In The Field with Randy

Rice Weed

Randy Chlapecka is an agronomist with Farmers Supply Association, retired from the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture - Cooperative Extension Service where he served as a County Extension Agent for over 32 years. He is an avid ASU Red Wolves fan and has announced Newport Greyhound sporting events since 1996. He also enjoys vegetable gardening.

As I write the April article for Eye On Magazine on March 14th, we’re off to another wet start. I heard a few days ago that it was the wettest January 1 through March 9 since 1950, or a lifetime for many of us. It has started off as another one of those years where you have very short periods of time to get things done in, often a day or two (or less). I make recommendations on much of the wheat in our area and it has been hard to get fertilized and sprayed. It’s either raining, there’s rain in the immediate forecast, there’s water standing, or it’s windy. Of course, we all know we can miss one rain and then everything starts changing. Everything (except maybe cotton) will start going in the ground.

I want to focus on rice weed (mainly barnyardgrass) control this month. I have been collecting and submitting barnyardgrass seedhead samples from Farmers Supply Association members over the last 4 years to have tested for herbicide resistance by the University of Arkansas. Of course, these are from fields where there are escapes so they are more likely to have resistance issues.

I sent off 6 samples in 2022. All 6 were resistant to propanil and Facet, 2 were resistant to Newpath/Preface, and 2 were resistant to Regiment. Of note, none of the 6 were resistant to Clincher, Command, or Provisia/Highcard.

Over the four year period, 27 samples were submitted. 21 were resistant to propanil, 21 to Facet, 14 to Newpath, 5 to Clincher, and 2 to Regiment. None of the samples have been resistant to Command or Provisia/Highcard. One of the samples had 40% reduced control from glyphosate but none have been resistant.

Barnyardgrass is considered by most to be the number one weed of concern in rice although red rice and the annual sedges are certainly in the running for some. These test results continue to add to the mountain of evidence of what we already know, barnyardgrass is much easier to control before it emerges than after.

Starting clean and keeping residuals active from planting until permanent flood is the name of the game. This may mean up to 3 separate residual applications. I like to have the overlapped residuals activated no later than 3 weeks from the time of the activation of the previously applied residual. I’m usually looking for opportunities to get those overlaps applied no later than 2 weeks from the previous activation, depending on the forecast. Activating rains are the key to the whole program, so you need to be watching forecasts closely.

Besides Newpath and Preface in the Clearfield and FullPage systems, residuals available for barnyardgrass control are Command, Facet, Prowl, and Bolero. There are also premixes available including Obey (Command plus Facet) and RiceOne (Command plus Prowl). Command and Facet can be applied immediately at planting while Prowl and Bolero should be applied delayed preemergence (after the rice seed has imbibed the moisture it needs for germination).

Sharpen and League are residuals that have a fit in fields with certain weed spectrums and can be applied in a tank mix with your Command. Sharpen has an 8 rating on the annual sedges and has activity on several broadleaves including pigweed. League has good activity on coffeebean, indigo, and yellow nutsedge. It has decent activity on redstem and smartweed.

For more information, feel free to contact me through Farmers Supply Association at 870-318-0739 (cell) or by e-mail at randychlapecka@gmail.com.

Notes from the Clearing

Joey Thomas

What if time is not linear? What if we only thinks so because it is all our three-dimensional bodies can percieve? What if every moment of our lives are stretched out like a stop-motion movie, existing all at the same time? What if our consciousness, spirit, soul, can only experience each moment as a circuit to run through? What will a fourth dimensional next life look like? Will we be afraid of everything in it as well? There is nothing to fear? Death is a new beginning. Nothing is lost, nothing is wasted. N