Rice Farming December 2020 by One Grower Publishing

www.ricefarming.com

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

DECEMBER 2020

INSIDE : 2020 RICE AWARD WINNERS

PERFORMANCE

FOR YOUR FARM

HorizonSeed.com

Performance is... NEW

CLL16

...the

“complete package”

for yield, quality and blast resistance

Strong yield performance with an improved disease package and excellent milling characteristics.

NEW

CLL17

...yields

even higher than CL153

plus outstanding blast resistance

Strong yield potential, excellent milling yield, very good grain quality and resistance to blast.

PVL02

...the

cleanest fields in the South

plus improved yield over PVL01

Allows for a different mode of action for the only real solution to help manage weedy rice infested fields.

Horizon Ag. Performance for Your Farm.

www.ricefarming.com

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

DECEMBER 2020

INSIDE : 2020 RICE AWARD WINNERS

2021 Rice Seed Guide New Clearfield long-grain varieties up the ante DynaGro variety shows high yield potential, good grain quality

Trusted season to season. Generation to generation.

For 17 years, Alan Gaulding and his father have relied on RiceTec seed for industry-leading yields. Craig, their RiceTec representative, has been equally reliable. He’s always lending a helping hand.

Now with RiceTec’s FullPage™ Rice Cropping Solution, the Gauldings are encouraged by the early results and are enjoying the most uniform stand they’ve ever had. No other rice seed partner has given the Gauldings a

more profitable yield or more reliable service. To find your local RiceTec representative, call us at 877.580.7423, or learn more at RiceTec.com. *This is not a guarantee of performance nor a warranty of fitness for a particular use.

www.ricefarming.com

December 2020

COLUMNS

Vol. 55, No. 1

COVER STORY

4 From the Editor

‘Semper Gumby’ took on new meaning in 2020

6 USA Rice Update

A non-traditional December fit for 2020

DEPARTMENTS

2021 Rice Seed Guide

24 Specialists Speaking

‘My sincerest gratitude to all’ ON THE COVER: Sammy Noel harvests a PVL02 field near Cow Island, Louisiana. Photo by Kane Webb, USA Rice

2020

RICE AWARDS Horizon Ag, Rice Farming and USA Rice are proud to bring you the recipients of the 2020 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.

With the 2020 season in the rearview mirror, take time to catch your breath, say good riddance to the year, and review which cultivars performed well and which ones didn’t. There also are a handful of new offerings for 2021.

F E AT U R E S 7 19

2020 Rice Awards See page 11

New kid on the block

First DynaGro rice variety shows high yield potential, good grain quality in trials.

20 New and improved

Public/private partnership

Work continues on University of Arkansas’ NERREC, with trials planned for 2021.

DECEMBER 2020

Take a ‘1,000-foot’ look when selecting varieties

Choices, choices

Look for the Soybean South supplement following page 26 in the the Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas versions of Rice Farming . TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

Rice market remains resilient but could face headwinds later in 2021

Third Provisia rice variety boasts strong blast resistance, longer kernel.

SUPPLEMENT

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

22 Upping the ante

Two new Clearfield long-grain varieties offer good yield potential and disease package.

21 22 DECEMBER 2020

RICE FARMING

From The

Editor

‘Semper Gumby’ took on new meaning in 2020 The Marines have a motto, “Semper fidelis,” which means always faithful or always loyal. A twist on that is “Semper Gumby,” the motto of Marine parents that means always flexible, according to a former coworker whose son served. Considering the strange twists and turns this year has taken, those Marine parents may be onto something. Farming has always required flexibility with unpredictable weather, pest pressures and market swings. But 2020, with the coronavirus pandemic, followed by hurricanes and wildfire smoke, has been one of those years that demands another level of flexibility. Vicky Boyd The downhill slide began in mid-March, when Editor coronavirus breached our shores, causing an almost-overnight shutdown of restaurants and other public gatherings. Food suppliers had to pivot as food service typically purchases in bulk, not the 1- or 2-pound bags that consumers buy. A mill set up to ship to industrial users can’t just switch to consumer packaging. They have to order smaller bags, ensure they have a home for that bagged rice and have trucks to haul the packages to grocery distribution centers. At the same time, the public began panic buying at grocery stores, not knowing what the quarantine would bring. Before the pandemic, 51% of each food dollar was spent on food away from home. In a matter of days, 95-plus percent of meals were being prepared at home. Rice, being a shelf stable, easy to cook comfort food, was in demand. In fact, it was one of the top 10 sales gainers since the pandemic began this spring, according to the trade magazine Supermarket News. Although the nation wasn’t close to running out of rice during the early weeks of the pandemic, bare grocery store shelves told another story. The hiccups in the supply chain seem to have smoothed out, and empty shelves of rice currently are the exception rather than the norm. Then hurricanes came ashore along the Texas-Louisiana border this summer and early fall, causing catastrophic damage along the Gulf. Most Southwest Louisiana producers had harvested their first crop of rice before Hurricane Laura hit. But the accompanying strong winds ripped tops off grain bins and knocked down power lines, leaving growers without the electricity needed to power fans on bins to dry the crop. Then Hurricane Delta struck as the ratoon crop was nearing harvest, yanking kernels off panicles and leaving bare stems standing. California producers faced their own challenges this summer as smoke from north-state wildfires blanketed the Sacramento Valley in September, reducing temperatures and sunlight. Some days, air quality was so bad that the Environmental Protection Agency recommended no outdoor activity. Although the smoke delayed drydown and harvest, it was late enough in the season that it didn’t affect pollination and yields like it did in 2018. As 2020 winds down, it can’t end soon enough. Happy holidays, and let’s hope that bendable green toy from yesteryear heads back to the toybox in 2021 where it belongs.

Vicky 4

RICE FARMING

DECEMBER 2020

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 subscription changes or change of address, call 847-559-7578 or email ricefarming@omeda.com

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC Mike Lamensdorf President/Treasurer Lia Guthrie Publisher/Vice President ASSOCIATED PUBLICATIONS — One Grower Publishing LLC also publishes COTTON FARMING, THE PEANUT GROWER, SOYBEAN SOUTH and CORN SOUTH magazines. RICE FARMING (ISSN 0194-0929) is published monthly January through May, and Decem ber, by One Grower Publishing LLC, 875 W. Poplar Ave., Suite 23, Box 305, Collierville, TN 38017. Periodicals postage paid at Memphis, Tennesee, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to OMEDA COMMUNICATIONS, CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT, P.O. BOX 1388, NORTHBROOK, IL 60065-1388. Annual subscriptions are $25.00. International rates are $55.00 Canada/Mexico, $90.00 all other countries for Air-Speeded Delivery. (Surface delivery not available due to problems in reliability.) $5.00 single copy. All statements, including product claims, are those of the person or organization making the statement or claim. The publisher does not adopt any such statement or claims as its own and any such statement or claim does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher. RICE FARMING is a registered trademark of One Grower Publishing LLC, which reserves all rights granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in association with its registration.

One Grower Publishing, LLC 875 W. Poplar Ave., Suite 23, Box 305, Collierville, TN 38017 Phone: 901-767-4020

RICEFARMING.COM

New Horizon Ag Rice Varieties Improve Performance, ROI With new Clearfield® rice varieties that challenge hybrid yields at a lower cost than hybrid seed, and the latest Provisia® variety to control weedy rice and herbicide-resistant red rice, Horizon Ag varieties are uniquely positioned to help rice producers improve performance and their bottom line in 2021. “Rice farmers have a lot to consider when it comes to planting next season,” said Dr. Tim Walker, Horizon Ag general manager. “They need to get the best value for their inputs, in terms of price and performance, and they want to have the confidence they are using proven technologies, developed by industry leaders and extensively tested, versus ones claiming to be new that are actually just generic-type products.” New from Horizon Ag for 2021 is CLL16, a long grain Clearfield rice variety developed by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. CLL16 has shown excellent rough rice yields, averaging higher than Diamond in university tests. Its consistency, quality potential and blast resistance make CLL16 the complete package.

In fact, he’s planning on planting more of the variety in 2021, replacing other varieties that have traditionally performed well but don’t have the total package of high yields and blast resistance. “I think it’s a variety that has the potential to be planted on a lot of acres in the future,” said Frey. “That disease package is real important in this area and is the primary reason behind the shift to CLL17. It’s a major game changer.” These new varieties join Provisia rice variety PVL02, the second release from Horizon Ag featuring the Provisia technology from BASF that gives farmers unmatched ability to control weedy rice and herbicide-resistant red rice.

