Rice Farming December 2019

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PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

DECEMBER 2019

Louisiana farmers cook up a conservation gumbo Strong exports help buoy the market, firm up price

Success is in the air Industry counters imports with U.S.-grown jasmine

INSIDE : 2019 RICE AWARDS WINNERS

March 20182019 December

COLUMNS

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Vol. Vol.52, 54,No. No. 41

COVER STORY

4 From the Editor

Rice's long history Researchers turn up bucks the heat to hot 'what's prepare in food' for global trends warming

6 Guest Column 6 Rice Update RiceUSA and sustainability

We’re ready to forget 2019

8 USA Rice Update D PARTMENTS RiceE industry sets priorities for the next Farm Bill 27 Specialist Speaking

Success is Here stay? in thetoair

Arkansas: acres late but lucky

DEPARTMENTS 30 Industry News 19 Industry News Rice business scene Rice business scene

ON THE COVER: PaulSpeaking Johnson, who 20 Specialist farms near Welsh, Louisiana, is a Early herbicide mistakes can strong supporter of U.S.-grown plague you varieties. all season long jasmine-type

Photo by Vicky Boyd

ON THE COVER: Armyworms once again plagued California rice growers in S 2017.

UPPLEMENT Photo by Luis Espino, University of California Cooperative Extension ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

DECEMBER 2019

The rice industry prepares for what becomeand annual armyworm Rice California industry counters aromatic imports withmay U.S.-bred grown jasmine-type infestations. rice varieties.

F E AT U R E S 9 12

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2020 Southern soybean varieties

The the yin and Has tide yang turned?

Shorter supplies have shorn upthe themarket With harvest nearly complete, market, but increased 2018life, planting is beginning to show some buoyed by projections cloud long-term outlook.prices. strong exports that point to higher

Giant invasive snail threatens the Mix rice farmers, stewardship practices rice-crawfish rotation in southwest and partnership programs for a successful Louisiana. conservation gumbo.

16 the tool box 24 New 2020tools SeedinVariety Guide

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

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The smell of success

University of Arkansas breeding program ARDS new jasmine-type AWreleases RICEgrain. long 2019

GET CONNECTED

Follow us on Twitter: @RiceFarming

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Several Review new thesecrop-protection proven and newproducts releases are available in time for this year’s rice for the upcoming season. season.

Look for the Soybean South supplement

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Floods aidresources expansionrecipe A natural

Check out the latest offerings

in the the Arkansas, Signfollowing up for page the 28 monthly e-newsletter Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and at ricefarming.com to have exclusive Texas versions of Rice Farming . industry news and content delivered directly to your inbox.

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Horizon Ag, g and Rice Farmin to are proud USA Rice nts the recipie bring you s.

Rice Award of the 2019 m highlights The progra es for their three honore to the utions contrib the U.S. rice success of the through y industr of the Year, Rice Farmer y Award Industr the Rice Lifetime and the Rice Award.

Achievement

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2019 Rice Awards

Farm & Gin Show recap See page 13

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

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From The

Editor

Researchers turn up the heat to prepare for global warming When you start looking at historical weather data, Arkansas and the rest of the Southeast haven’t seen a significant overall temperature increase since the early 20th century.

What has changed in Arkansas and parts of the Southeast is how those temperatures are distributed, according to information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association National Centers for Environmental Information.

Although the number of extremely hot days has not been unusual, mean summer temperatures and very warm nights (minimum temperature above 75 degrees Fahrenheit) from 2010–2016 were significantly greater than the Vicky Boyd long-term average.

Editor Prolonged nighttime temperatures in the high 70s or above can take a toll on rice. Milling yields in 2010, for example, were the lowest on record due to high night temperatures throughout the Delta during the critical grain-fill period. Stressed plants produced fewer kernels with higher chalk. In 2016, growers saw lower yields because high night temperatures during pollination reduced flower fertilization.

These issues have not gone unnoticed as a number of studies are underway with long-term goals of developing climate change-ready rice varieties.

Paul Counce, a University of Arkansas rice physiologist, is leading a team to identify genes associated with resistance to high night temperatures. The work will be conducted in greenhouse growth chambers at the Rice Research and Extension Station in Stuttgart where they can carefully control environmental conditions. The researchers also will identify lines with genetic tolerance to high night temperatures for breeders to cross with high-yielding lines to develop improved varieties.

Meanwhile, an Arkansas State University-led research group is screening more than 320 rice lines from worldwide collections for tolerance to high night temperatures. Argelia Lorence, director of ASU’s phenomics, is heading the study with Wency Larazo, an ASU rice agronomist.

The researchers erected six specially designed movable greenhouses near Harrisburg this summer. Computers will open the greenhouses to allow in sun during the day for plant growth but will close three greenhouses at night to create temperatures 4 F warmer than ambient external air temperatures.

In addition, Christian De Guzman, a rice breeder at Southeast Missouri State University, is conducting trials to characterize the heat tolerance of N22, an upland variety from India known for its hardiness, along with several U.S. varieties.

Among those are M-202, Titan, Presidio, MM17, Mermentau, CL111, Diamond, Thad, CL151, Lakast, CL172 and Wells.

All of these projects are turning up the heat to develop more resilient rice varieties.

Vicky

Send comments to: Editor, Rice Farming Magazine, 875 W. Poplar Ave., Suite 23, Box 305, Collierville, TN 38017 or email vlboyd@onegrower.com.

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RiceFaRming EDITORIAL/PRODUCTION Editor Vicky Boyd 209-505-3612 vlboyd@onegrower.com Copy Editor Amanda Huber ahuber@onegrower.com Art Director Ashley Kumpe akumpe@onegrower.com

ADMINISTRATION Publisher/Vice President Lia Guthrie 901-497-3689 lguthrie@onegrower.com Associate Publisher Carroll Smith 901-326-4443 csmith@onegrower.com Sales Manager Scott Emerson 386-462-1532 semerson@onegrower.com Production Manager Kathy Killingsworth 901-767-4020 kkillingsworth@onegrower.com Audience Services Kate Thomas (847) 559-7514 For circulation 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, TN. 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.

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“RICETEC HAS BEEN A GREAT PARTNER, YEAR AFTER YEAR.” Harry Howarth – Cleveland, MS

RiceTec is committed to higher rice yields and grain quality through innovation.

We’re also committed to partnering with farming families for the long haul.

Our superior genetics along with outstanding service and support will help you stay on the profitable and sustainable side of rice production.

Call your local RiceTec representative at 877.580.7423. Learn more at RiceTec.com.

USA Rice

Update

We’re ready to forget 2019, but there are some highlights

By Betsy Ward President and CEO USA Rice

This year, the Think Rice Road Trip version 2.0 targeted the Mid-Atlantic region. Just like last year, consumers received information about and a sample bag of U.S.-grown rice as well as an Aroma brand rice cooker.

USA RICE

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armers know better than anyone that not every year is going to be easy, but 2019 has certainly tried our collective patience. With heavy rain and even flooding across the country this spring, planting was delayed and almost 750,000 acres never got planted.

With more than half of the U.S. rice crop exported annually, ongoing trade disputes, retaliatory tariffs and market disruptions have contributed to this trying time for the U.S. rice industry. But in the midst of all these international squabbles, U.S. rice exports are up 18% over last year and we’ve still managed to create successes we can look back on and celebrate.

exhibiting at China’s World Rice Summit.

We know there is a demand for our high-quality rice in China, and if the turbulent U.S.-China relationship finds a smoother path in the near future, we would expect sales of U.S. rice to be the beneficiary.

U.S. rice exports were also bolstered by sales to Iraq. Iraq has renewed the Rice Memorandum of Understanding for three years and purchased 180,000 metric tons of U.S. rice this year. Meanwhile, we have started up new marketing programs in Singapore, Ghana and the West Bank. In several of these markets, we’re working with local importers who are contributing financially to our promotions of U.S. rice.

China, other export markets look promising After many ups and downs, this year we finally made headway in the decades-long effort to access the enormous potential of the Chinese market. Things started to look up right before the New Year when China

Domestic market looks up, too We’ve also seen positive developments domestically. USA Rice’s chef outreach program is going strong, and a spot on the tour is coveted by foodservice professionals from all over the country.

We’ve made an impact on social media by reaching food elites through well-known food influencers who we put through their own custom Rice 101 program this year.

And as I write this, the second edition of the Think Rice Road Trip is underway with our team of rice cheerleaders out on the front lines interacting with thousands of consumers around the Mid-Atlantic region.

Consumers leave these events with lots of great information, a sample bag of U.S.grown rice generously donated by our mills and, of course, an Aroma brand rice cooker. But most importantly, they leave with a greater appreciation and understanding of U.S. rice and solemnly promise to go out of their way to find our “Grown in the USA” label on rice they buy in the future.

Despite the many obstacles thrown our way, we’ve managed to create success in an inhospitable moment, and that’s exactly the kind of resilience that will carry us through next year, even as we put 2019 behind us and try not to look back.

Wishing you all a joyous holiday season and a happy and safe new year.

opened its doors to the import of U.S. milled rice. Our success continued apace when China announced that all 32 rice facilities interested in exporting milled rice to China had been approved, following Chinese inspections of mills across the country in 2018.

Even with the back and forth of the trade disputes between the Trump administration and the Chinese government, USA Rice pressed on, conducting trade seminars in three cities in China with over 150 attendees and

RICEFARMING.COM

Get on the FullPage Rice Cropping Solution with Preface and Postscript herbicides ™

™

™

This field of FullPage rice near Neeleyville, Missouri, was treated with Preface herbicide.

By Andy Kendig, Ph.D. Adama Herbicide Development Leader

R

iceTec and Adama have partnered to bring rice farmers the FullPage Rice Cropping Solution. This imi-based weed control program combines high-yielding FullPage hybrid rice with Preface and Postscript herbicides.

A significant benefit of FullPage hybrid rice is its higher level of crop tolerance than the competitive systems, which is especially important for early planting when the rice may be growing slowly, and growers are dealing with herbicide crop response in cool weather.

