Rice Farming, May 2014

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www.ricefarming.com

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

Lakeland Planting Co. MS Delta growers keep rice in the mix

‘Navigable’ waterways On-the-farm rice drying

MAY 2014

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May 2014

Vol. 48, No. 6

www.ricefarming.com

Rice Farming's editorial advisory board is composed of producers Abbott Meyers of Dundee, Miss.; Linda Raun of El Campo, Texas; Kevin Berken of Thornwell, La.; George Costa of Maxwell, Calif.; Ken Minton of Dexter, Mo.; and Terry Gray of Delaplaine, Ark. Representing Extension is Dr. John Saichuk, Louisiana State University rice specialist.

COVER STORY

COLUMNS From The Editor

8

4

Leadership: ‘A longrange perspective’

USA Rice Federation

6

More than three billion reasons

Rice Producers Forum

12

Brazil as ‘exporter player?’

DEPARTMENTS Specialists Speaking

16

Disease Management

Industry News

21

Rice business scene

Calendar

Lakeland Planting Co. Producers Pete, left, and Chico Williams keep rice in the mix in the MS Delta.

FEATURES 22

ON THE COVER: As rice season begins, aerial applicators are in demand in the MS Delta.

Photo by Dr. Joe Massey

Nominations Open

2014 Rice Awards See page 15 Look for the Soybean South supplement following page 12 in the Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri versions of Rice Farming.

5

‘Navigable’ Waterways ’When is a hammer not a hammer, but still a hammer?’

13

On-The-Farm Rice Drying Management techniques differ from commercial drying.

Arkansas Water Project

20

Deliveries will supplement on-farm irrigation.

RICE FARMING • MAY 2014

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RICEFARMING

FROM THE EDITOR

EDITORIAL/PRODUCTION Editor Carroll Smith csmith@onegrower.com Copy Editor Amanda Huber ahuber@onegrower.com Art Director Carol Watson cwatson@onegrower.com

ADMINISTRATION Publisher/Vice President Lia Guthrie (901) 497-3689 lguthrie@onegrower.com Associate Publisher Carroll Smith (901) 767-4020 Sales Manager Scott Emerson (386) 462-1532 semerson@onegrower.com Editorial Director Tommy Horton (901) 767-4020 thorton@onegrower.com Circulation Manager Janet Owens (229) 386-8809 Production Manager Kathy Killingsworth (800) 888-9784 kkillingsworth@onegrower.com For circulation changes or change of address, call (800) 888-9784

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC Mike Lamensdorf PRESIDENT/TREASURER Lia Guthrie PUBLISHER/VICE PRESIDENT ASSOCIATED PUBLICATIONS – One Grower Publishing LLC also publishes COTTON FARMING, THE PEANUT GROWER, SOYBEAN SOUTH and CORN SOUTH magazines.

RICE FARMING (ISSN 0194-0929) is published monthly January through May, and December, for $25.00 per year by One Grower Publishing LLC, 1010 June Road, Suite 102, Memphis, TN 38119.

Periodicals postage paid at Memphis, TN. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to SUNBELT FULLFILLMENT SERVICES, 307 SOUTHGATE COURT, Brentwood, TN 37027-7987. International rates are $55.00 Canada/Mexico, $90.00 all other countries for Air-Speeded Delivery. (Surface delivery not available due to problems in reliability.) $5.00 single copy.

All statements, including product claims, are those of the person or organization making the statement or claim. The publisher does not adopt any such statement or claims as its own and any such statement or claim does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher. RICE FARMING is a registered trademark of One Grower Publishing LLC, which reserves all rights granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in association with its registration.

© Copyright 2014

One Grower Publishing, LLC 1010 June Road, Suite 102, Memphis, Tennessee, 38119 Phone: 901-767-4020

4 RICE FARMING • MAY 2014

Leadership: A ‘long-range perspective’ Warren G. Bennis says, “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality” and describes a leader as having a “long-range perspective.”

Bennis is known as an American scholar, organizational consultant, an author and an expert in the field of leadership studies. He has been an advisor to several United States presidents, including John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, and served as a consultant for numerous Fortune 500 companies. In one of his bestselling books On Becoming a Leader, published in 1989, Bennis says a leader must be “a combination of experience, self-knowledge and personal ethics.”

Of course, Bennis is not the only person or group of people to recognize the importance of promoting leadership. In the agriculture industry, for example, there are many successful leadership programs that groom upcoming leaders to learn how to “translate vision into reality” and develop a “long-range perspective.”

The Rice Leadership Development Program is considered by many to be the “gold standard” in developing leaders within the rice industry.

According to the USA Rice Federation, “The Rice Leadership Development Program gives future leaders a comprehensive understanding of the rice industry, with an emphasis on personal development and communication skills. The class attends four one-week sessions over a two-year period that encompasses studies of all aspects of the rice industry through firsthand observations. They also attend seminars and workshops designed to strengthen leadership skills. A special committee of rice industry and agribusiness leaders evaluate applications, letters of recommendation, as well as conduct personal interviews to determine the five rice producers and two individuals from rice-industry related professions who will make up the Rice Leadership Development Class.”

The program is funded by grants from John Deere, RiceTec and American Commodity Company to the Rice Foundation. USA Rice develops and manages the program. During the Awards Luncheon at the 2013 USA Rice Outlook Conference, Marvin Cochran, chairman of the Rice Foundation, said, “The caliber of applicants made choosing this year’s class especially difficult, and that’s a problem the rice industry likes to have.”

Cochran also encouraged those who were not selected for the 2014 class to re-apply to the program this year. Cochran, himself, is an alumni of this prestigious program, which is managed by the ever-popular Chuck Wilson, who is affiliated with the USA Rice Federation.

To learn more about applying to the program, please visit www.usarice.com and click on Leadership Program Information. I personally encourage anyone who is interested in keeping our industry vibrant and viable to make a commitment to become a leader in rice.

Send your comments to: Editor, Rice Farming Magazine, 1010 June Road, Suite 102, Memphis, Tenn., 38119. Call (901) 767-4020 or e-mail csmith@onegrower.com.

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‘Navigable’ Waterways ‘When is a hammer not a hammer, but still a hammer?’

Unworkable Regulations On Farms Why do I bring this up? Because the EPA is planning to bring down another hammer on U.S. businesses, agriculture in particular, with a proposed ruling that impacts “navigable” waterways. Like the aircraft hammer incident in which the “government hammer,” while not a hammer, was still in fact a hammer, cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars, this new ruling by the EPA will do the exact same thing.

to onerous aspects of the Clean Water Act. The EPA said its new rule “clarifies” the scope of the Clean Water Act. However, EPA’s clarification is achieved by categorically classifying most water features and even dry land as “the waters of the United States.”

When I was a kid, we used to float on inner tubes in some of our bigger ditches when we had heavy rains, but never once did I see a tugboat pass me along the way.

No Meaningful Protection If carried out, ordinary fieldwork, fence construction or even planting could require a federal EPA permit. The result will be a wave of new regulation or outright prohibitions on routine farming practices and other land uses.

“Congress, not federal agencies, writes the laws of the land,” Stallman said. “When Congress wrote the Clean Water Act, it clearly intended for the law to apply to navigable waters. Is a small ditch navigable? Is a stock pond navigable? We really don’t think so, and Farm Bureau members are going to be sending that message to Washington loud and clear.”

The EPA contends that an entire set of exemptions will protect many farmers from the burdensome new rule. But Stallman countered that those exemptions will only apply to farming that has been ongoing since the 1970s, not new or expanded farms.

“The EPA exemptions offer no meaningful protection for the hundreds of thousands of farmers and ranchers whose operations and livelihoods are threatened by this expansion of EPA’s regulatory reach,” Stallman said. “The only thing that is clear and certain is that, under this rule, it will be more difficult for private landowners to farm and ranch, build homes or make changes to the land. This is pure and simply wrong, and it is why we need to ditch the rule.”

SONYA ETCHISON/DREAMSTIME.COM

It seems that drainage ditch in front of your house is now a navigable waterway in the eyes of the EPA. That’s right, the same way the EPA considers the Mississippi River a navigable waterway. It’s another example of government complexity (when is a hammer not a hammer, but still a hammer?) that will impact a farmer’s ability to do his job.

Recently, the American Farm Bureau Federation asked its members to resist a proposed rule from the Environmental Protection Agency it said will impose unworkable regulations on the nation’s farms, especially those which contain water bodies.

