Rice Farming March 2022 by One Grower Publishing

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MARCH 2022

2021 rice carbon uptake data Low-glycemic rice shows promise for diabetics

Fins & feathers Like ducks and geese, salmon may be next to benefit from California rice fields

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March March 2018 2022

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Vol. 52, 56, No. 4 Vol.

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Fromthe the Editor Editor 4 From

Get your on bucks Rice's longgame history 'what's hot in food' trends

6 USA Rice Update Climate-smart ag — rice can 6 Guest Column and lead the way Rice should and sustainability

D p a rRice t mUpdate ents 8 eUSA

Rice industry sets priorities 16 Industry News for the next Farm Bill Rice business scene

Helping fins Here to stay? and feathers

D P A R T M E NSpeaking TS 20 E Specialists Early season weed control

19 Industry News Rice business scene

ON THE COVER: Derrick Alcott and Alexandra Wampler from U.C. Davis, 20 Specialist Speaking who worked on the project. Derrick is a Early herbicide mistakes can postdoctoral researcher and Alexandra is all season long aplague masters' you student. Photo by Brian Baer/California Rice Commission

ON THE COVER: Armyworms once again plagued California rice growers in 2017. Photo by Luis Espino, University of California Cooperative Extension

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The rice industry prepares what to may become annual armyworm Like California ducks and geese, salmon may for be next benefit from California rice fields. infestations.

F eE a uRrEeSs A TtU 9 12

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Shorter have shorn the than In 2022,supplies be flexible and haveup more market, one plan.but increased 2018 planting projections cloud long-term outlook.

Low glycemic rice shows promise Floods aid expansion for diabetics

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2021 rice carbon uptake data New tools in the box affect Hard numbers may tool positively

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Enlarging the global rice supply Researchers for strategies to The smell oflook success

Giant invasive snailvariety threatens theaverage Louisiana-grown has an rice-crawfish rotation glycemic rating of 41. in southwest Louisiana.

9 12

13 14

Several new crop-protection compensation in the carbon products market. are available in time for this year’s rice season. improve systems to feed Universityrice of cropping Arkansas breeding a growing global population. program releases new jasmine-type

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long grain.

Stay up-to-date with the latest from Rice Farming.

The yin and yang availability issues Possible product

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GET CONNECTED www.facebook.com/ ricefarming1

10 8

Farm & Gin Show recap

Tight world rice supplies mean any disruption could push markets higher.

18 18 MARCH MARCH2018 2022 | | RICE RICEFARMING FARMING

From The

Editor

It’s time to get your game on 2021 is in the rear view mirror, and you’ve been planning for the upcoming season for the past few months. As temperatures warm up across the Rice Belt, it’s time to get your game on. It’s no secret you will have more than the “normal” challenges this year, but several articles in the March issue of Rice Farming offer some tips for how to deal with them. In a recent edition of the Mississippi Crop Situation podcast out of Stoneville, Mississippi, the “Crop Doctors,” Drs. Don Cook, Jason Bond and Tom Allen, Jr. with Mississippi State University sat down to discuss how to manage the 2022 crop with supply chain and product availability Carroll Smith challenges. Editor For example, Allen suggested taking note of variety selection and factor that into your herbicide decision and application timing. This, he said, could help trim costs at the back end, rather than attempting to save those costs at the front end with seeding applications and having more of an issue later. Bond said knowing both your short-term and long-term goals and having plans is the key for making crop management decisions this season. “Plans, plural, because chances are you’re going to encounter a situation in 2022 where something you want is not going to be available, or the price is going to be such that you are going to seek out alternatives,” he said. Read the synopsis of their discussion on page 12 — “Possible product availability issues.” Carbon sequestration is another hot topic in the rice industry, but the proliferation of information on the subject contains a lot of conjecture and not so much hard data. The research agronomists with G&H Associates in Stuttgart, Arkansas, said they were asked by an environmental, forward-thinking sustainable company to evaluate five rice varieties or hybrids for yield, biomass and percent carbon of rice roots, straw, whole grains and brokens and bran and rice hulls for total carbon uptake during the growing season to develop baseline information on these measured parameters. They accepted the assignment last season and reported their findings in the article on page 14 — “2021 rice carbon uptake data.” As a rice farmer, it might be a good idea to take a look at these hard numbers. As the Arkansas researchers said, “We have to stand up and explain our agricultural profession along with our farming and sustainable farming practices to those we may be interacting with in the carbon markets. Otherwise, we may not be appropriately compensated in our sustainable farming and carbon sequestration practices.” Definitely food for thought.

Carroll

EDITORIAL/PRODUCTION Editor-In-Chief Carroll Smith csmith@onegrower.com Copy Editor Amanda Huber ahuber@onegrower.com Associate Editor Cassidy Nemec cnemec@onegrower.com Digital Content Editor Katie Guthrie kguthrie@onegrower.com Art Director Ashley Kumpe akumpe@onegrower.com

ADMINISTRATION Publisher/Vice President Lia Guthrie 901-497-3689 lguthrie@onegrower.com Associate Publisher/Editor-In-Chief Carroll Smith 901-326-4443 csmith@onegrower.com Associate Publisher/Sales Manager Scott Emerson 386-462-1532 semerson@onegrower.com Production Manager David Boyd dboyd@onegrower.com Audience Services Kate Thomas 847-559-7514 For subscription changes or change of address, call 847-559-7578 or email ricefarming@omeda.com.

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, by One Grower Publishing LLC, 875 W. Poplar Ave., Suite 23, Box 305, Collierville, TN 38017. Periodicals postage paid at Memphis, Tennesee, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to OMEDA COMMUNICATIONS, CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT, P.O. BOX 1388, NORTHBROOK, IL 60065-1388. Annual subscriptions are $25.00. 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.

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USA Rice

Update

Climate-smart ag — rice can and should lead the way

By Betsy Ward

President and CEO USA Rice

USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited have been investing in practices and partnerships to sustain the future of rice since 2015.

hile scientists have been raising alarms on climate change for decades, it’s in the more recent past that private citizens have taken action — like home recycling — and started demanding more. Companies followed suit with their own initiatives, from the simple (switching to LED light bulbs) to the transformative (reducing consumer packaging). The U.S. government has supported and pushed these types of changes in fits and starts for many years, but we’ve just seen something astounding with the Biden Administration’s Department of Agriculture pledging $1 billion to fund climate-smart farming initiatives. While the full scope of the program is still taking shape, it is clear that the new Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program will help create market opportunities that benefit growers who have implemented and expanded practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon. The U.S. rice industry should be held up as an unparalleled example of sustainability and land stewardship. We’ve reduced greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 41% and energy use by 34% since 1980. And we’ve announced that by 2030, we’ll shave another 13% off GHGs and reduce energy use by another 10%. Successful partnerships The U.S. rice industry has proven success with unique and broad partnerships. Since 2015, USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited have been investing in practices and partnerships to sustain the future of rice. We’ve attracted major corporate and philanthropic supporters, including Anheuser-Busch, the Walmart Foundation, Mosaic, Nestle Purina and many more. Through those partnerships, we’ve se-