Stoddard County, Missouri, farmer Zack Tanner had CLL16 in his seed production fields in 2020 and saw the outstanding potential of the new variety. “CLL16 is hands down my favorite Clearfield variety, ever,” said Tanner. “It had good vigor, is a medium-season variety that made a very good yield, and the milling was great as well. We didn’t see any blast in it, it didn’t have any lodging, and it does well at a low seeding rate.” He noted that his CLL16 last season cut 204 bushels per acre, dry, without the levees being seeded. In 2019, Tanner’s CLL16 made over 240 dry bushels per acre. “That consistency is really important to farmers,” he said. “It’s a typical Arkansas-plant type and is absolutely a good fit in Missouri and Arkansas.” Another new Horizon Ag variety, CLL17, is an early-season, semi-dwarf long grain rice developed at the LSU Ag Center H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station. It consistently out-yielded CL153, the top-planted Louisiana variety in recent years, in multi-year trials, and it has solid ratoon crop potential and also features resistance to blast. In addition, it has proven to provide excellent milling yield and very good grain quality.

PVL02 provides a significant step change over the first Provisia variety, PVL01, in terms of yield and overall performance. Interest in PVL02 in 2020 was high and, with a larger supply of seed available, expectations are for strong demand for Provisia rice in 2021. “Our variety offerings have never been stronger,” said Dr. Walker. “We have Clearfield varieties that can compete with hybrids but with lower seed and input costs, and a selection of maturities with enhanced disease packages designed to meet the needs of our farmer customers throughout the South. And we have an outstanding Provisia variety in the Provisia Rice System that farmers consistently say has resulted in the cleanest rice fields in the region. There is no technology comparable to Provisia rice available for our region today when it comes to effectively controlling weedy rice and herbicideresistant red rice.” Just as important, with the Clearfield and Provisia technologies, farmers can rely on proven systems that provide superior weed control and can use them in a rotation to extend these valuable technologies for the years to come.

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

Winston Frey, who grows certified seed for Horizon Ag near Eunice, Louisiana, had 220 acres of CLL17 this past season and was very impressed by its performance. “All in all, it was awfully good,” said Frey. “I was very pleased with it. It was only one year but we didn’t see disease in it at all. It harvested well, and the milling was very good. I’ve got no complaints with CLL17.” Clearfield® and Provisia® are registered trademarks of BASF. © 2020 Horizon Ag, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

USA Rice

Update

A nontraditional December fit for 2020

By Betsy Ward President and CEO USA Rice

Flash back to the 2019 USA Rice Outlook Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas, where the grain was prominently featured in the trade expo. VICKY BOYD

RICE FARMING

DECEMBER 2020

nder normal circumstances as the year draws to a close, we would be gathering at the USA Rice Outlook Conference to learn, celebrate, and spend time with friends and colleagues from the industry around the country. Of course, these aren’t normal circumstances. Public health concerns and travel restrictions have prevented us from getting together this time around, but it can’t stop us from getting our work done and honoring those in the industry who have been exemplary in their work, leadership and innovation. This year, although our main office just outside Washington, D.C., has never officially closed, we have pivoted almost all our operations to virtual, from our many committee and board meetings to our everyday staff and team meetings. While we’ve grown proficient with Zoom and Microsoft Teams and settled into alternative office setups more than we ever thought we’d need to, we’ve also been working hard to ensure we don’t lose any momentum as the world changes course around us. Pivoting to online versions Many of our promotion programs here and around the world have pivoted to online versions, and this month some of the most popular programming from the annual Outlook Conference is making a similar shift. The annual state research and outlook reports are becoming webinars. While it’s a shame we can’t host these in our big expo hall with all the excitement that they entail, the webinar format has a lot of benefits when it comes to accessibility and convenience. First, there’s no seating limit, so anyone who wants to attend has a guaranteed front-

row spot. The reports won’t have to compete with other programming, so no being forced to make tough choices or rushing across the conference center, looking up room numbers as you go. And if the live broadcast doesn’t quite fit into your schedule, that’s OK too — all the webinars will be available to watch after the fact at your leisure from the comfort of your own home, office or truck! You’ll get all the information you need at your own pace. If you do choose to join the event live, you’ll even be able to participate and interact with the speakers, just as if you were there in person. And if you don’t typically attend the Outlook Conference, the webinars will give you a taste of what you’ve been missing. New podcast Our new podcast, “The Rice Stuff,” has been helping keep us all connected since it launched in July, and it will be the perfect platform for some of the events we can’t host at Outlook this year. On Dec. 8, the podcast will be celebrating the winners of the 2020 Rice Awards that you find in this issue. While you will be on your own for a nice lunch, we hope you will join us to fete the people who so proudly represent our industry. The next episode of the podcast, available Dec. 15, will be a roundup review of the annual state research and outlook report webinars, so if you missed the webinars or just want a refresher on all that good info, tune in for the bullet points. You can listen to “The Rice Stuff” on your favorite podcast app, or visit TheRiceStuffPodcast.com for episodes, pictures and more. In the end, there is no true substitute for in-person connection. I wish more than anything we could gather together to celebrate, catch up, reflect on all that has happened in the last year and plan for the future together. But I’m so proud of how this industry has risen to the many challenges of 2020. And when we are eventually able to convene like we normally do, we’ll have two years’ worth of fun to make up for lost time. RICEFARMING.COM

Rice market remains resilient but could face headwinds later in 2021 By Kurt M. Guidry

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s behind the firm market? With all of the challenges faced by this market and with the large increases experienced in both acres and production, why has the market not seen a more significant downturn in prices? Much of its ability to maintain prices around $20 per barrel ($12.35 per hundredweight) was likely tied to two situations. First, total rice supplies were very tight ending the 2019-20 marketing year. Strong domestic demand and relatively strong export demand over the last half of the marketing year helped tighten supplies and keep prices supported and sensitive to supply-and-demand fundamentals. With tight supplies, additional risk premium tends to be added to the market, helping to support prices. With TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

VICKY BOYD

espite several challenges in 2020, the rice market has been resilient and has remained fairly stable. The first challenge was the large increase in acres in 2020, most of which were in long grain. Total acres harvested this season are estimated at just under 3 million acres, roughly 21% more than in 2019. A large increase in acres is typically associated with a large increase in production and available supplies. Rice production in 2020 is estimated to increase by more than 22% from the previous year. But a smaller beginning stocks level is expected to leave total supplies more manageable at 9% over 2019-20. The second challenge was the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential disruption of marketing channels and overall rice demand. Fortunately, however, domestic demand has remained strong with year-over-year increases expected for both the 201920 and 2020-21 marketing years. Increases in world rice demand along with tighter supplies for major competing exporters helped to support rice exports for the 2019-20 marketing year. And continued supply tightness and increased prices for some competing countries are forecasted to keep U.S. rice competitive in many outlets. The end result is that total rice exports are projected to see year-over-year increases for the 2020-21 marketing year. The third challenge was the adverse weather that impacted much of the rice-growing area. In Louisiana, two hurricanes made landfall, affecting rice production as well as industry infrastructure. In addition, surrounding states were impacted with heavy winds and excessive rainfall that helped delay harvest. However, besides Louisiana, which saw initial yield estimates fall by more than 300 pounds per acre due to the storms, other rice-producing states saw yields drop only marginally or actually increase from their original estimates. While weather concerns likely helped to keep some risk premium in the market, the final expectations for the 2020 crop is for overall yields to be up about 1.3% from the previous year.

Besides Louisiana (pictured here), which saw initial yield estimates fall by more than 300 pounds per acre due to tropical storms, other rice-producing states saw yields drop only marginally or actually increase from original estimates.

the uncertainty regarding yields and quality related to the weather, this likely has had to keep prices supported. However, now with harvest essentially completed (96% complete as of Nov. 1), the question becomes, how long will prices remain supported with increased supplies? As is typically the case with the rice market, the ability for prices to remain supported will depend on the pace of demand. As mentioned earlier, expectations are for demand to continue to improve during the 2020-21 marketing year. Export demand for 2020-21 is estimated to be up over the previous year by more than 5% as tighter world supplies, increased world demand and more competitive U.S. rice prices all help boost sales. However, so far this marketing year, cumulative export shipments are down by nearly 45% from the previous year. This slow start does bring some concern about longer-term demand. Given the marketâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to maintain prices likely leaves rice a competitive alternative for acres in 2021. Currently, there is no significant reason to suggest a major downturn in 2021 rice plantings. That, along with continued concerns about the consistency of overall exports, dampens the longer-term outlook for prices, which are expected to remain in the $20-per-barrel range in the short term. Longer-term outlook for prices into the 2021 production year would show increased supplies and stocks, putting some downward pressure on prices.â&#x20AC;&#x160; 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. DECEMBER 2020

RICE FARMING

2021 Rice Seed Guide

he challenges growers faced in 2020, including multiple tropical storms and hurricanes as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, seemed to never end. Harvest for many was a challenge, to say the least. With the 2020 season in your rearview mirror, take time to catch your breath, say good riddance to the year, and review which cultivars performed well and which ones didn’t. There also are a handful of new offerings for 2021 to consider. In addition, collect soil samples so you’ll know what you need to do to meet your 2021 rice crop’s nutrient needs. As University of Arkansas’ Trent Roberts likes to say, “Don’t guess, soil test.” These easy-to-use charts, which highlight how different proprietary varieties and hybrids performed in Mid-South trials during 2020, are designed to help with your planting decisions. Consider each field individually along with your goals when making selections for 2021. The following charts and information were provided by DynaGro, Horizon Ag LLC and RiceTec.