Preface and Postscript have similar weed control spectrums with Preface offering good preflood, postemergence and residual activity, and Postscript offering pre and postflood activity, but with less residual. They target red rice, weedy rice, feral rice, barnyardgrass, most broadleaves and many sedges. According to their federal labels, Preface and Postscript can only be used with the FullPage Rice Cropping Solution.

Herbicide Rates And Timing Rice weed control programs should start with a pre-emerge application of a clomazone-based residual herbicide. Preface herbicide, which has some residual activity, should be sprayed very early post when the rice first emerges to target small and actively growing weeds.

At 4- to 5-leaf rice, growers should treat again and have the flexibility to spray Preface or Postscript herbicide shortly before flood up. These two preflood applications are critical to achieve adequate weed control.

The Preface label has a use rate range of 4 fluid ounces per acre up to 6 fluid ounces per acre. We recommend the 6 fluid ounces rate that has shown the most reliable weed control year in and year out. And with the FullPage Rice Cropping Solution’s improved crop tolerance, growers don’t have to worry about po-

tential crop response from the 6-ounce use rate.

If coffeebean (hemp sesbania) and jointvetch are present, farmers can tankmix Zurax™ — Adama’s quinclorac-based herbicide — with Preface to control these legume weeds and add another layer of residual activity. Zurax also helps control Palmer amaranth (pigweed), which has become troublesome in rice.

Postscript herbicide also provides a postflood, over-the-top cleanup opportunity if there are weedy rice escapes. With all herbicide-tolerant rice, 100 percent control of the weedy rice Sponsored by Adama is essential. Escaped red, feral or weedy rice can cross pollinate with the herbicide-tolerant rice and develop uncontrollable weed infestations.

Scout carefully. If there are any escapes, we recommend a Postscript postflood use rate of 5 fluid ounces per acre as a third application along with handweeding, if needed.

Customize Tankmix We want to remind growers they have the flexibility to tankmix another herbicide with Preface, especially for legume weeds and pigweed. Rice weed control can be tricky, and no year is the same.

Different rice fields may need different tankmix partners. We want growers to work with their trusted consultants, Extension personnel and personal experience to customize this system for their individual situations and specific weed problems.

This article is Part 1 of a three-part series about the rates, timing and flexibility of Preface and Postscript herbicides. Andy Kendig will also address the importance of practicing stewardship to sustain the FullPage Rice Cropping Solution technology.

“A lot of people think rice isn’t even grown in the U.S. .... I think we need to make consumers more aware and also relate it to food safety and the pride of a good quality, home-grown product instead of something that’s imported.”

Louisaiana rice producer Fred Zaunbrecher

VICKY BOYD

Paul Johnson, who farms near Welsh, Louisiana, was so happy with the CLJ01 Clearfield Jasmine-type aromatic rice he grew in 2018 that he planted 600 acres of it in 2019, all under contract.

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Success is in the air Rice industry counters aromatic imports with U.S.-bred and grown jasmine-type rice varieties.

By Vicky Boyd Editor

Small steps The United States annually imports the equivalent of 440,000 acres of rice, with most of that being basmati and Thai jasmine.

“We jump up and down if we get a 100,000 metric ton tender for Iraq, yet we’re importing 900,000 metric tons of rice into the U.S.,” says Tim Walker, manager of Horizon Ag, which markets CLJ01.

Even if U.S. producers could supplant just 10% or 20% of that with U.S.-grown jasmine, he says it would be the equivalent of TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

PHOTO COURTESY DEBRA AHRENT

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red Zaunbrecher of Duson, Louisiana, has grown jasmine-type aromatic long-grain varieties for years, having harvested the newest, Clearfield CLJ01, the past two seasons. Although the U.S. rice industry will likely never be able to fully sway Asian-born consumers who favor Thai jasmine, Zaunbrecher says he is encouraged by U.S. consumers’ positive reactions once they try domestically grown jasmine-types.

“I think the biggest thing is they’re not aware of it,” he says.

“For one thing, a lot of people think rice isn’t even grown in the U.S. They’ve heard about Indian basmati and Thai jasmine, and they think they’re the only places it can come from.

“I think we need to make consumers more aware and also relate it to food safety and the pride of a good quality, home-grown product instead of something that’s imported.”

To that end, USA Rice this fall began an initiative, titled “Rice to meet you,” to promote U.S.-grown jasmine to food service providers. The campaign involves sending more than 100 5-pound bags of U.S.-grown jasmine to selected chefs, operators and purchasers nationwide.

The goal is to have more U.S.-grown jasmine rice added to menus by getting buyers to switch from imported to domestic rice.

Jasmine is the fastest growing rice variety in the United States, appearing on 26% more restaurant menus and 108% more fast-food menus over the past four years, according to USA Rice figures.

“Promoting U.S.-grown aromatics is a priority for domestic promotion and what better way to showcase the variety than actually providing a sample of it to the people in the foodservice sector responsible for menuing, purchasing, and promoting,” Cameron Jacobs, USA Rice manager of domestic promotion, said in a recent news release.

USA Rice this fall began an initiative, titled “Rice to Meet You,” to promote U.S.-grown jasmine to food service providers.

44,000 or 88,000 acres, respectively, and a huge boost for the domestic industry. Walker praised USA Rice for its recent jasmine-focused promotion, calling it a start.

“I think it’s great that the federation is starting to say, ‘Hey, this is something we need to do from a domestic standpoint,’” he says.

But the question remains — how does the U.S. industry expand those efforts?

“You will always have your Jimmy Hoppes and others that do a decent job for their individual operations,” Walker says, referring to Iowa, Louisiana, jasmine pioneering producer Hoppe.

But these growers are smallish and don’t have the financial wherewithal to obtain shelf space for the likes of national grocery chains, such as Kroger.

In addition to telling consumers about the tantalizing aroma and flavor, Zaunbrecher says they need to learn about the U.S. rice industry’s commitment to sustainability and food safety.

“When they understand about the differences between imported rice and this, to me that would make a big difference,” Zaunbrecher says.

As the former chairman of USA Rice’s Domestic Promotion Committee, he says he understands money is needed to promote a product and the rice industry only has a certain sized budget.

“I don’t know what it’s going to take,” Zaunbrecher says. “You have to get the consumer aware of it, then they have to accept it DECEMBER 2019

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With a popcorn-like bouquet, ARoma17 smells like a winner

University of Arkansas rice breeders Debra Ahrent Wisdom (left) and Karen Moldenhauer worked for eight years to develop the new long-grain jasmine variety, ARoma17.

ARoma17, the University of Arkansas’s new jasmine-type long-grain variety, has been in the works since 2009 when a cross was made between Jazzman and a plant introduction line donated to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service’s National Small Grains Collection.

From there, rice breeder Debra Ahrent Wisdom crossed and backcrossed the various generations to improve the agronomics while maintaining the distinct aroma and flavor. It was named and became publicly available in 2017.

Over three years of testing from 2016-2018 in the Arkansas Rice Performance Trials, ARoma17 averaged 168 bushels per acre. By comparison, Diamond, a University of Arkansas conventional long grain, averaged 200 bushels per acre.

In addition to a number of agronomic characteristics, Wisdom and Karen Moldenhauer, a professor and rice breeder at the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart, screened the top candidates for flavor.

“We look at plant type in the field and yield,” Wisdom says.

“Then we take the top 10 and cook those and see if we have a winner.”

They also analyzed the variety for gel temperature, which influences cooking time, and amylose content, a measurement of stickiness. Varieties with high amounts of the amylose starch cook up drier than those with lower amylose content.

Compared to traditional Southern long-grain varieties, ARoma17 has a slightly lower amylose content, meaning it cooks up slightly softer and stickier, Moldenhauer says.

As part of their assessments, the breeders measured the amount of 2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline, or 2AP — a natural compound that gives jasmine rice its customary popcorn-like aroma.

Han-Seok Seo, an associate professor and director of the University of Arkansas Sensory Service Center, recently

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completed a consumer preference taste test that compared Jazzman-2, ARoma17 and a number of imported Thai jasmines.

He submitted an article that detailed the results to a peer-reviewed journal in November.

‘Nothing but positive feedback’ To help inform the public and growers alike, the University of Arkansas gave away hundreds of plastic sample tubs of ARoma17 and Diamond at its August Rice Field Day in Stuttgart. They followed up by distributing an additional 500-plus samples of the two varieties at the October Downtown On The Farm celebration in Little Rock. And the response has been enthusiastic, says Bob Scott, director of the university’s Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart.

“So far, we’ve received nothing but positive feedback on ARoma17 as far as the flavor and cooking quality,” he says. “We haven’t run into anybody who doesn’t like it. My biggest problem is they want another tub or they want to know where they can buy it.”

The variety has never been officially released, Scott says.

Instead, the Foundation Seed Program continues to grow the seed to maintain quality and sell it to growers.

In the meantime, the university is looking for a partner to take over seed production and marketing activities.

“I think once demand gets high enough, we’ll see a seed producer step up and fill that niche,” he says. “For now, we’re making sure growers have a clean foundation seed supply. We have enough to fill that demand at the moment.”

If you’re interested in a sample tub of ARoma17 or Diamond, stop by the University of Arkansas booth during the Rice Outlook Conference & Trade Show, Dec. 8-10, at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.

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PHOTOS BY VICKY BOYD

U.S. rice breeding programs develop jasmine varieties

and buy it. Then you have a market developed.

“We still see that during September, which is National Rice Month, and we’re talking about cooking rice, a lot of people don’t know anything about rice. It just takes a lot of money to get the message across and it’s so expensive, so you have to do a little bit at a time.”

A challenging year in the fields During 2018, Zaunbrecher’s CLJ01 had stellar first-crop yields of 45 barrels per acre (7,290 pounds or 162 bushels), and milling quality was 67/71. He didn’t grow a second crop, instead putting the field into crawfish.