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MARCH 2022

cured tens of millions of dollars in government grants and support that goes directly to rice farmers, allowing them to adopt sustainable practices that are making a positive impact on the ground. Simply put, U.S. rice is the poster child for climate-smart agriculture, and this is the message we will continue to deliver to USDA, Congress, the White House and the marketplace. Don’t forget the bottom line I would be remiss, however, if I didn’t say that one of the key pillars of sustainability is economic. While reducing greenhouse gas emissions is essential in its own right, any climate action taken by our rice farmers needs to also make sense for their operations. The Climate-Smart Commodities program needs to include recognition of the fact that not every practice is possible for every grower. We want growers to have the freedom to tailor their sustainability practices to what’s possible, practical and beneficial to everyone, including the environment, and to be rewarded for the positive outcomes — even if their path differed from that of their neighbors. A one-size-fits-all approach that saddles farmers with onerous or impossible restrictions is disrespectful and counterproductive. While this new program focuses on GHG emissions and energy use reduction, the wildlife habitat we provide also improves soil nutrients, reduces pesticide use and aides with straw decomposition. Future environmental initiatives from the Biden administration should acknowledge the impressive diversity of contributions from U.S. rice farmers, because climate change is a complex issue with complex solutions. It will be exciting to see this program’s collaborations and innovations, and to witness U.S. rice farmers leading American agriculture. At USA Rice we will do everything we can to keep our industry front and center here. The greatest gains will be achieved when producers, the market and the government work together. We’re more than happy to help the Biden administration reach their climate-smart agriculture goals. RICEFARMING.COM

To Control Weeds, Be Timely And Watchful Amy Beth Dowdy ABD Crop Consulting LLC Dexter, Missouri

When I was born, I was the only girl in a nursery full of boys. It’s been that way my entire life, but I am comfortable in that environment and blaze my own trail. As a small child, I sat in the front yard and cried to go to the field with Daddy, who called me his little dirt dauber. When he did take me with him, I remember drinking out of the irrigation pipe and playing in the mud. I started “farming” at a very young age. In 1990, I started scouting rice in college and opened my own consulting business in 1996. In 2021, we had a good planting window. Then it kept raining, which caused some hiccups. The pre-emergence herbicides were activated by all the rain, but wet conditions caused problems getting out the preflood herbicides and preflood fertilizer, leading to some delays on our zero grade fields. We had to replant 250 acres of rice due to poor stands in zero grade fields. After a less than ideal start, we were blessed with one of the highest yielding rice crops we have ever had.

Loyant® Herbicide Takes Out Pigweed In Row Rice In Missouri, we fight pigweed in row rice and are starting to have problems with crab grass. If we are watchful and timely, we can control pigweed if we overlay pre-emergence herbicides and then apply Loyant herbicide right before the rice canopies. Loyant does a good job on pigweeds. We have a new species of barnyardgrass that is resistant to Facet and propanil. It’s not a widespread area, but we are having some issues trying to get a handle on it. We also are having problems with white margin sedge in a few fields. Loyant seems to work best, but the sedge is so prolific, it’s hard to get it covered the first time. It may take a one-two spray in some of those fields. Do we follow up after Loyant with Basagran or propanil? We will continue to do some testing and hopefully get this weed figured out before it gets more of a foothold here. In conventional rice, I use RebelEX® herbicide and Facet herbicide to clean up the grass, sprangletop and smartweed before I go to flood. Today, the cost of fertilizer and fuel is weighing on farmers, but they need to stick to their crop rotation. The price of soybeans may be grand, but soybeans can sometimes drown out or burn up. That usually doesn’t happen to a rice crop. Stay with your established rotation, spread your risk and hang in there.

• B.S. degree in agronomy, Mississippi State University, 1992. • Established ABD Crop Consulting LLC in 1996. Consults on rice in Southeast Missouri. • Member, National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants. Served on the NAICC executive board, 2011-15. • Member: Missouri contingency of the Arkansas Agricultural Consultants Association, USA Rice and Pleasant Grove Community Church. Works on Stoddard County Fair Board. • 2020 Rice Consultant of the Year. • Enjoys spending time with family: mom Pam; brother Matt and his wife, Jess; nephew Atom; niece Maci and Maci’s family: husband Nick Harris and their three daughters: Landri, Raegan and Falynn. When time permits, Dowdy goes to antique auctions and reads.

Recap: Be Timely And Watchful For Weeds 1. In Missouri, we fight pigweed in row rice. 2. If we are watchful and timely, we can control pigweed if we overlay pre-emergence herbicides and then apply Loyant® herbicide right before the rice canopies. 3. We also have problems with white margin sedge. Loyant seems to work best, but the sedge is so prolific, it’s hard to get it covered the first time. It may take a one-two spray. 4. In conventional rice, I use RebelEX® herbicide and Facet herbicide to clean up grass, sprangletop and smartweed before I go to flood.

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™® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. Loyant® and RebelEX® are not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions. © 2022 Corteva.

JIM MORRIS/CALIFORNIA RICE COMMISSION

Rice grower Steve Neader (left) and Igancio Madrigal of DNH Farms install a specially designed board in a rice box at the pilot salmon research project.

Helping fins and feathers Like ducks and geese, salmon may be next to benefit from California rice fields. By Jim Morris California Rice Commission

generation ago, it may have seemed far-fetched that Sacramento Valley rice fields could play a vital role for millions of birds. However, changes in rice growing methods in the early 1990s — a shift from burning fields after harvest to adding a few inches of water to break down leftover rice straw — led to such an occurrence. Area rice fields are now home to nearly 230 wildlife species, including 7 to 10 million ducks and geese every fall and winter. The “surrogate wetlands” are now crucial to the massive Pacific Flyway wildlife migration. California’s struggling salmon may be next to benefit from those same rice fields. This is year three of pilot salmon research by the California Rice Commission, UC Davis, California Trout and other partners. This

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project will test and refine rice farming practices designed to provide habitat and food for fish. If successful, baby salmon will rear in flood bypass rice fields in the winter, when no rice is grown, then head off to the ocean. Every step of the process is being monitored to understand the best practices moving forward. If all goes well, this project will move from pilot to voluntary adoption on suitable Sacramento Valley rice farms. This work is supported by a grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, major sponsors including Syngenta, State Water Contractors and a long list of contributors. Additionally, there are major modifications to existing water infrastructure planned that will allow juvenile salmon on their way to sea better RICEFARMING.COM

access to food-rich floodplain habitats. This nutrient-rich food web develops naturally in winter flooded rice fields, due to organic matter and sunlight. Finally, the Fish Food program is working with rice farmers and wetland managers on the protected or “dry side” of levees. While these fields and wetlands are not directly connected to the river and cannot host salmon, they can still support salmon populations by creating fish food. A dense invertebrate food web rapidly grows in nutrient-rich, sun-soaked shallow waters of flooded rice fields. Several weeks after being inundated, this veritable bug buffet can be strategically drained into the river to provide much-needed nutrition for small, juvenile salmon migrating downstream to the ocean. A rewilding effort Jacob Katz, senior scientist with CalTrout is a passionate advocate for salmon. He said he is very hopeful that the collaborative work being done in the Sacramento Valley will ultimately help fish, as well as birds, people and farms. “There are two big reasons for my optimism,” Katz remarked. “The first is the science. It’s really clear that, if we meet every link in the chain, every type of habitat that these critters need, including salmon, we can expect a really dramatic response — an increase in abundance. The second is collaboration. Everywhere I turn, I see farmers dedicated to more ducks, more geese, more salmon — and opening their farms to a rewilding; a way of thinking about welcoming the wild back onto the farm. “We’re not talking about going back. We are still going to be one of the most productive farming areas on Earth. But, in the non-growing season, floodplain farms can be managed as fantastic habitat for multiple species.”