2021 Horizon Ag Varieties Provisia Rice System varieties PVL02 • Newly released Provisia variety • Improved yield and milling compared to PVL01 • Nine days earlier in maturity compared to PVL01 • Exceptional tillering • Superior cooking quality

Clearfield Production System for Rice varieties CLL16 (NEW) • Exceptional yield performance • Broadly adapted for the region • Excellent milling characteristics • Industry-leading blast resistance • Excellent standability CLL17 (NEW) • Early season, semi-dwarf, long grain • Strong yielder, consistently out-yielding CL153 • Requires lower nitrogen

• Excellent milling yield • Very good grain quality • Resistant to blast and Cercospora

DG263L (New) • Strong yield potential • Good lodging resistance • Excellent grain quality, low chalk • Good milling yields • Bacterial panicle blight and kernel smut resistance

RICE FARMING

DECEMBER 2020

For more information about Clearfield and Provisia varieties, visit www.horizonseed.com. For more information about conventional and FullPage hybrids, visit www.ricetec.com For more information about DynaGro rice, contact Randy Ouzts at Randy.Ouzts@nutrien.com • Outstanding grain quality and milling • Blast resistance • Lodging resistance CL163 • Excellent yield potential and seedling vigor • Outstanding grain quality and milling • Exceptional cooking quality − Extra-high amylose content compared to current long-grain varieties − Ideal for parboil, canning, food service or package rice • Susceptible to blast; not recommended for fields with a history of blast or water issues

CLL15 • Exceptional yield potential • Broad-spectrum blast resistance • Excellent milling quality • Moderately resistant to lodging • Early maturing CL111 • Excellent vigor with high yield potential • Outstanding grain quality and milling • Exceptional ratoon crop performance • Kellogg’s preferred long grain CL151 • Exceptional yield potential • Requires lower nitrogen rate − 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

2021 DynaGro Long-Grain Rice Variety

Web Resources

CLM04 • First Clearfield medium-grain variety 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

DynaGro Variety 2021 Variety Characteristics and Suggested Management Practices Variety

Type

Height (inches)

Maturity (days to 50% heading)

Suggested Seeding Rate (Lbs/A)

Suggested Nitrogen (lbs N/A)

DG263L

Long grain

50-70

120-180

Sheath Blight

Blast

Straight Head

Bacterial Panicle Blight

Narrow Brown Leaf Spot

Kernal Smut

False Smut

Lodging

Disease Ratings

RICEFARMING.COM

Horizon Ag Varieties Disease Ratings Variety

Sheath Blight

Blast*

Straight Head

Bacterial Panicle Blight*

Narrow Brown Leaf Spot*

Kernel Smut

False Smut

Lodging

PVL02

CLL16

CLL17

CLL15

CL151

CL153

CL111

CL163

CLM04

CLJ01

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.

2021 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)

PVL02

45-55

90-150

CLL16

70-80

90-150

CLL17

45-60

90-130

CL111

60-70

120-160

CL151

50-60

90-150

CL153

60-70

120-160

CL163

50-65

120-160

CLL15

55-70

120-160

CLM04

60-70

120-160

CLJ01

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

TWITTER: TWITTER: @RICEFARMING @RICEFARMING

DECEMBER DECEMBER 2020 2020

RICE RICE FARMING FARMING

RiceTec1 Variety

RT7321 FP

RT7521 FP

XP753

RT7301

RT7401

RT7501

FullPage

N/A

Long grain

Yield advantage

25%

24%

27%

26%

22%

Milling average 2

54/70

55/70

56/69

54/69

Maturity group

Early

Medium

Early

Medium

Days to 50% headed

Days to grain maturity

112

114

112

114

Herbicide tolerance trait Grain type

Agronomic characteristics Stress tolerance

Excellent

Pubescence

Present

Height (inches)

46-50

44-48

42-46

44-48

42-44

Average

Above average

Grain retention

Above average

Average

Above average

Ratoon potential 3

Above average

Average

Above average

Standability

Management recommendations Total nitrogen (lbs of N)

120-150

Preflood

90-120

Late boot

Disease characteristics 4 R

Sheath blight

Straighthead

Kernel smut

False smut

Stem Rot

Bacterial panicle blight

Narrow leaf brown spot

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. 2 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

RICE FARMING

DECEMBER 2020

RICEFARMING.COM

2020

Gordon Wylie RICE FARMER OF THE YEAR AWARD

PHOTOS BY VICKY BOYD

or Gordon Wylie, farming rice in California is a sensory experience. He begins the day looking out over his ranch where Snow Mountain looms as a backdrop. As he walks the fields, Wylie can tell when M-401 is about to flower by the sweet smell it exudes. And after searching the house for what smells like freshly baked cookies, he realizes it is Koshihikari in the rice cooker. Its taste does not disappoint either, he says. “In 1950, my grandmother, who owned the ground, asked my dad to take the reins of the ranch in Colusa after my grandfather passed,” Wylie says. “When we arrived, I knew there was something special about rice farming — the sight of Snow Mountain, the beauty there, the smells. Everything about it felt good to me as a kid. Dad didn’t know about rice, but he knew people at UC Davis and other farmers who did, so he looked to them for guidance. In a couple of years, he was one of the best rice farmers in California.”

Gordon Wylie enjoys life at Baker Creek Farming in Willows, California, with his wife, Karen (center), and daughter Christine.

When Wylie took over as ranch foreman in 1972 after serving post-college as a U.S. Coast Guard gunner’s mate on the USCGC Barataria, he, too, tapped the knowledge of university system personnel and successful farmers. Adopting a practical boots-in-the-field philosophy about farming rice, he tripled the acreage at Baker Creek Farming in Willows, California, within 10 years. Dr. Carl Johnson, retired California rice geneticist and rice breeder, says, “Gordon’s farming career spans more than 50 years. He constantly strives to find new ways of doing tasks and is a registered rice seed producer of currently available as well as new varieties. Early in his career,

a late-maturing premium medium-grain rice — M 104 — was developed and is still grown in California. Gordon also adapts well to changes that include equipment, land leveling practices, seed bed preparation, harvest techniques and evolution of various grain types.” Wylie says it is exciting for him to follow and work with Virgilio “Butz” Andaya — director of plant breeding at the California Rice Experiment Station — his team and wife Cynthia as they bring new products, such as M-211, to the forefront. Dr. Kent McKenzie, director of the California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation, says during his tenure at the California Rice Experiment Station, the California farmer’s fascination with rice variety development and research has only increased. “Gordon’s rice research interests also have expanded from the field to the kitchen,” McKenzie says. “Having been a premium-quality grain rice grower of the Japanese short-grain Koshihikari and medium-grain M-401, he runs his own cooking tests and provides insight and evaluations on varieties and experimental lines to our breeders.” Jim F. Cook, director of research and technology at Colusa County Farm Supply, says, “Gordon Wylie is one of those special individuals who not only kept me focused but pushed me to look at my rice research differently. He always stressed improvements and was never satisfied with the status quo. For a researcher to improve, he must look past the written recipe of the protocol and push products to the limits to reveal their true value. Gordon always did that for me, which made me what I am today.” As noted earlier, Wylie is always cognizant of his senses, including the sense of touch. To this end, he packs a note written and given to him by California rice farmer Al Driver shortly before he passed away. Wylie often takes it out of his pocket to read while scanning rice fields looking for ways to make improvements. He even makes copies to share with others he meets along the way. “Excellence is never an accident,” the missive begins. “It is always the result of planned intent, sincere effort, intelligent direction, skillful execution and the reason to see obstacles as opportunities.” Today, Wylie farms with wife Karen, daughter Christine, brother-in-law Punch Haskell, sister Jeanne Haskell and nephew Bruce Haskell. “It’s a family thing,” Wylie says. “When I heard I had been selected as Rice Farmer of the Year, I was dumbfounded, then humbled and now I am honored. Thank you.” It is a great pleasure to congratulate Gordon Wylie as the 2020 Rice Farmer of the Year.

Gordon Wylie Colusa, California

• B.S., Cal Poly University, San Luis Obispo. • 50+ year member Farmers’ Rice Cooperative. • Director, California Rice Experiment Station 1973-1993. • Partner, Wylie Farming Co., GBW Rice and Baker Creek Farming. • 2018 regional yield contest winner, Baker Creek Farming. (M-401). • Colusa County ASCS committee during PIK and Units to Base. • NRA lifetime member. • Wife Karen. Owner of SAS Shoes, Citrus Heights, California. • Daughter Christine N. Wylie: 2020 Rice Leadership Class. California Rice Research Board secretary, executive committee and board member. Director, Farmers’ Rice Cooperative Board. • Sister Jeanne. Brother-in-law Punch Haskell, past director, Farmers’ Rice Cooperative Board.