Paul Johnson, who farms near Welsh, Louisiana, had similar results with his CLJ01 in 2018, harvesting 57 barrels per acre (9,234 pounds or 205 bushels) between first and second crop.

This year, Zaunbrecher only harvested 39 barrels per acre (6,318 pounds or 140 bushels) with his first crop of CLJ01 because of a number of weather-related issues.

“We weren’t expecting it to meet its potential — we had too many things going against it,” Zaunbrecher says of this year’s crop. As of press time, he hadn’t submitted samples to the mills yet for testing.

Johnson says his 2019 yields across the board were down about 30% from average, regardless of variety.

“This is the worst crop I’ve ever had,” he said of his 23 years in farming.

High nighttime temperatures during bloom and grain fill reduced the number of kernels in each head, Zaunbrecher says. In addition. Hurricane Barry caused physical damage to the florets during pollination.

Most growers throughout Southwest Louisiana reported sizable yield decreases, regardless of the variety or hybrid, according to LSU AgCenter reports.

Despite those setbacks, Zaunbrecher — who began growing aromatic varieties with Della several years ago — and Johnson say they remain committed to U.S. jasmine.

“We’re going to continue to plant it,” Zaunbrecher says.

“We did really well with it last year and contracted it at a decent price. We haven’t changed our minds.”

Johnson agrees. “Jasmine is a great fit for us. I like to try to forward contract or at least forward price as much of my crop as I can. And the premium I’ve been getting on the jasmine has been good.”

TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

Three U.S. breeding programs have developed jasmine-type rice varieties. The Louisiana State University AgCenter has had a long history of breeding aromatic jasmine-type varieties, with the latest being CLJ01 released in 2018.

The Clearfield long-grain jasmine-type was bred using traditional methods to withstand over-the-top applications of Newpath and Clearpath herbicides. One of its parents, Jazzman-2, was a non-Clearfield long-grain jasmine with improved aroma and flavor compared to the original Jazzman.

ARoma17, a long-grain jasmine-type from the University of Arkansas’s rice breeding program, was available in limited quantities in 2018 and 2019. It is a cross between Jazzman and a Chinese line from the world rice collection.

The California Rice Experiment Station released its first jasmine-type long grain, Calaroma-201, in 2018. The early, high-yielding aromatic was developed by now-retired breeder Farman Jodari and has a wide-ranging parentage that includes California long grains, jasmine-type quality breeding lines and even a high-yielding Chinese introduction.

“This is our California version of jasmine having the aroma, the soft cooking and low amylose,” Kent McKenzie, director of the Rice Experiment Station, says of Calaroma-201.

California produces predominately medium-grain varieties, and interest in the new jasmine has been limited.

“There have been a few entrepreneurs who are trying to market it on a small level, and they’ve been excited about it,” he says.

So far, the variety has received rave reviews.

“The feedback we’re getting from the people who are trying to develop the market has been very positive in terms of quality,” McKenzie says.

Unlike some specialty rice varieties, which tend to yield less than more mainstream types, he says Calaroma is a high yielder.

In fact, at more than 100 hundredweight per acre, it produced the highest yields of any variety in his seed fields this year.

Calaroma-201, a long-grain jasmine released in 2018, was developed by the California Rice Experiment Station.

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Strong exports help buoy the market and point to higher prices

By Kurt Guidry

Prices are inching up However, over the past couple of months, we have seen prices begin to inch higher, and they’re now being quoted in the $19 to $19.75 per-barrel range ($11.73 to $12.19 cwt). There are a few reasons why we are starting to see this market finally start to show some life. First, harvest is essentially complete with only a few second-crop acres to be harvested.

While yield reports have been somewhat disappointing, quality has generally been reported as good, decreasing some of the earlier concerns over quality and its impact on market potential.

The biggest factor helping to support prices has been improved demand.

Increased sales to Iraq has highlighted export demand, which has been very strong to this point in the marketing year. Based on data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, total accumulated rice exports to this point of the 2019/20 marketing year are more than 44% higher than the previous year.

For long-grain rice, accumulated rough rice exports are 28% higher while milled rice exports are more than 41% higher.

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VICKY BOYD

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hen examining the market environment for the 2019 rice crop, there are several factors that could be pointed to that would suggest the potential for stronger prices. Adverse conditions at planting, challenging growing season conditions, and lower acreage and production expectations all would suggest higher prices.

But despite these supply-side signals, prices during the first half of 2019 found it difficult to make any significant and sustained move from the $17 to $18 per-barrel range ($10.50 to $11.11 per hundredweight). There are likely a few factors that could be pointed to that provide some basis for this lack of price strength.

First, despite the prospects for lower overall production, concerns about the potential quality of the crop likely caused a waitand-see approach to pricing the 2019 crop. Second, available supplies or stocks of rice to begin the 2019/20 marketing year were over 50% higher than the previous year and more than 10% higher than the previous five-year average.

This high stock level provided more of a cushion and likely made the market less sensitive to the overall lower production prospects for the 2019 crop. The final factor was the lackluster export demand experienced to start the 2019 calendar year along with the uncertainty regarding trade policy and trade negotiations.

The combination of these factors likely combatted the positive momentum that should have been created with lower acreage and production expectations and therefore limited the market’s ability to mount any kind of sustained price improvement.

Based on data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, total accumulated rice exports to this point of the 2019/20 marketing year are more than 44% higher than the previous year.

Will the strong export pace continue?

The question becomes whether this pace of export sales can continue for the remainder of the marketing year.

Since 1990, long-grain milled rice export sales through the third week of October represent, on average, roughly 22% of total marketing year export sales. If that relationship holds, then total longgrain milled rice exports for the 2019/20 marketing year would be projected at more than 52% higher than the previous year.

Reaching that projected target would likely require continued strong sales to Iraq, a highly uncertain proposition. However, while the uncertainty with Iraq along with the price competitiveness of U.S. rice in the world market may eventually limit the ability to reach those projections, it still does point to the positive tone that export demand is currently providing this market and the potential it has for creating additional positive momentum for prices.

When viewing all of the factors that are currently shaping this rice market, it is easy to have a positive view of the potential future direction of price movement. With prices currently in the $19 per-barrel range ($11.73 cwt), it is easy to see the market going to the mid-$20 per-barrel range ($12.65 cwt) over the next few months.

With USDA increasing its expectations for total rice production by nearly 2% in its October 2019 projections, any movement above that price level would likely require sustained export demand strength along with avoiding any further increases in projections for total rice supplies.

Dr. Kurt Guidry is Southwest Region director and Extension economist with the Louisiana State University AgCenter in Crowley. He may be reached at KMGuidry@agcenter.lsu.edu.

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2019

RICE AWARDS Horizon Ag, Rice Farming and USA Rice are proud to bring you the recipients of the 2019 Rice Awards.

The program highlights three honorees for their contributions to the success of the U.S. rice industry through the Rice Farmer of the Year, the Rice Industry Award and the Rice Lifetime Achievement Award.

Jennifer James RICE FARMER OF THE YEAR AWARD

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PHOTOS BY CARROLL SMITH

rowing up, Jennifer James says she never thought she would be a farmer. James aspired to pursue a degree in accounting at the University of Arkansas and then attend law school. Her mind was made up. Her path was set. Little did she know that once fall arrived, her heart would ache for the flatlands of eastern Arkansas and the golden fields of rice.

“I changed my major to ag business and never looked back,” James says. “My first job in agriculture was for Mr. Noal Lawhon, who had enough confidence to hire me for a summer internship to scout rice. I learned so much about rice production that summer that I was sold on farming.”

Jennifer James and her husband, Greg, reside in Newport, Arkansas.

Today, James — along with her husband, Greg, and her father, Marvin Hare — grow 6,000 acres of rice, soybeans and corn. She is involved on a daily basis with all aspects of the operation — H&J Land Co. — in Jackson County, Arkansas.

“So many of my memories of rice farming revolve around struggles that we have survived and made us better,” James says. “Wet springs are always challenging, and 2019 was certainly the most memorable whether you have been farming five years or 50. Luckily, it’s the simple things on the farm that keep me going — the smell of freshly turned soil, the first field planted and the first load harvested, seeing the sun rise and set over the land my family has farmed for more than 100 years. The constant renewal and the fact we always get another chance provide motivation from year to year.”

Jarrod Hardke, the Arkansas rice Extension agronomist, has worked closely with James over the years and says, “She is an excellent grower with a great mind for farming and business. Jennifer and her family have a devotion to sustainability and conservation efforts on their farm.”

Jackson County Extension agent Matthew Davis says James “is always on the search for anything her family farm can put into place to increase efficiency of the farming business and lowering input cost. Jennifer is a steward of the land and an advocate for sustainability.”

Her love of agriculture and the rice industry also contributed to James expanding beyond the turnrow and grain bins to serving on various local, state and national committees and boards. Fellow Arkansas rice farmer Scott Matthews points out that in 2019 James was the first woman ever elected to the Riceland Foods board of directors.

“Riceland is a 90-year-old rice co-op and the largest in the United States,” he says. “This is a pinnacle achievement for Jennifer in the rice industry.”

James says she was encouraged by many of her peers to run for a seat in her district.

“The Riceland position is a three-year term, and I feel an urgency to ask questions and learn all I can so that my votes will help make a difference for the future,” she says.

“It’s not about me or my farm. It’s about what is best for the cooperative and the farmer members.”

James has been described as an innovative rice grower, a tireless worker for the rice industry, the ultimate conservationist, a wife, mother and a friend.

“I am humbled that anyone would nominate me for this award and then surprised that others agreed,” she says. “It is such an honor to be selected and add my name to so many who are my friends and mentors in this industry. I am blessed to have worked for 26 years beside my father and learned from his experience. I am blessed to be married to my love and my business partner and to work toward our shared life and dreams together.

“I believe it is our obligation as farmers to speak loudly and often about the practices we employ on our farms to conserve our national resources and build habitat within our rice fields. We are producing more with less and working hard every day to continue to improve.

“Obviously, we have to produce a high-yielding and high-quality crop. But from there, I think having a handle on your costs and having a marketing plan you stick to are keys to staying profitable.”