Q&A with Jacob Katz Jim Morris: Water is hardly ever an easy subject in our state. Finding enough for the environment, cities and farms is frequently contentious. One creative plan involves what at first may seem like an unlikely pairing — rice fields and salmon. The salmon project involves many partners — the Rice Commission, UC Davis, landowners, water districts and California Trout. Jacob Katz has a PhD in ecology and is senior scientist with CalTrout. Jacob, there are several things that are going on to help salmon. Can you tell us about what’s happening to try to improve that population? Jacob Katz: All three of the efforts underway involve floodplains or the marshlands that run adjacent to our rivers and tributaries here in the Sacramento Valley. The first we call fish food, and that’s understanding that bugs that fish eat, which make fish populations, really aren’t grown in the rivers themselves, but in the adjacent marshlands. And most of those marshlands are no longer attached to the river. So maybe 95% of the marshes that were once flooded by the Sacramento River and its tributaries are now behind levees. And the fish food program works with farmers that now — for the most part — farm those lands to mimic those flood patterns out on their fields to spread and slow water mid-winter when they’re not farming to allow bugs to grow in those fields. And then they actively drain that floodplain-rich water, that natural wealth, back to the river where the fish are.

Q& A

Generous support and contributions

Other contributors include: • American Commodity Company, LLC. • California Almonds – Almond Board of California. • California Family Foods. • California Ricelands. Waterbird Foundation. • California Rice Research Board. • Conaway Preservation Group. • Corteva Agriscience. • Grow West. • Lundberg Family Farms. • NCWA – Northern California Water Association. • NovaSource Tessenderlo Group. • River Garden Farms. • S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation. • The Nigiri Project. • Valent. TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

BRIAN BAER/CALIFORNIA RICE COMMISSION

Pilot salmon research is supported by a grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Major sponsors are Syngenta and State Water Contractors.

A University of California, Davis, researcher inspects the protective cages holding young salmon as part of the pilot salmon research project in Robbins, California.

MARCH 2022

RICE FARMING

JIM MORRIS/CALIFORNIA RICE COMMISSION

The second thing is actively managing fields within our bypasses, within the floodways that are the parts of the former floodplain, which are still hydrologically connected to the river. And then the third is actually changing, upgrading often obsolete infrastructure so that it allows the river and fish to connect to those floodplain bypasses more frequently and for a longer duration. Jim Morris: Let’s start with the fish food. It’s amazing at first glance that there’s not enough food in the river, but that’s certainly true. Correct? How much of a difference can the food that’s being raised in rice fields be for the salmon? Jacob Katz: Well, over the last 10 years or so, we’ve been running around the Sacramento Valley, throwing our plankton nets, looking for bugs in every kind of aquatic habitat. And what we found is that the rivers themselves are essentially food deserts. There’s very little food for small fish to eat there. Whereas the adjacent marshlands, whether that’s a flooded field or a marsh habitat managed for waterfowl or a natural marsh, all of those are teaming with invertebrate life. With what I call floating filet — the exact right kind of food if you’re a young salmon, trying to get strong and fit on your journey to sea. Jim Morris: When we look at the pilot program of raising salmon in rice fields, it works out perfectly because there’s nothing grown in the fields during the winter. How optimistic are you with what you’ve seen so far with that project? Jacob Katz: Well, what we see is that when fish are exposed to the kind of conditions, the physical, or I call them biophysical conditions, because the depth and duration of flooding that you would’ve seen before, you allow a fish to recognize the river system that it evolved in, that it’s adapted to. When you put a salmon into a puddle, what you find is that there is ample food there and these little guys are swimming around with their eyes closed and their mouth open, getting big, getting fat. And that’s really critical because it increases their chances, not just of making it out of the river system, but critically it increases their survival in the ocean so that they have a much better chance of returning as an adult. And that is one of the most important things we can do to bring back these salmon populations in the Central Valley. Jim Morris: So the fish that are grown in the rice fields, how is their survivability relating to the wild population? Jacob Katz: It looks like fish that find something to eat, and that’s what the rice fields really provide is access to the kind of habitats that fish would’ve been rearing or feeding in previously. And when they do that, when they get food, they get strong and

Q& A JIM MORRIS/CALIFORNIA RICE COMMISSION

Jacob Katz has a PhD in ecology and is senior scientist with CalTrout.

Young salmon are measured during tagging.

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they have a better chance making it out of the river system. The Rice Commission and UC Davis have done some great studies showing that their survival improves on the way out to the Golden Gate, but what’s even more important is that ocean survival. That leaving fresh water well, their survival’s increased, but it’s coming back where you get the really big payoff. That’s what we’re all after is making sure that more of those juvenile fish return as adults and a bigger fish that hits the Marine environment, that hits the salt, that’s a fish that’s more likely to return as an adult. Jim Morris: Looking at another big aspect of this is making sure the infrastructure is correct, not only to help cities and farms, but also make sure that fish are healthy. What can be done there? Jacob Katz: Several things can be done. One thing is to increase the habitat benefit to the fish that actually get onto our floodplain bypasses. These are the flood protection areas in the Sacramento Valley, in the Sutter and Yolo Bypasses. And the Rice Commission is piloting a study now that helps manage rice fields in those bypasses so that they better serve the salmon when the salmon get out in there. The other is increasing the frequency in which fish can actually get out of that food desert of a river and on to that food buffet that is the bypass, or is the floodplain. That’s done by putting gates or lower areas within these levees and weirs that allow the river to spill out of its heavily channelized leveed bank more often to access, to hydrologically connect from the river onto the floodplain, and allow those small fish to get out to where the food is. Jim Morris: So this new type of thinking, actually I guess it’s a nod toward the old way things happened in historic California. How optimistic are you that this is going to work? Jacob Katz: I’m incredibly optimistic. When you allow a salmon to recognize the river system that it’s adapted to, that it evolved in, that when we manage our rivers and our farmlands in such a way that we mimic those natural patterns — the slowing and spreading of flood water out over the shallow marshlands, that once really dominated and characterized the Sacramento and San RICEFARMING.COM

JIM MORRIS/CALIFORNIA RICE COMMISSION

Sacramento Valley rice fields are now home to nearly 230 wildlife species, including 7 to 10 million ducks and geese every fall and winter. The “surrogate wetlands” are now crucial to the massive Pacific Flyway wildlife migration. The state’s struggling salmon may be next to benefit from these same rice fields.

