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www.ricefarming.com

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

U.S. rice ready to roll Nitrogen management California water rights

PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

FEBRUARY 2015

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February 2015

Vol. 49, No. 3

www.ricefarming.com

COVER STORY

COLUMNS From The Editor

The real meaning of quality

USA Rice Federation

Cuba getting closer

Rice Producers Forum

Cuba and the USA

DEPARTMENTS Specialists Speaking

Fertility Management

Industry News

Rice business scene

Calendar

U. S. rice ready to roll The South Louisiana Rail Facility moves identity-preserved rice to Mexico.

FEATURES

Nitrogen Management

ON THE COVER: The South Louisiana Rail Facility is located in Lacassine, La.

New tool protects against volatilization and nitrogen loss.

Photo by Michael Fruge

Project Receives Grant Money

Mid-South Farm & Gin Show

Rice industry, DU recognized for habitat conservation efforts.

Go to page 14 to learn more about this premier event.

WEB EXCLUSIVE

California Water Rights FRED REHRMAN

www.ricefarming.com Early Season Weed Control Residual herbicides continue to play a key role in successful weed control strategies.

Farmers prepare for the possibility of new curtailments. RICE FARMING â&#x20AC;˘ FEBRUARY 2015

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RICEFARMING

FROM THE EDITOR

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

ADMINISTRATION Publisher/Vice President Lia Guthrie (901) 497-3689 lguthrie@onegrower.com Associate Publisher Carroll Smith (901) 326-4443 Sales Manager Scott Emerson (386) 462-1532 semerson@onegrower.com Editorial Director Tommy Horton (901) 767-4020 thorton@onegrower.com Circulation Manager Janet Owens (229) 386-8809 Production Manager Kathy Killingsworth (800) 888-9784 kkillingsworth@onegrower.com For circulation changes or change of address, call (800) 888-9784

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC Mike Lamensdorf PRESIDENT/TREASURER Lia Guthrie PUBLISHER/VICE PRESIDENT ASSOCIATED PUBLICATIONS – One Grower Publishing LLC also publishes COTTON FARMING, THE PEANUT GROWER, SOYBEAN SOUTH and CORN SOUTH magazines. RICE FARMING (ISSN 0194-0929) is published monthly January through May, and December, for $25.00 per year by One Grower Publishing LLC, 1010 June Road, Suite 102, Memphis, TN 38119. Periodicals postage paid at Memphis, TN. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to SUNBELT FULLFILLMENT SERVICES, 307 SOUTHGATE COURT, Brentwood, TN 37027-7987. International rates are $55.00 Canada/Mexico, $90.00 all other countries for Air-Speeded Delivery. (Surface delivery not available due to problems in reliability.) $5.00 single copy. All statements, including product claims, are those of the person or organization making the statement or claim. The publisher does not adopt any such statement or claims as its own and any such statement or claim does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher. RICE FARMING is a registered trademark of One Grower Publishing LLC, which reserves all rights granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in association with its registration.

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

4 RICE FARMING • FEBRUARY 2015

The real meaning of quality Charles Eames, an American designer who was born a few years into the 20th century and worked in the industrial and graphic design fields, once said, “Eventually, everything connects – people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se.” The word “quality” is no stranger to the U.S. rice industry either. For the past few years, it has been discussed extensively in all sorts of settings – rice breeders’ plots, coffee shops, industry meetings, conversations with rice buyers, the list goes on. In most instances, the subject matter revolves around rice quality – the inherent characteristics of the grain that make it appealing to customers and consumers alike. In this month’s Rice Quality Matters column on page 5, George Graham, Vice President, Research & Development, Mars Food North America, says, “We have to uphold our Five Principles, quality in particular, to make sure that we are providing the highest quality products to our consumers. We insist on having identity-preserved lots as opposed to comingled lots. The majority of our rice is long-grain, and it all comes from the United States. For some of our products, we contract with specific farmers.” Graham points out the connection between obtaining quality, identity-preserved rice and contracting with specific farmers to make sure he can deliver the type of products that consumers have come to expect from his company. Betsy Ward, President and CEO, USA Rice Federation, offers a visual snapshot on page 6 of the connection between U.S. rice and the desire of the Cuban people to purchase what they appear to consider a first-class product: “Yes, the Cuban people love U.S.-grown rice,” Ward says. “When I visited in 2007, shopkeepers told me of hours-long lines that would form when news spread that our rice had arrived.” Another virtual line connects the dots. In a conversation I had with Mark Pousson, manager of the South Louisiana Rail Facility, while writing the cover article on page 8, he reminisced about a presentation he made several years ago to a group of rice farmers in south Louisiana while trying to raise money to get the rail project kicked off. “I particularly remember the meeting in Welch,” he says. “It was sleeting outside; there were 110 people in attendance; and there was nothing to eat or drink. They had to listen to Mark Pousson and Bill Wild ask them each for $5,000 to ‘maybe’ build something. And a lot of them stepped up to the plate. It’s unbelievable. A wonderful story.” Those farmers made the connection between their livelihood and the idea of a proposed facility that would carry their identity-preserved rice to the Mexican market. Thus, the real meaning of quality lies not just in the grain itself, but rather in the connections that stem from the grain and carry it through the field to the buyers and, ultimately, to the consumers. “The quality of the connections is the key to quality.”

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

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“We uphold our Five Principles, quality in particular, to make sure that we are providing the highest quality products to our consumers. We insist on having identity-preserved lots as opposed to comingled lots.” – George Graham

RICE

QUALITY MATTERS George Graham Vice President – Research & Development Mars Food North America Mars Food has five core principles, and quality is No. 1. We are very proud of our reputation and are actively involved in the rice supply chain from science all the way through to consumer products. We are heavily involved with the breeder programs in the Southern states, such as Mississippi State University and the University of Arkansas. Our raw material specs for our products are very specific and strict. We have to uphold our Five Principles, quality in particular, to make sure that we are providing the highest quality products to our consumers. We insist on having identity-preserved lots as opposed to comingled lots. The majority of our rice is long-grain, and it all comes from the United States. For some of our products, we contract with specific farmers. What we really foster and look for are new rice varieties that can consistently meet or exceed our customer and consumer expectations. Because of our focus on quality and consistency, Uncle Ben’s® is the No. 1 consumer-branded rice in the world, and we ensure that the consumer experiences what we promise – that Uncle Ben’s® is “Perfect Every Time.™”

Mars Food’s No. 1 Principle Is Quality Another one of our principles is mutuality, and that means that everybody in the supply chain should prosper as well. We believe that our success is dependent on our ability to create mutual benefits for Mars and our stakeholders. Following our quality and mutuality principles allows farmers to put an emphasis on quality as much as yield. Mars Food continues to leverage our research and learnings from UC Davis, the University of Arkansas and Mississippi State to drive further water savings initiatives such as Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD). Farming with this methodology is indicating that significant reductions in greenhouse gases occur, in addition to saving water. In 2014, we grew over 600 acres of rice via AWD through our contract farmers, saving over 337 million gallons of water. In 2015, we are striving to grow more acres of rice using AWD, which could save up to one billion gallons of water.

FROM SEED TO SHIPPING • Actively involved in the rice supply chain from end to end. • Insists on having identity-preserved lots. • The quality and mutuality principles allow farmers to put an emphasis on quality as much as yield.

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RICE FEDERATION

UPDATE

Cuba getting closer Optimism abounds that U.S. rice soon will be en route to the island.

T By Betsy Ward President and CEO USA Rice Federation

he world was sent buzzing recently when President Obama announced a complete overhaul of our nation’s Cuba policy. Some remember the time when Cuba was the No. 1 export market for U.S.-grown rice, might those days return? Things look promising, but the full answer is not quite as clear as some might think. Yes, the Cuban people eat a lot of rice – almost 200 pounds per person annually; and yes, the Cuban people love U.S.grown rice. When I visited in 2007, shopkeepers told me of hours-long lines that would form when news spread that our rice had arrived. Yes, also the policy changes move us in the right direction – particularly “cash in advance” being re-interpreted to mean “cash before transfer of control” – a change USA Rice has long sought. Also, allowing U.S. banks to open accounts in Cuban banks will facilitate transactions.

Importance Of Two-Way Trade However, the Cuban economy is struggling. At times they lack sufficient hard currency to purchase needed imports. A

Fidel Castro samples U.S.-grown rice at the USA Rice booth during the 2002 International Trade Fair.