It is with great pleasure that we congratulate Jennifer James as the 2019 Rice Farmer of the Year.

Jennifer Hare James Newport, Arkansas • • • • • • • • • • • •

B.S., Agriculture Business, University of Arkansas Partner, H&J Land Co. Chairman, USA Rice Sustainability Committee USA Rice Board of Directors – Ex Officio Member USA Rice Farmers Board of Directors Director, Riceland Foods Inc. Board Vice Chairman, Arkansas Rice Farmers Board Director, Merchants and Planters Bank Board, Newport, Arkansas Member, Federal Reserve Bank Ag Industry Council 1997 Rice Leadership Development Program Graduate 2017 Field to Market Farmer of the Year Married to husband, Greg. One son: Dylan James

Jim F. Cook RICE INDUSTRY AWARD

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PHOTOS BY VICKY BOYD

love of agriculture and service to farmers come naturally to Jim Cook. Years ago, his grandfather, Paul, moved from a West Texas ranch and got into the seed business in Calexico, California. After serving in the Marines in World War II, his father, John, came home and started Valley Chemical Co., an Imperial Valley full-service ag retail business that also included farming operations.

“Like most people in that community, most of my jobs were ag-related, either working for my dad or other farmers,” Cook says. “The way my dad lived his life was my inspiration, and I spent a lot of time with him learning about what he loved. The ag life was, and still is, very natural for me.”

Jim Cook enjoys working with the crew at Colusa County Farm Supply in Williams, California.

After graduating college in 1979, Cook began as a marketing representative for DuPont Agricultural Products.

“I was adopted into the culture of the Northern California rice people, and many are my close friends to this day,” he says.

Cook later was tapped as senior development representative for the company and introduced into rice research.

“I learned a lot about off-target responses and establishing trials to verify the safety of new products coming into our rice market. I also learned a lot about working in the regulatory environment of California in label and research design. To this day, I have not changed my practices and conduct my own internal studies to defend our business and avoid making mistakes.”

Cook’s attention to detail and conscientious approach to research and technology have not gone unnoticed during

his current employment at Colusa County Farm Supply in Williams, California.

Jared Gross, who is a rice producer and a CCFS agronomist, describes Cook as “a research and development phenomenon who conducts trials in eight to 10 different agricultural crops per year. But for the past 20 years, rice has made up the bulk of his research.”

Here are some examples: • Development of Cerano herbicide.

• The launch of Butte herbicide.

• Field trials of Roxy rice.

• Weedy rice control.

• Remote-control helicopter applications.

“Jim’s two passions are research and helping people,” Gross says. “He is a tremendous resource, teammate and a major reason I went to work for Colusa County Farm Supply. Jim is an excellent mentor to young men and women starting their careers.”

Kent McKenzie is the director and a plant breeder at the California Rice Experiment Station in Biggs. He says his association with Cook and knowledge of his dedication to getting agrochemical tools to rice growers has come in the past four years when Cook cooperated with him on a non-genetically modified herbicide-resistant rice project.

He encouraged McKenzie, a “reluctant non-weed scientist,” to test it in the field under real-world conditions.

“This is important for considering a product or technology for the commercial level,” McKenzie says. “Jim also has enthusiasm and optimism about giving something different a try and finding solutions to make it work. I also see him conveying that approach in communicating and mentoring to others. And he puts time into his work, even when it’s physically difficult in flooded rice fields. Jim doesn’t shrink from any of that. He gets things done when they need to be done.”

Cook has an impressive list of accomplishments in his career, but he is quick to give credit to others.

“There are hundreds of people who got me to where I am today,” he says. “Each one of them deserves a piece of this honor. Their mentoring, support and friendship are a collection of life’s treasures.

“The support I receive from Colusa County Farm Supply is phenomenal. If I need something, I ask. If they need something, they ask. This includes all of our growers as well. Everyone looks out for each other.”

In recognition of his enthusiasm and commitment to improving U.S. rice production, it is an honor to name Jim Cook as the recipient of the 2019 Rice Industry Award.

Jim F. Cook

Williams, California • • • • • • • • • • • • •

A.A., Sciences, Imperial Valley Junior College B.A., Biology, University of California, Los Angeles M.S., Pest Management, University of California, Riverside Director, Research and Technology, Colusa County Farm Supply Manager, Crop Production Research, John Taylor Fertilizers/ Wilbur-Ellis Co., 1995-2012 Senior Development Representative, DuPont Agricultural Products, 1988-1995 Marketing Representative, DuPont Agricultural Products, 19791998 Member, California Association of Pest Control Advisers Holds an active Pest Control Advisor License, Qualified Applicator Certificate and Qualified Applicator License CAPCA Outstanding Achievement Award, 1993 California Aircraft Association Outstanding Achievement Award, 1993 DuPont Agricultural Products Market Innovation Award, 1989 Married to wife, Kathleen Jan, “Kathy.” One daughter: Shelley Ann Maddox (husband, Eric). Two grandchildren: Tucker Prescott Maddox, 8, and Beckett Bradshaw Maddox, 4

Dr. Ford Baldwin RICE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

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PHOTOS BY CARROLL SMITH

r. Ford Baldwin has had a close connection to Arkansas agriculture and a self-proclaimed affinity for equipment, especially tractors, from a young age. He describes his grandfather as “a small-time cotton farmer near Lonoke who also dabbled in rice a little.” His dad was a vocational agriculture teacher, so the family moved around some.

Baldwin attended first through third grades in Delaplaine and fourth through ninth grades at Swifton. During his sophomore year, he landed in Des Arc, where mostly rice is grown, and graduated high school there.

“During our first spring in Des Arc, my dad got me a job on the Devorak farm helping plant rice,” Baldwin says. “I wound up working weekends, nights and summers for Mr. Dale Devorak. He was a rough, gruff, very demanding perfectionist and a gentle giant with a heart of gold all rolled into one. I was scared to death of him but loved him like my dad and learned a lot about rice.”

Dr. Ford Baldwin and Tomilea — his wife and business partner — reside in Austin, Arkansas.

While attending the University of Arkansas, Baldwin knew he wanted to major in agriculture but couldn’t decide on his focus area.

“I was just bumping along until I took Dr. Bob Frans’ weed control class my senior year, and then I was hooked,” he says. “He offered me an assistantship to get a master’s degree, and I jumped on it.”

Baldwin went on to complete his doctorate in agronomy and weed science at Oklahoma State University. When the Extension weed science position opened up in Arkansas, Baldwin says his major professor at OSU helped him grad-

uate early to get the job. Working in this capacity in the No. 1 rice-producing state, Baldwin says the next logical step was to become a rice weed scientist. The two people who stand out to him in this endeavor are Arkansas Extension rice agronomist Bobby Huey and internationally renowned U. S. Department of Agriculture weed scientist Dr. Roy Smith.

“Both of them ‘took the kid in’ and mentored me,” Baldwin says.

The Arkansan says two noteworthy milestones in his rice research career are Command herbicide and the Clearfield Rice Production System.

“When FMC first asked me to look at Command in rice, I thought we would kill the rice and turn the whole state white in the process,” Baldwin says. “Well, we didn’t kill the rice, didn’t turn the state white, figured out we could apply Command by air and the rest is history. But the biggest challenge we had in rice weed control was getting rid of weedy rice. It was the one thing that had eluded Dr. Smith in his career. Then the Clearfield Rice Production System came along and gave us that opportunity.”

Jason Norsworthy, a University of Arkansas weed science professor, sums up Baldwin’s contribution both in the research plots and on farmers’ turnrows quite well.

“His final rice accomplishment prior to leaving the university was assisting in the registration of Newpath and Beyond herbicides in Clearfield rice,” Norsworthy says.

“Dr. Baldwin set up studies documenting the efficacy and value of these two herbicides and the Clearfield system for removing weedy rice from cultivated rice — a feat never seen before in the U.S. rice industry.

“Since retiring from the University of Arkansas, Dr. Baldwin has helped rice growers across the state with any weed management issue that arises on their farms. During the spring and summer, rarely a day that goes by that he has not stepped foot into a rice field or taken five to 10 calls from rice farmers by noon.”

Terry Gray, an Arkansas rice producer and owner of Delaplaine Seed Co., says, “Dr. Baldwin was instrumental in bringing new practices, chemicals and technologies to the market for the everyday farmer. He has had the foresight to look ahead to see problems that were coming in the future and create plans to deal with them. That foresight has paid great dividends to farmers in the Delta.”

In recognition of his outstanding career accomplishments, tell-it-like-it-is approach and countless hours working for farmers, we are proud to name Dr. Ford Baldwin the recipient of the Rice Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dr. Ford Baldwin Austin, Arkansas

• B.S., Agronomy-Crop Science, University of Arkansas • M.S., Agronomy-Weed Science, University of Arkansas • Ph.D., Agonomy-Weed Science, Oklahoma State University • Partner with spouse at Practical Weed Consultants LLC and Professor Emeritus, University of Arkansas • Distinguished Extension Specialist, University of Arkansas, 1994-2002 • Extension Weed Scientist and Section Leader – Pest Management, University of Arkansas, 1979-1994 • Extension Weed Scientist, University of Arkansas, 1974-1979 • Fellowship in the Weed Science Society of America • Member, Southern Weed Science Society • Member, Rice Technical Working Group • Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame • Riceland Foods Friend of the Farmer • Progressive Farmer magazine Man of the Year in Arkansas Agriculture • Married to wife, Tomilea. Four children: Carrie, Jeff, Luke and Erin. Two stepchildren: Ty Dillon and Treva Dillon. Nine grandchildren

Horizon Ag would like to recognize past Rice Awards recipients.