Published April 21 in the Federal Register,

©

M

ost of us would agree that our government has a unique way of couching its rules and regulations, sometimes in a manner that many of us might find a little confusing.

Back in the late 1980s, a U.S. airman brought to his commander’s attention that the government appeared to be paying $435 each for hammers included as part of an aircraft maintenance contract. The concerned commander reviewed the contract, but could find no such line item.

The next day he confronted the airman, explaining he could find no hammers in the contract. “That’s because they’re not called hammers, sir,” the airman replied.

“They’re included in the structural repair kits and they’re called ‘sheet metal adjustment tools.’”

Indeed, the hammer was included in a long list of items that made up the repair kits. The hammer was listed as “adjustment tool, sheet metal, aircraft.”

When confronted, the supplier told the Air Force panel investigating the incident he was only following government descriptions of the products he sought to supply. He said the government’s contractor requirements prohibited COTS, or “commercial off the shelf items” to be included in such sensitive military contracts. So hammer was changed to sheet metal adjustment tool. Its price tag was in fact $435.

the 111,000-word “Waters of the U.S.” proposed rule reflects the EPA’s latest interpretation of the 1972 Clean Water Act. The rule could ultimately lead to the unlawful expansion of federal regulation to cover routine farming and ranching practices as well as other common private land uses, such as home building.

“This rule is an end-run around congressional intent and rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court alike,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “Congress and the courts have said the 50 states, not the EPA, have power to decide how farming and other land uses should be restricted. It’s time to ditch this rule.”

Among other things, the rule would expand federal control over land features such as ditches and areas of agricultural land that are wet only during storms. Those ditches, if they hold water for a certain number of days, could be considered navigable and subject

“The President’s Column” by the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, April 28, 2014.

RICE FARMING • MAY 2014

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RICE FEDERATION

UPDATE

More than three billion reasons America’s rice farms are a good bet for conservation.

L

MIKE CHECKETT, DUCKS UNLIMITED

By Betsy Ward President and CEO USA Rice Federation and Dale Hall CEO Ducks Unlimited

ast year, the USA Rice Federation and Ducks Unlimited (DU) formed a groundbreaking stewardship partnership to promote the conservation and enhancement of working rice lands and waterfowl habitat.

One of the hallmark products of that partnership was a study of the biological and economic contributions rice habitats make to waterfowl populations. And the results of the study – while no surprise to rice farmers – made news in April when we held a joint press conference at the USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C. The study, authored by Ducks Unlimited’s Dr. Mark Petrie for The Rice Foundation, found that rice lands and waterfowl are inextricably linked, and that putting a price tag on the relationship quickly escalates into billions of dollars.

“The capital costs of replacing these rice [field] habitats with managed wetlands…approaches $3.5 billion,” the report says. And this does not include annual operation and maintenance costs – currently borne by rice producers – that are estimated to be at least $73 million.

The purpose of the report was to clearly and scientifically demonstrate the value working rice lands have beyond simply the nutritious commodity farmers produce for our tables. And it does so quite effectively.

So if rice farmers were well aware of this value, where’s the news?

The news goes back to the recently passed Farm Bill and the newly created

6 RICE FARMING • MAY 2014

Regional Conservation Partnership Programs (RCPP), which we think will be highly valuable to rice farmers.

As U.S. farm policy continues to emphasize conservation programs as a significant component, RCPP is the next logical step to further leverage the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Programs (CSP) you are no doubt familiar with.

All of these programs present outstanding opportunities for rice farmers to receive credit they are due for sound environmental practices they already employ, and offer resources to expand these practices and provide even more benefits.

USA Rice – DU Partnership It’s crucial to note that central to these programs – and we wouldn’t support them if it was not – is the policy that participating land be working rice land.

Our partnership is based on the belief that there can be social and environmental benefits to managing rice lands in a certain way. But, at the end of the day, if there is no economic benefit to managing rice lands that way, then farmers won’t be able to do it – nor should we expect them to.

We are pleased with our partnership; we’ve received accolades from policymakers and lawmakers in Washington, and now we are armed with scientific and economic data demonstrating some of the value behind our partnership.

We encourage you to learn more about how you can use the USA Rice – DU Stewardship Partnership to enhance your use of best management practices, use the natural relationship between ducks and rice to secure more resources for your farm and improve your productivity and profitability with proven conservation practices.

For more information about USA Rice Federation and Ducks Unlimited, visit www.usarice.com and www.ducks.org.

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Rice Consultant’s Corner

First 20 Days After Planting Are Key Paul Squires Squires Ag Consulting, Inc. Yuba City, Calif.

I worked on several rice farms while in college and as a field scout for John Taylor Fertilizers. During my last year of college, I acquired my PCA license and started to build a reputation and client list. The one word that describes how I got into the business of rice consulting is “opportunity.” Great people and leadership gave me a chance.

At the beginning of May, rice growers are hustling to prepare the soil, optimize fertilizer and chemical options and communicate their intentions and opportunities after a long winter of unknowns. We have been under an assumption for months that a 40 percent water allocation was a real possibility. Today, we are expecting a 75 percent allocation and are more educated on the real value of the commodity that makes the industry what it is; water is the dictator that is painfully showing California agriculture who is important.

Weed pressure in 2014 will be a continuation of the past years of adaptation. Weed species that used to be in the background are joining watergrass and others in the foreground. Sprangletop has become a part of the discussion now. Creative combinations of herbicides and methods of application improve our ability to manage the difficult and evolving presence of weeds that we face in an aquatic environment. Unfortunately, air applications of Clincher CA for control of watergrass and sprangletop are limited due to issues with surrounding crops. Clincher CA is effective, safer to a rice crop than other options and works well with stand establishment practices.

Alternative ground applications are used with patience and timely water management. Fortunately, we have Granite GR, Cerano and Regiment to help with our rotations.

The majority of my time spent on a rice crop is focused on the first 20 days after planting. Water management during that time can dictate the crop’s yield potential and pest management results for the rest of the year. In regard to fertility, delayed applications of starter fertilizer programs have been a management approach to reducing populations of Nostoc, commonly referred to as “scum.” I also see a benefit to the delayed application if a field is drained to establish a stand or for a herbicide application of Clincher CA or Abolish that may expose the soil to enough oxygen to create a loss of applied nitrogen.

Timing depends on how comfortable I am that the rice will remain above water without developing scum or algae that could be encouraged by the application, generally around 20 days after seeding.

Patrick Smith, a world champion cowboy, said, “It is not what we get by achieving our goals, it is what we become.” California growers have become more educated, prepared, flexible and understanding in the process of maintaining our business and a way of life that benefits others. Feeding the world is a noble occupation. All agricultural industries that contribute to the cause should be proud.

• B.S. degree in Agricultural Business – Chico State • Pest Control Adviser for 20 years, 12 years as an independent consultant. Consults on rice, tomatoes, alfalfa, corn, wheat, sunflower, almonds and beans • Director of California Association of Pest Control Advisors (CAPCA); and California Rice Marketers • Member of National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants; local advisory committee member of Farm Credit West • Class 37 – California Agricultural Leadership Program • Married to wife, Tami. Two children: Ty, 4; and Elle, two weeks • Enjoys team roping outside of family and business interests.

“Horses don’t allow you to have other hobbies.”

Recap: First 20 Days After Planting Are Key 1. Weed species that used to be in the background are joining watergrass and others in the foreground. Sprangletop has become a part of the discussion now.

2. Unfortunately, air applications of Clincher CA for control of watergrass and sprangletop are limited due to issues with surrounding crops. Clincher CA is effective, safer to a rice crop than other options and works well with stand establishment practices. Alternative ground applications are used with patience and timely water management. Fortunately, we have Granite GR, Cerano and Regiment to help with our rotations.

3. Water management in the first 20 days after planting can dictate the crop’s yield potential and pest management results for the rest of the year.

4. Delayed applications of starter fertilizer programs have helped reduce populations of Nostoc. Delayed applications also are beneficial if a field is drained to establish a stand or for a herbicide application of Clincher CA or Abolish that may expose the soil to enough oxygen to create a loss of applied nitrogen.

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Rice Consultant’s Corner

Take Care Of Your Crop From Start To Finish Linus Regan GreenPoint AG Morse, La. After graduating from Louisiana State University in 1979, I farmed rice, soybeans, crawfish and raised cattle for 28 years. In 2006, I went to work for a southwest Louisiana agricultural retail business, which later became known as GreenPoint AG. Today, I consult primarily on rice and soybeans.

