, 83% at low temperature and 20% at high temperature. Besides, germination percentage was 95% for the control, 92% for the low temperature treatment and 39% for the high temperature treatment. The EC was negatively correlated (r=-0.771** ) with germination percentage at low temperature. Water uptake in seeds of 30, 40, 50 days after heading (DAH) was greater than that of 20 DAH. Plant height of seedlings was 9.84 cm for the control but 4.32 cm for the high temperature treatment, and the tallest for polymer-coated seed. Dry weight of seedlings was 0.841 g for the control and 0.287 g at high temperature. Besides, the polymer-coated seed was heavier than non-coated seed. The number of roots was largest from 40 to 50 DAH and polymer-coated seed, but was decreased from 20 to 30 DAH. The length of roots was 20.52 cm at control plot and 19.89 cm polymer-coated seed but 8.68 cm for the low temperature treatment and 7.28 cm for the high temperature treatment.