1992 Dennis Leonards 1993 Jacko Garrett Jr. 1994 Nolen Canon 1995 Duane Gaither 1996 Leroy & Chris Isbell 1997 Charles Berry John Denison Paul Haidusek Errol Lounsberry Charley Mathews Jr. Patrick Mullen Fred Tanner 1998 Tommy Andrus Don Bransford Larry Devillier Jr. Dennis Robison Gary Sebree Linda Zaunbrecher 1999 Ken Collins James “Jimmy” Hoppe Charles Parker Johnson Abbott Myers Lowell George “L.G.” Raun Jr. Martin Walt Jr. 2000 John B. Alter R. Ernest Girouard Jr. Bill Griffith Ken Minton Michael Rue J.D. “Des” Woods 2001 Rice Farmer of the Year: Larry and Candice Davis Rice Industry Award: Jack William Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: David LaCour 2002 Rice Farmer of the Year: Tommy Ray Oliver Rice Industry Award: Howard Cormier Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: Leland L. Carle 2003 Rice Farmer of the Year: David Monroe Smith Jr. Rice Industry Award: Dr. Johnny Saichuk Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: Lundberg Brothers 2004 Rice Farmer of the Year: Dane Hebert Rice Industry Award: Dr. M.O. “Mo” Way Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Joseph Musick 2005 Rice Farmer of the Year: John Greer Rice Industry Award: Charles “Eddie” Eskew Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: Donald Bransford

2006 Rice Farmer of the Year: Gibb Steele Rice Industry Award: Chuck Wilson Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: John Denison 2007 Rice Farmer of the Year: Clarence Berken Rice Industry Award: Dr. Joe Street Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Steve Linscombe 2008 Rice Farmer of the Year: Milton LaMalfa Rice Industry Award: John Cummings Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: Martin Ahrent 2009 Rice Farmer of the Year: Curtis Berry Rice Industry Award: John E. Broussard Jr. Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: Carl Wayne Brothers 2010 Rice Farmer of the Year: Greg, C.J. and Jeff Durand Rice Industry Award: Dr. Richard J. Norman Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Elaine T. Champagne 2011 Rice Farmer of the Year: Mark Wimpy Rice Industry Award: Dr. Rick Cartwright Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: Jacko Garrett Jr. 2012 Rice Farmer of the Year: Jim Whitaker Rice Industry Award: Dr. Donald Groth Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: Jim Erdman 2013 Rice Farmer of the Year: Joe Aguzzi Rice Industry Award: Dr. Eric Webster Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: Elton Kennedy 2014 Rice Farmer of the Year: Fred Zaunbrecher Rice Industry Award: Dr. Kent McKenzie Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: Marvin Baden 2015 Rice Farmer of the Year: Jerry Hoskyn Rice Industry Award: Keith Fontenot Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: Jimmy Hoppe 2016 Rice Farmer of the Year: Richard Fontenot Rice Industry Award: Dr. Steve Linscombe Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: Gary Sebree 2017 Rice Farmer of the Year: Christian Richard Rice Industry Award: Dr. Xueyan Sha

2019

RICE AWARDS

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orizon Ag is honored to sponsor the Rice Farming magazine Rice Awards and to welcome the industry to Little Rock for the 2019 USA Rice Outlook Con-

ference.

As I reflect on 2019, I am reminded that rice farmers have amazed me for over 20 years for their resilience. In any given year, most everything seems to be pressing against them.

Pests (weeds, diseases and insects) are now the more easily controlled. Weather extremes, economics and politics are seemingly the most volatile and uncontrollable pests these days. With the poor harvest conditions in 2018 not letting up through planting season 2019, coupled with less profitable prices across all commodities, many farmers have been pressed beyond their limits. Yet we will gather again to discuss the paths forward with the hopes that 2020 will be more prosperous for the U.S. rice industry.

With this year’s awards, we look forward to once again acknowledging individuals who have truly made a difference by their hard work, persistence and devotion. Those recognized for their outstanding achievements will receive:  The Rice Industry Award, which honors the person who has proven to be innovative in his or her role in this industry.  The Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes the person who has dedicated his or her life to the viability of the U.S. rice industry.  The Rice Farmer of the Year Award, which is given to a farmer who has shown determination, innovation or dedication to growing the crop.

The 2019 Rice Award winners can stand proudly with the award winners who have gone before them and, on behalf of Horizon Ag, we sincerely congratulate each one.

Horizon Ag is proud to bring new solutions to combat the problems farmers can control, including new varieties that raise the bar for yield and quality potential, and new technology that enables farmers to improve productivity and profitability. We stand ready to help you make decisions that impact you today and into the future. We look forward to continue working with you, resilient, as we meet the challenges we face each year, emerging stronger.

Tim Walker Horizon Ag General Manager

©2019 Horizon Ag, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: Chuck Wilson 2018 Rice Farmer of the Year: Melvin “Skip” Hula Jr.

Rice Industry Award: Earl J. Garber Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: Marvin Hare Jr.

A natural resources recipe Mix rice farmers, stewardship practices and partnership programs for a successful conservation gumbo.

By Amy Robertson Fuselier

W

Recipe for conservation The base of this conservation gumbo began in the early 2000s when the price of fuel skyrocketed.

“That was one of the biggest motivators; we were looking for ways to become more energy efficient and more conservation minded,” Unkel says. “Our relationship with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Allen Soil and Water Conservation District began with laser leveling a few rice fields at a time.”

The process of precision land leveling reduces the amount of water and the time it takes to flood fields.

“We could see the difference it was making by lowering energy costs and TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

AMY ROBERTSON FUSELIER

hat makes the best gumbo? Some say the Cajun trinity of ingredients — onions, bell pepper and celery. Many argue the roux is the basic building block for creating the ultimate gumbo. But everyone agrees that the best gumbo is one that uses a combination of ingredients that, with time and careful attention, achieves the quintessential cool weather staple of the South.

In the world of natural resources, partnerships are the roux in the recipe for a successful conservation gumbo.

In the rice fields of southwest Louisiana near Kinder, the Unkel family farm is cooking up some of the best conservation gumbo around. Eric Unkel is one-third of a big family farm.

“I’m the third generation … Our family has been farming this land since the early 1920s,” he says. The fourth generation, Eric’s nephew, Aaron, is following in his family’s footsteps and farming alongside both of his uncles. Unkel’s portion of the farm consists of 3,600 acres of rice and crawfish, with some cattle on the side.

(from left) Barrett Lyons, Natural Resources Conservation Service; Eric Unkel, rice producer; Kyle Soileau, Ducks Unlimited; and Keith Guillory, Allen Soil and Water Conservation District, discuss Unkel’s conversion to surface water and its benefits, both environmentally and financially.

reducing soil erosion, so we kept adding field after field. Right now about 90% of our fields are precision leveled,” he says.

Unkel recalls the work completed on his farm with the technical expertise and financial assistance of NRCS through the Environmental Quality Incentives Pro-

gram. “We are so much more efficient now; through land leveling, we have gotten rid of over 100 levees, not to mention the grade stabilization structures and irrigation pipeline installed.”

Between the Regional Conservation Partnership Program and EQIP, he says he’s DECEMBER 2019

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RICE FARMING

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A collaborative approach One of the most significant contributions to their farm is being made through a partnership between Ducks Unlimited, USA Rice, SWCDs and NRCS in the Regional Conservation Partnership Program.

“Through RCPP, we promote coordination between conservation partners to implement projects that demonstrate innovative solutions to conservation challenges and result in positive outcomes tied to the resource concerns they are addressing,” Edwards says.

For Unkel, the RCPP is providing the technical expertise and financial assistance to install several ditch pumps, which will create a tail-water system.

“We will be able to recycle the water coming off the fields back into the fields.

We are getting a lot more use out of the water we are using,” he says.

Kyle Soileau, Ducks Unlimited rice stewardship coordinator for Louisiana, says he is pleased with the work on Unkel’s land.

“What Eric is doing with his land is exactly what we are trying to achieve with RCPP,” he says. “There are two parts to RCPP. The first is through EQIP when farmers like Eric make the switch from using groundwater to surface water to decrease pressure on aquifers.”

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DECEMBER 2019

PHOTOS BY AMY ROBERTSON FUSELIER

installed about 50 pipe drops. Those are on top of another 50 he had installed previously through state cost-share programs.

Unkel also installed more than 2 miles of pipe under EQIP and RCPP in addition to the existing 2 miles he put in under earlier state programs.

Barrett Lyons, district conservationist for the NRCS Oberlin Field Office, agrees with Unkel about the improvements that have been made.

“We started working together originally to increase efficiency, and over the years, we have addressed more resource concerns including nutrient and pest management.” Lyons says. “So in addition to improved land conservation, the Unkels have better farm management and ultimately increased financial stability.”

The 2018 Farm Bill also has added greater flexibility for partners to deliver projects, says Scott Edwards, NRCS assistant state conservationist for programs.

“NRCS has worked to streamline the application process, and this will allow greater flexibility for conservation partners across the state.”

Barrett Lyons (left), with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Kinder, Louisiana, rice producer Eric Unkel check out some of his crop.

On the Unkel farm, the project provided cost-share on two 50-horsepower pumps, which are in the process of being installed, and pipe.

The second part of RCPP is the Conservation Stewardship Program that includes providing habitat for migrating waterfowl by extending the time water is held on agricultural lands. After harvest, growers are asked to put boards in their field to catch winter rains.

“There is always a winter water holding component in the fields that provide habitat for ducks migrating south and provide healthy habitat when they are on their way back north in the spring,” Soileau says.

A win for farmers and the environment The partnership between DU, USA Rice, NRCS and the Allen SWCD through RCPP has assisted the Unkel farm in becoming more efficient. But the improvements are more than just financial savings.

The conservation measures, together with rice fields, also improve water quality, Soileau says.

“When you pump muddy water onto the rice fields, rice does a tremendous job of cleaning and filtering out all of the sediment, suspended soils and turbidity,” he says.

“All the water sampling we’ve done comparing the muddy water going into the fields versus when it is released show an 83% reduction in suspended solids and about a 94% reduction in turbidity.”

Kane Webb, director of field services for USA Rice, says he is encouraged by the conservation work being done by Unkel and other Louisiana producers.

