Rice Farming February 2019 by One Grower Publishing

www.ricefarming.com

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

FEBRUARY 2019

■ UC yield contest helps

gather production data

■ Weedy rice, new grass species

challenge California growers

Going for the win Water conservation helps growers score ‘more crop to the drop’

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March 2018 February 2019

COLUMNS COLUMNS 4 From the Editor 4 From Editor Rice's long the history bucks

www.ricefarming.com

Vol. 52, 53, No. 4 3

COVER STORY

Numbers lie —trends industry 'what's hotdon’t in food' has made huge sustainability gainsGuest Column 6 Rice and sustainability

5 USA Rice Update Sustainability: job we take 8 USA RiceAUpdate seriously Rice industry sets priorities for Ethe next Farm Bill D PARTMENTS

10 D EIndustry P A R T MNews ENTS 19 Industry News 24 Speaking RiceSpecialist business scene

Good weed control starts withSpecialist proper weed ID 20 Speaking Early herbicide mistakes can plague you all season long ON THE COVER: Matt Morris, who

farms with his father, Richard, checks a flow meter measuring ON THEasCOVER: Armyworms water it comes into a riceonce field.

again plagued California rice growers Photo by Vicky Boyd in 2017.

The California rice industry preparesefforts for what maygrowers becomescore annual armyworm Multi-pronged water conservation help ‘more crop to the infestations. drop’

F E AT U R E S 9 6

Photo by Luis Espino, University of California Cooperative Extension

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Shorter have shorn up the UC Rice supplies Yield Contest promotes friendly market, but increased 2018 planting competition while collecting production projections cloud long-term outlook. data

Seeing aid red expansion Floods

12 16

Lessons learned New tools in the toolN,box Researchers fine-tuned seeding

The smell of success

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

The yangis... And yin theand winner

8 14

GET CONNECTED www.facebook.com/ ricefarming1

10 17

Here tofor stay? Going the win

Rice business scene

New species weedythe rice as Giantgrass invasive snailjoins threatens weeds that tested California growers rice-crawfish rotation in southwest and PCAs in 2018 Louisiana.

9 6

8 14

Several new crop-protection recommendations for Provisiaproducts rice are available in time for this year’s rice during 2018 season season.

University of Arkansas breeding program releases new jasmine-type long grain.

12 16

stello Richard Co

Farm & Gin Show 2018 recap Rice Consultant of the Year

Costello of Oak Tight world rice Richard supplies mean anyGrove, Louisiana, is the 2018 recipient of this award. Read more about Costello on page 13. disruption couldesteemed push markets higher.

FEBRUARY MARCH 2019 2018

RICE FARMING

From The

Editor

Numbers don’t lie – industry has made huge sustainability gains To say you’re sustainable is one thing. But to put numbers to that statement — and numbers that show substantial improvement in using resources more efficiently — is quite another. USA Rice recently released the executive summary of its “2018 U.S. Rice Industry Sustainability Report” that cataloged the industry’s improvements during the past 36 years. We’re not talking small gains, either. We’re talking significant reductions in key markers, including land use and soil conservation, water use and quality, energy use and air quality, and biodiversity. Sustainability can be viewed as a stool with ecoVicky Boyd nomic, environmental and social legs. The three Editor components are intertwined so if you lose one, the stool falls over. The same applies to the rice industry. Rice production, for example, jumped to an average of 75 hundredweight (167 bushels) per acre The full sustainability in 2015 from just 45 cwt (100 bushels) per acre in report will be posted soon on the USA Rice website, 1980. This equated to increased land-use efficiency www.usarice.com. of 39 percent over the period. Conservation practices, such as minimum or notill, have reduced soil erosion by 28 percent per acre. Enhanced water management also contributes by preventing sediments from entering waterways. Rice is a water-dependent crop, but growers have made huge strides in stretching the resource during the past 36 years. Compared to 1982, growers on average use 52 percent less water today. What’s encouraging is they continue to push the envelope to further reduce water use while maintaining or even enhancing yields. On page 17 of this issue, you can read about one such effort as Arkansas producer Matt Morris and his father, Richard, try to produce “more crop to the drop.” The industry as a whole also has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 41 percent per hundredweight of rice produced and decreased overall energy use by 36 percent. This has involved adopting new varieties that produce more rice per acre, advances in fertilizer applications and products, and conservation tillage. Mills have increasingly installed solar systems to produce renewable energy and used cogeneration to convert rice hulls into energy. Let’s not forget the wildlife and waterfowl habitat enhancements growers have undertaken on their farms. Winter-flooded rice fields alone provide about $3.4 billion worth of habitat. The rice industry also has a large economic footprint, contributing more than $34 billion to the U.S. economy annually and providing more than 125,000 jobs. Each rice farm on average contributes $1 million to the local economy. One of the tenants of sustainability is continuous improvement. And you have to look no further than the rice industry to see the innovation growers are using to produce more crop with fewer inputs and maintain their economic wellbeing.