Kyle McCann RICE INDUSTRY AWARD

PHOTOS BY VICKY BOYD

oth sides of Kyle McCann’s family were from Mississippi County, Arkansas. Early on, he learned how to deal with change — the only constant in life — as his father bought, developed, operated and sold various rice and soybean farms in the Mid-South. “Moving from place to place instilled in me helpful skills related to making friends and understanding different cultures and farming practices,” McCann says. “But more importantly, I was blessed to have parents who taught me all the right things and were great examples by the way they led and lived. The life lessons I learned from my father and mother were the key to success in all aspects of my life.”

Kyle McCann resides in Zachary, Louisiana, with his wife, Daphane, and son, James.

After graduating from Louisiana State University with a Master of Science degree in agricultural economics, McCann joined the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation staff in 1988 as assistant commodity director. Today, he serves as assistant to the president of LFBF and is responsible for directing the day-to-day activities of the organization. Before May 1, 2019, McCann served as the associate commodity director and director of national affairs for Louisiana Farm Bureau. His duties included coordinating LFBF’s grassroots lobbying efforts on national legislative issues and ongoing support for commodity and farm policy advisory committees. McCann also served as liaison to numerous commodity organizations, trade associations, and government agencies and commissions. His responsibilities involved working with rice, soybean, wheat and feed grains producers in activities related to their commodity, policy and marketing interests. “One of Kyle’s specialties is his ability to develop and recruit volunteer leaders,” says Louisiana rice farmer Richard

Fontenot. “I have seen this firsthand as he mentored me in my personal leadership development. Leaders in the industry recognize his dedication and hard work as someone with professionalism, integrity, respect and honor across the country.” McCann was the lead staff person for the study committees at the Louisiana Farm Bureau for the past six Farm Bills. In addition to his state duties, he served on three Farm Bill task forces with the American Farm Bureau Federation. “Kyle was meticulous in his study of each one, getting down into the details to determine what was good and not good for rice, especially Louisiana rice,” says Louisiana rice farmer Donald Berken. “Kyle presented his findings at committee meetings and then fully supported whatever the committee decided. “Throughout his career, Kyle worked with senators, representatives and their staff on behalf of the Louisiana rice industry. He has made innumerable trips to Capitol Hill with Louisiana producers, scheduling and attending visits and coaching us on how to present our issues and concerns on behalf of the industry.” In addition to his involvement in Farm Bill legislation, McCann has staffed the Louisiana Rice Research Board and worked with the Louisiana Rice Promotion Board. “When funding for these producer-financed programs was threatened, Kyle led the successful fight to pass state legislation to reinstate the producer checkoff programs that are so important to the success of the rice industry,” says Jim Monroe, retired assistant to the president of the LFBF. In reflecting on his years in the political arena, McCann says, “While the landscape changes and often portrays an adverse atmosphere, belief in what you are doing and who you are representing makes it possible to continue to show up and make your case.” And his efforts to take on this challenge have not gone unnoticed by such rice industry icons as Louisiana’s John Denison. “I have worked with many talented and intelligent people during my 60 years of service to the rice industry,” Denison says. “Kyle is one of the most talented and eloquent speakers on rice issues I have ever seen.” Louisiana rice farmer Jackie Loewer sums it up well. “When you take an education in economics, an understanding of politics, a need for organization and add a heart for agriculture, you get a Kyle McCann.” In recognition of his political accomplishments, engagement of farmer volunteers and commitment to the U.S. rice industry, we are proud to name Kyle McCann the recipient of the Rice Industry Award.

Kyle McCann Zachary, Louisiana

• B.S., Agricultural Business with minors in Finance and Agronomy, Louisiana Tech University. • M.S., Agricultural Economics, Louisiana State University. • Served on several task forces and study committees regarding Farm Bills, and agricultural and trade policy matters. • Secretary of the Louisiana Rice Research Board and the Louisiana Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board. • Represented Louisiana Farm Bureau on the Louisiana Seed Commission, which later became the Agricultural Chemistry and Seed Commission. • Represented the Louisiana Farm Bureau on the Louisiana Water Management Advisory Task Force. • Served on the LSU College of Agriculture Alumni Association Board. • 2016 Outstanding Alumni Award, LSU Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Alumni Association. • Wife, Daphane. Son, James, is a student at LSU.

Dr. M.O. 'Mo' Way RICE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

PHOTOS BY VICKY BOYD

r. Mo Way’s life has always hinged on getting to know nature. A young man spending summers exploring the woods and riding horses in the California Sierras later evolved into an enthusiastic research entomologist walking Texas rice fields. Way’s entomological journey began when his junior college ag teacher, John Oglesby, encouraged him to enroll in the University of California, Davis, and major in entomology, which he did. During the summer, Way worked as a scout for an agrichemical distributor and picked melons to pay his $87-a-semester tuition. After receiving his doctorate in entomology from UC Davis in 1982, Way joined the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center at Beaumont as a professor of entomology. “I was 37 years old and really green,” he says. “But I took my job to help our rice farmers seriously. I am not that talented or smart, but I always tried to put in a good effort, and sometimes those efforts paid off.”

Dr. Mo Way is joined by his wife, Jeanie, and their pet corgi, Sophie, at home in Beaumont, Texas.

Dr. Ted Wilson, professor and center director, says, “The word ‘no’ is not a part of Mo’s vocabulary when it comes to answering requests for help. From growers to students to state and federal pesticide regulators alike, Mo has a well-deserved reputation for his willingness and promptness in providing help, whatever the need.” Way has also been called the “gold standard” for rice economic entomologists. “Not a single other U.S. entomologist can compare with Mo in terms of his breadth of knowledge of insect pests of rice,” Wilson says. “No one knows more about the ecology, biology and management of this arsenal of pests.”

Cliff Mock, a rice farmer and independent crop consultant on the Texas Gulf Coast, says Way has the unique gift of developing a research program and tailoring the focus to help producers with rice production. “Mo can look at a problem, devise research to analyze that problem and, most importantly, find a solution to the issue,” Mock says. “This is fantastic work, but Mo goes one step further. His personality and communication skills allow him to then present the findings to researchers, farmers, consultants and other industry people in such a practical, no nonsense way that they incorporate the research findings into their operation. Mo is a research scientist who is very blessed with the ability to make discoveries and then move them from the scientific realm into actual crop production.” Way’s efforts on behalf of the U.S. rice industry also extend beyond the rice field. He has made numerous trips to Washington, D.C., to explain how rice is produced and why certain crop protection products are vital to its success. Mock says Way’s expertise and professionalism made him “a go-to source for personnel in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies that aid in U.S. rice production.” Way also enjoys mentoring young scientists with the same enthusiasm with which he was mentored by numerous colleagues in all segments of the rice industry along his career path. “Although he did not have to do it, Dr. Way basically ‘took me under his wing’ and was a true mentor to me in rice entomology,” says Jeff Gore, Mississippi State University Extension professor. “I know he has had a tremendous influence on the careers of scientists in all of the rice producing states in the U.S., so his impact on the rice industry goes well beyond the borders of Texas.” When asked what personal accomplishment of which he is most proud, Way references the rapport he has established “with all the good folks who work in rice, especially farmers, crop consultants and fellow scientists. I am proud of the confidence stakeholders have in my efforts to make U.S. rice farming sustainable, profitable and environmentally friendly.” Perhaps Arthur Anderson, Texas rice farmer and past president of the Texas Rice Research Foundation and the Texas Rice Producers Board, says it best: “As his name would portend, Dr. Mo Way has truly ‘paved the way’ for the American rice farmer and those around the world who benefit.” In recognition of his professional accomplishments in the realm of entomology, impeccable character and keen sense of humor, it is an honor to name Dr. Mo Way the recipient of the Rice Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dr. M.O. ‘Mo’ Way Beaumont, Texas

• B.S., M.S. and Ph.D., Entomology, University of California, Davis. • Professor of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center, Beaumont, Texas. • Member, Rice Technical Working Group. • Member, Entomological Society of America. • 2020 Rice Technical Working Group Distinguished Rice Research and Education Award. • 2020 Excellence in Integrated Pest Management Award, Southwestern Branch of the Entomological Society of America. • 2016 Honorary Lone Star FFA degree. • 2008 Texas Plant Protection Association Academic/Agency Award. • 2006 The Conservation Tillage Systems Rice Researcher Award. • 2004 Rice Industry Award. • Advised, trained, employed and hosted a multitude of student interns, graduate students, post-doctoral associates and foreign scientists. • Authored or co-authored numerous research publications and book chapters. • Wife, Jeanie. Three children: Melissa Ferrand (Patrick), Stephanie Rasch (David) and Michael Webb (Jennifer); 11 grandchildren. One sister: Donna “Sissy” Barber, Bakersfield, California.