Joaquin Valleys. What we get is an explosion, a natural explosion of biomass, of abundance. We’ve seen that this works with the fantastic efforts from the rice industry and regulators and others that revolve around making farm fields better for waterfowl and for shorebirds. And now in Butte Creek, we see that when we do the same thing, when we focus on creating the kind of habitat that salmon need at each part of their life history, making sure that the small fish on their way to the ocean have something to eat, making sure that the big fish on their way back have unfettered access to their spawning streams and have adequate cold water for holding in before they spawn. If you hit every link in that chain, we see that the fish populations respond and respond dramatically. We can get very rapid increases in population similar to what we’ve seen with ducks and geese in the Sacramento Valley. I believe that we can have the same thing for salmon, and it really takes this landscape-scale approach where we’re not doing this on hundreds of acres or even thousands of acres, but tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of acres. And it takes the collaboration of farmers, regulators and environmentalists all working together to create an ecologically functioning valley. And when we do that, we can create a valley that once again can create salmon abundance, and in so doing can create a system where water can much more easily be moved from where it’s more abundant to where it’s utilized by both agriculture and our cities. Jim Morris: I’m reminded of what grower Fritz Durst has said many times focusing on the fix, not the fight, which is a great way to go if you can do it. It seems to be happening in the Sacramento Valley. So when we look ahead, Jacob, in our lifetimes, do you foresee a water situation that has improved to a point that is best

serving the cities, the environment and farms? Jacob Katz: Well, absolutely, and that’s because we need to get the most pop per drop, right? And there’s two real big reasons for my optimism. The first is the science. It’s really clear that if we meet every link in the chain, every type of habitat that these critters need — including salmon — we can expect a real dramatic response, an increase in abundance. And the second is collaboration. I see wherever I turn farmers dedicated to more ducks, to more geese, to more salmon and really opening their farms to a rewilding, a way of thinking about welcoming the wild back onto the farm. We’re not talking about going back. We are still going to be one of the most productive agricultural regions on earth, but in the non-growing season, floodplain farms can be managed as just fantastic habitat for multiple species and can be done in such a way where they spread in slow waters so that that water sinks back into our aquifers to the bank of our most precious resource, water. So when we have functioning river ecosystems, when we have a functioning Sacramento Valley, what we really have is a system that works for fins, for feathers, for farms and for people, and is better able to meet the challenges of a changing climate with resilience and ultimately with this recovery of natural abundance. Jim Morris: As the salmon work ramps up, we will have much more in the coming weeks. For now, I appreciate spending time with Jacob Katz on this important subject. You can find out much more at podcast.calrice.org. Please subscribe and tell your friends.

Q& A

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Jim Morris is communications manager for the California Rice Commission. He may be reached at jim.morris@calrice.org. MARCH 2022

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Possible product availability issues In 2022, be flexible and have more than one plan.

n a recent edition of the Mississippi Crop Situation podcast out of Stoneville, Mississippi, the “Crop Doctors,” Drs. Don Cook, Jason Bond and Tom Allen, Jr. with Mississippi State University sat down to discuss how to manage the 2022 crop with supply chain and product availability challenges. Supply chain challenges Early in the podcast, Bond mentions the “concerned buying” going on in fall 2021 when input prices were about to further increase. “Some of this is not clear whether the physical product is not there or we’ve had the same as we did, we just have a bigger demand for it,” Cook says. Saving money Cook also goes on to say to make more accurate recommendations for crop management during this season, insect pressures must be known. He answers Bond’s inquiry on whether anything can be done between now and planting time, with nitrogen being an almost non-negotiable input, to save costs. “From an agronomic standpoint … a lot of it depends on what you’ve done in the past,” he says. This includes phosphorous and potassium levels, fertility programs and crop rotations. Herbicide programs, he says, can also be used in conjunction with crop selection. Allen suggests taking note of variety selection and factor that into your herbicide decision and application timing. This, he says, could help trim costs at the back end, rather than attempting to save those costs at the front end with seeding applications and having more of an issue later. Bond says that planting date can also contribute to cost-saving adjustments as well. He continues by saying this could prove ben-

eficial for weed control, insects and disease pressure. Planning ahead Knowing both your short-term and long-term goals and having plans is key for making crop management decisions this season, Bond says. “Plans, plural, because chances are you’re going to encounter a situation in 2022 where something you want is not going to be available, or the price is going to be such that you’re going to seek out alternatives,” he says. Cook says that the state we are in is not static and is changing every day. “Go into it with the mindset of having to be flexible and adapt to an everchanging situation,” he says. He continues by emphasizing the role being played this year making a difference in future seasons and says, “What you do has ramifications beyond this crop.” “Don’t cut something out of the program that’s going to give you a bigger problem in 2023,” Allen says. Allen touches on the importance of pH and the significance it has in a crop when speaking about things that should not be cut out of a program to save costs this season. “If you neglect rectifying a pH issue, that will also contribute to what appears to be nutritional issues … if you forget about it, it’s a trickle-down impact, and it compounds upon itself.” In the end, the Crop Doctors recognize the difficulties that are being faced and may lie ahead but reiterate they are here to help and to give them a call with any questions. MSU entomologist Dr. Don Cook, MSU weed scientist Dr. Jason Bond and MSU plant pathologist Dr. Tom Allen provided this information.

COURTESY OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY

“Don’t cut something out of the program that’s going to give you a bigger problem in 2023,” says MSU plant pathologist Dr. Tom Allen.

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Low glycemic rice shows promise for diabetics Louisiana-grown variety has an average glycemic rating of 41. By Tobi Blanchard

Key differences Armentor said in addition to being non-GMO, Frontiére also has 5 grams of protein. Other rice varieties have only 1 to 2 grams of protein per one-half cup serving when cooked. “That is great news for people with diabetes or who have been diagnosed as pre-diabetic who need to watch the amount and type of carbohydrates they consume, which affect blood sugar levels,” she said. “A low glycemic food means that when the food is metabolized by the body, there is a gradual rise in blood sugar levels as opposed to a food which might be high on the glycemic index that will cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels.” There are three groups of glycemic ratings for food: low with a glycemic index of 55 or less, medium with a glycemic index of 56 to 69 and high with a glycemic index of 70 to 100. Frontiére has an average rating of 41, which is 14 points lower than other varieties of rice and is classified in a low-glycemic group. It has the lowest glycemic index ever reported in commercially viable rice, she said. This is welcome news for a state where many of the main dishes such as gumbo, etouffee and jambalaya are served with rice and for people who might shy away from them for dietary concerns.

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or people interested in keeping their blood sugar levels in check, they now have a new tool thanks to rice developed at the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station in Crowley, Louisiana. AgCenter area nutrition agent Mandy Armentor said Frontiére is a low glycemic rice variety developed by LSU AgCenter scientists that went to market under the Parish Rice label late in 2021.

Frontiére, a low-glycemic rice developed by the LSU AgCenter is being sold across the state under the Parish Rice brand. This rice is a healthy alternative for diabetics and those who are pre-diabetic.