“These growers really do care about the land and the stewardship aspect of agriculture while producing a high quality product that consumers can trust and want to use,” he says. “These producers are also making their operations more efficient and leaving a legacy for the next generation of farmers.”

Soileau echoes Webb’s sentiments.

“The partnership that DU has with NRCS, USA Rice, local SWCDs and grower organizations allows us to examine resource concerns from many different angles and then come up with the best solutions; every organization brings a different perspective to the table. Partnerships … that’s how you get great conservation work accomplished.”

Amy Robertson Fuselier is Louisiana state public affairs specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Alexandria, Louisiana. She may be reached at Amy.robertson@la.usda.gov.

RICEFARMING.COM

New Rice Varieties From Horizon Ag Offer Higher Yield Potential, Strong Performance Three new Horizon Ag rice varieties that fill critical needs for Southern farmers today will be available to plant in the 2020 season.

Two of the varieties – CLL15, a long grain, semi-dwarf Clearfield® rice variety, and CLM04, a medium grain Clearfield rice – are the first Clearfield releases developed by Dr. Xueyan Sha, University of Arkansas professor and rice breeder, in his program at the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart, Arkansas. Both offer the potential for higher yields and excellent weed control, based on three years of university rice cultivar testing, on-farm trials and seed production fields.

Farmers will also have access to the next generation Provisia® rice variety – PVL02, developed in the breeding program at the Louisiana State University AgCenter. The Provisia Rice System, developed in partnership with BASF, provides an alternative to imidazolinone herbicide-tolerant rice, enabling farmers to return to profitability in fields overrun with resistant, costly weedy rice and red rice.

Clearfield technology,” said Dr. Walker. “This new variety is one that can give farmers the return on investment they need this season.”

For farmers who plant medium grain rice, new CLM04 is an earlymaturing, semi-dwarf rice with outstanding yield potential, along with good milling and grain quality. In 43 state and regional trials from 2016 to 2018, it averaged 198 bushels per acre, better than CL272 and Jupiter.

Amylose content and gelatinization temperatures are almost identical to Kellogg’s-approved Jupiter. CLM04, like Jupiter, contains the Pi-ks gene; however, CLM04 also contains the Pi-z gene.

Milling yield averaged 60.1% head rice to 68% total rice in 23 Arkansas state and regional trials. Its chemical composition is nearly identical to Jupiter, which is part of CLM04’s breeding lineage, making it a good choice for cereal companies. Compared to other popular medium grain varieties, CLM04 has good lodging resistance.

“We’ve sent Kellogg’s a large sample of CLM04 this year for a pilot-scale run and are waiting for their approval,” said Dr. Walker.

PVL02 is the second Provisia line from Horizon Ag and, in multi-year testing, it has shown a 10% yield increase on average over the first varietal release, PVL01, in both the main and ratoon crops. PVL02 is also about one week earlier-maturing than PVL01.

CLL15 has consistently shown average yields 5 bushels to 10 bushels higher than varietal industry standards like Horizon Ag CL151 and CL153 in multi-year tests. In 2019, numerous fields of CLL15 dried 185 bushels per acre or more, with the best farm yielding over 200 bushels per acre dry across 280 acres.

Arkansas County, Arkansas, farmer Darren Walker, who had new Horizon Ag CLL15 in seed production in 2019, said he was impressed with how the variety performed. He expects CLL15 to be a popular variety with farmers in his area in 2020.

“CLL15 is a game changer for the rice industry,” said the farmer. “Mine out-yielded my past plantings of Clearfield hybrid XL745. When you figure in the lower seed cost for the variety compared to the hybrid, planting CLL15 is a no-brainer.”

“With Provisia varieties and the Provisia Rice System, farmers now have a solution to weedy rice, hard-to-control barnyard grass and other troublesome grasses that have developed over the course of time since the release of the Clearfield system,” said Dr. Walker. “From what we’ve seen, we believe this is, no doubt, the best grass control system available today.”

“Just about everyone who has used the Provisia Rice System, which was on about 50,000 acres in 2019, raves about the grass and weedy rice control,” he said. “If you are fighting hard-to-control grass and the weedy rice complex and getting yields of 130 to 140 bushels, why not go to Provisia rice varieties that will give you the opportunity for 150 to 160 bushels and start to clean up the problem you have? More and more farmers are doing just that.”

For more information, farmers can call 1-800-356-9033 or see their Horizon Ag and BASF Authorized Retailers.

CLL15 has excellent milling characteristics, including good grain length and low chalk. The variety also has broad-spectrum blast resistance similar to that found in CL153 and CL172. It measures approximately 38 inches tall and stands extremely well.

“With CLL15, farmers can have the confidence they are planting an Arkansas-bred variety that has proven to be a strong performer, combined with the outstanding weed control they have come to expect from the

Always read and follow label directions. Clearfield® and Provisia® are registered trademarks of BASF. © 2019 Horizon Ag, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

2020 Rice Seed Guide

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he 2019 season was trying, with wet conditions from the 2018 harvest carrying over into spring planting.

Take time to catch your breath and reflect on what cultivars performed well — all things considered — and what ones weren’t quite there. Also take time to collect soil samples so you’ll know what you need to do to meet your 2020 rice crop’s nutrient needs.

These easy-to-use charts, which highlight how Clearfield and Provisia varieties and conventional, Clearfield and FullPage hybrids performed in Mid-South trials during 2019, are designed to help with those planting decisions. Consider each field individually along with your goals when making selections for 2020.

The following charts and information were provided by Horizon Ag LLC and RiceTec.

2020 Horizon Ag Varieties Provisia Rice System varieties PVL01 • First Provisia herbicide tolerant variety • Outstanding seedling vigor • Exceptional tillering • Superior grain quality • Good yield potential PVL02 (New) • Newly released Provisia variety • Improved yield and milling compared to PVL01 • Exceptional tillering • Excellent cooking quality

Clearfield Production System for Rice varieties CL111 • Excellent vigor with high yield potential • Outstanding grain quality and milling

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• Exceptional ratoon crop performance • Kellogg’s preferred long grain CL151 • Exceptional yield potential • Uses nitrogen efficiently − Manage nitrogen input to reduce lodging and disease pressure • Susceptible to blast; not recommended for fields with a history of blast or water issues CL153 • Exceptional seedling vigor • Yield potential equivalent to CL151 • Outstanding grain quality and milling • Blast resistance • Lodging resistance CL163 • Excellent yield potential and seedling vigor • Outstanding grain quality and milling • Exceptional cooking quality

Web Resources For more information about Horizon Ag Clearfield and Provisia varieties, go to www.horizonseed.com.

For more information about RiceTec hybrids, visit www.ricetec.com • Extra-high amylose content compared to current long grain varieties • Ideal for parboil, canning, food services or package rice • Susceptible to blast; not recommended for fields with a history of blast or water issues CLL15 (New) • Exceptional yield potential • Broad-spectrum blast resistance • Excellent milling quality • Moderately resistant to lodging • Early maturing CLM04 (New) • First Clearfield medium grain released

by University of Arkansas • Yield potential similar to Jupiter • Very good grain quality • Improved blast resistance compared to Jupiter CLJ01 • First Clearfield Jasmine-type variety • Very good aroma • Premium grain appearance and milling • Excellent yield potential • Very good disease package RICEFARMING.COM

Horizon Ag Varieties 2020 Variety Characteristics and Suggested Management Practices Variety

Height 1 (inches)

Maturity 2 (days to 50% heading)

Suggested Seeding Rate 3 (lb seed/A)

Suggested Nitrogen Rate 4 (lb N/A)

PVL01

35

89

50-70

120-160

PVL02

42

85

50-70

120-160

CL111

39

77

60-70

120-160

CL151

41

81

55-65

90-150

CL153

42

81

60-70

120-160

CL163

41

83

60-70

120-160

CLL15

38

81

60-70

120-160

CLM04

42

86

60-70

120-160

CLJ01

38

85

60-70

120-160

Height will vary with plant density and environmental conditions. Maturity varies with geographical region and environmental conditions in a given year. Optimum drill seeded planting rate is only for fungicide treated seed. If using non-treated seed, the seeding rate should be increased by a minimum of 10 lbs/A. 4 Optimal nitrogen rate varies from field to field. The high end should be reserved for heavy clay soils and fields where rice is followed by rice. Using the high end of the nitrogen and seeding rate recommendations may increase the incidence of disease. Please scout and treat the Clearfield varieties accordingly. The NSt*R program is recommended where applicable and has been shown to decrease incidences of disease and lodging. Please contact your local Cooperative Extension office for more information.

1

2

3

Disease Ratings Variety

Sheath Blight

Blast*

Straight Head

Bacterial Panicle Blight*

Narrow Brown Leaf Spot*

Kernel Smut

False Smut

Lodging

PVL01

S

VS

-

S

MR

-

S

MR

PVL02

S

MS

_

S

S

-

MS

-

CL111

VS

MS

S

VS

S

S

S

MS

CL151

S

VS

VS

VS

S

S

S

S

CL153

S

MS

MS

MS

MS

S

S

MR

CL163

VS

S

MR

MS

R

MS

-

MS

CLL15

S

MS

S

S

-

S

S

MR

CLM04

S

S

S

VS

_

S

S

MS

CLJ01

MS

MR

MS

S

MS

_

MS

_

1

VS = Very Susceptible, S = Susceptible, MS = Moderately Susceptible, MR = Moderately Resistant, R = Resistant *Reactions may differ due to variability of strains among pathogens.

1 This variety has genetic markers for Pita, which confers resistance to the following blast races: IA45, IB1, IB49, IB54, IB45, IH1, IG1, IC17, IE1.