6 RICE FARMING • FEBRUARY 2015

taste and desire for our product does nothing if the customer has no money. Which is why USA Rice has long supported normal commercial relations with Cuba – allowing Cuba to sell products to the U.S., and Americans to visit the island. This will generate the foreign exchange Cuba requires to buy products they need from us – like rice. Two-way trade is the foundation of our trade with every other country in the world, and it should certainly be so here in our own backyard. USA Rice first engaged with Cuba in 1999 with a delegation to Havana, and we have been on the ground since 2001 when we were the first U.S. commodity participating in the Havana International Fair. Our efforts there directly led to the first Cuban purchase of U.S.-grown rice in 40 years. Sales continued up until 2008 when changes in U.S. government policies made it impossible for us to sell to Cuba. Cuba has been, and remains, a priority for us. We meet regularly with the head of the Cuban Interests Section – the highest ranking Cuban official in the United States; we have maintained a license to travel to Cuba at any point, and will do so this month. We are in close regular contact with the Administration on this important market. The USA Rice Federation is also a founding member of the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC), a group working for the normalization of trade relations between the countries that is supported by the Administration and a bipartisan collection of governors and members of Congress. Cuba was once a great market for us, and with our clear logistical advantages, and their preference for U.S.-grown rice, it may become so once again. Hurdles remain, but the USA Rice Federation is working diligently to clear them, and we believe U.S.-grown rice will be bound for Cuba soon. To learn more, visit www.usarice.com.

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Rice Consultant’s Corner

Make Proactive Decisions In 2015 Larry McAnally McAnally Ag Consulting East Bernard, Texas Before moving to East Bernard, Texas, in 1986 to take the position of farm manager at the hybrid rice research station, I farmed with my dad in Missouri. In 1990, I began consulting with another company prior to establishing McAnally Ag Consulting. Last year, rice farmers in the area did very well. Yields and quality were good despite some early season cold weather issues. Because we are located on the Gulf Coast, developing effective herbicide programs is important to control a variety of troublesome weeds, including barnyardgrass, sprangletop, alligator weed, Mexican weed (Texas weed), waterhemp, sedges and jointvetches. We are seeing more resistance in some of the weeds each year, particularly in barnyardgrass and waterhemp. Since barnyardgrass is sometimes resistant to propanil, we apply Grasp to manage the grass weeds. As far as resistant broadleaf weeds, we depend on RebelEX or Regiment to achieve control. If there are a lot of sedges present, we may include Permit in the first herbicide shot. You have to take a proactive approach to manage all of these weeds. If a good seedbed has been established prior to planting and not many weeds are present, we apply Command. In areas where drift might be an issue because of prevailing winds out of the southeast, we apply a residual to stretch out the grass control. In those instances, I will include Facet in the mix, being proactive again. As the first herbicide shot plays out, I apply herbicides as needed for weeds and grasses, then go to flood and let the water be the herbicide for the rest of the season. It’s also important to have a good fertility program as well as a herbicide program to maximize yields. Based on soil sample results, I start with nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus as a base fertilizer and follow up with a topdress application in-season. Never let your rice get stressed from lack of nitrogen, which can result in a yield loss. As far as insects, I scout fields twice a week so I can manage these pests as they show up. We have a few aphids, chinch bugs and armyworms early in the season, but they are not everywhere, every year. As the rice begins to head, stink bugs are a significant pest. In areas where there has been a lot of stem borer activity, I take a proactive approach and put Dermacor on the seed to head off that problem. Because of water restrictions for irrigation imposed by the Lower Colorado River Authority, rice acres will be down in 2015 in the areas that depend on the river system. Rice acreage should remain the same where rice farmers have access to wells. As farmers look to the upcoming season, it’s important to stay proactive in all areas: seed selection; seedbed preparation; weed, disease and insect control; and fertilizer timing. And, of course, water management is key. Sponsored By

• B.S. degree in Agricultural Economics – University of Missouri • Consults on rice, cotton, corn, grain sorghum and soybeans in Wharton, Fort Bend, Matagorda and Jackson Counties • Certified Crop Adviser and has consulted for 25 years • Member of the Texas Association of Agricultural Consultants • 2014 Texas Plant Protection Association Consultant Award • Member of First Baptist Church in East Bernard • Married to wife, Doris. Two grown children: son, Chris; daughter, Renee. Six grandchildren • Enjoys spending time with the family, deer hunting in Missouri and fishing with Doris at Matagorda Bay

Recap: Make Proactive Decisions In 2015

▼

1.On the Gulf Coast, we have to control a variety of troublesome weeds, including barnyardgrass, sprangletop, alligator weed, Mexican weed (Texas weed), waterhemp, sedges and jointvetches. 2.Since barnyardgrass is sometimes resistant to propanil, we apply Grasp to manage the grass weeds. As far as resistant broadleaf weeds, we depend on RebelEX or Regiment. 3.In developing fertility programs, I start with nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus as a base fertilizer and follow up with a topdress application in-season to help achieve maximum yields. 4.As far as insects, I scout fields twice a week so I can manage these pests as they show up. We have a few early season aphids, chinch bugs and armyworms. At heading, stink bugs are a significant pest. Stem borers also are present in some fields. 5.It’s important to stay proactive in all areas: seed selection; seedbed preparation; weed, disease and insect control; and fertilizer timing. And, of course, water management is key.

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U.S. Rice Ready To Roll South Louisiana Rail Facility moves identity-preserved rice to Mexico By Carroll Smith

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL FRUGE

Editor

8 RICE FARMING â&#x20AC;˘ FEBRUARY 2015

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o cash bids being offered throughout the year can defi- Strain says, ‘This facility will be an important tool for loading nitely be described as a “tight spot.” And when rice Louisiana grain for export to world markets. This is a huge addition farmers find themselves in a tight spot, they don’t give up. to the agricultural infrastructure for our Louisiana farmers. This That’s not their nature. Instead, they look for another project is a perfect example of a public-private partnership for economic development.’ alternative to sell their rice. “The facility will be highly efficient thanks to an excellent location Several years ago, a small group of rice farmers in southwest Louisiana, who were faced with this situation, came up with an idea on Interstate 10 that contains truck scales onsite and two one-mile rail to send their rice to Mexico via rail. The inspiration for this thought spurs for 200 railcars from a previous project,” Roberts continued. was a rail facility located at the Lacassine Agri-Industrial Park that “The facility has an elevator capacity of 25,000 bushels-per-hour originally had been intended to carry sugar. Although that venture did with about 160,000 bushels of onsite storage. A 25,000 bushels-pernot pan out, the property, infrastructure, spur and truck scales were all hour Compuweigh rail scale to provide USDA certified weights and a Federal Grain Inspection Service grade room are also onsite. Dual, still there. covered unloading pits allow trucks Mark Pousson, who is the manager four minutes to discharge.” of what is now the South Louisiana South Louisiana Rail Facility Rail Facility (SLRF) in Lacasinne, • Built for fast, efficient transfer of grain. ‘A Golden Opportunity’ explains how Mike Strain – the Com• A dual truck pit that can unload a truck in four minutes. Bill Wild, who farms with his missioner of Agriculture and Forestry • Elevators that can handle 25,000 bushels per hour. brother, Tim, in the Thornwell/Welch in Louisiana – and Governor Jindal’s • Four hopper bottom tanks that provide 156,000 bushels of pre-positioned cargo to load 40 rail cars. area, said they believed that south administration worked with them to • Owned by the Jefferson Davis Parish Police Jury. Louisiana could benefit from utiliz“make something happen.” • Located on land owned by the Louisiana Agricultural Financing Authority. ing the market in Mexico. “They gave us a long-term lease and • Operated by a separate LLC comprised of 154 producers and investors. • Located at Lacassine Agri-Industrial Park in Lacassine, La. “I’m not saying that it wasn’t being helped us get things established,” • Contact SLRF manager Mark Pousson at (337) 370-1958 or info@slrf.org. utilized,” he notes. “But we thought Pousson says. “But, then, the state said • For more information, visit slrf.org. that if we had a modern, high-speed, we had to ‘put some skin in the game’ high-capacity loading facility, it before the project could continue. Sevwould provide a better marketing eral presentations were made to groups tool, or opportunity, to develop that of farmers, and, based on nothing more market for the industry down here. than a ‘maybe so and no guarantee’ The facility will handle multi-grains, about 160 farmers contributed roughalong with milled and rough rice, so ly $800,000. we just felt there was a golden oppor“The wonderful thing is that these tunity there if we could get it done.” farmers were standing up for their Pousson said another important livelihood,” he adds. “The state of link in the marketing chain was to Louisiana stepped up to the plate and travel to Mexico to develop relationcontributed another $5 million to help ships with the Mexican buyers. build an efficient rail loading facility.” Rice bound for Mexico is loaded into a rail car. During this time, Dwight Roberts, president and CEO of the US Rice Producers Association, reported the following in Rice Farming magazine: “Resilience has always been a word to describe rice farmers,” he said. “And while faced with adversity in southwest Louisiana, a group of farmers there have shown their ability to take initiatives and give themselves a new market alternative. “After more than two years of fund raising and planning, the South Louisiana Rail Facility, LLC recently began construction on a site near Lacassine, La., within the town’s Agri-Industrial Park,” Roberts noted. “The new facility will be owned by the Jeff Davis Parish Police Jury, who is leasing the operation to the South Louisiana Rail Loading Facility. “Louisiana Department of Agricul- Mark Pousson, left, Wayne Hensgens with G&H Seed Co., Inc. in Crowley, La., and Horizon Ag ture and Forestry Commissioner Mike general manager Tim Walker discuss the South Louisiana Rail Facility’s capabilities. RICE FARMING • FEBRUARY 2015