Although the rice crop got off to a slow start last year because of the cold weather, most of our farmers did really well in the end. Some of them had their best yields ever, probably because there was less disease pressure. This year, dry-seeded rice planting was delayed because of wet weather, and the rice has been slow to emerge because of the cool nights. Most of the medium grain rice was water-seeded.

Control Weeds, Insects And Disease The main weed problems we have here in southwest Louisiana are fall panicum, sprangletop and yellow nutsedge. Like the rice, these weeds have been slow to emerge because of the cold weather, and we are controlling them with RebelEX and Herbivore herbicides. We like to take care of weeds: the earlier, the better, before they get too big.

For sprangletop and fall panicum escapes, we come back with Clincher herbicide.

To help control water weevils, practically every acre is planted with Dermacor-treated seed. Because of the cool weather, disease pressure wasn’t as big a problem last year as it was the year before. The top diseases in our area are sheath blight, blast and cercospora. For the best results, we recommend putting out a preventative fungicide application, such as Quilt Xcel or Gem, at the proper time – early booting. Also, Sercadis fungicide, which is fully labeled this year, is effective on strobilurin-resistant sheath blight. Some farmers like to apply Sercadis along with a propiconazole fungicide, too.

Nitrogen Stabilizer Is Key As for fertility, I believe it’s important to put out your nitrogen on dry ground with a nitrogen stabilizer, such as Agrotain. I’ve seen a definite yield increase with this approach.

As we are getting into the 2014 growing season, I would tell rice farmers to take good care of their crop. Pay close attention to water management and timing of nitrogen applications. Take care of any problem weeds early and apply a fungicide to prevent disease from adversely affecting your yield.

• B.S. in Agricultural Business – Louisiana State University • Consults primarily on rice and soybeans • Member of Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation • Sits on Acadia Parish Farm Bureau Board of Directors • Graduate of the LSU Agricultural Leadership Development Program • Married to wife, Anne Breaux Regan, for 35 years • Four grown children: Jennifer, Jeffrey, Adam and Emily.

Seven grandchildren and one on the way • Enjoys hunting, fishing and family get-togethers

Recap: Take Care Of Your Crop – Start To Finish ▼ 1. The main weed problems we have here in southwest Louisiana are fall panicum, sprangletop and yellow nutsedge. Like the rice, these weeds have been slow to emerge because of the cold weather, and we are controlling them with RebelEX and Herbivore herbicides.

2. For sprangletop and fall panicum escapes, we come back with Clincher herbicide.

3. To help control water weevils, practically every acre is planted with Dermacor-treated seed.

4. The top diseases in our area are sheath blight, blast and cercospora. For the best results, we recommend putting out a preventative fungicide application, such as Quilt Xcel or Gem, at the proper time – early booting.

5. Sercadis fungicide, which is fully labeled this year, is effective on strobilurin-resistant sheath blight.

6. I believe it’s important to put out your nitrogen on dry ground with a nitrogen stabilizer, such as Agrotain. I’ve seen a definite yield increase with this approach.

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Lakeland Planting Co. Mississippi Delta growers keep rice in the mix

By Carroll Smith Editor

A

fter graduating from Mississippi State University (MSU), Chico and Pete Williams returned to the family farming operation near Hollandale, Miss. Their grandfather, Leo Williams established the farm in the early 1940s and was later joined by his son, Leo Williams, Jr. They were primarily cotton, cattle and soybean farmers at the time.

In the 1970s when the rice allotment opened up, the father-and-son team realized their buckshot land was a good fit for rice. Today, Chico and Pete are third-generation producers at Lakeland Planting Co., growing rice, soybeans and corn. Although the brothers are not growing as much rice as they did in the past, they still feel it’s important to keep rice in their crop mix. Pete generally oversees the day-to-

Pete, left, and Chico Williams are third-generation farmers at Lakeland Planting Co. near Hollandale, Miss.

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day rice production work, and Chico handles the management and marketing aspects of the operation. The brothers split the responsibilities related to soybeans and corn.

“Our rice is all marketed through Producers Rice Mill pool,” Chico says. “It takes a lot of the pressure off to let them market the crop because they can adjust the basis as needed to get to the right price.”

2014 Production Strategies This year, Chico and Pete are planting CL152 and one field of Rex to fill out the borders around MSU’s variety trial.

“We like CL152 because of its standability,” Pete says. “It doesn’t lodge. At planting, we will apply Sharpen, Command and Roundup with a RoGator, which has wide booms, then come back with an aerial application on the Clearfield with one shot of Newpath followed by Clearpath at flooding. We also have GPS technology on our hippers and planters to eliminate having to use row markers.”

As for their rice fertility program, Chico and Pete anticipate applying ammonium sulfate and DAP before flush and 200 pounds of urea at flooding. At mid-season, they will come back with another 200 pounds.

Pete says that disease has not been a big problem for them because of the varieties that they plant. They also don’t skimp on any inputs. A preventative fungicide always goes out after An aerial applicator typically applies Newpath followed by Clearpath at flooding on the mid-season.

Williams brothers’ Clearfield rice.

“We’ve also bought five flow meters and plan to install them this summer to facilitate our water management,” Chico says. “And, from a ‘boots in the field’ stand- and circles for our rice because the big bins in the loop system don’t point, Bill Killen, our rice consultant, makes a big contribution to our have stir-alls and heaters to dry the rice,” Chico explains.

Although rice planting for the 2014 season is running behind the operation. Bill has a lot of experience and, after walking the fields, he tells it like it is. We also get consulting advice from Brian ‘Bozo’ optimal April planting dates, Chico and Pete are hoping that their crop Ward, who checks our soybeans and corn. He has really helped us get will begin to grow off at a fast pace now that the weather is consistently staying warm. our yields up.”

“We normally begin harvesting in the middle of August, but we probably will be a little late this year,” Pete says. “Hopefully, we Investments In Efficiency Like many other farmers in the Mississippi Delta, Chico and Pete will be able to start harvesting at the end of August and still get the purchase polypipe manufactured by Delta Plastics, which is located rice out in September. At this point, we have to wait to see what the in Little Rock, to use in watering their soybeans and corn. Not only weather does.” is Delta Plastics interested in producing a superior product to offer their customers, it also is interested in preserving the environment. Once Lakeland Planting Co. farmers have finished up the growing season, Delta Plastics proChico and Pete Williams vides free, on-farm pickup of used polypipe in the fall and takes it to a recycling plant. The company notes that all tubing must be rolled and tied, and baled tubing also is acceptable.

• Farm established in early 1940s.

Another area in which Chico and Pete have put time, effort and cap• Chico and Pete are third-generation farmers. ital is in increasing their on-farm grain storage. One of the advantages • 800 acres of rice. of having this capability is to eliminate being at the mercy of long lines • 5,500 acres of soybeans. at the grain elevator during the heat of harvest. Today, Lakeland • 1,100 acres of corn.

Planting Co. has an on-farm rice storage and drying capacity of • On-farm rice storage: 250,000 bushels.

250,000 bushels (three sets of bins) and a continuous loop system stor• On-farm continuous loop system: 280,000 bushels. age capacity of 280,000 bushels for corn and soybeans.

“Although we do have a continuous loop system, we use the augers RICE FARMING • MAY 2014

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ADVERTORIAL

THE NEW STANDARD IN SHEATH BLIGHT CONTROL FOR RICE Sercadis® fungicide receives EPA registration to help Mid-South rice growers Sheath blight is the most common and most damaging rice disease that growers face.

The disease incidence often reaches as high as 90 percent in untreated fields.

Rice growers now have a new tool for controlling sheath blight in their fields. Sercadis® fungicide received full U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration on rice earlier this year. Sercadis fungicide sets the new standard for sheath blight control, giving growers the tool they need to reap the most out of every acre.

Earlier relief for Louisiana Sercadis fungicide has established a track record of active protection against sheath blight. Louisiana rice growers were able to use Sercadis fungicide under a Section 18 emergency exemption in 2012 and 2013.

Now the EPA has cleared the way for other growers across the South to benefit from Sercadis fungicide.

A portfolio of disease solutions Sercadis fungicide is the newest product in a family of disease-fighting fungicides developed

by BASF. Each helps growers maximize yield by keeping crops healthier, long into the growing season.

Behind Sercadis fungicide’s success in reducing sheath blight is the ingredient Xemium® fungicide, one of the same active ingredients in Priaxor® fungicide, which protects soybeans from damaging diseases.

Research has shown that Xemium fungicide provides consistent performance and longlasting disease control in a variety of crops.