TWITTER: TWITTER: @RICEFARMING @RICEFARMING

DECEMBER DECEMBER 2019 2019

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RICE RICE FARMING FARMING

25 25

RiceTec Variety

RT7321 FP

RT7521 FP

CL XL745

Gemini 214 CL

XL723

XP753

RT7301

FullPage

FullPage

Clearfield

Clearfield

N/A

N/A

N/A

Long grain

Long grain

Long grain

Long grain

Long grain

Long grain

Long grain

Yield advantage

25%

24%

22%

24%

19%

25%

22%

Milling average 2

57/68

57/68

59/70

55/69

61/70

57/71

57/70

Maturity group

Early

Medium

Early

Medium

Early

Early

Early

Days to 50% headed

81

87

82

86

86

83

79

Days to grain maturity

110

117

110

116

116

113

109

Herbicide tolerance trait Grain type

Agronomic characteristics Stress tolerance

Excellent

Excellent

Excellent

Excellent

Excellent

Excellent

Excellent

Pubescence

Present

Present

Present

Present

Present

Present

Present

Height (inches)

46-50

46-50

42-44

44-48

42-44

42-44

42-44

Above average

Above average

Average

Above average

Average

Above average

Above average

Above average

Above average

Average

Above average

Below average

Above average

Above average

Above average

Average

Average

Average

Above average

Above average

Above average

Standability Grain retention Ratoon potential

3

Management recommendations Total nitrogen (lbs of N)

120-150

120-150

120-150

120-150

120-150

120-150

120-150

Preflood

90-120

90-120

90-120

90-120

90-120

90-120

90-120

Late boot

30

30

30

30

30

30

30

Disease characteristics

4

R

R

R

R

R

MR

R

Sheath blight

MS

MS

MS

MS

MS

MS

MS

Straighthead

MS

MS

MS

MS

MS

MS

MS

Kernel smut

MS

MS

MS

MS

MS

MS

MS

False smut

MS

S

MS

S

MS

MS

MS

Bacterial panicle blight

MR

MR

MR

MR

MR

MR

MR

Narrow leaf brown spot

MR

MR

MR

MR

MR

MR

MR

Blast 5

RiceTec seed characteristics are determined from data collected from specific RiceTec and/or university field trials and are not a guarantee of performance, nor do they constitute a warranty of fitness for a particular use.

Milling averages taken from head-to-head comparisons in planting date trials; very early and medium-late seed products maybe disadvantaged due to single harvest date. Harvest at 18-20% moisture at first drydown to maximize grain quality and grain retention.

3 Ratoon potential on full-season rice may be reduced if harvest is delayed due to later planting.

4 R = Resistant, MR = Moderately Resistant, MS = Moderately Susceptible, S = Susceptible, VS = Very Susceptible; although RiceTec products normally do not require fungicide 5 RiceTec seed products have shown field resistance to common strains of rice blast fungus. Susceptibility to unusual strains of the rice blast fungus, which have been thus far rare in the field, has been documented in nursery trials.

1

2

26

RICE FARMING

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DECEMBER 2019

RICEFARMING.COM

Specialists

Poor conditions prevailed during 2019 season DR. DUSTIN HARRELL

LOUISIANA LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station dharrell@agcenter.lsu.edu The one silver lining for the 2019 rice season in Louisiana was that we had a dry September, and many growers were able to work the ground and prepare for the 2020 season. It was a way to close the door on the 2019 season, which, for many, was a season they would like to forget.

Rice yields in Louisiana were significantly down in 2019 and so was milling on the estimated 415,000 acres harvested. Many growers in southwest Louisiana reported their farms were seeing a yield reduction anywhere between 10% to 40% across the farm.

Reduced yields were also reported in northeast Louisiana but not to the extreme levels observed in the southern portion of the state. Current National Agricultural Statistics Service estimates project the state yield average at 6,650 pounds per acre.

There are many factors that contributed to the poor rice yields this year. In fact, you could say there were poor growing conditions from the beginning to the end of the season. After harvest in 2018, the ground remained saturated, preventing cultivation and land preparation for the 2019 season, so most of the seedbed preparation occurred just before planting.

Planting began in earnest the third week of March when the soils dried, and we had approximately a two-week window that drill planting occurred. The bulk of the rice was planted in this window.

2019 in review BRUCE LINQUIST

CALIFORNIA UCCE Rice Specialist balinquist@ucdavis.edu As I write this article Oct. 25, the California rice crop is still being harvested.

The big story of the year for California was the record rainfall in mid- to late May when rice was being planted.

While this rainfall did not reduce overall acreage by too much (the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports 496,000 acres planted), it did delay planting. This year, it was not uncommon for farmers to be planting in early June.

More problematic, it resulted in many farmers planting in less-than-ideal conditions. Farmers had to cut corners on land TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

Speaking

On April 4, the first of a handful of storms brought excessive rainfall to the region that overtopped young and emerging rice.

Rice emergence and development was slow and uneven due to the cold, wet soils. Rice fields throughout the region had spotty stands, and it was common to see three-leaf rice and rice just emerging from the ground. While this in itself does not seem that bad, it does make agronomic decisions difficult. Proper herbicide application, flood establishment, nitrogen application and other decisions are dependent on the proper rice growth stage and can negatively affect yield at the end of the season.

Once most rice was fertilized and flooded, another large rainstorm occurred that flooded and overtopped several rice fields.

Only a few acres were completely lost due to the flooding.

However, a lot of rice in the region was once again stressed while submerged. Some growers also opted not to apply more nitrogen fertilizer after draining their fields to allow the rice to recover.

It is critical to maintain the flood for three weeks immediately after fertilizing and flooding rice after application to allow the rice to take that nitrogen up and be used. If a field is drained and oxygen is reintroduced to the system, the ammonium nitrogen can be converted to nitrate nitrogen, which will be lost after reflooding the rice. Therefore, it is critical to apply more N if this occurs.

One of the biggest things that reduced yield in 2019 was Hurricane Barry, which made landfall July 11. Pre-landfall predictions had rainfall estimates of over 25 inches.

Thankfully, most of the rice in southwest Louisiana received much less rain. Since most of the rice was in the early stages of heading, flooding at that point could have been a major disaster for Louisiana rice. However, Barry did bring with it rain and a lot of wind.

A good portion of the rice in the region was flowering at the time. Rain and wind can disrupt flowering and cause the grain to blank. Since Barry was a slow-moving storm, we had several days where pollination was disrupted and yield was lost. The

operations or fertility management just to make sure the crop was planted. Under these conditions of rain and trying to plant quickly, fertility and weed management were a challenge for many growers during the first half of the season.

After May, the season was favorable with relatively mild temperatures through the growing season and a relatively warm and dry harvest period. Blast was a problem in Butte and Glenn counties with some fields being severely affected.

While smut was a big problem last year, this year it was not.

Armyworms remain an issue in the northern parts of the valley, but Intrepid was available early in the season so damage from armyworms is not expected to affect yields.

Harvest began in mid-September. Based on what I’ve heard so far, yields from rice planted before the rains were good; however, yields were lower from rice planted during and after the rains.

I am also hearing milling quality is a bit down this year and am not sure why. Last year, California rice yields averaged 86.2 hundredweight per acre; this year’s yields are likely to be less than that.

DECEMBER 2019

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RICE FARMING

27

Specialists

Speaking

blanked grain was also a vector for increased disease pressure later in the season. At harvest, black kernel smut and false smut were excessive in southwest Louisiana, so excessive in some cases that trucks containing excessive smut levels were turned around at multiple grain facilities.

Historically, smuts have not been prevalent in southwest Louisiana, and preventative applications of propiconazole fungicides at the 2- to 4-inch panicle in the boot growth stage are rarely used.

Due to the epidemic levels of the smuts in 2019, more applications will need to be applied in the future if we want to properly manage smuts.

20SG. Stem borer populations were generally low for 2019. I received no calls this year about stem borers, but we continue to find the vast majority of stem borers to be Mexican rice borer.

We did experience late infestations of fall armyworm primarily attacking pasture grasses. These very late infestations are unusual — something we will need to keep our eye on in 2020.

We did discover low populations of the exotic rice planthopper/ delphacid attacking ratoon rice west and south of Houston in Harris County. Fortunately, we had a Quarantine Emergency Exemption for Endigo ZCX and a 2(ee) recommendation for Tenchu 20SG. Many thanks to Kevin Haack at the Texas Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for submitting and approving these registrations.

Texas rice growers had a tough year

Arkansas: rice acres late but lucky

DR. M.O. “MO” WAY

TEXAS Rice Research Entomologist moway@aesrg.tamu.edu

DR. JARROD HARDKE

ARKANSAS Assoc. Professor/Rice Extension Agronomist University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service jhardke@uaex.edu

DR. MO WAY, TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE EXTENSION

It was a tough year for Texas rice farmers. We still don’t have good yield figures for 2019, but I have been told by selected crop consultants and farmers that main crop yields are off 10% to 20% compared to most recent years. This is largely the result of late plantings due to wet and cool conditions during early spring.

Then we had frequent rain when most of our crop was heading/ flowering. Finally, Imelda struck in mid-September and dumped about 35 inches of rain in 24 hours at the Beaumont Center. Maturing rice went underwater for a short period of time.

Up to the time of Imelda, the Jefferson County Airport south of the Beaumont Center had received over 70 inches of rain during 2019. Add the rain from Imelda, and this area of Southeast Texas will be well over 100 inches of precipitation for 2019.

Virtually all Texas rice farmers used some kind of insecticidal/ fungicidal seed treatment in 2019. This was a good practice because seedling diseases and rice water weevil damage are exacerbated by the kind of weather we experienced.

Kernel smut continued to be troublesome in 2019. Rice stink bug populations were controlled with applications of Tenchu

Fall armyworm caused more damage to an area in the foreground than they did to the area in the background in this field of late-planted rice.

28

RICE FARMING

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DECEMBER 2019

Well into what is usually our prime planting season, 2019 couldn’t get started. The rains that began in fall 2018 continued well into April. Ground dried just enough to get a few days of field work here and there, but it was mostly a frustrating winter and spring where little was accomplished. Through the first week of May, the state was still less than 50% planted.

Ultimately, Arkansas would remain on a planting pace that was the slowest in 25 years. Many were concerned about the yield prospects for this very late-planted crop, and for good reason.

Historically, as planting is delayed into May, you can expect a 10% yield decline and that decreases as you move into June planting.

