Appropriate crop management in rice is required for newly selected genotypes to match with their growth potential. In irrigated areas, transplanting is the most widely accepted method to obtain high yield. Éven though the nursery management, and particularly seedling age at transplanting, is expected to have a great impact on plant growth through potential seedling competition in the nursery, research on its adaptation to the characteristics of promising genotypes has not gained much focus. The impact of early transplanting on rice growth and grain yield of four contrasted genotypes, including hybrid, new plant type and improved inbred line, was compared in the wet and dry growing seasons in IRRI, Philippines. Seedlings were grown in seedling trays and wet-bed nurseries at 3000 seeds m-2 and were transplanted 7, 14 and 21 days after sowing at 25 pl m-2. Late transplanting delayed tiller emergence by 15 days for all genotypes in all the studied situations through a delay in main tiller leaf emergence observed before transplanting. Leaf emergence started again as soon as the seedling was transplanted. Early transplanting then induced higher tiller production and higher plant shoot dry matter accumulation at early stage. Compared to later transplanting, early transplanting generated a significant positive effect on grain yield, up to 10% of hybrids and IR72 when seedlings were transplanted at 7 days, and up to 78% of the new plant type when seedlings were transplanted at 14 days. Early transplanting appears to be a relevant practice to improve yield in irrigated rice.