“As an industry leader, BASF is dedicated to providing crop protection solutions, technical support and educational tools for growers,” said Brianne Reeves, D.P.M., Technical Market Specialist, BASF. “Sercadis fungicide will be another tool to help rice growers get the most out of every acre.”

In a 2013 research trial 1, rice fields treated with Sercadis fungicide yielded 30 bu/A more than the untreated plots.

Untreated

Sercadis fungicide

1

Source: BASF-sponsored Mississippi on-farm trial in 2013

To learn more about Sercadis fungicide, visit www.sercadis-fungicide.basf.us or contact your local BASF Authorized Retailer.

Consult with your State Regulatory Agency regarding status of registration of Priaxor fungicide and Sercadis fungicide in your state.

Always read and follow label directions.

Priaxor, Sercadis and Xemium are registered trademarks of BASF. ©2014 BASF Corporation. All Rights Reserved. APN 14-MKT-0015-ser-1

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New from BASF, SercadisÂŽ fungicide provides control against sheath blight in rice. Sercadis fungicide brings a unique mode of action that provides longer-lasting preventive and post-infection control while delivering consistent performance. This season, say goodnight to sheath blight.

For more information, visit Sercadis-fungicide.basf.us or talk to your BASF Authorized Retailer.

Consult with your State Regulatory Agency regarding the status of registration of Sercadis fungicide in your State.

Always read and follow label directions. Sercadis and Xemium are registered trademarks of BASF. Š2014 BASF Corporation. All Rights Reserved. APN 14-SER-0001

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RICE PRODUCERS

FORUM

Brazil as ‘exporter player?’

2014 indicates supply/demand equilibrium for Mercosur rice sector.

D

By Tiago Barata Rice Market Analyst Agrotendencias Ltda Sao Gabriel, RG, Brazil agrotendencias.com.br

efinitely, the rice business in the Mercosur countries of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay are no longer what they used to be up to five years ago.

Up to that time, we had Argentina and Uruguay producing rice almost exclusively for the Brazilian domestic market.

In spite of being a relevant producer, Brazil had to resort to these neighboring countries to meet their domestic needs.

Today’s market has exporters in Uruguay and Argentina giving priority to the demands coming from other commercial partners, while Brazil, now largely self-sufficient, compensates for its rice acquisitions from Paraguay through shipments abroad of at least a million tons.

Since the beginning of this year, exporters in Argentina and Uruguay have been focused on Iraq, Peru and Venezuela, as these markets pay more for their rice.

This trend is expected to continue in the years ahead. Sales performance, nonetheless, depends on product availability in the domestic market, requiring an assessment of the impacts of adverse climate conditions on the size of the crop, especially in Uruguay. Rice production in Paraguay continues to increase due to excellent growing conditions and lower production costs than neighboring countries and has become a more regional factor.

Productive Sector Challenges Estimate In Brazil, the official estimate of a 6.6percent bigger crop, approximately 12.6 million tons, has been challenged by the productive sector which, also because of climate-induced problems experienced during the growing season, does not believe in a crop bigger than 12.3 million tons.

For this year, the trend is for a continuity of the balanced relation between offer and demand, with average prices slightly higher than in the previous year. As it is a year of presidential elections, it is normal to expect stricter government control over our

12 RICE FARMING • MAY 2014

“basic food basket” product prices. There are no projections for any valuation or devaluation move that could justify government intervention.

International Market Place Conditions Still in its fledgling stage as an exporter player, Brazil has not yet consolidated an exporter identity, and its performance is still vulnerable to the whims of the international market. Exports have been changing from broken kernels to white rice, parboiled or paddy rice.

With Venezuela and Cuba as major destinations, Brazilian rice exports amounted to 1.2 million tons which, although down 18 percent from the previous period, were enough to outstrip our rice imports by 235.5 thousand tons. The average price practiced this year was R$34.14/sack or US$314.50/ton (index ESALQ/BBMBVMF), up 4.5 percent from the previous year. The large import market in Mexico is definitely on the radar screen. This year, Brazilian exporters will have difficulty repeating past years’ performance, but should ship abroad a volume close to one million tons. Basically three factors reduce the competitive conditions of Brazilian rice in the international market place.

Contrary to what has usually happened, the domestic market presents steady prices even during harvest time, because farmers are not delivering rice and are earning income from their soybean negotiations. The exchange rate scenario is unfavorable, contracting expectations expressed by specialists. In the past 45 years, the dollar suffered four-percent devaluation against the real.

Finally, shipping operations in the main port in the South (where rice is produced/ industrialized) are extremely limited, and the entire structure is devoted to soybean exports. An important detail should not be overlooked. This year, we will have presidential elections in Brazil, which always influences the agricultural sector of our country.

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On-The-Farm

Rice Drying Management techniques differ from commercial drying

By Dennis Gardisser and Johnny Saichuk

D

rying and storing rice on the farm can be an excellent marketing strategy. The way that rice is handled during the drying and storage process will determine its quality at the point of sale, thereby influencing its value. Rice should be quickly dried down to a moisture level of about 12 percent for storage, especially if it is going to be stored for several months. The reduction of grain moisture is done by passing relatively large quantities of dry air over the rice after it is placed in the bin. The quality and quantity of this air determines the final moisture content of the rice kernel.

Air quality is typically referred to as the equilibrium moisture content (EMC). It is the combination of temperature and relative humidity at which rice will not gain or lose moisture from the air. If the air has an EMC of 12 percent, the grain moisture will eventually reach 12 percent if air of that quality is moved over the grain long enough. The EMC may be determined by measuring air temperature and relative humidity.

Relative humidity is determined by measuring wet bulb and dry bulb temperatures and comparing these values with a table. Relative humidity is a measure of how much moisture is in the air at a given temperature in comparison with how much it could hold at that same temperature. At 100 percent relative humidity, the air is holding all of the moisture it is capable of holding at that temperature. The actual amount of moisture capable of being held varies with air temperature.

EMC is at or below the desired level without adding any heat. At night or during damp weather conditions, it may be necessary to add some heat to condition the air to a desirable EMC or to maintain the same level available during the daylight hours. If heat is not available, it may be better to turn the fans off at night instead of pumping in moist air. Moist air that is pumped in at night has to be removed later. This increases drying cost and may result in significant head rice yield reduction. Fans should be turned off almost any time the EMC of the air is greater than that of the grain. The exception might be for very damp rice to avoid heat buildup.

A given volume of air has the capability of holding a given amount of moisture. That amount will depend on the quality. One way to increase drying potential or cause the grain to reach equilibrium with the air sooner is to pass larger amounts of air over the grain. Doubling air flow typically cuts the drying time in about one-half. Airflow rates for drying vary from a low of 1 cubic foot per minute (CFM) per

Monitor EMC Carefully In drying rice, maintaining a steady EMC as close to the target storage moisture (12 or 13 percent) content is important. Usually, there are many days during and shortly after the harvest season when the

Centrifugal fans are more expensive than axial fans but are highly recommended where high static pressures are needed.

RICE FARMING • MAY 2014

13

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hundredweight (cwt) to a high of 100 or more CFM per cwt. Recommended minimum airflow rates for different moisture contents are: • 13 to 15% moisture 1 to 2 CFM per cwt • 15 to 18% moisture 4 CFM per cwt • 18 to 20% moisture 6 CFM per cwt • 20 to 22% moisture 8 CFM per cwt • 22 % moisture and above 12 CFM per cwt As grain bins are filled and the grain depth increases, it becomes more difficult to pass air up through the grain. As the grain depth increases, less air is available for each bushel of grain in the bin. High volumes of air are needed to carry the moisture away in a timely fashion when the grain is at high moisture levels. Most on-farm bins have a limited amount of available air capacity.

Drying Fans And Stirring Devices The grain drying industry offers basically two types of drying fans – the centrifugal and axial flow fans. From these two types, manufacturers provide a number of variations to meet the needs of field applications.

The two critical characteristics of fans are flow rate (CFM) and static pressure expressed in inches of water.

Stirring devices help to mix the upper and lower portions of grain in the bin. This speeds up the drying process and loosens the grain so that additional air may be moved up through the grain. Stir-alls and similar devices should not be turned on unless the bottom end of the auger is about one foot deep in grain.

They can run almost continuously after that point, when the drying fans are running.

Many producers are concerned that these devices may grind away at the rice if left on, but there is no research evidence to support this claim. A small amount of flour-like substance will form around the auger top, but the small particles were most likely already there and are just being gathered in one place with the auger action.