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“We went to their farms, ate dinner at their grandparents’ homes, and they came to eat crawfish at our homes here in Louisiana,” he says. “We have developed a great relationship with about five or six of the buyers. “We had significant help from Dwight Roberts with the US Rice Producers Association,” Pousson adds. “The success of this facility would not have happened without his contacts. Today, SLRF is in its third year of operation. “We don’t have long-term storage here,” he says. “We position the rice for an order. When a customer places an order, we start bringing in the rice. Although we are a multi-grain facility, we serve the Mexican rough rice market right now and primarily source from our membership. However, if a non-member entity, like one of the big brokers, would like to use the facility, it is available.” Currently, SLRF’s membership is made up of mostly local Louisiana farmers, but the facility also has members in Texas.

Identity-Preserved CL111 Popular In The Mexican Market

Identity-Preserved Rice Pousson notes that the South Louisiana Rail Facility’s customers ask for specific varieties and are willing to pay a premium for them. He says that a lot of times the customer base requests CL111 for consistency of the kernel size, clarity, milling yield, amylose content and cooking characteristics. “One of our customers has a lot of restaurant business, so cooking characteristics are very important to him,” Pousson says. “Our farmers identity preserve (IP) rice on their farms, so we IP rice at the facility all the way to the buyer. Our customers talk about their businesses improving because of the quality of the identity-preserved rice. As long as the quality and yield are there when they mill it, and if they are getting the best bang for their buck, then they keep coming back. Our customers do a repeat business.” Traditionally, in southwest Louisiana, farmers identity preserve their rice in on-farm storage, and if they go to a commercial dryer, that facility keeps the rice segregated, too. “It’s just the culture down here,” says Wild. “It’s the way my daddy did it when I was growing up. We cut a field, put it in the bin, dried it and sold it as a lot. We’re very landlord-oriented, so there are multiple interests to consider. It’s easier to handle the settlements if you keep everything separate. “I IP all of my first crop rice,” he says. “It may slow down at the pit a little bit when you are dumping because you have to clean everything out, but it’s always been done that way here in south Louisiana. We can go to the buyers and tell them that this is exactly what we are going to give you. We’ll provide a sample, and you are not going to get a

According to South Louisiana Rail Facility manager Mark Pousson, identity-preserved CL111 has proved to be very popular with several of the rough rice buyers who are placing orders from Mexico. Following is some specific information about this Clearfield variety. CL111 was a grower favorite in 2014 and will be very popular again in 2015. CL111 provides excellent first- and second-crop yields and has excellent field tolerance to blast. CL111 is a preferred variety by domestic and export mills because it produces high-quality package rice year after year. CL111 is earlier than any other Clearfield variety; thus, it allows growers to spread out the harvest while still offering excellent yield potential. It has also been a favorite for ratoon cropping in Louisiana. CL111 •

Earliest maturity of any Clearfield variety.

•

Excellent vigor with high-yield potential.

•

Outstanding grain quality and milling.

•

Ideal for early planting and to stagger harvest timing.

•

Good variety for ratoon cropping.

•

Kellogg’s preferred long-grain.

comingled lot. We can IP the rice and pretty well guarantee that this is what you are going to get. Obviously, there is a premium value in identity preserving rice.”

‘Well Worth The Investment’ Shannon Daboval, who has farmed rice in southwest Louisiana for the past 26 years, concurs. “Most farmers realize the importance of keeping rice preserved by variety and are rewarded with higher prices for doing so,” he says. “In the past, we had heard from our customers in Mexico what they want and what they expect, so the rail facility is doing its very best to provide that since the buyers in Mexico are asking for specific varieties. “In the beginning, each member invested $5,000 to get started with some funds, then the state contributed more money to help us build the facility,” Daboval says. “So far, the South Louisiana Rail Facility has been well worth the investment. And it looks like it is continuing to pay off.”

Four hopper bottom tanks hold pre-positioned cargo.

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Contact Carroll Smith at (901) 326-4443 or csmith@onegrower.com.

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RICE PRODUCERS

FORUM

Cuba and the USA Nurturing the seeds of a new beginning...finally.

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”

By Dwight Roberts President and Chief Executive Officer USRPA

Cubans know rice as well as any consumers in the world, and even after 50 years of the embargo, Cubans still have a preference for U.S. rice. However, this new chapter with Cuba is about much more than rice and agricultural trade.

am reminded of this Chinese proverb when I reflect on the foresight and perseverance that American rice farmers and their allies displayed almost 20 years ago. It was then that the US Rice Producers Association (USRPA) organized a small team of rice farmers, wheat growers, a leading farm cooperative, a global agriculture exporter and a creative lawyer to urge Congress to enact an exception to the U.S. embargo against Cuba to allow for the export of U.S. food and agriculture products to Cuba. Together with courageous members of Congress like Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri and George Nethercutt of Washington who took on the leadership of their own political party, this team planted the seeds that resulted in the enactment of the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (TSREEA). Fifteen years later, the seeds of their idea finally appear ready to bear fruit for America’s farmers.

Re-Opening Largest Export Market The recent action by President Obama to faithfully execute the intent of Congress in facilitating agriculture sales to Cuba has been a very long time coming. For the U.S. rice industry, it’s been an agonizing wait. Before the embargo was imposed, Cuba was U.S. rice farmers’ largest export market. In the past 20 years, rice farmers have worked hard to open and build huge new markets for U.S. rice in Mexico and Central America and tried to use leverage to open other markets. But these markets have not offset the loss of markets like Cuba to self-imposed embargoes and the fierce competition from governments in other rice-exporting countries. For years, both U.S. rice organizations have laid out all the positives of how normal trade would benefit farmers, millers,

food processors, port workers and all the allied businesses and their communities, totaling close to $1 billion annually. We all know that rice is basic to the Cuban diet. Cubans know rice as well as any consumers in the world, and even after 50 years of the embargo, Cubans still have a preference for U.S. rice. However, this new chapter with Cuba is about much more than rice and agricultural trade. It’s about doing the right thing. It’s obvious to anyone, especially those who have traveled to Cuba, that the embargo punishes ordinary citizens.

