Abstract: The relative importance of coleoptile and first leaf length in seedling establishment under varying levels of oxygen depleted conditions due to flooding deserves clarification for the development of an anaerobic seeding technology for rice. Sprouted seeds of 14 rice genotypes were sown in the flooded soils collected from upland and lowland sources. The soils from upland and lowland sources appeared to be hypoxic and anoxic, respectively in nature after 24 h of submergence. The contribution of coleoptile length in seedling establishment was several times more than first leaf length in the soil from upland source. But in the soils from lowland source, the seedling establishment appeared to be equally dependent on both coleoptile and first leaf lengths.