Grain should not be allowed to cone as the bin is being filled. If coning occurs, the large particles will migrate to the outside, and the flour-like small particles and trash will remain at the center of the cone. This results in a very uneven airflow through each portion of the grain bin. Most of the air will pass up the outside of the bin through the larger and cleaner grain. A level height should be maintained through the filling process. Once particle separation occurs, it is hard to correct even if the bin is later shoveled level.

Air temperature is important when drying rice. When air is being pushed through deep depths for prolonged periods of time, the air

14 RICE FARMING • MAY 2014

temperature should not exceed 105 degrees F. If higher temperatures are used, the rice kernel can be overheated, resulting in low milling characteristics. Commercial dryers can use much higher air temperatures than on-farm dryers because the rice is subjected to heated air for shorter periods of time. Rice can be successfully dried on the farm, but different management techniques are necessary than when drying commercially.

Identifying On-Farm Drying Issues Some of the main causes of problems that occur with on-farm drying are: 1. Hurrying the drying process to make room for freshly harvested rice.

2. Using drying temperatures that are too high, resulting in extremely low humidity

drying air causing over-dried and stresscracked rice and low head rice yields.

3. Attempting to dry with insufficient airflow, usually caused by excessive depth of high-moisture rice.

4. Lack of attention after rice has been dried to at least 13 percent.

5. Harvesting rice with a moisture content in excess of 20 percent to be dried in on-farm facilities.

6. Inadvertently rewetting dried rice by aerating with high humidity air. This usually occurs if fans are run night and day with no addition of heat at night.

Dennis Gardisser is a retired Ag Engineer, University of Arkansas. Johnny Saichuk is Extension Rice Specialist, LSU AgCenter.

Suggested Steps For On-Farm Rice Drying 1. Harvest rice at 20 percent or less and avoid attempting to dry rice on the farm if the moisture at harvest exceeds 20 percent.

2. Clean the rice to be dried as much as practical by adjusting harvesting equipment to minimize the amount of foreign material.

3. Determine the rice moisture content of incoming rice and avoid mixing rice of different moisture contents once its moisture content has reached 15 percent or less.

less. Then, deeper depths with lower airflow requirements are acceptable.

12. Drying time per batch is dictated by air flow rate, measured as cubic feet per minute (CFM) per hundredweight, temperature difference between air entering and leaving the rice, the moisture content of the ambient air and the original moisture content of the rice.

13. The best way to reduce drying time is to increase airflow.

4. Place the rice harvested first in the drying bin at a depth of 6 to 12 feet. When layer drying, this depth is dependent on the initial moisture content of the rice and the capabilities of the fan.

14. Once the rice has reached 15 percent moisture, move it to another bin where the depth can be increased and the airflow per cwt can be decreased. Continue drying by controlling relative humidity of the drying air.

5. Level the rice equally across the entire drying bin at the depth selected. It is very important to level the rice in order to equalize the pressure throughout all horizontal cross-sections of the bin to obtain uniform airflow.

15. Once the rice is 12.5 to 13 percent grain moisture through the entire depth of storage, fill the storage bin and level the grain surface.

6. Open air exits so that air can exhaust readily from the drying bin.

7. Turn on the fans as soon as the ducts or the perforated floor is covered with approximately 1 foot or more of rice.

8. If possible, do not hold wet rice in a bin, truck, combine hopper or grain cart longer than 12 hours without moving air through the container to cool the rice.

9. Measure the relative humidity and temperature of the ambient air to determine the maximum temperature setting of the heater.

10. Exercise extreme caution when rice kernel temperature exceeds 100 degrees F. 11. Dry high moisture rice in shallow batches until the rice moisture content is 15 percent or

16. Aerate to cool the grain kernels for the next few weeks when the humidity is below 60 percent and the air is cool (50-60 degrees F).

17. Do not operate fans when ambient temperature is below 32 degrees F. 18. Probe the bin periodically (once a week is ideal) for temperature or moisture variation.

19. Normally, the first place that moisture migration will occur is the center of the top layer. If there is any indication that moisture or temperature is increasing in this area or other areas, turn on the fans to cool and/or dry moistened rice.

20. Do not let any spoiled rice mix with good rice.

21. Periodic aeration may be necessary to counter extreme temperature changes during storage.

14 Rice Awards Nom formv1_2004 Rf Nom 5/1/14 3:44 PM Page 15

2014 Rice Awards Nomination Form The Rice Farmer of the Year, Rice Industry Award and Rice Lifetime Achievement Award recognize those rice leaders who have demonstrated dedication, determination and innovation to the industry. We need your help to identify candidates who are worthy of these prestigious awards. Please take the time to consider which industry members in your area should be recipients of these honors and fax, mail or scan/email this form and supporting materials.

Categories Please check the box of the appropriate award category:

❑ Rice Farmer of the Year Award

• Must farm at least 200 acres.

• A farmer who has successfully achieved goals in his/her farming operation, rice industry association, community improvement/development, innovative production practices and/or environmental stewardship.

❑ Rice Industry Award

• Has been in the rice industry for more than five years.

• A researcher, Extension person, government/association leader, etc… who has demonstrated commitment to the rice industry through innovative practices, industry association, community involvement/development.

❑ Rice Lifetime Achievement Award • Has been in the rice industry for more than 10 years.

• An industry leader who has provided great contributions to the rice industry through industry associations, community involvement/development, innovative practices/projects that have advanced the industry.

If you are submitting more than one nomination form, please make a copy before you fill out the form. Nomination forms can be downloaded at www.ricefarming.com.

Nominee's name Nominee's address Nominee's phone number Nominee's rice acreage (if applicable) Number of years involved in the rice industry (if applicable)

Your name Your profession Your address Your phone number

Deadline:

July 25, 2014

Your signature

Date

Please send completed form & supporting materials to: Carroll Smith 1010 June Rd., Suite 102, Memphis, TN 38119 Scan/Email: csmith@onegrower.com

On a separate piece of paper, please consider the following: Dedication to farming and/or agriculture and the rice industry, local community and education.

Determination to succeed and overcome hurdles that have emerged while trying to reach goals.

Innovation to identify new and better ways for the industry to become more profitable, manage risk, achieve a higher level of efficiency.

In addition to completing this form, please describe the nominee in terms of the above guidelines. It also is helpful to send letters of recommendation for the nominee from other individuals in the rice industry who are familiar with his/her accomplishments. A panel of judges from across the Rice Belt will select the recipients of the 2014 Rice Awards.

The award recipients will be honored at the USA Rice Outlook Conference, December 7-9, 2014, where an official presentation will be made at an awards luncheon. They also will be featured in a special salute sponsored by Horizon Ag, USA Rice Federation and Rice Farming magazine in the December 2014 issue.

SPONSORS

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SPECIALISTS SPEAKING DR. JOHN SAICHUK LOUISIANA Extension Rice Specialist jsaichuk@agcenter.lsu.edu In 2012, we dealt with the worst episode of blast in rice that many of us have seen in our careers. The researchers took advantage of it to eliminate many of the susceptible lines in breeding programs, and farmers took note of the varieties that showed the most injury. This was reflected in the shift of rice acreage from 2012 to 2013.

As can be seen in the pie charts, CL151 was the leading variety in 2012, accounting for 30 percent of Louisiana’s rice acreage, and then dropped down to a tie for sixth place and only four percent of the acreage in 2013. This is a great example of the importance and influence of disease on rice.

When farmers weighed the odds of high yields without blast versus low yields with blast, they backed off of CL151.

CL111 had demonstrated excellent field tolerance to blast (it is rated moderately susceptible to blast by Dr. Groth) in After two applications of Quadris on this field of CL151, the severe sheath blight infestation was determined to be resistant to the fungicide.

2012, thus becoming the leading variety in 2013.

Last summer, I did not find a single blast lesion in any of Where resistance is not an issue, Quadris still works well. the fields I checked. Likewise, many growers had little or no blast and some growers are willing to take a chance that the blast epidemic of felt they could have made even higher yields had they grown CL151. 2012 was more oddity than a common occurrence. I wish we had Reports from seed dealers indicate an increase in CL151 this year as some sort of model that would allow us to predict the likelihood of

Better fungicide arsenal available today

Plan to avoid disease DR. JARROD T. HARDKE ARKANSAS Rice Extension Agronomist University of Arkansas, Cooperative Extension Service jhardke@uaex.edu The easiest way to deal with disease control is to prevent it in the first place. Starting with clean seed is the first step in the right direction. The next step is to use a fungicide seed treatment. There is no single fungicide active ingredient that will protect you from all seedling diseases. You need a combination of them to give you multiple modes of action to fully protect yourself from the seedling disease complex – made up of seedborne and soilborne diseases. Keep in mind that these fungicide seed treatments don’t last forever. If you’re planting under conditions that may lead to extreme delays in germination and emergence, there’s a good chance you won’t see much bang for your buck.