‘Gratifying And Hopeful’ In spite of these many obstacles, Cuba enjoys a very high literacy rate and more high-quality trained medical doctors per capita than any country in the Hemisphere. Believe it or not, there is much that the United States can learn and benefit from in opening normal relations with Cuba. What Alan Gross describes as our “mutually belligerent” policy as it regards Cuba also harms the United States’ stature among other countries in the world. This is part of the reason why last year by a vote of 188-2 the United Nations voted for the 23rd time to condemn the U.S. embargo against Cuba. It is a testament to the divisive nature of our politics that the faithful implementation of TSREEA enacted 15 years ago is viewed by some as “controversial” and by others as “ground-breaking.” For rice farmers, it is gratifying and hopeful. Like being thankful for a good crop in the field while climbing into the combine and keeping a wary eye for rain clouds on the horizon. The US Rice Producers Association is particularly proud of the seeds that it helped to plant many years ago to allow the sale of U.S. food to nourish the Cuban people. We remain committed to bringing that crop to harvest. Please visit www.usriceproducers.com. RICE FARMING • FEBRUARY 2015

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Nitrogen Management New tool protects against volatilization and nitrogen loss By Carroll Smith Editor

Blocks Urease Enzyme To help rice producers reduce ammonia volatilization, BASF has developed a tool called Limus nitrogen management to use

RICE FARMING • FEBRUARY 2015

PHOTO COURTESY OF BASF

armers apply nitrogen to their rice crops to promote optimal plant growth and achieve maximum yields. For nitrogen to meet these goals, it has to be available to the plant. Dr. Nathan Slaton, professor and Director of Soil Testing at the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, says, “For urea, we have very strict protocol that we need to follow to get maximum uptake of nitrogen (N) by the plant and minimize N loss. The large proportion of N that is going out pre-flood should be applied onto a dry, crusted soil surface. Once the fertilizer is applied, it must be covered as rapidly as possible with flood water to move it into the soil, which limits the time available for ammonia volatilization and prevents nitrification of the ammonium that forms after urea is applied into nitrate.” Slaton notes that ammonia volatilization is the first N loss mechanism that farmers have to deal with when urea is applied to a moist soil surface. The moisture that is present helps the urea granule to dissolve, then the enzyme called urease converts the dissolved urea into ammonium. “When that happens,” he says, “a number of transformations and reactions occur in the area where the granule landed. For example, the pH increases dramatically, especially on silt and sandy loam soils. When the pH is high, it favors the existence of ammonia gas. In rice, when urea is laying on top of the soil when it is first applied, there is nothing obstructing that gas from moving off the field and into the atmosphere. That’s volatilization, which results in nitrogen loss.”

Urea treated with Limus nitrogen management is loaded for delivery to the field. An orange dye turns the white urea orange for visual confirmation of good coverage.

on urea and UAN. Limus nitrogen management is a liquid formulation that retailers pour in with the urea as they mix it to coat the outside of the granules. The rate is three quarts per ton of urea. For UAN fertilizer, the rate is a quart and a half per ton. “Limus blocks the urease enzyme from causing the conversion of dissolved urea into ammonium until the producer has enough rainfall or can run irrigation to move the nitrogen into the soil,” says Nick Fassler, product manager, BASF. “It’s critical for rice growers because they often will apply nitrogen, and then there is a period of time between the N application and when they

apply the flood. Limus protects the nitrogen from volatilization during that point. Once the field is flooded, the nitrogen moves into the soil.” Slaton notes that urease inhibitors are only beneficial if you have an environment that is conducive for ammonia volatilization. “On a field study where we put the Limus nitrogen management in a situation knowing that we would have a good environment for ammonia volatilization, we saw that the product worked very well,” he says. “Even though the urea granule disappears, this product keeps it in the urea form for a number of days by inhibiting the urease enzyme.”

Horizon Ag Insert_CF 11/13 template 1/29/15 10:16 AM Page 3

ADVERTISER PROVIDED INFORMATION

Plant for Profit Poten al in 2015 Consistent grain quality and stable yield performance make Horizon Ag Clearfield® varieties great choices for maximizing the return on your investment in 2015. Although the cost of Clearfield seed is higher than that of conventional varieties, farmers and consultants say that the advantages of having the Clearfield weed control system in fields more than make up the difference.

mean farmers do not have to plant at a low seeding rate and contend with managing a thin stand after emergence. Clearﬁeld varieties offer outstanding package-rice quality, with desired cooking properties. They are accepted by both foreign and domestic buyers.

Bear Craft grows medium-grain rice on his farm in Weiner, AR. In 2014, he planted both Jupiter and CL271 in his fields, and realized the advantages of having the Clearfield system. “My CL271 yielded as well as my Jupiter. I paid a little more for seed, but spent less on herbicides,” Craft said. “In the end, it came out the same, and I was able to clean some fields up by using the Clearfield system.” ®

Clearfield varieties have excellent tolerance to Newpath herbicide, which eliminates extra expenses associated with delaying the flood due to crop response to herbicide applications. Additionally, clomazone can be used on most soils as a pre-emergence – to minimize grass pressure prior to an early post-application of Newpath or Clearpath® – without crop injury. Of the Clearfield rice seed choices available for planting, Horizon Ag varieties offer the best seed cost per acre. The affordable seed costs

CL111 provides excellent first- and second-crop yields, has excellent field tolerance to blast and is a preferred variety by domestic and export mills because of its ability to produce highquality package rice year after year. CL151 has set a new standard for yield potential in pure-line rice varieties in the Southern Rice Belt, is an excellent miller and offers domestic and export customers uniform southern U.S. cooking quality. CL152 resists lodging better than any other Clearfield offering, has performed very well when planted in the middle portion of the optimum planting window, and offers the industry very good package-quality rice that cooks uniformly and has returned premiums to farmers.

The Clearﬁeld Medium-Grain Edge According to the University of Missouri U.S. Crop Price Update published in October 2014, quality medium-grain rice has averaged a higher price at the mill than long-grain over the past six years. In 2014, some 290,000 acres of harvested medium-grain is expected to receive an average of $14.72 per cwt. The 2.1 million acres of long-grain is expected to bring $12.97 per cwt.* CL271, a Horizon Ag Clearﬁeld medium-grain variety, is a proven high yielder, with the quality desired by mills and the food industry.

U of A Producer Rice Evalua on Program (PREP) Arkansas Rice Performance Trials (ARPT) 220 210

In addition, it offers the Clearﬁeld system, which cleans up red rice and other tough-to-control weeds in problem medium-grain ﬁelds. CL271 is a semi-dwarf variety with blast and lodging resistance. It replaced CL261 on the market, with much improved agronomics including yield potential. “CL271 has yield potential equal to or better than most conventional long-grains grown today. So, with all costs being equal, CL271 has the potential to return more dollars per acre,” said Dr. Tim Walker, general manager of Horizon Ag. “Growing a medium-grain such as CL271 could offer farmers $1 more per cwt, which equals 46 cents per bushel. An average yield of 170 bushels would be equal $78 per acre more in return.” *Based on data in the October 2014 U.S. Crop Price Update, published by the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri.

bu/A

200 190 180 170 160 150 140 130 120

CL111

CL151

CL152 ARPT

CL163 PREP

CL172

Horizon Ag

CL271

Horizon Ag Insert_CF 11/13 template 1/30/15 9:49 AM Page 4

ADVERTISER PROVIDED INFORMATION

Clearfield Varie es for the 2015 Plan ng Season Horizon Ag has a Clearfield variety option that fits your farming needs, offers consistent performance and provides the grain quality the world demands.

CL111 ®

Earliest maturity of any Clearﬁeld variety

Excellent vigor with high yield potential

Outstanding grain quality and milling Ideal for early planting and to stagger harvest timing

Good variety for ratoon cropping

Kellogg’s preferred long grain

CL151

Highest-yielding inbred variety on the market

Susceptible to blast: not recommended for ﬁelds with a history of blast or water issues

Uses N very efﬁciently; the NSt*R program is recommended where available and may help reduce nitrogen input costs, improve disease control and minimize lodging

CL152

Superior lodging resistance Good grain quality and milling

Good seedling vigor and tillering

Identity-preserved loads have received premium for their preferred quality

CL271 Semi-dwarf Clearﬁeld medium grain Improved agronomics over CL261, including blast and lodging resistance

Excellent yield potential

“I like the fact that I can get my combine in the ﬁeld earlier than I normally would and get my CL111 dry in the bins. For me, the yields and quality with CL111 have been really good.” Brandon Stephens | Cherry Valley, AR

“CL151 is the best bang for your buck if you want Clearﬁeld rice. It’s deﬁnitely a great tool.” Mark Williams | McDougal, AR

“Next year will be the third year CL152 acreage will double on Ravin Planting. The yield, milling and quality have been outstanding. Early season vigor and Newpath® tolerance are superior to other Clearﬁeld products.” Marvin Cochran | Avon, MS

“My CL271 yielded as well as my Jupiter. I paid a little more for seed, but spent less on herbicides. In the end, it came out the same, and I was able to clean some ﬁelds up by using the Clearﬁeld system.” Bear Craft | Weiner, AR

Horizon Ag Insert_CF 11/13 template 1/29/15 10:25 AM Page 5

ADVERTISER PROVIDED INFORMATION

Disease Ra ngs Narrow Bacterial Brown Panicle Blight* Leaf Spot*

Kernel Smut

False Smut

Lodging

Variety

Sheath Blight

Blast*

Straight Head

CL111

CL151

CL152

CL271

* * ( * ( $' "(**** * * ( $' "(**** * * ( $(" * ( $' "(**** * * ( $(" * ( ' $ $**** * * ( ' $ $*

* ( $' * * ' ( * (*$ *! ' '"'$ * * $ ' * &* $% &(

ÂŽ

ClearďŹ eld Variety Characteris cs and Suggested Management Prac ces 1

Suggested Seeding Rate3

Suggested Nitrogen Rate4

(lb seed/A)

(lb N/A)

Height

Maturity

(inches)

(days)

CL111

50-70

120-160

CL151

50-65

90-150

CL152

50-65

120-160

CL271

50-75

120-160

Variety

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

Horizon Ag Insert_CF 11/13 template 1/29/15 10:17 AM Page 2

The World Demands,

You Deliver. In an industry that demands qual y, you deliver. Horizon Ag Clearﬁeld® rice varie es get you started by giving you high-yielding seed that yields qual y grain. Consistently delivering the excellent in-ﬁeld performance you need — and the qual y the world demands.