Cooking in the kitchen Armentor said this low glycemic rice will transform rice from a food shunned because of health concerns to one that is consumed. “I actually cooked some over the weekend and tested it on my family,” she said. “We had it with gumbo and nobody could tell that it was any different from traditional rice in taste, texture and appearance.” Armentor said she cooked it with an electric rice cooker and it was not different from cooking other varieties of long-grain rice. She said the biggest difference that she noticed is the low glycemic rice was a good bit stickier than traditional rice. “Parish Rice is available at all of the Rouses grocery stores in Louisiana and a number of the local grocery stores,” she said.

grown with complete traceability; it has small amounts of sodium, fat and cholesterol; it’s a good source of energy-providing complex carbohydrates; it’s easy to prepare; and it’s gluten-free like any other rice variety. “Why would someone not want to support the Rice Research Station, local farmers and make a small change in their diet that would be beneficial to their overall health?” Armentor said. Research has shown that consumption of lower-glycemic foods can help prevent unnecessary snacking and excessive calorie consumption, thereby making this low glycemic rice a useful tool in obesity prevention. “One must remember that just because a food is low glycemic, you still have to watch out for your portion size, especially those with pre-diabetes or diabetes,” she said. Armentor said consuming low glycemic diets has been shown to reduce risks of cancer, heart disease and other medical conditions in studies.

Health benefits abound Other benefits of consuming low glycemic rice are it’s Louisiana

Tobie Blanchard is director, communications and public relations, LSU AgCenter. She may be reached at TBlanchard@agcenter.lsu.edu.

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MARCH 2022

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Jim Grove with G&H Associates, a contract research company in Stuttgart, Arkansas, uses schedule 40, 6-inch PVC pipe to sample rice roots.

2021 rice carbon uptake data Hard numbers may positively affect compensation in the carbon market. By Ronnie Helms, Jim Grove and Trey Helms

limate-smart farming, sustainable farming practices, green house mitigation and carbon sequestration are terms that are now in many agricultural publications. Depending on the farming practices, several carbon marketing companies will pay farmers to adopt such practices as no-till and cover crops. The adoption and payment for these practices is based on the fact that these practices reduce greenhouse gasses and are part of the attempt to reduce global warming. On our farm, we use conventional minimum-till and no-till planting methods, as well as many other sustainable farming practices when we grow rice, soybeans, corn, millet, oats or wheat.

Evaluating measured parameters In our contract research business, we were asked by an environmental, forward-thinking sustainable company to evaluate five rice varieties or hybrids for yield, biomass and percent carbon of rice roots, straw, whole grains and brokens and bran and rice hulls for total carbon uptake during the growing season to develop baseline information on these measured parameters. I, Ronnie Helms, have worked in rice research for more than 42

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years and have never conducted a really straight-forward simple rice study of this type. The rice varieties or hybrids on which we evaluated grain yields were: RT7321 (9,038 pounds/acre), Delta Grow 263 (7,191 pounds/acre), Titan (5,898 pounds/acre), Diamond (6,007 pounds/acre) and CLL16 (6,549 pounds/acre). The average percent carbon for hybrid in rice varieties was rice roots 0.34%, rice straw 0.401%, whole grain and brokens 0.405%, rice brand 0.44% and rice hulls 0.41%. The total carbon uptake for the measured rice components is presented in Table 1. The carbon uptake was calculated by multiplying the biomass for each component by the percent carbon in each component. Rice roots evaluation Rice root measurements was an interesting part of this study. We used schedule 40, 6-inch PVC pipe to sample the rice roots. Our sampling depth was 12 inches, and we used a front-end loader on a tractor to push the PVC pipe into the soil. We used two sieves to remove the soil from the roots, then washed the soil from the roots. There were rocks, glass and previous crop residue among the roots. RICEFARMING.COM

There were differences among the rice varieties for carbon uptake, but in general, the highest-yielding rice line in this test (RT7321) had the highest carbon uptake (9,143.7 pounds/acre). There was some variability in total carbon uptake relative to grain yield, but in general, it appears that grain yield might be an indicator of total carbon uptake for rice varieties. Now the question is: How is this first-year rice variety carbon data to be potentially utilized? For example, if a carbon marketing company pays a farmer to adopt no-till planting practices, is the amount of carbon uptake and/or sequestered carbon the same if a farmer produces 7,500 pounds per acre of rice compared to a 9,000 pounds per acre rice yield? Another question is: Can this type of rice carbon uptake data be used in conjunction with greenhouse gas and/or carbon sequestration predictive models that currently exist in the scientific community? Rice hull analysis The rice hull carbon uptake data is an interesting component in this study. Rice hulls are typically around 20% of the rough rice yields. When the rice is milled, the hulls are removed from the grain. The rice hulls can be processed and used as an abrasive in various industries. Rice hulls can also be used in manufactured decking lumber materials, water filters, organic fertilizer, concrete bricks and poultry bedding materials just to mention a few uses. When we have discussed the concept that rice hulls are sequestered carbon, it is obvious that many carbon purchasing companies do not understand how rice is processed. I have had the same type of conversation with carbon purchasing companies about cotton lint yields. The carbon in cotton lint, in our opinion, is sequestered carbon. We pointed out to a young lady who worked for a carbon purchasing company that she was

This soil core was collected from PVC pipe. A sieve is used to remove soil and collect rice roots to determine what percent carbon they contain.

wearing sequestered carbon in her cotton shirt and jeans. She had not considered cotton lint that was removed from the field as sequestered carbon. In reality, agriculture is a relatively small business. We have to stand up and explain our agricultural profession, along with our farming and sustainable farming practices to those we may be interacting with in the carbon markets. Otherwise, we may not be appropriately compensated in our sustainable farming and carbon sequestration practices. Dr. Ronnie Helms, Jim Grove and Trey Helms are research agronomists with G&H Associates, Stuttgart, Arkansas. Ronnie Helms may be reached at ronniehelms@centurytel.net.

2021 Rice Carbon Study Carbon Uptake (lbs./Acre) Rice Variety

Roots

Straw

Whole Grain

Bran

Hulls

Total

RT 7321 FullPage

1186.5

4245

2614.6

410.9

686.6

9143.7

DG 263

968.9

3343.5

1959.9

388.5

617.7

7278.6

Titan

1330.7

3834

1692.8

260.7

490.6

7608.9

Diamond

912.4

3232.4

1690.7

301.7

493.3

6630.4

CLL16

1178.4

3704.8

1829.2

365.4

523.5

7601.3

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MARCH 2022

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LSU AgCenter names two new conventional rice varieties In January, Rice Farming reported that Louisiana State University had released an early, high-yielding long grain and a high-amylose long grain for parboiling and export markets — LA192212 and LA20-2126. Both varieties are from Dr. Adam Famoso’s breeding program out Dr. Adam of the LSU AgCenter. Famoso LA19-2212 has now been named Avant, and LA20-2126 has been named Addi Jo. Avant is a cross between LSU AgCenter variety, Cocodrie, and the University of Arkansas variety, LaGrue. It is an early variety with milling yields comparable to other long-grain varieties that have come out of the LSU AgCenter breeding program and has a kernel length around 7 millimeters. Yields from Avant have shown over a period of years to be higher than Cheniere and competitive with Clearfield varieties. Addi Jo is a high-amylose, conventional long-grain variety with amylose levels around 26%. This variety has low chalk and a 7-millimeter kernel length, along with sought-after grain and cooking quality traits. Addi Jo has the Pi-ta gene for blast resistance, along with the Cercospora-resistance gene, which helps in adding qualities good for parboiling, processing and the export market.