Hopefully, you also choose to plant a cultivar that is not very susceptible to a disease you know is likely to occur in your field.

Case in point – don’t plant a blast susceptible cultivar in a situation that is prone to blast! Those situations would be fields with difficulty maintaining a deep, consistent flood; are surrounded by tree lines; and/or have a general history of blast development. Though we can manage this disease with fungicides, we can save time and money by avoiding the disease to begin with. Consider the

16 RICE FARMING • MAY 2014

same thing with other diseases as well (sheath blight, kernel smut, false smut, etc.).

There are some management practices that make your crop more prone to disease. Excessive nitrogen fertilization can lead to increased disease development. Excessive stand density can also increase the development and spread of disease. Two resources are available to help reduce the incidence of disease associated with excess nitrogen and stand density: the N-STaR program (Nitrogen Soil Test for Rice) for selecting the correct nitrogen rate for your field, and the RICESEED program for selecting the correct seeding rate for your field (http://riceseed.uaex.edu).

In a later-planted year such as this one where 50 percent of the crop will be planted in May, there are a number of disease concerns. With later planting comes an increased chance of bacterial panicle blight, kernel smut and false smut. If you’re planting a field with a history of bacterial panicle blight, there are no management options other than cultivar selection. Your only option in those situations is to plant a moderately resistant cultivar. For the smuts, prevention is the only option. There is no such thing as “control” of kernel smut or false smut. You can only suppress or prevent them by applying a fungicide prior to panicle emergence.

Places to worry about preventing smut include those with high nitrogen rates, high seeding rates and a history of smut problems.

Plan to prevent, avoid and suppress disease in your rice field this year. It’s best to stay ahead of disease than to try to catch up later.

For more information on rice disease management in Arkansas, refer to the MP154 – Arkansas Plant Disease Control Products Guide – 2013 and the Arkansas Rice Production Handbook.

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SPECIALISTS SPEAKING blast, but we do not.

One thing we do have is a much better arsenal of fungicides than we did 20 or so years ago. According to Dr. Groth, the strobilurins – Quadris and Gem – represent one of the most significant breakthroughs in disease management since he started working with rice diseases. For the most part, that is still true, making sheath blight a manageable problem today rather than the disaster it was just a few years ago. Unfortunately, in the past few years Rhizoctonia solani, the pathogen that causes sheath blight, has developed resistance to the strobilurins in some areas of the state. The extent of the spread of this resistant form is not well defined. If an application of the strobilurins does not significantly reduce sheath blight pressure, it is likely that the resistant form is the culprit.

This year, we do have a full label for Sercadis fungicide for use on rice. The active ingredient of this fungicide is fluxapyroxad. In the March issue of Rice Farming, I discussed the grouping system of herbicides to help with resistance management of weeds. A similar system has been implemented with the fungicides. The strobilurins, Quadris and Gem are in Group 11; Sercadis and Convoy are in Group 7; propiconazole (Bumper, Promimax, Tilt and others) are in Group 3. By rotating fungicide groups, it is possible to delay or prevent the development of resistance. If there is some concern about resistance, then switching chemistries would be a good idea. Just make sure the disease in question is on the fungicide label. Convoy is a new name for an old fungicide. If you have been around this game long enough, you may remember Moncut. The active ingredient in both Convoy and Moncut is flutolanil. Pre-mixes of fungicides of different groups will have numbers representing both groups on the label.

Read the labels, pay attention to efficacy and rotate chemistries, if Top 10 Varieties by Acres Grown in Louisiana in 2012 CL151 CL111 Cheniere CLXL745 CLXL729 Jupiter Cocodrie CL152 CL161 Cypress Others

30% 21% 11% 10% 6% 5% 5% 4% 2% 1% 7%

Source: LSU AgCenter Research & Extension

Top 10 Varieties by Acres Grown in Louisiana in 2013 CL111 CLXL745 Cheniere Jazzman 2 CLXL729 Jupiter Mermentau CL151 Cocodrie CL152 Others Source: LSU AgCenter Research & Extension

27% 14% 12% 8% 8% 4% 4% 4% 4% 3% 11%

possible. If you have any questions about these materials or management of any rice disease, contact your local county agent.

Apply fungicide seed treatments DR. M.O. “MO” WAY TEXAS Rice Research Entomologist moway@aesrg.tamu.edu At the time of writing this article (April 25), the majority of Texas rice acreage is planted except for east of Houston where about 30 percent of rice acreage remains to be planted. Furthermore, the last several days have been warm with no rain, so the Texas rice crop is beginning to look better.

However, I recently inspected a field of hybrid rice in Chambers County. The field was planted in early April during a spell of cold weather. The stand was less than ideal, forcing the grower to replant.

Clearly, seedling disease and blackbird problems were evident, but I also observed small white or cream-colored larvae feeding on the germinating rice seed under the soil. These immature insects either are Southern corn rootworm, banded cucumber beetle or Mexican corn rootworm larvae. These larvae are members of the Order Coleoptera (beetles) Family Chrysomelidae (leaf beetles). They are not wireworms, which are somewhat related to them. It goes to show you – when you think you have all the answers, Mother Nature slips you a surprise to keep you humble!

I mentioned seedling diseases in the above paragraph. I think most rice is now treated with fungicides to control seedling diseases. This is good insurance because of trending agronomic practices to reduce seeding rate and plant earlier, which increase seedling disease pressure. Every rice farmer knows the importance of producing a vigorous, uniform stand of rice. Treating your seed with fungicides is a “nobrainer,” particularly if you employ a low seeding rate, conservation tillage and plant early.

Fungi that cause seed rot and seedling blight are Achlya spp., Cochliobolus miyabeanus, Fusarium spp., Pythium spp. Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotium rolfsii and others. They survive in the soil or on seeds between crops. We have an array of effective fungicides applied to seed to control seedling diseases. Proper fungicide seed treatment can increase stand by 22 to 60 percent and increase yield by five to 22 percent based on the results of field plot tests conducted in Texas.

Scout for foliar diseases in the early season. Brown spot caused by the fungus Cochliobolus miyabeanus and narrow brown leaf spot caused by Cercospora janseana are among the most common foliar diseases in the early season. They survive on seeds and infected crop debris. Rice plants suffering from N, P or K deficiency are especially susceptible to both diseases. Use of resistant varieties and recommended fertilizers are effective to reduce the damage caused by these diseases. Fungicides usually are not recommended for the control of these diseases in the early season except under extremely severe conditions.

In addition, nutrient deficiency, especially P, is frequently RICE FARMING • MAY 2014

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SPECIALISTS SPEAKING

DR. CHRIS GREER

irrigation needs in 2014.

Compressed initial surface water delivery times and the use of groundwater by some growers increases the prospects of slow initial flood-up times. When fields flood slowly, the potential risk of damage to seeds or seedlings from rice seed midge and/or tadpole shrimp may be greater. The damage caused by these pests may predispose rice seeds or seedlings to seed rot and seedling diseases. These diseases are caused by fungi that survive in the soil and produce zoospores when the soil is flooded. Zoospores are attracted to cracks in the seed coat where the endosperm is exposed or to the germinating seedlings. Feeding by rice seed midge or tadpole shrimp may predispose seeds or seedlings to infection by these fungi.

Symptoms of seed rot and seedling disease appear shortly after seeding. The most common sign of the pathogen is whitish fungal hyphae growing over the surface of the seed and young seedling.

Algae often colonize the mycelium, turning it green. Seed that are infected shortly after seeding often don’t germinate because the endosperm or embryo is rapidly destroyed. Growth of seedlings may be greatly impeded when seeds are infected following germination.

Symptoms of seedling disease may include stunting, yellowing or rotting of the seedlings.

Many irrigation districts will be restricting field drainage for contact herbicide applications due to surface water shortages. Draining a field during the season is known to increase the risk of infection and susceptibility of rice plants to rice blast disease. From an irrigation standpoint, maintaining a deep, continuous flood is one of the best management options for minimizing the risks associated with rice blast disease.

As drainage may be restricted, growers may be forced to plan ahead and allow water to slowly subside in order to expose weeds for contact herbicide applications. This may result in prolonged shallow water or drained field conditions that may predispose plants to increased rice blast disease pressure.