13 RF0215DU grant moneyv5_RF 11/13 template 2/3/15 2:52 PM Page 13

Project Receives Major Grant Rice industry, DU recognized for habitat conservation efforts

ecretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack recently announced approved grants from the first round of proposals to the new Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The USA Rice Federation, Ducks Unlimited, Inc. (DU) and more than 40 collaborating partners are pleased that the “Rice Stewardship Partnership – Sustaining the Future of Rice” project was selected for support. This project will help rice producers conserve natural resources such as water, soil and waterfowl habitat, while having longterm positive impacts on their bottom line. The RCPP application process was very competitive; less than half of all applications were awarded funding, and no proposal was fully funded. However, the USA Rice and DU national request was deemed to have significant merit, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) – the agency responsible for administering RCPP – awarded the partnership a grant of $10 million, which is one of the largest awards given under the program.

Wildlife, Waterfowl And Rice “The Mississippi Alluvial Valley, Texas’ and Louisiana’s Gulf Coast, and California’s Central Valley are critical landscapes for waterfowl and therefore ranked as some of DU’s top priorities for habitat conservation,” said DU President and Arkansas rice producer George Dunklin. A 2014 study conducted by DU scientists for The Rice Foundation demonstrated that rice agriculture provides 35 percent of the food resources available to migrating and wintering dabbling ducks in the regions where rice is grown in the United States. “U.S. rice farms are valuable, not just for the nutritious commodity they produce and their positive impact on the economy, but also as important contributors to the entire ecosystem, and today’s announcement from

Rice Stewardship Program Coordinator Alicia Wiseman, DU Director of Conservation Innovation Scott Manley, center, and Louisiana rice producer Christian Richard discuss water efficiency improvements on his farm.

NRCS and USDA recognizes that fact,” said USA Rice Federation Chairman Dow Brantley, an Arkansas rice farmer. “Wildlife and waterfowl depend on our farms as much as any of us do.”

Successful Conservation Initiatives Established in the 2014 Farm Bill, the RCPP competitively awards funds to conservation projects designed by collaborating partners. “RCPP provides an opportunity for locally driven partnerships to work side by side with local Conservation Districts and NRCS to accelerate conservation efforts and achieve measurable progress,” said NRCS State Conservationist for Arkansas Mike Sullivan. “The USA Rice Federation, Ducks Unlimited and all of our partners commend the

USDA for their vision in creating partnership-driven conservation initiatives, and we especially appreciate each of the six state NRCS offices that were instrumental in crafting a competitive proposal,” said Betsy Ward, President & CEO of USA Rice. “This is a giant step forward for conservation in ricelands with many more steps to come.” “We applaud the many rice farmers who integrate extra conservation measures into their rice production to maintain water quality and provide much needed waterfowl habitat,” said USDA NRCS Chief Jason Weller. “The partnership between DU, USA Rice and USDA offers increased technical and financial assistance to help producers accomplish these goals on their land. The tangible benefits to farmers, the environment and all Americans will be felt for a long time.” RICE FARMING • FEBRUARY 2015

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Mid-South Gin Show Make your plans now to attend this annual premier event By Carroll Smith Editor

hen Feb. 27 rolls around in a couple of weeks, the 63rd Annual Mid-South Farm & Gin Show will welcome visitors to the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, Tenn., where they can leisurely stroll the exhibitor aisles to see what’s new for their farming and ginning operations. Informative Ag Updates and seminars also will be held. Before the exhibits open on both Friday and Saturday mornings, the Ag Updates will begin at 8:30. The speaker lineup for Friday morning is as follows: • Sledge Taylor, Chairman, National Cotton Council, Como, Miss. • Carl Brothers, Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer, Riceland Foods, Stuttgart, Ark. • Joe Nicosia, Senior Head, Tropical Merchant (Cotton & Coffee) and Executive Vice President, Louis Dreyfus Commodities, LLC, Cordova, Tenn. The Ag Update speaker for Saturday morning is Richard Brock,

Brock Associates, Milwaukee, Wisc. Brock will discuss grain market outlook/marketing strategies and projections for 2015. A $500 cash attendance prize will be awarded at the close of the Saturday Ag Update session. Tickets must be obtained before 8:30 a.m., and you must be present to win.

Special Educational Seminars On Friday afternoon, the Mid-South Ag Forum Seminar will feature Jason Krutz, Irrigation Specialist, Delta Research and Extension Center, Mississippi State University; and Trey Koger, a researcher and farmer from Belzoni, Miss. On Saturday afternoon, Milo Hamilton, Co-founder and Senior Agricultural Economist of Firstgrain, Inc. will discuss, “What a Rice Farmer Needs to Know to Prosper.” Both of these special seminars will be held at 1:30 p.m. on the mezzanine level of the Cook Convention Center.

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Always read and follow label directions. Armezon, Clearﬁeld, Clearpath, Kixor, Optill, Prowl, Sharpen, Status, Verdict and Zidua are registered trademarks of BASF. © 2015 BASF Corporation. All Rights Reserved. APN 15-AWC-0001

14 RICE FARMING • FEBRUARY 2015

14 15v3.qxp _RF 11/13 template 2/5/15 8:56 AM Page 15

Mid-South Farm & Gin Show Information • Feb. 27-28 at Cook Convention Center in Memphis, Tenn. • Ag Updates at 8:30 a.m. each day. • Speakers include NCC chairman Sledge Taylor, merchant Joe Nicosia, Carl Brothers (Riceland Foods) and marketing expert Richard Brock. • Exhibits open at 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Saturday. • For more information, contact Tim Price or Andrea Steadman at (901) 947-3104 or go to www.farmandginshow.com.

In addition to attending the educational meetings and walking the aisles to see what exhibitors have to offer, visitors to the Gin Show always enjoy running into old friends and catching up. Many exhibitors have drawings for great prizes and don’t forget to grab some hot popcorn and a cold drink at the Helena booth. And on Saturday evening at 9 p.m. at the Peabody, adults are invited to attend the annual Jamboree, featuring music by The Krackerjacks. To pre-register for the show, go to www.farmandginshow.com, click on “Attendee Registration” and fill out the form. Next, print out

the confirmation form and bring it with you to the show so that you can quickly pick up your name badge at the registration desk. Also, be sure to stop by the One Grower Publishing booth where we will be displaying the latest issues of Rice Farming, Cotton Farming, The Peanut Grower, Soybean South and Corn South. Sign up for a chance to win a $250 gift card each day to Bass Pro Shop. The drawing will be at 3 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Plus, we would love to chat with you for a while and hear about your plans for the upcoming growing season. See you there!