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

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

2004 Rice Farmer of the Year: Dane Hebert Rice Industry Award: Dr. M.O. “Mo” Way Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Joseph Musick

2016 Rice Farmer of the Year: Richard Fontenot Rice Industry Award: Dr. Steve Linscombe Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: Gary Sebree

2005 Rice Farmer of the Year: John Greer Rice Industry Award: Charles “Eddie” Eskew Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: Donald Bransford

2017 Rice Farmer of the Year: Christian Richard Rice Industry Award: Dr. Xueyan Sha Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: Chuck Wilson

2020

RICE AWARDS

here can be little doubt that 2020 will be a year all of us will remember for the rest of our lives because of its dramatic impact on our families, the rice industry and our country. To say it has been challenging or difficult would be a massive understatement. Horizon Ag and I are proud to be part of the U.S. rice industry that has met those challenges head on, refilling empty grocery shelves with safe, high-quality rice and keeping our citizens safe, healthy and fed while also continuing to support global rice customers around the world. No one is better than American farmers when it comes to producing safe, affordable, high-quality products. Rice producers finishing up the 2020 season can stand tall because of how they’ve pushed through the adversity of the year to make our industry stronger today and for the future. Even this letter is difficult to write because it would typically be delivered during the Rice Outlook Conference when our industry comes together to share our experiences and our plans to fulfill the promise of the coming season. Due to the pandemic, there is no Rice Outlook Conference this year. And yet, that shouldn’t stop us from celebrating the achievements of those honored for Rice Farming magazine’s Rice Awards, acknowledging their service and the impact they have had on our industry. Those recognized for their outstanding achievements will receive:  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 Rice Industry Award, which honors the person who has proven to be innovative in his or her role in this industry.  The Rice Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes the person who has dedicated his or her life to the viability of the U.S. rice industry. Horizon Ag is very proud to again sponsor the Rice Farming magazine Rice Awards, and we sincerely congratulate each recipient for their recognition. While we can’t foresee what 2021 will bring, we’re excited about the prospects for a new year. Horizon Ag has added new Clearfield® and Provisia® varieties to our lineup to help farmers prepare for the challenges and opportunities the season will bring. We look forward to continuing to be there with you, working together for a successful future. Tim Walker Horizon Ag General Manager

2018 Rice Farmer of the Year: Melvin “Skip” Hula Jr. Rice Industry Award: Earl J. Garber Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: Marvin Hare Jr.

2019 Rice Farmer of the Year: Jennifer James Rice Industry Award: Jim F. Cook Rice Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Ford Baldwin

New kid on the block First DynaGro rice variety shows high yield potential, good grain quality in trials. By Vicky Boyd Editor

The low-down on DG263L DG263L, short for DynaGro long grain 263, reaches 50% heading in 82 days in University of Arkansas trials. Standing 36 inches tall, it has good straw strength, which was tested during three hurricanes in three successive years at the El Campo research station. “When we were still getting 9,000-plus pounds at harvest, we knew we had something,” Ouzts said. The variety has a diverse genetic background, with germplasm from China, India and Brazil as well as from two older U.S. public varieties, Cypress and Alan, Shao said. DG263L actually is part of a Nutrien breeding program used to develop hybrids. Strong trial performances DG263L has been in the Arkansas Rice Performance Trials for a number of years. When he first saw the variety’s yield potential, University of Arkansas Extension rice agronomist Jarrod Hardke said he was excited because it was similar to those of hybrids. In the 2019 ARPT, for example, DG263L yielded an average of 239 bushels per acre across four locations. Milling yield across all four locations averaged 58/68. In the university’s 2020 Commercial Rice Trials across 12 locations, DG263L averaged 229 bushels per acre, according to preliminary data. TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

COURTESY NUTRIEN

ince acquiring Bayer’s rice breeding program in 2015, Nutrien Ag Solutions and its parent company, Agrium, have mostly flown under the radar developing new rice cultivars. That will change in 2021 with the launch of DG263L, a high-yielding, high-quality, long-grain inbred variety and the first commercial rice launched under the DynaGro brand umbrella, said Randy Ouzts, Nutrien U.S. rice manager. “It looks really, really good,” he said. “We have five inbreds coming, this is the first one and this one is amazing.” The breeding program, led by Dr. Qiming Shao at Nutrien’s research facility near El Campo, Texas, also has three-line hybrids in development. The company expects to release hybrid lines in the 2023-24 timeframe. Zach Tanner, a Bernie, Missouri, seed producer, this season planted DG263L at 12-14 pounds per acre for seed increase with yields exceeding 200 bushels per acre. Ouzts said Nutrien has already sold out of the variety for 2021 but expects to have significant quantities of seed available in 2022. If all goes according to plans, Ouzts said the company also could have two additional inbreds for the 2022-23 season.

In Louisiana State University AgCenter trials conducted at Crowley in 2019, DG263L yielded 9,116 pounds (202.5 bushels) per acre in the main crop and 1,724 pounds (38.3 bushels) per acre in the second crop for a total of 10,840 pounds (240.8 bushels) per acre. Milling yield was about 59/69. Disease package Based on what he’s seen, Hardke said the DynaGro variety appears to have a disease package similar to many other newer inbreds. As with many other varieties, DG263L may require a sheath blight fungicide under conducive conditions, Ouzts said. Native blast tolerance from the germplasm used in breeding is present as well as Cercospora resistance, which has been confirmed through DNA testing at LSU. DG263L also has not shown smut problems in seed production, which is also a plus. Good grain quality In tests conducted on behalf of USA Rice’s Rice Marketability and Competitive Task Force, DG263L had amylose content of 26%, making it attractive for parboiling, Ouzts said. Amylose, a type of starch, influences rice stickiness. The higher the amylose content, the more apt the rice is to cook fluffy with separate kernels. The high amylose content, along with the variety’s low chalk, also make it attractive for the packaged rice market, Ouzts said. The task force initially screened 33 elite rice lines from universities and private breeding programs. Participating mills narrowed the candidates to 10 lines, on which additional cooking tests will be performed. Of the six DynaGro lines in the initial screening, five advanced, said Shao, who was involved in the task force meetings. DECEMBER 2020

RICE FARMING

New and improved Third Provisia rice variety boasts strong blast resistance, longer kernel. By Vicky Boyd Editor

Improved agronomics In multiple trial locations during the past two years, PVL03 yielded as well or better than its predecessor, PVL02. What really sets the new Provisia variety apart is its strong disease package,

RICE FARMING

DECEMBER 2020

COURTESY HORIZON AG

f all goes as planned, Horizon Ag hopes to have enough seed of the new Provisia PVL03 rice variety to plant a very limited number of commercial acres in 2021. Significantly more seed should be available for the 2022 season, said Horizon Ag General Manager Tim Walker. “We definitely think that PVL03 will be an improvement in the Provisia rice system,” he said. “We’re doing our best to bring something to the market in a timely manner knowing that the first two are what I like to term adequate for a technology launch. This variety is much more in line with industry standards for Southern long grains.” PVL03, the latest in the Provisia line, boasts improved blast resistance, a longer kernel length, and shorter stature compared to the previously released PVL02. They are from the breeding program of Dr. Adam Famoso, Louisiana State University AgCenter rice breeder. Developed by BASF using traditional breeding techniques, the Provisia Production System is non-GMO and tolerates over-the-top applications of Provisia herbicide from BASF. A contact herbicide that contains the active ingredient, quizalofop, Provisia herbicide targets weedy rice and grasses. It is promoted as part of an overall program approach to rice weed control. PVL03 is planted in Brownsville, Texas, and Puerto Rico this winter. Seed from Brownsville is expected to be available to plant roughly 10,000 commercial acres in 2021. Puerto Rican production will go toward seed production in 2021.

A PVL03 field near Brownville, Texas, has been flushed and will receive a permanent flood once the stand has been established.

Famoso said. Like many of the new MidSouth variety releases, PVL03 contains the Pi-ta gene for blast resistance. PVL02 was very susceptible to the fungal disease as was PVL01. PVL03 also has an ideal kernel length that averages about 7 millimeters, which places it between the shorter length PVL02 (6.5mm) and the very long grain PVL01 (7.4 mm). “(PVL02) is a long grain as far as the cooking profile, but it has a grain length of 6.5, which isn’t much different than CL151,” Famoso said. “(PVL02) is definitely on the short end of the long-grain spectrum. Basically, we want growers to get that grain length back with PVL03, and this is a pretty solid 7.” PVL03 also has a bold, translucent grain, which has drawn the praise of a large independent miller, Walker said. Milling has not been an issue with the new variety, either. Good herbicide tolerance Much like PVL02, PVL03 also has good tolerance to Provisia herbicide and showed no signs of crop injury even when sprayed with up to three times the labeled rate.