A flood should be reestablished as soon as practical following contact herbicide applications to minimize this risk. In addition, these fields should be scouted closely for signs of rice blast disease and an appropriate fungicide should be applied to protect emerging panicles if significant levels of disease are present.

Considering all rice diseases that you may encounter throughout the season in California, your best rice disease management tool is a dedicated scouting plan. There is no substitute for field scouting when deciding if timely action needs to be taken in the form of field drainage for seedling diseases or a fungicide application for diseases such as rice blast.

CALIFORNIA UCCE Rice Farming Systems Advisor cagreer@ucdavis.edu

Scout early & often

Symptoms of P-deficiency

present in Texas rice fields. Symptoms caused by P deficiency include small, brown (rust-colored) spots and chlorosis between veins near the tips of old leaves. Potassium-deficient symptoms are easily confused with those of brown spot.

For disease diagnosis assistance, contact Dr. Shane Zhou, plant pathologist, at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Beaumont via (409)752-2741 or xzhou@aesrg.tamu.edu. Also, go online to access the 2014 Texas Rice Production Guidelines for more information on disease management at https://beaumont.tamu.edu/eLibrary/Bulletins/2014_Rice_Production_Guidelines.pdf.

These rice disease management comments for Texas were co-authored by Dr. Mo Way and Dr. Shane Zhou.

Diseases and drought water management

The 2014 California rice planting season got off to a delayed start due to a third consecutive dry winter, resulting in the most severe drought in decades. Final surface water allocations were announced in midApril, and many irrigation districts delayed the start of water deliveries until the first of May. As surface water allocations were reduced in many areas, rice growers will fallow some fields due to lack of surface water or choose to transfer surface water to permanent crops. In addition, some growers will rely more heavily on groundwater for

18 RICE FARMING • MAY 2014

SAM ATWELL MISSOURI Agronomy Specialist atwells@missouri.edu

Disease pressure was low last year, but we better not let our guard down in 2014. Rice blast is one of the earliest known foliar diseases, and it was hard to find in 2013. The blast fungus survives in various ways but often is seedborne. To

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SPECIALISTS SPEAKING reduce seedborne blast, research suggests Dynasty fungicide (azoxystrobin) at a rate above 0.75 fl oz per cwt seed as adequate. However, note that this seed treatment will not guarantee protection later in the season.

We encourage field scouting, deep flood management and foliar fungicides as needed. In blast-prone fields (lighter soils, tree-lined, low-lying, etc.), plant a hybrid or resistant variety. This takes care of the disease for the most part. Where susceptible varieties are planted in the wrong field, keep a deep flood of four inches on them at all times after initial flood.

Fungicides work best if applied twice for blast. The first application should be made at late boot to beginning panicle tip emergence and the second when panicles are 50-75 percent out of the boot on most of the main tillers. Higher rates are best. If the field is very uniform and disease potential is low to moderate, the best timing would be when panicles are emerging with about 35 percent of the length out of the boot on most of the main tillers. In uneven-maturing fields, it is better to spray based on the earlier maturing parts of the field if disease pressure is substantial. These types of fields would be almost automatic for two applications. Again, proper flood management will really help with blast management and improve performance of the fungicides.

Sheath blight was low in Missouri last year, too. For many years now, strobilurin fungicides have been used to manage sheath blight disease of rice, and they have been the backbone for managing fungal diseases of rice in Southern rice-producing states. Current fungicides are most effective under low or moderate disease pressure. The challenge comes when varieties are highly susceptible and environmental conditions are very favorable for disease development. When we have sheath blight, we recommend our producers use strobilurin+propiconazole fungicide mixtures to combat sheath blight and the smuts.

Smuts were bad in some fields back in 2011. Fields sprayed properly with propiconazole-containing fungicides worked to minimize these diseases. In some cases, too much nitrogen was applied to affected fields and, in other cases, the fungicide was applied too late in the booting stage for maximum effect. The rice smuts cannot be scouted for, so preventive treatment with propiconazole-containing fungicides is the only chemical control option. Fields with a strong history of the smuts, or those that have been knowingly over-fertilized with nitrogen are most at risk.

Hybrid and medium grains are very unlikely to benefit from fungicide applications. Fungicides should be applied if your effective scouting indicates more than 35 percent positive stops in susceptible varieties and more than 50 percent positive stops in moderately susceptible varieties. Timing and rate of the fungicides to prevent the smuts are critical.

The fungicides need to be applied at early to late boot but before heading begins on any plants in the field. Earlier is usually better in the booting stage, especially for false smut. The minimum rate of 6 fl oz Tilt or Tilt equivalent is now required for most effective results under current conditions, but no application will provide 100 percent control. In the past, we achieved up to 95 percent reduction in kernel smutted kernels using propiconazole with exact timing and rate but only about 65 percent for false smut (at best). Where false smut is moderate, 65 percent reduction is noticeable, but where it is heavy, control is difficult.

Never too early to plan ahead DR. TOM ALLEN MISSISSIPPI Mississippi State University Pathologist tallen@drec.msstate.edu Even though the majority of the 2014 rice crop has not been planted, planning for a midseason fungicide application should not be far from our minds. Mention of fungicide resistance in row crop production systems such as soybean and rice (Rhizoctonia solani = sheath blight), should remind us to weigh important fungicide application strategies before mid-season.

Preventing fungicide resistance from developing remains an important objective for rice farmers since sheath blight resistant cultivars are not commercially available.

Several factors should be considered when making a fungicide application in rice. Crop coverage, canopy penetration, adjuvant and product choice, as well as fungicide application rate are all important variables. Most fungicide products labeled for rice are preventative.

Therefore, applying a fungicide to provide maximum plant coverage is important since fungicides are “locally systemic.” Droplets land on plant tissue, and the activity of the fungicide allows the product to travel short distances beyond the initial droplet; hence, the terminology “locally systemic.” In general, fungicides work by preventing additional spread of the fungus to non-infected plant tissue. To increase the effectiveness of a fungicide application, use a greater water volume; five rather than three gallons/acre.

Canopy penetration can be difficult to achieve. Generally speaking and similar to herbicide applications, fungicide applications should be made when the wind is low. Reducing application volume and applying a fungicide that does not quite reach or penetrate the plant canopy is not effective disease management. In addition, improper application placement or poor canopy penetration can increase the likelihood of fungicide resistance developing.

Adjuvants can increase coverage as well as aid plant canopy penetration. Read and follow label instructions regarding the use, rate and specific type of adjuvant.

Choosing a fungicide product is not normally a major decision; however, most rice farmers use the same product annually. In some cases, product choice depends on the particular diseases historically present. In other cases, the product choice may be based on price.

Choose a fungicide product that has performed well in university fungicide efficacy trials and keep in mind that for a disease such as sheath blight, a fungicide that contains a strobilurin active ingredient will provide the most effective disease management.

Last, but not least, fungicide application rate is important for several reasons. Fungicide application rates vary widely. However, one thing is certain, resistance management suggests that applying full label rates will help protect against the development of fungicide-resistant fungi in our rice production system. Cutting the labeled rate may be a cheap alternative, but that decision will reduce the amount of chemical that is applied and potentially affect fungicide efficacy.

RICE FARMING • MAY 2014

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AR Water Project Deliveries will supplement on-farm irrigation

By Carroll Smith Editor

Editor’s Note: Last month, Rice Farming published an article titled, “Water for Rice,” which included a short section on the Grand Prairie Area Demonstration Project (GPADP). The following article provides more detail regarding the funding, contracts and progress of GPADP and how it is expected to benefit rice farmers.

A

ccording to the US Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis District, “The Grand Prairie Area Demonstration Project (GPADP) is a comprehensive water management plan designed to protect and preserve the Alluvial and Sparta Aquifers.

This project also allows the continued irrigation of current agricultural crops and reduces further depletion of ground water aquifers, while continuing to provide critical benefits for the millions of waterfowl, which annually migrate through the region.

“The project utilizes excess surface water and water from the White River to supplement a network of onfarm tailwater recovery systems. This supplemental sys- The reservoir for this farm will provide about eight inches of water for the producer. tem will be used to fill on-farm reservoirs that store the The other foot of water that he will need will come from the pump station. “For water, which supplies at least a portion of each farmer’s all practical purposes, the farmer is using his existing irrigation system,” Carman says. “We are adding to the normal availability of the water. We do not put any irrigation needs.”