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RICE FARMING • FEBRUARY 2015

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SPECIALISTS SPEAKING DR. BRUCE LINQUIST

Application of the four Rs (right rate, right source, right timing and right placement) helps ensure high fertilizer use efficiency. Last year we discussed the four Rs of fertilizer N; this year I will touch on how they apply to phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) management in conventional water-seeded rice systems. The first question is whether or not to apply fertilizer P. We recommend a maintenance application of P if soil P test (Olsen-P test) values are between six and 15 ppm. Since P primarily only comes into a field through fertilizer applications and the major loss is what is removed in grain at harvest, it is easy to calculate a maintenance rate. A maintenance P application, which replaces the P removed by harvested grain, can be determined by multiplying your expected grain yield by the P (or P2O5) concentration in the Increase the P rate by about five pounds P205 per acre if straw is removed grain. The P concentration in grain averages 0.23 percent (or following harvest. 0.52 percent P2O5). Therefore, if historical field yields are 8,500 lb/ac, then your maintenance P rate would be 44 lb P2O5/ac increased by about five lb P2O5/ac. If soil P values are less than six (8,500 x 0.0052 = 44). ppm, a higher rate should be considered, which will help build up soil If straw is removed following harvest, then the P rate should be P. Most P sources available are as ammonium phosphates and are

P and K management

MO fertility plan SAM ATWELL MISSOURI Agronomy Specialist atwells@missouri.edu Now is the time to visualize making your 2015 rice crop, which includes building a fertilizer plan. Most rice is in a rotation with soybeans, so consider nutrient removal in pounds per bushel from last season’s soybean and rice crop. Make sure you put enough fertilizer out for both crops. From your soil sample reports and these considerations, you can make a judgment on how to put your fertility program into your seasonal rice crop. Your desired soil phosphorus should be (45 lbs/ac) and potassium (220 lbs + 5X CEC). Rice varieties differ in the amount of nitrogen (N) fertilizer required to produce optimum grain yields, ranging from 0 to 180 lbs. N/acre with 150 pounds being most common. Two N application options are as follows: 100 percent applied pre-flood on dry soil (only when able to maintain timely and seasonal flood) or about 70 percent applied pre-flood on dry soil with remainder (45 lbs. N/acre) applied as a single mid-season application. Treat urea with an NBPT-containing urease inhibitor if timely flood application is a concern (less than two days for silt loam soils, less than seven days for clay soils) or use ammonium sulfate. Nitrogen sources are urea (46-0-0), DAP (18-46-0) and ammonium

16 RICE FARMING • FEBRUARY 2015

sulfate (21-0-0-24). Tables below are recommendations for pounds of P and K where soil samples range from low, to medium, to high to very high, and the grower is shooting for 200 bu/acre yield. P2O5 recommendations/soil sample results. pH lbs. of P2O5 per acre Low Medium High Very High ≥ 6.5 90 60 50 0 < 6.5 50 30 0 0 K2O recommendations/soil sample results. lbs. of K2O per acre Low Medium High Very High 120 90 60 0 Zinc (Zn) deficiency normally occurs on silt and sandy loam soils or on precision-graded fields. Apply 10 pounds of Zn as a granular fertilizer before emergence on silt and sandy loam soils when Zn levels are less than 4.1 ppm and pH is greater than 6.0. Apply liquid Zn sources at a rate to deliver at least one pound of actual Zn per acre. Apply Zn to the seed at a rate of 0.25 to 0.5 pounds of Zn per hundredweight of seed. Sulfur is most likely to be needed on sandy soils and may be needed when the SO4-S soil test level is less than 10 ppm or a deficiency has occurred in the past. One hundred pounds of ammonium sulfate equals 24 pounds of actual S, which will supply sufficient amounts of sulfur.

FRED REHRMAN

CALIFORNIA UCCE Rice Specialist balinquist@ucdavis.edu

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SPECIALISTS SPEAKING mixed with other fertilizers to make a starter blend. When fertilizer P is applied before planting, it should be lightly incorporated into soil to avoid algae problems. If you have severe algae problems, the P can be applied up to 30 days after planting, which helps reduce problems associated with algae as the rice plants have come through the water surface by this time. Applications of P within this 30-day window do not negatively affect rice yields. Potassium is different than P in that irrigation water contains a significant amount of K (irrigation water can supply eight to 13 lb K2O/ac). Potassium also moves around the field with the water; therefore significant amounts of K can leave in the tail water during both the growing and winter fallow seasons. Given this, we recommend only applying K based on the needs of the immediate growing season. Do not attempt to build up soil K. We suggest considering K applications if soil K levels are below 120 ppm and definitely if levels are below 60 ppm. Recent studies showed that soils east of the Sacramento River typically have lower soil levels, and these soil K levels get lower the further east one goes into the red soils on the far eastern side of the valley. The rate required to correct K deficiencies has not been thoroughly studied in California but will differ based on soil type as soils differ in their ability to replace available K. In some studies on the eastern side of the valley where soil K values were below 60 ppm, between 50 to 120 lb K2O/ac were required to achieve maximum yields. We recommend using KCl (muriate of potash) as the K source unless sulfate is deficient in which case sulfate of potash can be used. Potassium is usually applied with P in the starter blend and can be applied in the same scenarios as mentioned above for P. At harvest, most of the K is in straw. The straw contains up to 1.4 percent K (grain contains about 0.27 percent); therefore, complete straw removal in a crop that yielded 8,500 lb/ac would result in the removal of about 120 lb K/ac (140 lb K2O/ac). Therefore, straw removal mines the field of K reserves and will require higher K inputs.

bushel counts in a year like this. Apply fertilizer carefully to limit waste rather than making blanket cuts. To save money on fertility – soil sample and follow a nutrient management plan. Apply only the amounts of fertilizer recommended by the soil test results to improve your bottom line. Soil test recommendations are based on the premise that you will get a positive yield response to fertilization. In the past few years, early season nutrient deficiencies have shown up regularly. In many situations, proper early season fertilization could have prevented efforts to play “catch-up” and nurse sick rice back to health. No one is out there planning to cut their nitrogen fertilizer rate this year. Nitrogen is the “money” nutrient, right? Keep in mind that your yield can be limited by whatever nutrient it starts to run out of first. Nitrogen is only worth the money to produce big yields when all other nutrients are in the proper balance. Reach a point where you’re running out of another nutrient, and nitrogen can’t make up the difference. However, if you’re interested in a prescription nitrogen rate for your field, consider the N-STaR program – soil samples taken especially to provide field-specific nitrogen fertilizer recommendations. Keep in mind that N-STaR soil sample depths are 18 inches for silt loam soils and 12 inches for clay soils (standard soil sampling for other nutrients requires a 4-inch soil sample). Speaking of nitrogen fertilization, it’s extremely important to get it right. Using urea treated with a product containing NBPT improves nitrogen efficiency by limiting nitrogen loss due to ammonia volatilization. These products, when properly applied to urea, can protect against ammonia volatilization for up to 10 days as fields

Fertility foundation DR. JARROD HARDKE ARKANSAS Rice Extension Agronomist University of Arkansas, Cooperative Extension Service jhardke@uaex.edu Entering a highly volatile season, it’s easy to want to cut corners. The first corner many growers reach, and therefore the one most often cut, is basic fertility management. It’s not difficult to understand the thought process when making a decent profit looks tough this year. Where can I save a little cash up front? – I’ll cut back on my fertilizer! Well, maybe you had the thought without the exclamation point, but you had the thought nonetheless. In truth, basic soil fertility is the last place we should be cutting corners. You wouldn’t start a marathon in old running shoes, so why would you start a rice season with inadequate fertility? With profit margins already narrow for 2015, cutting corners with fertilization can put us at risk of giving up bushels we can’t afford to lose. Every RICE FARMING • FEBRUARY 2015

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SPECIALISTS SPEAKING are flooded. Oftentimes, we apply very large amounts of urea to rice just prior to flooding. This can result in “streaking” throughout the field and prevent us from reaching our maximum yield potential. To help prevent streaking when applying fertilizer in large amounts, consider having the fertilizer split-applied in alternate directions (i.e. half applied east-to-west and the other half north-to-south). Be efficient with fertility management in 2015. Lay a solid foundation relying on research-based fertility recommendations. Plan to get smart with your fertility management this year to improve your bottom line.

For optimum efficiency, preflood nitrogen should be applied onto dry ground just prior to flooding.

The ‘right time’ to apply phosphorus DR. DUSTIN HARRELL LOUISIANA Extension Rice Specialist dharrell@agcenter.lsu.edu

The International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) put together the 4R Nutrient Stewardship System to help producers make sound nutrient management decisions regardless of individual situations. The most efficient nutrient management decision can generally be made when you consider the “right source, right rate, right time and right place” for your particular cropping system. So what is the “right time” to apply phosphorus (P) in a rice cropping system? How much yield do you lose when you delay P fertilization? These are the types of questions that we have been trying to answer in our research program. The answer to the first is very easy and is the same for all crops, not just rice. Fertilizer P should be applied to the crop just before the crop needs it. This allows the crop to take it up before the nutrient gets “tied up” in the soil. The answer to the second question is not so straight forward. A trial was recently conducted near Mamou, La., on the LaHaye farm in an effort to put numbers to the yield loss that would be associated with delayed fertilizer applications. The soil at the location

18 RICE FARMING • FEBRUARY 2015

was a silt loam soil with a pH of 6.2 and had a Mehlich-3 soil test P concentration that ranged from 2.4 to 7.4 throughout the field, which made it fall into the very low soil test P category. In the trial, triplesuper phosphate (TSP) was surface broadcast at a rate of 120 lb P2O5 per acre at one of five different times of application. Times of application included: at planting, preflood (four- to five-leaf rice), midtillering (two weeks after flooding), green ring and 50 percent heading. The yield results of the trial can be seen in Figure 1. You can see from the figure that maximum yield occurred when P fertilization occurred at planting (8,608 lb/A) and the lowest yield occurred when no P was applied (5,585 lb/A). That accounts for a 54 percent yield reduction when P fertilizer was not applied. A 12 percent yield loss was observed between the at planting and preflood application timings; however, this was not statistically significant. Approximately 32 percent yield was lost when waiting until midtillering or green ring to apply P fertilizer. A yield loss of 52 percent was observed when P fertilization did not occur until 50 percent heading. The bottom line is that P fertilizer in rice needs to be applied before tillering and flooding – the earlier the better. If P fertilizer cannot be applied just before or at planting, an alternative is to apply P around the 2-leaf stage of development coinciding with the first Newpath application in Clearfield rice. If you are in a water-seeded system and scumming of the water is a problem, then a preplant incorporation of the fertilizer is probably the best route to choose.