Famoso admits his varietal ratings are based on only two years of multi-location trials, but he said he feels confident about how PVL03 will perform overall and what it will offer the industy. Of course, putting it in the hands of farmers who plant significant acreage will provide a better understanding of what the new Provisia variety brings to the table. “Across the board and across all of the key traits when we compare it to all of the other Provisia, we don’t think we’re giving up anything,” he said. Much like the evolution of Clearfield varieties, the initial Provisia release — PVL01 — made the technology available to growers but had some shortcomings. The subsequent release, PVL02, offered significant improvements on yield potential. “We’ve said this from the beginning. There’s a long way to come in terms of Provisia varieties from what we started with. Every 1½ to three years, we’ll come out with a new one. There’s a lot of opportunities to improve.” And PVL03 continues the trend, with more Provisia varieties in the pipeline, Famoso said. RICEFARMING.COM

Public/private partnership Work continues on University of Arkansas’ NERREC, with trials planned for 2021. By Vicky Boyd Editor

Redoubling educational efforts The conceptual 26,000-square-foot main building to which Burcham referred will house six laboratories, 12 offices and a public section (exhibition hall and grade-school educational space). Unlike the university’s other research facilities, a portion of the NERREC will be devoted to educational purposes, Burcham said. “This station is going to be somewhat different than traditional stations,” he said. “That’s not to say we don’t do education programs at our other stations, but we’re going to be intentionally designing this facility to provide unique educational opportunities for gradeschool children as well as our traditional Extension outreach.” Work is moving forward This past season, dirt over much of the 600-acre NERREC was moved to level fields and construct a 32-acre reservoir, new drainage systems and new irrigation distribution systems. A well on the south side was just completed and will provide up to 1,700-2,000 gallons per minute. In addition, the farm can pump from the adjacent L’Anguille River. TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

VICKY BOYD

f construction goes according to schedule, the University of Arkansas’ Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center near Harrisburg will begin hosting a limited number of field trials and experiments in 2021. Recently, ground was broken on a machinery shop that will include 4,300 square-feet of interior space as well as 5,250 square feet of covered space for equipment storage and 1,700 square feet for sprayer clean-out and chemical mixing. In addition, the interior space will feature an office, a break room, a lockable tool room and a combination bathroom-shower facility. “We want the shop to be in place and hopefully the equipment in place so we can have rice production and research this coming season – that’s our hope,” said NERREC Director Tim Burcham. “The irrigation system should be ready to go for spring 2021 crops and we should have necessary agricultural equipment available. What we won’t have is the office building, exhibition hall and educational classroom.” Already, UArk Extension rice agronomist Jarrod Hardke plans to have Arkansas Rice Production Trials and commercial rice trials at NERREC next season. On a 30-acre field where the deepest cuts were made during land leveling, UArk and Arkansas State University researchers will conduct studies with various cover crop mixes to restore soil health. Another 30-acre field will be split into equal sections to measure water use of row rice versus conventional flooded rice.

Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center Director Tim Burcham draws from his background as a registered professional engineer as he helps oversee ground preparation and construction on the 600-acre site near Harrisburg, Arkansas.

Having access to three water sources will allow researchers to study, for example, how cold water from groundwater affects rice growth. It also will allow the farm to make more efficient use of natural resources, Burcham said. A public-private partnership The university purchased the 600 acres of Poinsett County land near Harrisburg in mid-2018. The location, next door to RiceTec, was intentionally chosen because of its high visibility along Arkansas Highway 1 as well as its soil types unique to the region. More than 60% of the state’s rice is grown in the northeast. “Our goal from the onset is certainly to be a research station, and keep in mind also that this is the only University of Arkansas station on these Henry silt loams and Calloway silt loams,” Burcham said. “Now we’ll be able to grow these (rice) varieties on these white silt loam soils that are very predominate in our rice-producing counties.” UA’s Northeast Research and Extension Center near Keiser — only about 33 miles to the east as the crow flies — is predominately Sharkey clay. Funding for the land purchase came from a $4 million gift from the Arkansas Rice Research Promotion Board, according to a 2018 university news release. Because the facility is a public-private partnership, Burcham said the university is looking to private industry to help underwrite part of it. Actual ground breaking on the main building will depend on private fund-raising efforts, which are ongoing. DECEMBER 2020

RICE FARMING

Tim Walker (left) and Sunny Bottoms of Horizon Ag check out a demonstration field of CLL16 this summer near Stuttgart, Arkansas.

Upping the ante Two new Clearfield long-grain varieties offer good yield potential and disease package. By Vicky Boyd Editor

wo new Clearfield long-grain varieties available commercially in 2021 will up the ante with high yield potential, good grain quality and strong blast resistance. CLL16 is from the rice breeding program of University of Arkansas’ Karen Moldenhauer, while CLL17 is from Louisiana State University AgCenter rice breeder Adam Famoso. They will be marketed by Horizon Ag. “Right now, we’re going to put some CLL17 in some situations up north, but we really want to focus on CLL17 being in Louisiana and Texas,” said Horizon Ag General Manager Tim Walker. “It’s just proven so much better down there and is more consistent down there. Based on our inventory, I’m going to be talking about CLL15 and CLL16 in Arkansas, Mississippi and Missouri.”

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DECEMBER 2020

CLL16 The two varieties were available in 2020 mostly for seed production as well as a few strip or small-field demonstrations. “We’ve had a lot of strips or fields that have harvested over 200 bushels an acre,” Walker said. “The majority of the strips we were harvesting were 200-220 dry at 12%.” In University of Arkansas commercial rice trials at 12 locations in Arkansas, CLL16 averaged 206 bushels per acre, according to preliminary results. Daniel Shannon and his father, Nolen Canon, had a large onfarm demonstration field of CLL15, CLL16 and CLL153 near Tunica, Mississippi, this season. The CLL16 cut about 240 bushels per acre green, Shannon said, citing yield monitor readings. The RICEFARMING.COM

VICKY BOYD

bump up the seeding rate about 5 pounds per acre without issues. “I think CLL16 is going to definitely fit on the (Arkansas Grand) Prairie because of the taller plant type and you have more levees,” Walker said. “Right now based on the data, I can say that CLL16 has been more stable this year. We think a lot of it is going to have to do with planting dates. If you plant CLL15 early, I think 15 can run right up there with 16.”

CLL15 cut 201 bushels per acre and the CL153 cut 196 bushels per acre. All three were harvested the same day using the same combine, which had a self-calibrating yield monitor, and all three were managed the same. Based on what he saw, Shannon said he’s excited about the new Clearfield variety. “It looked that much better, no joke,” he said. “I hope to see some more 16 next year if I can get my hands on it.” CLL16 also was put to the lodging test with the remnants of several tropical storms passing through the area this season. “It has very good standabilty,” Shannon said. “I was really impressed and cut very little of that whole block down. It stood right alongside the 153, and I can’t complain about that.” In addition to strong yield potential, CLL16 also appears to have good grain quality, Walker said. “The grain quality, I think, is going to be really good as far as the grain appearance,” he said. “It’s going to be on par for a grain appearance to our CL153 or Cheniere — some of those varieties that are very low chalk and are acceptable in the export markets.” CLL116 has two blast-resistant genes — Pi-ta and Pi-ks — giving it a much stronger disease package than Diamond, a popular conventional variety from Moldenhauer’s program that lacks the genes. CLL16 also is taller than some of the other Clearfield varieties, standing at 42 inches with more erect leaves. Walker recommended seeding rates similar to other Clearfield long-grain varieties. Because of its erectness, growers could TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

CLL17 This new Clearfield variety has already shown its yield potential by having the highest production of any variety in LSU AgCenter Extension rice agronomist Dustin Harrell’s variety-by-nitrogen trials. This allowed Walker and others to collect data on lodging and other issues to develop official grower recommendations. In a 24-acre seed production field south of the AgCenter’s Crowley facility, foundation rice seed program director Rick Zaunbrecher said CLL17 yielded more than any other variety, coming in at 59 barrels — or 212 bushels — per acre. And the new variety was planted at a very low seeding rate to maximize seed production. In Famoso’s day-of-planting trial, 12 varieties are planted at the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station in Crowley every two weeks for a total of eight dates across the season. When planted in the recommended window of March and April, CLL17 had the highest yields among all varieties. But its yields dropped off with the later planting dates past April, which were also affected by hurricanes Laura and Delta With a height of about 39 inches, Famoso said CLL17 is a bit taller than the true semi-dwarf varieties LSU AgCenter has released in the past. CLL153, for example, is 2-3 inches shorter. He said he saw a bit of lodging, particularly in the later fields and at higher nitrogen levels, “so that’s something we want to keep an eye on. Any of the lodging we observed was in the latter-planted rice and coincided with a weather event. The early stuff up until the storms was very good.” Walker said he has seen similar high yields throughout the southern rice belt. “All my trials show that CLL17 is outperforming and is well over 200 bushels per acre in Texas and Louisiana,” he said. CLL17 has a grain size and translucency similar to CL111, an older Clearfield long grain that has drawn praise from local mills. The jury is still out on CLL17’s ratoon yield potential. Hurricane Delta as well as other storms damaged most ratoon crops, clouding the variety’s true second-crop yield potential. What next? With the commercial introduction of CLL15 long grain and CLM04 medium grain in 2020 and the two Clearfield long grains for 2021, Walker said Horizon Ag will take a long, hard look in 2021 at its offerings. “We need to figure it out. For our marketshare, we had so many varieties, and some of our varieties have gotten a bit stale,” he said. “CLL17 is a drastic improvement on yield over CLL153 and CL111. CLL17 also has equal or better yield potential than CL151, but it also has blast resistance.” CL153 seed availability in 2021 will be much less than 2020, he said. DECEMBER 2020