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

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FEBRUARY 2019

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

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

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USA Rice

Update

Sustainability: A job we take seriously

By Betsy Ward President and CEO USA Rice

y now, it cannot be doubted that the U.S. rice industry leads the way when it comes to sustainability in agriculture. Whether it’s providing essential wildlife habitat, conserving water and soil, or technical innovations that use less energy and decrease emissions, rice farmers and millers have made enormous strides in the past 30 years and continue to dedicate themselves to the cause every day. The reason for this is simple. Rice farmers take this aspect of the job seriously because they not only live off the land, they live on it. They have a vested interest in caring for the place where they live and work so it can be passed down to their children and grandchildren, and they can continue to provide food security to Americans for generations to come. As stewards of the acres they farm and cornerstones of the rural economies in which they operate, rice farmers and millers give back all they can to the land and the community. But what does sustainability truly mean? It’s been a popular term to throw around for years, but it must be quantified and measured. We want consumers and policymakers alike to recognize the rice industry’s monumental efforts in sustainability, and for that we need evidence, data and empirical proof that tells a cohesive story.

Telling the story just got easier The Rice Foundation, in partnership with the National Resources Conservation Service, initiated the U.S. Rice Sustainability Report in late 2017 to collect and showcase the rice industry’s outstanding accomplishments over the past 36 years. It is the first of its kind for our industry, and it will be an invaluable resource for years to come as we continue our ever-evolving mission of sustainability through advocacy, research and farmer outreach. The report is based on four key environmental markers—land use and soil conservation, water use and quality, energy use and TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

air quality, and biodiversity. It provides an incredible amount of data, evidence and testimonials from university research centers, government and state agencies, and of course, those working within the rice industry itself, to prove how rice is a leader in environmental, economic and social sustainability. A quick read An executive summary of the report is currently available, and I believe it is an essential tool in spreading the word about rice’s sustainability practices. It’s four pages and easy to digest—especially for those who may not be familiar with the ins and outs of the rice business. It also focuses on the highlights of the report and provides a thorough rundown of the most important points. But I strongly encourage you to explore the entirety of the report itself, because there is just so much useful information in it that a four-page summary could not possibly capture. The full report will be available soon on the USA Rice website. So many people have worked hard on this project, and I couldn’t be prouder of the result. This landmark document is a crucial resource that will aid and guide us for many years to come as we continue the journey of sustainability. FEBRUARY 2019

RICE FARMING

And the winner is… UC Rice Yield Contest promotes friendly competition while collecting production data By Vicky Boyd Editor

he University of California’s Rice Yield Contest may provide bragging rights to the top producers, but it also has proven a good way to collect production data from high-yielding growers. “It’s a lot of fun, but we’re starting to learn some stuff,” says Bruce Linquist, UC Cooperative Extension rice specialist. “We’re starting to get a decent amount of data to start to analyze.” As part of the contest entry, growers have to note variety, seeding rate, planting date, nitrogen regime and weed program. For 2018, the Sacramento Valley was divided into three contest regions to account for different growing conditions. Region 1 was north of Highway 20 and west of the Sacramento River. Region 2 was north of Highway 20 and east of the Sacramento. And Region 3, known for its typically cooler weather, was south of Highway 20. All yields were corrected to 14 percent moisture and dockage.

Tops in their class Josh Shephard, who farms east of Biggs, had the highest yield in Region 1 with the variety M-105, harvesting 119 hundredweight (264 bushels). Gordon Wylie, who farms north of Maxwell in Region 2, took top honors with M-401 and a yield of 102.3 cwt (227 bushels). And Sean Doherty, who farms near Dunnigan, had the highest yield in Region 3 and the highest overall yield of 135 cwt (300 bushels) per acre. He planted M-209. The name of the top yielder from each region was put in a hat, and Shephard’s name was drawn during recent UC winter field meetings as the recipient of a John Deere Side-by-Side. 2018 marked the fourth year of the contest, which attracted 21 entrants from throughout the Sacramento Valley, Linquist says. More than 30 growers actually entered, but some decided not to move forward once they put the combine in their field. “There’s a bit of pride,” he says. “We only advertise the winners. We don’t put names by anything lower.” The competition proved so popular last season that because of limited resources, UC Extension had to turn away some growers who had entered more than one field. All of the harvests of contest fields are supervised by Extension or Natural Resources Conservation Service personnel. It also marked the first year a side-by-side was offered as a prize in addition to a specially designed ball cap. In years past, each regional top yielder only received the cap. The potential to earn a vehicle, which was jointly sponsored by several ag companies, seemed to boost interest significantly, Linquist says.