Dennis Carman, chief engineer and director of the water into natural ditches. The water from the pump station will come directly White River Irrigation District in Arkansas, says, “Our into the farmer’s tailwater recovery system.” goal is to have water delivered to the Grand Prairie Region, where we have a significant number of farms, by June 2016. • By June, another $33 million in contracts will be underway.

That’s essentially half of the project cost. At this point, we have 250 or more of the on-farm infrastructure investments completed – reser- • By October, another $7 million will be under contract. voirs and tailwater systems to capture the surface water and pipelines to distribute water to the farmers.

• Although it hasn’t been approved yet, a little more than $9 million “About 200 of these on-farm infrastructure investments to improve is in the 2015 President’s Budget. water quality and irrigation efficiency were done through the main project – GPADP,” he adds. “The other 50 or 60 or so were funded • Between that funding and local funding, $13 to $14 million will be through USDA programs – such as EQIP – and the Mississippi River available.

Basin Initiative.”

Carman also notes that cutting-edge automation will be involved • Roughly $15 million will be under contract by this time next year once the project becomes operational. in 2015.

“We plan to be able to do things like turn on the pumps and motors and measure the water pumped on-farm remotely,” he explains.

• When all is said and done, $60 million is going to be under contract over the next year, and the work will completed in early 2016 – two Status Of Funding And Contracts years from now.

Chief engineer and director of the White River Irrigation District Dennis Carman’s summarization as of April 1, 2014: “The good thing is that we have over half of the project completed, or we will have it contracted,” Carman says. “So, right now, we • An $11 million contract is coming into play. are only dealing with the remaining portion.”

20 RICE FARMING • MAY 2014

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INDUSTRY NEWS 2014 Arkansas Rice Expo Recipe Contest Ingenious with ingredients? The 2014 Arkansas Rice Expo Recipe Contest is your chance to show off your culinary cunning.

“Sweet or savory, sticky or fragrant, rice is the perfect canvas to showcase your kitchen talents, whether you’re an A-lister with appetizers or dexterous with desserts,” says Keith Cleek, Phillips County Extension agent with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

The third annual contest will be held Friday, Aug. 1, in conjunction with the Arkansas Rice Expo at the Grand Prairie Center in Stuttgart.

The deadline for entries to be received is June 10, and winners of the preliminary round will be notified by July 1. Rice in any form must be the prominent ingredient in the recipe, and ingredients should be easily obtained in any local grocery store.

Mail entry forms to: Keith A Cleek, AEA-EFNEP/FCS Phillips County, P.O. Box 684, Helena, AR, 72342. Each entry will be reviewed by the Rice Expo Recipe Committee, and the top 10 will be selected for presentation on Aug. 1. The top 10 contestants will be notified by July 1. The top 10 entries will be judged on the basis of the recipe and the dishes’ appearance. Winners must be present at the awards presentation to receive prizes. Winners who fail to appear at the presentation will automatically forfeit all awards.

Prizes will be given for the first-, second- and third-place winners. The first place winner’s recipe will be highlighted in the 2015 Rice Expo Cookbook. For more information or a complete list of the rules, contact your local County Extension Office or visit the web page at www.uaex.edu.

Wildlife Refuge after Senator Dale Bumpers. Bumpers is a living legend who played a pivotal role in creating the 80-mile corridor connecting the Cache River and White River refuges. People and wildlife have him to thank for this lasting conservation legacy.”

New CRC Chairman Elected Congratulations to Rob Paschoal of Farmers’ Rice Cooperative, who was elected chairman of the California Rice Commission.

Paschoal presented outgoing chairman Charley Mathews Jr. with artwork during the November CRC Board Meeting as a thank you for his service to the industry.

CA Rice Fields Subject Of New Art Work The beauty of area rice fields in summer and winter will be featured in two new artworks commissioned on behalf of this industry. The California Rice Commission has been working with artist Phil Gross on paintings that will be part of its Legislative outreach in 2015.

Gross is finalizing a painting depicting a low-level aerial view of a rice field in the Grimes area during the summer. A second painting focuses on a shallowly flooded rice field in Richvale during the winter.

The paintings will be featured on the 2015 California Rice Box, which will be delivered to key audiences including legislators, regulators, decision makers, opinion leaders and media. The original artwork will be used to further promote California rice. The artistry

California Grower Farm Bill Tool Available Well-known attorney Tim Kelleher has developed an information spreadsheet on the Farm Bill for growers to plug in information on their operations to assist them in determining which programs best meet their needs.

This information can be found at Calrice.org/FarmBillTool or go to CalRice.org and click on “Grower Farm Bill Tool,” which is located on the home page.

Arkansas, National Leaders Honor Bumpers To mark the celebration of the newly named Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge, here is a sampling of what Arkansas and national leaders are saying about the 38th Governor of Arkansas and four-term U.S. Senator: Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe: “Senator Bumpers has been a tireless protector of our environment and understands the need to preserve our natural legacy for future generations. Naming the White River Refuge for Dale will also help preserve his own legacy for future generations, a step I’m sure he’d say can mean only good things for our state. It is that charming confidence and dedicated service that have made Dale a beloved Arkansan to millions, including me.”

David Houghton, President, National Wildlife Refuge Association: “I can’t think of a more fitting tribute to one of the Refuge System’s greatest supporters than naming the White River National

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RICE FARMING • MAY 2014

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INDUSTRY NEWS

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CALIFORNIA RICE COMMISSION

will also be made into limited-edition giclee prints for CRC outreach. The scenery has provided great inspiration to the artist. “The Sacramento Valley is amazing,” Gross says. “The colors you get here are unlike any other landscape. It’s beautiful land.”

Artist Phil Gross (right) meets with grower Gary Stone near a painting location in Richvale, Calif.

Respected Texas Rice Scientist, Dr. Garry McCauley, Retires Dr. Mo Way, rice research entomologist with Texas A&M, offers the following comments on Dr. McCauley’s distinguished career: I want to recognize Dr. Garry McCauley, who retired March 31 of this year. Garry began work with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station in 1975, so he retired after 39 years of outstanding service to the Texas and U.S. rice industries.

Garry once told me within a few days of being hired that he had to

give a rice field day presentation at the Beaumont Center. Poor Garry, he had never put a boot in a rice field but was expected to inform growers about the latest research on water management in rice.

Garry was the first scientist in the United States to conduct water management experiments in rice. He made many important discoveries with direct benefit to producers. In 1988, Garry also assumed leadership of the weed management research program. In addition, in 1995, Garry transferred from the Beaumont Center to the David R. Wintermann Rice Research Station at Eagle Lake, where he effectively became the rice specialist for Texas, which involved both research and Extension duties. He became the go-to scientist for rice farmers on the west side of Houston.

Garry served as Secretary and Chair of the Rice Technical Working Group in 2006 and 2008, respectively, which required a tremendous amount of time and effort. Furthermore, Garry has received many awards during his professional career, including the Distinguished Rice Research and Education Award presented by the Rice Technical Working Group for efforts as part of a team to develop and implement the Econo-Rice program. In 1996, Garry was a co-recipient of the Clean Texas 2000 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence in Agriculture for his work improving water-use efficiency in the Texas Rice Belt.

Then in 2012, he received the Distinguished Rice Research and/or Education Team Award for significant contributions in rice field nitrogen use efficiency and the Distinguished Service Award, both from the Rice Technical Working Group, for his many years of service benefitting the Texas and U.S. rice industries.

Garry is married to his beautiful wife, Ruth, who taught school many years in El Campo. Ruth is semi-retired, but still substitute teaches. Garry and Ruth were high school sweethearts in Oklahoma and have been married 49 years this August. They have two daughters, Paula and Jo-Ann, and five grandchildren. Garry and Ruth love to travel and read. I have received several postcards from Garry and Ruth cruising on their motorcycles! So, Dr. Garry McCauley and Ruth, on behalf of the entire Texas rice industry, I wish you many years of blissful retirement and may you never have to slog through another muddy rice field!

CALENDAR • May 27-29: 2014 Rice Market and Technology Convention, Real Intercontinental Hotel, San Jose, Costa Rica. For more information, visit usriceproducers.com.

• June 17-20: 115th RMA Convention, Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, 111 Country Club Drive, Incline Village, Nev. Call (775) 832-1234 for more information.

• June 25: 105th Rice Research Station Field Day, Crowley.

• Aug. 1: Arkansas Rice Expo, Grand Prairie Center, Stuttgart.

Please send any calendar announcements to csmith@onegrower.com.

22 RICE FARMING • MAY 2014

RF0514 Layout_CF 11/13 template 5/5/14 9:36 AM Page 23

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