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‘My sincerest gratitude to all’ as I leave MSU DR. BOBBY R. GOLDEN MISSISSIPPI Extension Rice Specialist bgolden@drec.msstate.edu

This space is generally provided to wrapup the season and reflect on the attributes that aided production as well as the many setbacks that were encountered and eventually overcome on our way to producing the 2020 crop. I find it very difficult to collect my thoughts on what was a very different year for multiple reasons, mostly since this will be the last specialist speaking column I write as the MSU rice specialist. By the time this prints, most should know that I have stepped down to take a role with the J.R. Simplot organization. Therefore, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to all the producers, consultants, colleagues, and my team of associates and grad students who helped build my research and Extension program and bolstered our careers along the way. When I started my graduate career, my dream job was to be a rice specialist in the Mid-South, and few can say that they achieved their dream. But I did and cherished every moment. The two most important things I will miss is the great team we built in the soil fertility/rice agronomy program, all who will be lifetime friends, and secondly the daily ride to diagnose field issues with Jason Bond. Over the past decade, we worked most every field call as a team, no matter who received it, and put forth everything we had to attempt to solve the problem. Now let’s get back to wrapping up the year. To start, this year was perhaps the weirdest I have encountered as the MSU rice specialist. COVID-19 aside, the year progressed about as smoothly as I’ve ever seen. This year’s total planted and failed acres were slightly below 165,000 acres, a marked increase from last year’s meager 114,000. Like always, Bolivar County led with the most rice acreage in the state (43,106 acres) and for the first time in several years eclipsed the 40,000 mark. Tunica County came in second with 25,960 acres. Most of the state’s rice was cultivated north of Highway 82 with rice grown in about 17 counties during 2020. Planting progress would be considered normal but occurred in chunks with most (95%) of rice planting completed by June1. Compare this to last year when planting was not finished until the third week of June with a few acres pushed into July. Much of the early planted rice struggled with wet weather, and hybrids appeared to struggle worse perhaps due to the lower seeding rate and the consistent cool, wet weather. Persistent rain did allow preemergence herbicides to remain active and in most cases, we went to flood with a pretty clean crop. Few issues were encountered during the season for the bulk of the rice acreage. For a year with a record five hurricanes, Mississippi rice producers for the most part escaped with minimal lodging and long-lasting effects. As an Extension guy, you know it’s got the potential to be a

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good year when your phone rarely rings, and that was the case this year. Outside of planting issues we had early and some issues with harvest aid selection, the MSU rice team probably received fewer phone calls in 2020 than we have in recent years. Talking with numerous consultants and producers throughout the year paid off with perhaps one of, if not, the best yielding crops we’ve harvested in Mississippi since I’ve been working rice. Aside from the fields still remaining to harvest as we inch into November, I feel like we may have a state record yield when all the bushels are counted. Hopefully, the quiet year with limited issues and good yields translates into optimism for rice in 2021.

Mother Nature again played a role in Texas rice DR. M.O. “MO” WAY

TEXAS Rice Research Entomologist moway@aesrg.tamu.edu The 2020 Texas rice season is coming to an end, but much of our ratoon crop is still in the field. According to the Texas Rice Crop Survey, Texas grew about 180,000 acres of rice in 2020 with almost 60% of acres ratooned. The Top 5 cultivars planted by acreage were 1. CL153; 2. XL723; 3. CLXL745; 4. Presidio; and 5. XL7301. I still don’t have accurate yield figures, but crop consultants on the west side tell me average main crop yields will surpass those in 2019, which were about 7,800 pounds per acre dry, according to the Texas Rice Crop Survey. I think ratoon crop yields may be highly variable. Hurricane Laura did not affect Texas rice too much, but Hurricane Delta occurred when the ratoon crop rice was flowering on the east side, affecting pollination and causing lodging. Some of the ratoon crop on the east side has been harvested, and preliminary yields are below expectations. Head rice yields across the Texas Rice Belt also are somewhat low due in part to adverse weather during rice flowering and maturation. On the other hand, spring temperatures and rainfall cooperated. But due to a prior wet fall and winter, a lot of land was not able to be worked until spring, which delayed planting. For the west side, Hurricane Hannah, which made landfall in south Texas in July, brought heavy rains when a lot of main crop rice was maturing. This delayed harvest, so some rice was cut too dry, leading to lower-than-desired head rice yields. There were problems with a lack of drying/storage facilities because of high yields and a lot of acres being harvested at the same time. In addition, soggy fields were rutted up from main crop harvest, making the ratoon crop less productive. As usual, Mother Nature plays a big role in Texas rice production. Sheath blight was problematic on the main crop, and narrow brown leaf spot was severe on the ratoon crop as reported by Dr. Shane Zhou. Rice water weevil populations were high, but farmers who used a seed treatment were spared. Rice stink bug densities were also high, but farmers who apRICEFARMING.COM

Specialists plied an insecticide with residual activity maintained good yields and quality. The exotic rice planthopper was found again in Texas in 2020, but no damage was reported. A new rice pest was discovered in Wharton County attacking maturing rice. It is the English grain aphid, which I have observed on rice in the greenhouse but not in the field. Thanks to Kate Crumley and Dr. David Kerns for collecting and identifying this aphid. We will be looking for it in 2021. Finally, a lot of rice farmers applied AV-1011 to their seed to repel blackbirds. I have not received any complaints about this seed treatment. As a parting comment, my heart goes out to our Louisiana colleagues — I know our friends in southwest Louisiana received the brunt of Hurricanes Laura and Delta.

2020: The Year of the Cattail DR. JARROD HARDKE

ARKANSAS Assoc. Professor/Rice Extension Agronomist University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service jhardke@uaex.edu The last thing anyone expected when 2020 began was to have a stranger year than 2019. The rainfall of 2019 continued into 2020, only this time the storms were more frequent, making small working windows a premium. Planting progress was initially even slower than 2019 and only gradually outpaced it later. Ultimately, planted acres did increase from 1.12 million acres in 2019 to 1.45 million acres in 2020. The weather remained largely wet through mid-June, and even that month was characterized by cloudy, overcast conditions. This is the first time I can remember receiving regular calls about controlling cattails in rice fields before and after planting — it was that wet. As we progressed beyond midseason, it became obvious that the rain and environmental conditions were leading to fertility issues, primarily potassium, and subsequent disease problems as a result. While we did see fair temperatures in August and September, we did not get a “late summer” as in 2019 to really bolster the later-planted rice. Instead, we saw overall variable yields throughout much of the earlier-planted crop and a reluctance of the later-planted crop to mature and reach normal harvest moistures. An update on the 2020 crop would be incomplete without mentioning the various tropical systems that affected the state. Tropical Storm Cristobal brought rains in early June, but afterward drier conditions took over through much of July and August. Hurricane Laura arrived in late August but caused less initial rice damage than originally feared. However, left in Laura’s wake was a week of windy, rainy conditions that were worse on rice lodging and quality than Laura. Hurricanes Sally and Tropical Storm Beta sent more rain across the state in mid-September before Hurricane Delta did the same to start October and Hurricane Zeta to end the month. Yet another frequently wet, muddy harvest was the norm for many TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

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growers this year. The state average yield is currently reported by USDA as 166.7 bushels per acre for 2020. This would be slightly higher than for 2019. But it seems likely to end up lower based on good but variable early yields and difficult conditions for the later-planted portion of the crop.

