Rice farmihg rcc march 2015

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Rice Consultant’s Corner

Rotate And Mix Herbicide MOAs Josh Cartwright Bear River Supply, Inc. Rio Oso, Calif.

My hands-on experience with rice began with a summer job at Bear River Supply – a part of Butte County Rice Growers Association (BUCRA) – while I was attending junior college. Later, I was fortunate enough to be hired full-time after graduating from Chico State.

Working with the PCAs at Bear River has been a great asset to me because they also farm rice. Having access to the information from the research facility at BUCRA has helped me gain knowledge, too.

With 2014 behind us, there is a lot of uncertainty going into the 2015 growing season. It’s going to be a challenging year because of the water situation and input costs versus crop value. However, the inputs that we provide are necessary to grow a maximum-yield crop.

We can’t cut corners with either cultural practices or inputs and expect to be successful.

Controlling resistant weeds continues to be on the forefront out in the field. With no new tools available, we have to closely manage the ones we have. Rotating and mixing herbicide modes of action can help. The most troublesome weeds to control have been resistant watergrass (early and late) and resistant smallflower umbrella sedge.

Sprangletop has also been a problem the last couple years.

In these tough situations, applying a base herbicide, like Cerano, Clincher or Bolero, is important. This helps set the stage for an intermediate application of Granite GR, Shark or Regiment for sedges and broadleaves. Cerano followed by Granite GR has been a solid program for us. It takes out early weed competition so the rice can get off to a good start and removes some of the pressure of relying strictly on propanil to clean up dense weed populations later in the season.

Cerano followed by Regiment at 4-leaf stage rice is also a program I like to use where we can apply Regiment by air. When it’s time to apply propanil 35 to 45 days after seeding, we’ll include Grandstand at 6-8 oz/A to help with redberry and heat up the propanil mix.

Last year, in fields that were known to have propanil-resistant smallflower, we applied Shark H2O into the water at 2 1/2-leaf stage rice as a direct dry treatment and were very happy with the results.

We’ve also applied foliar treatments of Shark and Londax mixtures and have seen some mixed results. Once the weeds get too big, coverage becomes an issue. Coverage is critical with any contact herbicide, so getting the weeds while they are small and using plenty of water increases the chance of success.

It’s still too early to tell how much water will be available this year, and our water allocation has to be balanced with urban and environmental demands. However, California rice growers are very resourceful, and I consider them the best in the world. They are always able to adapt to change, overcome obstacles and produce a great crop.

Sponsored By

• B.S. degree in Agriculture Science with an option in Integrated Plant Systems – Chico State University • Consults on rice, walnuts, almonds, peaches and prunes • Has consulted for 13 years • Affiliated with Butte County Rice Growers Association (BUCRA) • Member of Sutter-Buttes Chapter of the California Association of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA) • Licensed Pest Control Adviser and Certified Crop Adviser • Enjoys spending time with his significant other, Terri Lemenager and her two children, Hunter and Sara.

• Josh also likes to travel, fish, hunt, watch Giants baseball and hang out with his two Labradors, Jett and Kenzie.

Recap: Rotate And Mix Herbicide MOAs

▼

1. Rotating and mixing herbicide modes of action can help control resistant weeds. The most troublesome weeds to control have been resistant watergrass (early and late) and resistant smallflower umbrella sedge. Sprangletop has also been a problem the last couple years.

2. Applying a base herbicide, like Cerano, Clincher or Bolero, helps set the stage for an intermediate application of Granite GR, Shark or Regiment for sedges and broadleaves.

3. Cerano followed by Granite GR helps take out early weed competition so the rice can get off to a good start and removes some of the pressure of relying strictly on propanil to clean up dense weed populations later in the season.

4. When it’s time to apply propanil 35 to 45 days after seeding, we’ll include Grandstand at 6-8 oz/A to help with redberry and heat up the propanil mix.

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Rice Consultant’s Corner

Prepare For Challenges In 2015 Richard Costello Boeuf Delta Ag Services Northeast Louisiana While in college, I interned with Jack McDaniel, an independent consultant at the time, and enjoyed it even though the hours were long. I also did two internships with a crop protection company on a research farm and liked the research end of the industry. As I continued my education, I met several independent consultants and contract researchers and liked what they did. At the end of my Post Doctorate study with the LSU AgCenter, I had the opportunity to start consulting with a group that already had a business.

It is amazing how much has changed in those 10 years – from the introduction of new chemistries to new technologies to weed resistance issues. Even though we had issues with late planting and delayed herbicide applications last year, yields were good and, for the most part, harvest season went well.

Our weed issues are not much different from other places. Barnyardgrass is our No. 1 target. Sprangletop seems to be getting more prevalent and difficult to control, and Nealley’s sprangletop, which may also prove to be difficult to control, has started showing up in some areas. Our toughest broadleaf weeds are palmleaf morningglory and Texas weed. Jointvetch is becoming more widespread, too. We are facing barnyardgrass that is resistant to multiple chemistries, including the ALS chemistry. Halosulfuron-resistant flatsedge showed up in some fields in 2014. We are going to be more aggressive with our pre-emergence herbicide regimes up front to keep resistant weeds from emerging and becoming an issue. Using multiple modes of action herbicides like RebelEX pre-flood will be critical in controlling resistant weeds and reducing selectivity. It’s absolutely necessary to start clean and stay clean during the first four weeks of rice growth.

Planting during the last week of March to mid-April is critical in maximizing yield. The later you plant, the more weed, disease and insect pressure you will encounter. I try to avoid mid-season fungicide applications, but weather conditions and varieties sensitive to sheath blight sometimes call for action. Fungicide premix applications with two modes of action are made at boot to control smut and avoid disease that may reduce milling yield. I am aggressive with stink bug applications, especially the first two weeks of heading and if I am finding signs of reproduction.

2015 is going to be demanding. Low commodity prices will challenge all of us to implement practices that maximize yield, while providing the highest return on investment. Weed control strategies must be aggressive and designed on a field-by-field basis. Resistance screening may be necessary to identify problem areas. Going into the upcoming season aware of weed resistance and planning for it would be a good approach.

Sponsored By

• B.S. degree in Agricultural Business – Louisiana Tech University • M.S. degree in Weed Science – University of Arkansas • Ph.D. in Weed Science/Entomology – Louisiana State University • Independent consultant since 2004; contract researcher since 2009 • Member of the Louisiana Agricultural Consultants Association (LACA) • Married to wife Carla for six years; Two children: Daniel, 4; and Ava Claire, 2 • Enjoys hunting and spending time with the family

Recap: Prepare For Challenges In 2015

▼

1.Barnyardgrass is our No. 1 target weed. Sprangletop seems to be getting more prevalent and difficult to control, and Nealley’s sprangletop, which may also prove to be difficult to control, has started showing up in some areas.

2.We are facing barnyardgrass that is resistant to multiple chemistries, including the ALS chemistry. Halosulfuronresistant flatsedge showed up in some fields in 2014.

3.Using multiple modes of action herbicides like RebelEX pre-flood will be critical in controlling resistant weeds and reducing selectivity. It’s absolutely necessary to start clean and stay clean during the first four weeks of rice growth.

4.Fungicide premix applications with two modes of action are made at boot to control smut and avoid disease that may reduce milling yield.

5.Resistance screening may be necessary to identify problem areas. Going into the upcoming season aware of weed resistance and planning for it would be a good approach.