Abstract A Field experiment was conducted at Zigau, Shira Local Government Area of Bauchi State to study the productivity of lowland rice as influenced by season and sowing method. Lowland rice variety FARO 44 (Sippi 692033) was used during the study. The treatments consisted of two seasons (dry and wet) and four different sowing methods (Transplanting, Dibbling, Drilling and Broadcasting). This gave eight treatment combination which were factorially combined and laid in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) replicated four times. The result revealed that growing the crop during the wet season produced significantly (P≤0.01) taller plants than those of the dry season. Dry season sowing on the other hand, had significantly (P≤0.01) more tillers, number of seeds per spike, spike weight, 1000 grain weight and grain yield (kg/ha) than the wet season rice production. At different sowing methods, transplanting produced significantly (P≤0.01) taller plants and higher number of tillers per plant, number of seed per spike, spike weight, spike length, 1000 grain weight and grain yield (kg/ha) than all the other sowing method used. On year effect, 2016 rice production gave higher values of most of the parameters measured as compared to 2015 season. Rice farmers in the study area can therefore, in addition to their traditional wet season rice production, introduce dry season farming which was observed to have high yield potential. Farmers are adviced to also and always transplant their crop instead of their traditional broadcasting method or other methods for higher crop yield.

Keywords: Sowing method, productivity, transplanting, dibbling, drilling, broadcasting