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SPECIALISTS SPEAKING

Nutrient removal DR. BOBBY GOLDEN MISSISSIPPI Extension Rice Specialist bgolden@drec.msstate.edu An increase in Mississippi rice acreage has created a situation outside of the standard rotation with soybean that may impact fertility management considerations in 2015. Consider Table 1, which illustrates crop nutrient removals for rice:soybean and corn:soybean rotations. If we are moving into rice from a corn:soybean rotational situation, we have removed roughly around 20 lbs more P2O5 and K2O in a rotational year than we do in our standard rice:soybean rotation. Therefore, traditional application rates and/or fertilizer blends may need to be adjusted. Table 1. Crop nutrient removals across a rotational year. Rotation Grain yield (bu/ac) Rice:Soybean 150:60 170:70 190:80 Corn:Soybean 180:60 200:70 220:80

Nutrients removed in grain P2O5 K2O (Pounds nutrient/acre) 89 96 102 111 115 126 107 121 135

117 134 151

On clay soils, the predominate deficiency we observed in 2014 was related to phosphorus. Thus, P nutrition for rice grown on clay soils should be of utmost priority. Our producers routinely applied a small amount of DAP (50 lbs product) shortly after rice emergence as starter fertilizer for the last few years. This application has served us well, but may not contain enough P for soils that test low in phosphorus. Therefore, additional P will be needed. Unlike our clay soils, rice seeded on silt loam textured soils requires direct attention to soil test K levels. In 2014, on fields that had been out of rice and moved back in, we observed instances of K deficiency, which in some cases was severe. Be aware of the K removal from extremely high-yielding soybeans grown in rotation with rice, as subsequent rice yield can be severely limited by lack of K nutrition. Proper identification of low soil K by routine soil analysis is key to growing high-yielding rice on lighter-textured soils. If we miss on providing adequate P and K to the rice crop, we are limited on the return we will get from our nitrogen. When considering N fertilization, remember Mississippi State University annually conducts variety by nitrogen rate trials and provides N-specific recommendations for commonly seeded varieties in Mississippi in the rice variety trial publication. Most of the Mid-South universities evaluate nitrogen stabilizers. The general consensus among the group is that products containing the active NBPT applied at rates between 1.6 -1.8 lbs a.i./ton of urea have been effective in reducing volatilization. Soil sampling on a regular basis, which provides the foundation for a roadmap for high yields, and routine soil analysis are critical to help aid producers with P and K fertilizer decisions on a tight production budget. The best way to save money on fertilization is to know the nutritional status of your soil.

N trials are key DR. M.O. “MO” WAY TEXAS Rice Research Entomologist moway@aesrg.tamu.edu Proper fertilizer management is essential. Too much nitrogen (N) can lead to excessive vegetative growth; delay in maturity; increased sheath blight severity; greater chance for blast, false smut and kernel smut problems; and increased likelihood of lodging. Symptoms of N deficiency include darker green rice on the levees, dark and light green areas scattered throughout the field; yellowish older leaves and green younger leaves on rice; and fewer tillers. Heavy infestations of rice water weevil produce the above N-deficiency symptoms because severe root pruning results in failure of rice plants to take up N from the soil. Scout your fields frequently and adjust timings and rates to make sure the crop does not “run out of N.” If you are applying preflood N, try to apply on dry ground as close to flood as possible. You can add a urease inhibitor to your N fertilizer if you cannot flood your field in a short time period. Scientists in each rice-producing state conduct variety x N trials to provide N management guidelines. For Texas, Dr. Fugen Dou, located at the Beaumont Center, conducts these trials at both Beaumont and Eagle Lake – Beaumont soils are fine (clay) while Eagle Lake soils are coarse (sandy loam). In general, N recommendations for clay soils are greater than for sandy soils, and Texas N recommendations for non-hybrid varieties have increased over the years. Current recommendations for total N for Catahoula, Cheniere, CL161, Cocodrie, Presidio and Sabine are 220 and 200 lb/acre for clay and sandy soils, respectively. For CL111, Cl151 and CL161, total N is 190 and 170 lb/acre for clay and sandy soils, respectively. For hybrids, recommended total N is 150 and 120 lb/acre for clay and sandy soils, respectively. For more information, go to https://beaumont.tamu.edu/eLibrary/Bulletins/2014_Rice_Production_Guidelines.pdf. Pages 21-26 discuss N fertility management. In closing, I want to thank Jack Vawter, Farm Research Services Manager, and Billy Sanders, Technician II, for their many years of dependable and excellent service. They both retired in January. Dr. Fugen Dou co-authored this article.

Sanders, left, and Vawter worked at the David R. Wintermann Rice Research Station at Eagle Lake for 30 and 38 years, respectively. RICE FARMING • FEBRUARY 2015

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CA Water Rights Farmers prepare for the possibility of new curtailments By Ching Lee Calif. Farm Bureau Federation

hen it came, the notice was disappointing but not surprising: The State Water Resources Control Board warned farmers, ranchers and other people with water rights to prepare for another round of curtailments in 2015. Coming off a year that resulted in water cutbacks to farms even in the North State that historically enjoyed more secured supplies, some farmers say they are planning early for another year of possible reductions. “If you are in a water-short area, you should be looking into additional conservation measures and alternative water supplies for your water needs,” the water board notice advised. “Planting and planning decisions should be made in light of possible curtailment of junior rights.” More than 9,000 curtailment orders were issued last year to junior water right holders – those who acquired their water rights after 1914 – due to lack of supply, the board said.

Best-Case, Worst-Case Scenarios Considered Having worked at Montna Farms in Sutter County for 21 years, rice farmer Nicole Montna Van Vleck said she didn’t experience the state’s last big drought in 1991-92 and, therefore, “didn’t have that institutional knowledge on what to do and how to operate when you’re not planting your entire operation.” The farm has junior water rights from several water licenses to pump out of the Sutter Bypass and does not have access to groundwater. Due to water cutbacks last year, the farm was forced to reduce one-third of its production, Van Vleck noted. Whereas last year she was spending much time and many resources trying to figure out what the curtailments mean and how they would be implemented, this year she’s planning ahead by making budgets and planting decisions based on best-case and worst-case scenarios. “Learning how to operate and manage in this ‘what-if’ type of world is new,” she said, “but we do have tools now that help us. We have the benefit of what we did last year, of what worked and what

More than 9,000 curtailment orders were issued last year to junior water right holders due to lack of supply, the board said. didn’t, so it’s a little easier from a management standpoint because we’re better informed than we were last year.” Having less water to grow rice has other negative impacts, such as to waterfowl and other migratory birds that depend on flooded rice fields for food and habitat, she said. As part of the Sutter Bypass-Butte Slough Water Users Association, Van Vleck said the group is exploring alternate water supplies, such

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as buying water from another district, but she acknowledged the association does not yet have a solution.