Conditions were less than ideal even after we got the crop in the ground. The wet weather obviously made planting difficult but also created issues with nitrogen fertilization and weed control. However, the crop overall turned out much better than many would have predicted early on given the delayed planting.

As it happened, the mild, wet conditions continued throughout the summer, which was better for the overall crop and late-planted rice and reminiscent of the record yield season of 2013. A lack of extreme high temperatures minimized plant stress on much of the rice.

The very late fields benefited from what was coined a “late summer” with temperatures in the 90s through late August and early September.

Harvest conditions were very good early on, but rice was drying faster than expected with the high temperatures and low humidity. Many were shocked at just how much it dried in the field.

Despite this, most early milling yields were good.

RICEFARMING.COM

Specialists

Speaking

VICKY BOYD

Even timely planted rice struggled during the wet Mississippi spring.

Once the weather pattern changed and humidity and moisture returned, milling headed south very rapidly. Very late-planted, high-moisture rice did see a resurgence in milling yields. Overall the milling yields for the state will likely be below average.

The state average yield is currently reported by USDA as 166.7 bushels per acre for 2019. This seems a little high, with an expectation that yields are overall about 2% to 3% lower than 2018.

One of the bigger stories of the year is that with all the delays, Arkansas only planted 1.126 million acres and had over 500,000 acres of prevented planting on rice. This certainly spells a set up for a large resurgence in acres for 2020.

The 2019 season had shades of 2017 DR. BOBBY R. GOLDEN MISSISSIPPI Extension Rice Specialist bgolden@drec.msstate.edu

Flash back to this column in 2017, and it tells a very similar acreage story for Mississippi’s 2019 rice crop — an acreage reduction from the previous year. This year’s total planted and failed acres reached a final tally of 114,923, eerily similar to the 114,500 acres we had in 2017, both the lowest acreages since 1977.

Like always, Bolivar County led with 31,796 planted acres, the most acreage dedicated to rice in the state, with Tunica County coming in second with 22,868. Tunica County also had the most prevented rice acres in the state with 10,775. Similar to the past five years, most of the rice acreage was cultivated north of U.S. Highway 82 with rice seeded in 16 counties.

TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

Planting progress was exceedingly slow for Mississippi, with rice planting occurring at a slower pace than the three-, five- and 10-year averages. Rice planting started off similar to years past, and then hit a wall at the end of the first week of April when wet weather arrived to much of the state and never left until late May. By the third week of May, only 60% of the Mississippi crop was in the ground; historically by this week, we are close to 90% complete. Rice planting was completed by the third week of June in 2019.

Much of the early planted rice struggled with the persistent wet weather, with many fields completely submerged for as much as 10 days in many areas. Some fields were salvageable, but replants were conducted on many acres due to stand decline and rice stretched past the point of no return.

The wet soil conditions also made field work and levee construction difficult in areas. The consistent rain did allow preemergence herbicides to remain active, and in most cases, we went to flood with a pretty clean crop. After flooding, we observed many instances of rice not growing properly and many sulfur and nutrient deficiencies.

These issues primarily arose from most of our ground being worked wet and shallow in the winter of 2018 and early 2019. I walked many flooded rice fields that were like walking on concrete, something that is difficult to fathom in buckshot soils.

Some of the greatest attributes of the 2019 growing season were the mild temperatures and excellent harvest weather. Excluding the extremely late-planted rice and areas in northern Mississippi, most of our rice was harvested before rainy weather in October sent us out of the fields.

As of Oct. 29, there are still some acres left to harvest in areas, but for the majority of the state, good harvest weather was a welcome sight. State average yields are expected to be slightly greater in 2019 than in previous years and should carry over excitement for increased rice acres in Mississippi during 2020.

DECEMBER 2019

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RICE FARMING

29

Industry

News ist with the University of Georgia, will focus on how farmers can best use data collected during the production season.

A panel of Louisiana farmers also will speak about how they use digital data in their operations.

Register for the conference at https:// bit.ly/2NvqSIj. Vendors can contact AgCenter agent Jimmy Flanagan at jflana gan@agcenter.lsu.edu for information on setting up a booth.

Two Clearfield varieties commercially available for 2020

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION 1. Publication Title: Rice Farming 2. Publication Number: 0194-0929 3. Filing Date: September 2019 4. Issue Frequency: Jan - May & Dec 5. Number of Issues: 6x/year 6. Annual Susbcription Price: Free to qualified subscribers 7&8. Mailing Address of Known Office/Headquarters: 875 W Poplar Ave., Suite 23, Box 305, Collierville, TN 38017 Contact Person: Kathy Killingsworth (901-767-4020) 9. Publisher: Lia Guthrie, 7100 Black Bart Trail, Redwood Valley, CA 95470 Editor: Vicky L. Boyd, 280-B West Rumble Road, Modesto, CA 95350 10. Owners: Cornelia Guthrie, 7100 Black Bart Trail, Redwood Valley, CA 95470; Dr. David Scott Guthrie,Sr., 7100 Black Bart Trail, Redwood Valley, CA 95470; Morris Ike Lamensdorf, 17 S. Third St., Rolling Fork, MS 39159; Mary Jane Lamensdorf, 17 S. Third St., Rolling Fork, MS 39159 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees and Other Security Holders Owning/Holding 1% or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None 12. Tax Status: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: May 2019 15.a. Total Number of Copies (net press run): (Average No. Copies each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 7,652) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 7,539) 15.b.(1) Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 3,888) (No. Copies of Single Issue Nearest to Filing Date – 3,860) 15.c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 3,888) (No. Copies of Single Issue Nearest to Filing Date – 3,860) 15.d.(1) Outside County Nonrequested Copies: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 3,474) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 3,492) 15.d.(4) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 108) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date - 0) 15.e. Total Nonrequested Distribution: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 3,582) (No Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 3,492) 15.f. Total Distribution: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months - 7,470) (No Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 7,352) 15.g. Copies Not Distributed: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months - 182) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date - 187) 15.h. Total: (Average No. copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 7,652) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 7,539) 15.i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months - 52.0%) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 52.5%) 18. I certify that all information furnished above is true and complete.

Lia Guthrie, Publisher

30

RICE FARMING

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DECEMBER 2019

SEMO breeder works to develop heat-tolerant rice lines

VICKY BOYD

Horizon Ag will have two new Clearfield varieties commercially available for the 2020 planting season: CLL15 and CLM04.

Both varieties, which were released for seed production for 2019, were developed by the University of Arkansas.

In 2019 field-scale performance trials, the long-grain CLL15 dried 180 bushels per acre for seed production with no lodging, according to a news release. Numerous fields dried 185 bushels per acre or more, with the best field yielding 200 bushels per acre dry across 280 acres.

In the 2018 Arkansas Rice Performance Trials, CLL15 yielded 192 bushels per acre. CLL15 is similar in heading to CL153 but reaches harvest moisture a couple days earlier. It is 38 inches tall and moderately resistant to lodging. Optimum CLL15 plant population is 12-20 plants per square foot.

Developed by Dr. Xueyan Sha at the University of Arkansas Rice Research

The Clearfield long-grain variety, CLL15, was developed by the University of Arkansas.

and Extension Center, the medium-grain CLM04 has shown tremendous yield potential and stability, improved blast tolerance compared to Jupiter, and milled grain characteristics similar to those found in Jupiter and Titan.

Most of Horizon Ag’s CLM04 seed production was in the Jonesboro, Arkansas, area in 2019, and it performed well across large acreages, averaging 8,235 pounds per acre.

Some seed was also produced near Crowley, Louisiana. As challenging of a year as it was across all varieties and hybrids, CLM04 performed the best of all Horizon Ag seed production fields, yielding 7,016 pounds per acre.

LSU AgCenter to host second annual digital ag conference

The Louisiana State University AgCenter will host its second annual conference highlighting applications of digital data in agriculture Jan. 23, 2020.

This free event will be from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the State Evacuation Shelter, U.S. Highway 71 south of Alexandria.

Lunch will be provided.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Practical Applications of Precision Agriculture.” Presentations from AgCenter experts as well as keynote speaker Wesley Porter, a precision agriculture special-

Research to create new heat-tolerant and herbicide-resistant rice strains is being conducted at Southeast Missouri State University’s Rice Research Greenhouse in Malden, and at the Missouri Rice Research Farm in Glennonville.

Dr. Christian De Guzman, Southeast Missouri State University rice breeder, says Missouri rice yields declined several years ago due to extreme heat. That growing season, along with climate change discussions, prompted him to begin developing a heat-tolerant variety.

Preliminary screening of U.S. varieties and a heat-tolerant line from Asia, N22, indicates high fertility rates in the heat-tolerant line compared to southern U.S. varieties when tested at higher temperatures.

Testing was done in a heat chamber and showed the Asian heat-tolerant variety capable of producing grains and higher spikelet fertility rates at temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius (about 104 degrees Fahrenheit), De Guzman says.

Testing began in 2018 and is continuing as cross breeding is done with more rice varieties and with some of the rice breeder’s elite lines, according to a news release.

While preliminary screening occurred in the greenhouse setting, rice is now being tested in the field at the Missouri Rice Research Farm. It is serving as the test group under natural growing conditions and will then be compared against that grown in a controlled greenhouse setting.

The goal is to release a heat-tolerant variety in Missouri that also can be sold in other states.

Meanwhile, De Guzman also is focusing on breeding rice with Clearfield herbicide resistance and is finalizing an agreement with BASF to breed rice with Provisia herbicide resistance.

RICEFARMING.COM

Congratulations,

Jim Cook Rice Industry Award winner

It is with great esteem and high honors that Colusa County Farm Supply, express our most respected praises on all your achievements and diligent work in the Research Team. We are very proud to have a 2019 Rice Industry Award winner amongst our company. Your experience and knowledge is something worth celebrating in regards to the contributions to the rice industry and our local community agriculturalists.

Keep up the good work! “Congratulations on your well-deserved success.�

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