Reviton, Rogue receive EPA labels for Arkansas The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued new labels for two herbicides, offering growers new tools for the 2022 growing season. Reviton, a marketed tiafenacil formulation, is a broadleaf herbicide newly labeled for aerial applications in Arkansas. Tommy Butts, extension weed scientist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said the addition of the 24C classification will likely prove to be a key benefit for growers as spring burndown applications continue. “It’s another tool in the toolbox,” Butts said. “In a year of limited supply and high

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Plant pathologist Felipe Dalla Lana joins researchers at the LSU AgCenter’s H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station.

Plant pathologist hired to focus on rice diseases The LSU AgCenter has added plant pathologist Felipe Dalla Lana to its roster of researchers at the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station. With nearly a decade of experience studying plant disease in both Brazil and the United States, Dalla Lana brings a wealth of experience from his work in the Midwest applying statistical analysis and modeling to the realm of plant pathology. He said his work as a plant pathologist offers him the freedom to study a variety of crops with ever-evolving challenges. “You have new diseases. You have diseases that become resistant to fungicides. You have new technologies, new cultivars,” Dalla Lana said. “Everything is always changing. It is very dynamic.” Dalla Lana received his doctorate in plant pathology from Ohio State University and was most recently a postdoctoral researcher at Penn State University. The bulk of his research at those universities included research in fungicide efficacy for crops such as corn, wheat and soybeans. His academic work focused on several systems of increasing complexity that helped to answer crop pathology questions. “The diseases are always there,” Dalla Lana said. “I was really into understanding how there are some years when diseases are a problem and some years there is not a problem with disease.” To begin his work in south Louisiana, Dalla Lana said he wants to meet with local rice growers to find out what they need from an AgCenter pathologist. He has learned fungicidal resistance to sheath blight is a major concern. Dalla Lana said he takes a three-pronged approach to reaching his research goals. He said farmers want the highest return of investment while consumers want the highest quality product for the lowest price. As a society, he said, people want all those things with the least impact to the environment. “These goals are not always met,” he reflected. “One way to do this is to make our decisions using our knowledge of disease development. My problem here is to identify the key components that can maximize those three things.” Dalla Lana is succeeding Donald Groth, who served many roles, including research director, in his 38-year career at the Rice Research Station. Groth, who retired earlier this month, will now serve as professor emeritus. prices, that’s especially important.” Reviton is part of a chemical family known as PPO inhibitors, which, among

other things, prevent production of chlorophyll and destroy cell membranes. Under the Section 24C special local needs RICEFARMING.COM

Industry label, Arkansas farmers will be able to use Reviton for pre-plant and pre-emergence burndown in corn, except sweet corn and popcorn. It can also be used pre-plant in soybeans and cotton. One of the most important facets of Reviton is that it may be safely tank-mixed with clethodim, which controls ryegrass and other grassy weeds. Rogue — the active ingredient of which is benzobicyclon — is a post-flood rice herbicide that provides a new method of control for weed species such as flatsedge and sprangletop, and helps suppress weedy rice. Farmers have to be certified to use Rogue. Among other things, Rogue needs to be sprayed into flood water and should be used only in zero grade and straight levee fields where water can be held with little or no movement. “The herbicide itself isn’t a new mode of action, but it’s a new mode of action in rice,” Butts said. “We’ve never had an HPPD inhibitor before that we could use in rice.” HPPD inhibitors work by effectively bleaching weeds, shutting down photosynthesis and causing them to wilt and die. Butts said Rogue is especially beneficial because of increasing resistance issues associated with other herbicides already in use throughout the mid-South. “When you have herbicide resistance, normally it’s to a specific mode of action,” he said. “With this one being a completely different mode of action never used before in rice, it opens the door a little more.” Use of product names in this story does not imply endorsement by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

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Participants in the 4-H ATV Safety Program learn to operate ATVs safely and responsibly in a controlled environment. The half-day 4-H ATV RiderCourse is taught by licensed instructors and covers starting and stopping, quick turns, hill riding, emergency maneuvers and riding over obstacles. Participants also receive training on protective gear, local regulations, places to ride and environmental concerns. Offered through Extension offices statewide, these classes are tailored to the age and experience level of the participants. The course is open to adults and children aged 8 and up. Each participant receives a free helmet courtesy of the Brain Injury Association of Mississippi.

Texas, Louisiana rice farmers wait for perfect temperatures Rice growers across Texas and Louisiana are preparing for a positive 2022 crop year and have already started some water and drill seeding, but most await more favorable soil temperatures. “Weather so far this spring has been very favorable for land preparation, allowing producers to be “sitting on go” for planting,” said Jeff Mosley, RiceTec regional sales manager. RiceTec anticipates that rice acres will be flat or slightly up for the 2022 crop year for Texas and Southern Louisiana. On acres that require a product with herbicide tech-

nology (HT), FullPage hybrid RT7321 FP is a popular choice across the Gulf Coast rice areas along with its companion, RT7521 FP. The Max-Ace hybrid product, along with RiceTec’s first varietal release with HT traits, RTv7231 MA, have also been in high demand. Additionally, conventional hybrid XP753 continues to be the market leader in acres intended for non-HT plantings in both states. Producers have expressed concerns about the current situation in Eastern Europe and its impact on the market and availability of nitrogen fertilizers; however, despite those concerns and high soybean prices, rice still proves to be a viable commodity. “In the last crop, the 2021 season was highlighted for a reduction in rice areas in the midsouth,” said Mosley. “However, rice demand continues to be strong, which is strengthening prices in the market. Hopefully the prices sustain throughout the 2022 season.” Although rice is a high input crop, it is also seen as a high return crop. “A savvy producer can maximize the return on his investment in a rice crop by using RiceTec products on his acres due to the hybrid’s performance stability across a wide range of environments, production practices and management levels,” added Mosley. Hybrid rice products continue to perform well when subjected to stressful conditions like environmental factors, diseases and insect pressures.

Grant provides ATVs, equipment for 4-H The Mississippi State University Extension Service 4-H ATV Safety Program recently received $10,000 from Polaris through the company’s T.R.A.I.L.S. grant program. The funds purchased two youth sized Polaris ATVs and safety equipment. T.R.A.I.L.S. is an acronym for trail development, responsible riding, access, initiatives, lobbying and safety. Brad Staton, an Extension associate with the 4-H ATV Safety Program, said he is thankful for the grant because it will allow his program to train more people at once. TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

On acres that require a product with herbicide technology, FullPage hybrid RT7321 FP is a popular choice across the Gulf Coast rice areas along with its companion, RT7521 FP. MARCH 2022

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Enlarging the global rice supply Researchers look for strategies to improve rice cropping systems to feed a growing global population. By Blair Fannin

Future sustainability concerns In evaluating yield-gap efficiencies, the researchers found several concerns about the sustainability of future rice cropping systems. “We are seeing yield plateaus in major rice-producing regions such as California, China, Indonesia and South Korea,” Wilson said. “The second concern is that these regions consume as much as 30%, 14% and 10% of global use irrigation water, fertilizers and pesticides (respectively).”