Late-season storms overshadow ideal 2020 growing conditions DR. DUSTIN HARRELL

LOUISIANA LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station dharrell@agcenter.lsu.edu The 2020 Louisiana rice-growing season began with optimism of improved growing conditions and yields compared to the lackluster crop and weather that marred the 2019 season. Economics of rice production penciled out better than other row crops in Louisiana, which caused the planted rice acres in the state to explode from approximately 414,000 to over 476,000. The 15% increase in acres came from rice-producing parishes all over the state; however, the largest increases were focused in northeastern Louisiana. In fact, Morehouse Parish increased its rice acres from 33,981 to 50,144, making it the fourth largest rice-producing parish in the state. The Louisiana Rice Variety by Parish Survey conducted annually by Extension agents indicated that the state planted 89% long grain, 10% medium grain and the remainder in special purpose rice varieties. The top planted rice varieties and hybrids included CL153 (19.5%), Cheniere (11.6%), CLXL745 (13%), CL111 (10.8%), XP753 (9%), Mermentau (6.6%), Gemini (5.8%) and PVL02 (4.9%). Herbicide-tolerant cultivars represented 60% of Louisiana’s acreage in 2020, with IMI-resistant varieties and hybrids (Clearfield and FullPage, respectively) making up 54% of the total acres and Provisia making up approximately 6%. Hybrids were grown on 33% of Louisiana’s rice acres. Another trend in 2020 was the continuing increase of furrow-irrigated rice, also known as row rice, in northeast Louisiana. Acres topped 35,600 in 2020. Plantings have more than doubled each year since we saw the practice debut on 2,500 acres in 2017. Furrow-irrigated rice was an insurable production practice for the first time in 2020, which may have positively influenced the 131% increase in acres from 2019 to 2020. Early season weather was ideal in southwest Louisiana, with an estimated 70% to 75% of the region’s crop planted during the first two weeks of March. Warmer-than-normal conditions were observed during March, with temperatures exceeding 80 degrees Fahrenheit for a couple days in south Louisiana. The conditions were perfect for germination and early season growth and development. Stands were excellent, and the rice grew quickly. Rice planting in northeast Louisiana typically begins in early DECEMBER 2020

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Specialists Speaking

California 2020 in review DR. BRUCE LINQUIST CALIFORNIA UCCE Rice Specialist balinquist@ucdavis.edu

Favorable spring weather led to an overall earlier planting date than average. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, 50% of the rice crop was planted by May 7 (a week earlier than average). About 12% of the rice crop was planted by April 29. Early planting also led to an earlier-than-average harvest with 50% of the rice acreage cut by Oct 4. This resulted in an average season length (planting to harvest) of 150 days, which is fairly typical for the past decade. Growers are letting rice dry longer in the field since some of the newer varieties do not lose quality when harvested at lower grain moisture. The use of azoxystrobin fungicides, such as Quadris, also tends to prolong grain fill. Early in the season due to COVID-related supply chain issues, aqua-ammonia (the main fertilizer nitrogen source for California

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION 1. Publication Title: Rice Farming 2. Publication Number: 0194-0929 3. Filing Date: October 2020 4. Issue Frequency: Jan – May and Dec 5. Number of Issues: 6x/year 6. Annual Subscription Price: Free to qualified subscribers 7&8. Mailing Address of Known Office/Headquarters: 875 W. Poplar Ave., Ste. 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 Boyd, 875 W. Poplar Ave., Ste. 23, Box 305, Collierville, TN 38017 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 2020 15.a. Total Number of Copies (net press run): (Average No. Copies each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 7,490) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 6,515) 15.b.(1) Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 3,714) (No. Copies of Single Issue Nearest to Filing Date – 3,412) 15.c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 3,714) (No. Copies of Single Issue Nearest to Filing Date – 3,412) 15.d.(1) Outside County Nonrequested Copies: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 3,466) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 2,929) 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 – 3,574) (No Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 2,929) 15.f. Total Distribution: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months - 7,288) (No Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 6,341) 15.g. Copies Not Distributed: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months - 201) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date - 174) 15.h. Total: (Average No. copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 7,489) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 6,515) 15.i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months – 50.96%) (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date – 53.81%) 18. I certify that all information furnished above is true and complete. Lia Guthrie, Publisher

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rice growers) was limited. This resulted in some growers delaying their planting or applying liquid urea instead. Despite very good conditions for land preparation, weeds were challenging this year. Blast in the northern part of the Sacramento Valley was bad; This was especially true on M-205 and M-209. Smoke from wildfires from mid-August to mid-September occurred during the peak grain fill period. While solar radiation was reduced, this did not seem to have a large negative effect on rice yields. As of writing in late October, most of the rice has been harvested. There was no rainfall during harvest, so it progressed very smoothly and I am guessing rice yields will be pretty close to average. However, throughout the harvest period, there were periods of hot, dry north winds followed by days of cooler weather with a lot of morning dew. When rice grain dries and rehydrates, grain quality usually drops. M-211 is a new variety that was grown primarily for seed this year in commercial fields. One grower entered an M-211 seed field into the University of California Cooperative Extension Yield Contest and achieved a yield of roughly 128 hundredweight per acre. Data from the California Rice Experiment Station indicates that M-211 has a very high yield potential and is close to having premium quality characteristics.

April. Although low-lying fields were delayed due to wet conditions, most of the region was able to get the crop in during the recommended window. Disease and insect pressure were not excessive either. Rice yields in southwest Louisiana were excellent when harvest began. Reported yields at the time put us on a course for the second highest statewide average in history. Early harvested rice in northeast Louisiana followed suit with high yields. Hurricane Laura hit south Louisiana on Aug. 27, when harvest was approximately 95% completed in southwest Louisiana and 40% to 50% completed in northeast Louisiana. Laura was a Category 4 hurricane that made landfall near Cameron, Louisiana. While the storm only damaged a small portion of the crop that was still in the field in southwest Louisiana, it severely damaged farm buildings, equipment and grain storage facilities. The worst hit areas were in Cameron, Calcasieu and western Jefferson Davis parishes. Many grain bins were destroyed, leaving harvested rice exposed to the weather conditions. A cooperative effort of rice industry volunteers pitched in to help move this rice to other storage and drying facili-

ties as quickly as possible. Laura was still a Category 1 hurricane when it hit the rice crop in northeast Louisiana. High winds and excessive rains caused flowering rice to blank while more matured rice shattered and lodged. Economic damage estimates from hurricanes like Laura are difficult to tabulate in the short term. However, a survey conducted by Extension agents and coordinated by Dr. Kurt Guidry put Laura’s damage to the rice industry at $28 million. Hurricane Delta made landfall in southwest Louisiana as a very strong Category 2 storm Oct. 9. And Delta’s was eerily similar to Laura; however, this time the region’s ratoon crop region was at or near maturity and considered good to excellent. The high winds caused shattering, and many growers likened it to harvesting with a stripper header, meaning that the straw was erect but the grain was on the ground. Growers in northeast Louisiana were still fighting first crop lodged rice and wet soils prior to Delta, which just added more grain shattering, lodging and excessive rainfall to the region. Harvest in the region was stalled so much that there were still some fields unharvested in early November. Early loss estimates from Delta were about $24 million. RICEFARMING.COM

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BEST PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELDS Probably the most important aspect that tracks deliver is performance. Many rice fields are cultivated in very difficult soil. The high clay content makes for some very tough conditions if the weather doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cooperate. Harvesting rice with higher yields becomes very challenging, trying to beat wind that blows down rice and water that makes picking it up, at best, a race against time. Being able to take the timing factor out of the equation as to when you can proceed is a critical component. It is possible with the S-TECH 1000X as you can access your field whenever you need to. As combines have gotten larger there has been a greater need to support the weight. The soil disturbance and rutting have an impact to the bottom line. When harvesting in wet conditions, it increases the input costs to repair and prepare the ground to be replanted, starting budgets at a disadvantage from the very start. Using tracks increases footprint by an estimated 300% over tires. Having this ability to harvest in tough conditions allows for easier field preparation and less damage resulting in less residual damage to soil structure.

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Congratulations! Belchim Crop Protection USA congratulates Dr. Mo Way on this well deserved recognition: The Rice Lifetime Achievement Award. Prior to 2010, Dr. Way led the university campaign lobbying an EPA Section 18 for Tenchu® 20SG (dinotefuran) for pyrethroid resistant rice stink bugs in Texas. “The Sec. 18 process requires an extreme amount of time and dedication from the university sponsor. Thanks to efforts from experts like Mo Way, Sec. 18’s were granted, and growers were able to protect the rice crop with fewer applications while applying an insecticide with minimal off-target effect on aquatic organisms like crawfish,” states Dennis Long, National Technical Service & Development Manager for Belchim. Tenchu® 20SG was registered and has been a key insecticide resistance management (IRM) tool in Texas for a number of years now. Consultant reports of control failures and some university bioassay results in other states tend to indicate a shift in pyrethroid susceptibility. To help spread the educational message of an alternative mode of action, Dr. Way joined Dennis in hosting an educational luncheon at Louisiana Agricultural Technology and Management Conference (LATMC) last year. He didn’t hesitate a second to commit to driving over 4 hours and spent time sharing his experiences with pyrethroid resistance and using Tenchu® 20SG as an IRM tool. Long continues; “Belchim is thrilled to see that Dr. Way is being awarded for his life long dedication to the Rice Market. I have seen so much passion in him over the years; how can you not be in awe of his selfless commitment?”

Belchim Crop Protection USA, LLC 2751 Centerville Road | Suite 100 | Wilmington, DE 19808 Phone: 855-445-7990 | www.belchimusa.com info.usa@belchim.com

Rice Farming December 2020

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could face headwinds later in