Pre-1914 Water Rights For Jim Van Dyke, who runs a rice-drying operation in Pleasant Grove, the economic impact of the drought truly hit home last year when business at the facility dropped 35 percent because of reduced plantings. He said if water supplies do not recover, he expects his business will decline at least 50 percent this year. Van Dyke’s daughter also farms rice, and he reported that she faced severe water cutbacks last year. On one ranch that buys water from the Pleasant GroveVerona Mutual Water Co., which draws water from Shasta Dam through the federal Central Valley Project, he said she received no water and ended up planting only one-fifth of the land, using groundwater and “what some pumps could handle.” Farmers with junior water rights are not the only ones concerned about how the rest of the rainy season will play out and the potential of having their supplies cut off. The water board warned Complicating matters is the fact riparian and pre-1914 water that although the right holders that curtailing board has some p r e l i m i n a r y diversions might be necessary authority to issue again this year due to surface “cease and desist” water shortage. orders to stop the unauthorized diversion of water, it does not have general jurisdiction over riparian and pre-1914 water rights. California Farm Bureau Federation environmental attorney Chris Scheuring said that would likely make any curtailment actions against those categories of senior water rights a matter of controversy. In its notice, issued Jan. 23, the water board warned water right holders – including those with riparian and pre1914 water rights – that curtailing diversions might be necessary again this year due to surface water shortage. The letter said “if hydrologic conditions do not significantly improve in the next several months, the State Water Board will once again begin notifying water right holders in critically dry watersheds of the requirement to limit or stop diversions of water under their water right, based on their priority.” The most junior right holders would be required to discontinue use first, but some more-senior riparian and pre-1914 water right holders might also be asked to stop diverting water “based on their priority or limitation of natural flow,” the letter explained. Ching Lee (clee@cfbf.com) is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. Read this article in its entirety at www.agalert.com.

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INDUSTRY NEWS New Clearfield Variety Offers Improved Quality Horizon Ag announces the launch of a new, high-yielding semi-dwarf Clearfield variety with significant improvements to cooking quality. Developed by Mississippi State University, the new CL163 is an example of the efforts made by Horizon Ag and its university partners to improve not only yield potential and production practices, but also the quality of rice being grown in the United States. According to a major domestic food company that has tested this variety extensively, CL163 has cooking and processing properties that represent significant improvements over most lines planted in the United States today. “Horizon Ag and its rice breeding partners are focused on improving the overall quality of U.S-grown rice to meet the needs of our export partners,” says Dr. Tim Walker, general manager of Horizon Ag. “Our industry was once the unmatched

CL163 leader in producing high-quality rice grain, but today, there is more competition for that title,” he adds. “We can separate ourselves again by focusing breeding and development on varieties like CL163 that bring value at

the buyer level and improved production at the farm level. The result is better potential for farm profitability.” Well-adapted to Southern rice-growing environments, CL163 has shown to offer yield potential that is between CL111 and CL151 in over 50 testing locations. It has high amylose content (26 percent) compared to other current long-grain varieties on the market and is an ideal candidate for the parboil industry. Because of its desirable cooking properties and grain quality, CL163 offers the potential for the identity preservation and contracting market. For more information about Horizon Ag and Clearfield rice varieties, please visit www.horizonseed.com.

John Deere App Center Available For iPhone Users John Deere announces the new John Deere App Center, which is a convenient mobile app designed specifically for John Deere

2015 Rice Leadership Development Program Class Members of the 2015 Rice Leadership Development Program understanding of the U.S. rice industry, with an emphasis on personal class were announced during the annual Rice Awards Luncheon at development and communication training. During a two-year perithe 2014 USA Rice Outlook Conference. The class is comprised of od, class members attend four one-week sessions that are designed five rice producers and two industry-related professionals selected to strengthen their leadership skills. by a committee of agribusiness leaders. John Deere Company, RiceTec, Inc. and American Commodity “The rice industry enjoys strong leadership and has a bright Company are sponsors of the Rice Leadership Development Profuture. This program plays a critical role thanks to the intensive gram through a grant to The Rice Foundation. The USA Rice Fedtraining and the high caliber participants,” said Rice Foundation eration manages the program. Chairman Todd Burich. The new rice-producer class members are Nicole Creason, Jonesboro, Ark.; Hudgens Jeter, Stuttgart, Ark.; Paul Johnson, Welsh, La.; Nat McKnight, Cleveland, Miss.; and Greg Van Dyke, Pleasant Grove, Calif. The new industry-related members are Dustin Harrell, LSU AgCenter, and Collin Holzhauer with Southern Rice & Cotton. The Rice Leadership Development Program From left: Chris Crutchfield (American Commodity Co.), Todd Burich (The Rice Foundation), Greg Van gives young men and Dyke, Dustin Harrell, Paul Johnson, Hudgens Jeter, Collin Holzhauer, Nat McKnight, Nicole Creason and women a comprehensive Chuck Wilson (USA Rice). RICE FARMING • FEBRUARY 2015

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INDUSTRY NEWS equipment users. “This new tool offers applications that will help users increase the performance and productivity of their equipment,” says Pat Pinkston, vice president, technology and information solutions, John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group. “Other apps will be available to help manage many jobs within their operation while helping to improve overall efficiency for their work or farm site.” The John Deere App Center provides users the ability to search and find apps most useful to their business or operations. They will also be able to share the apps on social media and provide feedback to improve the applications and develop additional apps for the future. “This is just the tip of the iceberg,” says Pinkston. “In this age of wireless data transfer, data-enabled agriculture and new data technologies in machinery, we will be offering many more apps in the future with additional features to help our customers.” For more information, you can download the John Deere App Center on your iPhone or contact your local John Deere dealer.

New Line Of Radios Offered Digi International has unveiled the Digi XLR PRO line of radios for ultra-reliable, long-range wireless data transmission for Ethernet and serial devices. With its patent-pending Punch2 Technology to overcome noisy radio frequency (RF) environments, Digi XLR PRO radio is ideally suited for industries with remote assets such as oil and gas exploration/production, utilities and precision agriculture. With a line of sight range of more than 100 miles, the 1-Watt, unlicensed, 900 MHz, wide-band radio supports data rates of beyond 3 Mbps, giving the Digi XLR PRO a unique combination of best-in-class performance, extreme reliability and excellent speed at a great value. “Wired Ethernet and serial connectivity aren’t always practical at many of our customers’ remote sites,” said Sam Utley, communication products manager from Campbell Scientific. “We’re excited to have the Digi XLR PRO to offer customers who have to deal with tough radio environments. We’ve

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never been able to provide a radio that can gather and reliably transmit data this fast at these distances.” Digi XLR PRO’s patent-pending Punch2 Technology is optimized for reliable, longrange data communication in challenging RF environments. Punch2 Technology leverages

Chirp Spread Spectrum modulation, which uses its entire allocated bandwidth to broadcast a signal, allowing it to break through noisy RF environments. “Digi XLR PRO is a game-changer because it allows companies to reliably send large amounts of field data over long distances in challenging environments,” said Joel Young, chief technical officer for Digi. “In ultra-noisy, RF environments, companies now have the option to use the Digi XLR PRO with its Punch2 Technology.” Digi XLR PRO is simple to use and requires no programming. It can be easily configured using Digi’s XCTU configuration platform and can be managed and maintained with the Device Cloud Manager. For more information, please visit: www.digi.com/digi-xlr-pro.

MFBF And NECAS Host Grain Bin Safety Workshops The MFBF Safety Department in conjunction with Dan Neenan, Director of the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS) at Northeast Iowa Community College will be hosting two Grain

Bin Safety and Rescue Training Workshops in 2015. There will be a workshop for farmers and farm labor and a separate workshop for emergency responders. These workshops are scheduled for Feb. 25 in Marshall County at the Marshall County Fairgrounds and Feb. 26 in Tunica County at Parker Tractor. The Grain Bin Workshop for Farmers and Farm Labor will begin at noon with a light lunch. This workshop is designed to teach farmers and their employees the preliminary steps to take if someone is trapped in a grain bin until emergency personnel arrive. The Workshop for Emergency Responders begins at 5 p.m. with a light dinner. This workshop is designed to teach firefighters and emergency personnel how to extricate people trapped inside a grain bin. Space is limited for this session, and turn out gear is required. All participants need to register for the location and workshop they plan to attend. To register, contact Angela Thompson at athompson@msfb.org, (601) 977-4242 or (800) 227-8244, ext. 4242.

CALENDAR • Feb. 23-25: 2015 USA Rice Government Affairs Conference, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Washington, DC. (202) 554-8588. For more information, contact Jeanette Davis, jdavis@usarice.com. • Feb. 27: The 2014 Farm Bill deadline for base allocation and yield update. • Feb. 27-28: 63rd Annual Mid-South Farm & Gin Show, Memphis Cook Convention Center, Memphis, Tenn. Call (901) 947-3104. • March 31: The 2014 Farm Bill deadline for ARC/PLC election. Please send any calendar announcements to csmith@onegrower.com.

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