The cost of labor and associated input costs make rice production less attractive to farmers in some regions, according to the research, especially where governments provide support mechanisms and subsidies. Yet the researchers say achieving as much as 70% to 80% yield potential is attainable for farmers who have access to stable markets, ample inputs and the resources of Extension services. Texas rice implications Wilson notes that the demand for Texas rice continues to escalate. “We’re seeing the state’s population increasing in addition to the global growth,” Wilson said. “What’s hopefully a short-term threat to Texas rice growers is the cost of nitrogen fertilizer; while for at least the next five years, the lower quality of current hybrid varieties certainly poses a challenge with many international markets.” Though high-quality inbred rice has been historically predominant in the state, Texas now produces a significant amount of long-grain hybrid varieties. While the long-grain hybrid varieties can lead to yields of 1,500 pounds or more per acre, they do give up some grain quality, which can turn away international buyers, Wilson said. Two breeding programs at the Beaumont research center are led by Omar Samonte, Texas A&M AgriLife Research hybrid rice breeder, and Shyamal Talukder, AgriLife Research assistant professor of inbred rice breeding and genetics. They are addressing these issues for Texas growers by developing inbred and hybrid varieties with both increased yields and superior grain quality, Wilson said. Demand for Texas-produced long-grain rice is high, particularly from Mexico, with considerable potential for expanded sales in several Latin American, Asian and African markets. “Texas rice growers compete internationally,” Wilson said. “For them to maintain an edge is for us to keep making varietal improvements through research and development. We need to keep striving to produce superior varieties.” Blair Fannin is senior public relations professional with Texas A&M AgriLife.

Omar Samonte, Texas A&M AgriLife Research hybrid rice breeder, and Shyamal Talukder, AgriLife Research assistant professor of inbred rice breeding and genetics are addressing issues for Texas growers by developing inbred and hybrid varieties with both increased yields and superior grain quality.

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KATHLEEN PHILLIPS/TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE

ore rice production can be produced while minimizing the crop’s environmental impact, new research suggests. And that’s important with the global population projected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050 and with demand for rice on the rise. A team of global researchers that includes Ted Wilson, director of the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Beaumont, have studied yield gap and resource-use efficiency across 32 of the world’s top-producing rice cropping systems. These systems account for 70% of the rice-harvest area and 51% of rice production globally. Their research is highlighted in an article published in Nature Communications. The research team found that the global rice production systems could increase production by 36% and all but eliminate excess nitrogen by focusing attention on a small number of cropping systems with large yield gaps and poor use of inputs. Key inputs to make a crop — water, pesticides, nitrogen, labor and energy — were evaluated. “What we’ve found is most of these major rice cropping systems have room for improvement with regards to yield and resource efficiencies,” Wilson said. “These can easily be achieved and protect the environment for decades to come. The research outcomes are very strategic, certainly assisting in prioritizing global research and development with the overarching goal of the world having enough rice to meet the demands of future population projections.” The lead writers include Wilson; Shen Yuan, Huazhong Agricultural University; Bruce Linguist, University of CaliforniaDavis; and Patricio Grassini, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

CONSISTENT RESULTS MAKE US LEADERS IN OUR FIELD. AND IN YOURS, TOO.

The Costellos with Matt Laird in Morehouse Parish, LA

RiceTec helps farmers succeed with the ideal mix of seed and technology. For more than 25 years, we have developed a range of products and programs that can be tailored for your needs. Whether you’re set up for traditional rice fields

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or row rice, you’ll benefit from our many technologies and rotations. Choose from conventional lines, FullPage® or MAX-ACE.®* And, you’ll have our full support every step of the way. Call your RiceTec rep at 877.580.7423. Learn more at RiceTec.com.

* This is not a guarantee of performance nor a warranty of fitness for a particular use.

FEBRUARY 2022

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Spray early, spray less DR. JARROD HARDKE ARKANSAS Professor/Rice Extension Agronomist University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service jhardke@uada.edu We say it every year, repeatedly, to the point of getting eye rolls: focus on pre-emergence (PRE) herbicides! There’s no single easier way to improve weed control and save money than to get PRE herbicides overlapped and applied and activated early. The earlier we plant, the longer residuals can stretch. But we still want to shoot for the overlap. Planting late March to early April, we can probably get 3-plus weeks out of our first residual (if conditions turn dry, this window shortens). The later we plant beyond that, the window in which residuals will last shortens as temperatures rise and conditions get drier. Suddenly, 2-plus weeks becomes the normal expectation. In row rice, research has shown that getting PREs overlapped at two weeks is critical for barnyardgrass control. Waiting until three weeks to overlap results in major issues. Luckily, flushing for activation in row rice is pretty easy compared to levee rice.

“The earlier we plant, the longer residuals can stretch. But we still want to shoot for the overlap,” says Arkansas rice specialist Dr. Jarrod Hardke.

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A stale seedbed approach to planting has been an emphasis for me this year. Getting the ground slicked off, followed by a nice, packing rain works wonders for efficiency. We’ve got all these nice no-till drills. Let’s use them. In a stale seedbed situation, not only does planting efficiency improve (better stands), but weed control also improves. When we plant into a stale situation and can include some burndown and our first PRE immediately following planting, we are way ahead of the game. Now we’re working from a point where the opportunities for weed flushes are greatly reduced. So additional PRE applications will be more effective combatting reduced weed pressure. If we do end up needing a post-emergence application, we’ll be fighting lower densities. Take the fight to weeds early to have the best 2022 season. It’s the best way to keep more money in your pocket.

Dry winter may impact early season weed control DR. WHITNEY BRIM-DEFOREST CALIFORNIA Cooperative Extension Rice Advisor University of California, Davis wbrimdeforest@ucanr.edu Here in California, we’ve had one of the driest January-February periods ever recorded. While still possible, we are not likely to get a large amount of rain in March and April (based on historical weather patterns). What does this mean for early season weed control? If you drill-seed your rice, some weed emergence may be impacted. The soil is going to be extremely dry, meaning that flushes of water may not increase soil moisture enough for weed seeds near the soil surface to imbibe enough water for germination. This will disproportionately impact small-seeded weeds, which cannot emerge from deep in the soil. Some of our smaller-seeded weeds are smallflower umbrellasedge, sprangletop and redstem. Emergence of large-seeded weeds, such as our watergrass species, are likely not to be impacted, as they can emerge from deeper in the soil profile — where the soil moisture content is likely higher — with enough water to imbibe for emergence. For continuously flooded fields, the dry winter will likely cause a slow flood-up. Last year, we saw it take more than a week in some cases, depending on the size of the field. The dryness of the soil, coupled with a lower water table in some areas, may have contributed to the slower-than-normal flooding, and this year will likely look similar. Here are some things to be aware of (again, based on observations from last year). Slow flood-up may contribute to low rice germination rates. This can happen if the soil was saturated for a long time before the rice seed was planted. Rice — like all plants — needs oxygen. If the soil remains satuRICEFARMING.COM

