To examine the seedling stand and growth as affected by early seeding dates of dry direct seeded rice in the Honam plain area of Korea, Dongjinbyeo was seeded at six seeding dates from early March to late April in rice fields of silty loam soil(Jeonbuk series) at the National Honam Agricultural Experiment Station (NHAES) for two years, 1996 and 1998. Seedling stand decreased slightly. with an early seeding date, but it produced more than the optimum seedling number except for the seeding of 25 March in 1996. Days to emergence was significantly longer, as seeding date was earlier, and days to emergence by early seeding was shortened only by 8 days because the mean air temperature was lower in 1996 than average, while in 1998, the reduction effect was nine to twenty five days because the mean air temperature was higher than average. In early seeding, various weeds occurred at the emergence date of rice and dominant weeds were Alopecurus aequailis, Ludwigia prostata and Rorippa islandica. NH4 + -N content in the soil at the 5th leaf stage and maximum tillering stage were lower, as the seeding date was earlier when nitrogen was split applied as basal and top dressed in 1996, while it was not significantly different among seeding dates when nitrogen was intensively applied as a top dressing in 1998. Tiller number at the maximum tillering stage and panicle number/m2 were more, as seeding date was earlier in 1996, while it was not different in 1998. Filled grain rate and 1,000 grain weight was not different among the seeding dates. Milled rice yield was significantly decreased in the seeding before the middle of March, but in the seeding after late March, it was not varied when compared with the normal seeding date in 1996, while in 1998, there was no difference among seeding dates. From the above results, in consideration of seedling stand, weed occurance, rice growth and milled rice yield, the critical optimum early seeding time in the southern plain area may lie in early April. But it was suggested that when soil moisture is proper for seeding practices, seeding amount is increased and nitrogen is applied after plumule emergence of rice, milled rice yield may not be reduced in the seeding of middle or late March, compared with the seeding in April.l.