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rated for a long period, the oxygen level in the soil and water will go down. This causes some of the seeds to die shortly after germination and not make it to the surface of the water.  What you might notice: poor stand, patchiness through the field, gaps where rice is missing.  What it may cause: poor weed control in areas where the rice stand is thin, leading to low yields in those areas. Since a thick stand of rice can usually outcompete the rice, the thin stand allows for weeds to come through, even if herbicide applications are perfect.  What you can do: If possible, make targeted herbicide applications to those areas of the field where the stand is thin. Also, you may want to avoid harvesting those areas — if the weeds have gone to seed and are particularly thick — to avoid spreading weed seeds around with the combine. Note: High wind shortly after seeding may also contribute to low rice germination rates, as soil can be pushed over the rice seeds, creating the same anaerobic conditions as described above (no oxygen to the seed). High wind can blow seedlings to one edge of the field. In this case, employing a Leather’s Method (draining the field) is the best way to ensure the rice has enough oxygen and that the seedlings are not pushed to one edge of the field. As always, please follow all herbicide water-holding periods, and do not pull boards if a water-hold is in place. Shutting off the water into the field may be effective to allow water to subside in some fields. Even if the rice stand is good, there may still be poor weed control from a slow flood-up if the weeds are germinating ahead of the rice being planted. Many grasses germinate early and will likely be ahead of rice in this scenario, especially if temperatures are warm.  What you might notice: grasses that are much larger than the rice, perhaps even after an early herbicide application.  What it may cause: Since grasses are the biggest contributor to yield loss out of all of the weeds, fields with a particularly large grass infestation early on will likely suffer some yield loss … even if the field looks clean at the end of the season. The largest decrease in yields from grass competition occurs during the first 30 days after planting.  What you can do: Although it may not be possible to salvage yields due to early grass competition, it is still important to try to control the grasses before they go to seed, as leaving them in the field will contribute to the weed soil seedbank for many years to come. Large grasses respond well to tank mixes, top-of-label rates, and multiple herbicide applications in close succession. However, it is important to weigh the economic cost of the herbicide applications against the potential yield losses. If possible, targeted applications in the worst-infested areas of the field may be a good option. Reach out to your pest control advisor or local Extension advisor if you need additional assistance in planning your herbicide program. TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

A good, clean rice crop just prior to flooding is off to a good start.

Start clean, stay clean DR. JUSTIN CHLAPECKA MISSOURI Assistant Research Professor/ Rice Extension Specialist University of Missouri jchlapecka@missouri.edu If you’ve ever been to an Extension meeting, you’ve likely heard the saying “start clean, stay clean.” If you’re tired of hearing that expression, you’ve come to the wrong place. “Growing up” the last four years in the rice industry, 95% of my work focused on furrow-irrigated rice. Coming from that mentality, you really must keep the grass from ever emerging. However, I believe that’s a mindset we all ought to have regardless of production system. With resistance issues ever increasing, if we see grass, it may indeed be too late. We didn’t have a ton of chemistry to begin with, but post options are very limited. There aren’t a ton of new products lined up at the door. Better yielding Provisia and Max-Ace cultivars — along with Rogue herbicide receiving full approval — will help us on some acres. But many of us will continue to rely on old chemistries and even heavier on the pre-emerges. The vast majority of successful rice systems start with clomazone up front. Barnyardgrass, signalgrass and sprangletop are all controlled well by clomazone, with very little resistance to this point. The only major scenario I would not want to apply clomazone directly behind the planter is on cut ground. Even a reduced rate can cause issues on deep cuts! Our second application should fall no later than two-to-three leaf rice and can include pendimethalin (Prowl) for barnyard and crabgrass control. Quinclorac (Facet) can be used for barnyard, signalgrass and fall panicum control, and thiobencarb (Bolero) can be used for barnyard, crabgrass, fall panicum and sprangletop control. We’ve been very successful with mixing quinclorac with either pendimethalin or thiobencarb at the two-leaf stage. Quinclorac does a great job at filling in the gaps of pendimethalin (sprangletop) MARCH 2022

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and thiobencarb (signalgrass). While broadleaves and sedges are a little easier to clean up, we do have some pre options for those as well. Imazosulfuron (League) is a great pre on hemp sesbania (coffeebean), both jointvetches (indigo), flatsedge, yellow nutsedge and pretty good on smartweed. Quinclorac + thiobencarb also does well on coffeebean and indigo. Saflufenacil is a player as well in controlling palmer amaranth, flatsedge and umbrella sedge. If we start clean and get timely rains on top of these pre-emerge options, we’ll set ourselves up for a good and happy September! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me or Jim Heiser, weed scientist in the Bootheel. As always, eat Missouri rice!

Weedy rice DR. RONNIE LEVY LOUISIANA Extension Rice Specialist Louisiana State University RLevy@agcenter.lsu.edu Weedy rice — or red rice — is the same species as cultivated rice and is competing with the crop for resources throughout the growing season, robbing the crop of nutrients, water and space. Rice is self-pollinating, which slows the rate of cross-pollination, especially since the reproductive window of individual varieties is relatively narrow. Fields where hybrids have been growing for many years can increase outcrossing, resulting in numerous offspring that have varying maturity dates. This leads to an increased window for cross-pollination, which results in more varieties of weedy rice. Rice that shatters is left in the field and will produce volunteer plants in following years. Volunteers increase potential for outcrossing. Hybrid rice is more compatible with red rice and can have a higher outcrossing rate. The outcrossing rate in hybrids is double that of conventional rice varieties. Some herbicide resistance has also passed along to weedy rice. Persistence is key to managing weedy rice over the long-term, and many strategies may need to be used to reduce populations. Don’t

Early season weedy rice

forget dormancy issues and think there is a quick fix. Crop rotation is recommended as it allows for the use of herbicide modes of action, which are not available in rice. Herbicide technology such as Clearfield and FullPage have been used and can still be used where there is no resistance. New herbicide technology such as Provisia and Max-Ace will also allow weedy rice and red rice to be controlled but should be used with good stewardship practices. Water management has been used for many years in Louisiana to control red rice and can also be used to control weedy rice. While there are increased seed costs because of higher seeding rates needed for water planting, water management using a pinpoint flooding system can effectively control weedy rice populations. Planting early and flooding early can also help reduce weedy rice germination. Remember red rice- and weedy rice-free seed should be a must when planting. The variability in maturity also affects harvest. Weedy rice may be overly mature or under-mature at harvest. Grains from overly mature weedy rice shatter in the field, leaving seed that will increase the weedy rice seed bank and reduce overall yield. Over-mature grains can also break during the milling process, lowering the crop’s milling quality. Grain that is not mature at harvest means moisture content will be high, delaying harvest and increasing rice-drying cost. Variety selection is an important decision for weedy rice control. Regardless of planting method or herbicide-tolerant technology utilized, research has shown that early control is the link to successful weedy rice control. Choosing the right variety and planting method for weedy rice should be tailored to each field.

Late season weedy rice

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Rice Farming March 2022

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