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FEBRUARY 2019

High yields were a team effort First-time entrant Doherty says he treated his top-yielding contest entry much like his other rice fields. In fact, another one he entered in 2018 had the third-highest yield in the contest. “I just have a really good team that performs amazingly well together. That’s what did it for us,” Doherty says. Among members of his “winning team” were Luz Calderon, rice planting and harvest foreman; Colin Hays, who did a “phenomenal job” managing rice irrigation; and Gary Miles, a pest control adviser with Colusa County Farm Supply. Across all of his fields this season, Doherty says, his yields were up about 5 to 6 100-pound sacks from 2017. He credits much of the yield increase to Mother Nature. “If you do everything perfect in a rice field and get good weed control and water just perfectly, you’re just controlling about 25 percent of what the crop is going to be,” he says. “The rest is up to Mother Nature. We just had a favorable year.” Yield trends start to appear One trend seen in 2018 was below-average yields in Region 1. “Yields were really down, and I don’t know if it was due to the smoke,” Linquist says, referring to extensive Northern California wildfires. “The top yield was 102, and I’m sure they can get higher than that. In talking to the driers, they were down, too. They were closer to the Carr Fire (near Redding). I’m wondering if they were more impacted by that.” Although M-209 dominated the top entries in 2017, he says they saw good production from a number of varieties in 2018. Another observation was good stand establishment led to higher yields. “Where you had very uniform stands, yields were really good,” Linquist says. “It seems like you’re wanting to shoot for about 70 tillers per square foot or slightly higher.” That range also fits UC’s recommendation of 60-80 tillers per square foot. Seeding rates averaged about 170 pounds per acre, which is slightly higher than UC’s recommended 150 pounds per acre. “I think if you didn’t have wind problems, 150 is good,” he says. “Growers see it as cheap insurance and that 160-180 is typical.” Nitrogen regimes varied, with some growers splitting applications and others putting on all nitrogen up front. Timing of starter nitrogen also was about 50:50, with some growers applying it before flood and others putting it out 20 to 30 days after flood. Interestingly, Linquist says, the top field in each region was planted to rice in 2017. Although fields that had been out of rice for at least a year performed well, they weren’t the top yielders. RICEFARMING.COM

Start Clean, Stay Clean Rustin Gilder Crowley Grain Drier Inc. Crowley, Louisiana While attending Louisiana State University, I spent a summer working with Dr. Grady Coburn and his staff at Pest Management Enterprises LLC in Cheneyville, Louisiana. It was a great experience. After graduation, I took advantage of a consulting opportunity that opened up at Crowley Grain Drier Inc., which allowed me to move home and work in South Louisiana. I have been here at Crowley Grain Drier now for 27 years. In 2018, yields of our first crop were up from what we had harvested in the past two or three seasons. The second crop yields have been very good, mainly because of the great strides that have been made with varieties, crop manipulation — mowing and rolling — and fertility. When it comes to weed control, I like to go with “start clean and stay clean” in our rice fields. Weed prevention means little to no competition for our rice crop, which saves money and adds profits. In South Louisiana, our herbicide program starts prior to planting with a good burndown to eliminate any existing weeds. We typically apply Command herbicide pre-emerge to almost every acre of rice to try to prevent any weeds from germinating or emerging. If Mother Nature interferes with a rainy spring, we may end up with a grass outbreak and sedges and broadleaves in the field. A good option at that point is to use either Loyant herbicide or RebelEX herbicide — a premix of Grasp SC and Clincher SF herbicides. We used Loyant for the first time this past season. It has a new mode of action and controlled barnyardgrass, fall panicum, broadleaves and sedges very well. We were pleased that it controlled fall panicum with one pass without tankmixing it with another herbicide, which was an added cost to our growers. Part of the learning curve for a new herbicide is determining what we have to do for it to work properly. When we used Loyant and applied a deep flood, we got good weed control whereas a shallow flood did not perform as well. For RebelEX or Clincher alone to reach full potential, we need very wet soils. For example, prior to making an aerial application of RebelEX, we have to get a rain event that saturates the soil. If that doesn’t happen, we can flush the field. This applies to both dry-seeded and water-seeded rice. We also typically go to flood early — three- to four-leaf rice — which gives us some extra weed control. An early flood on rice is our third mode of action. Poor field conditions is one of the biggest issues facing our rice growers in South Louisiana following the cold, wet winter. Many of the fields to be planted in rice this spring are following a soybean crop that hasn’t been harvested or a crawfish crop where the farmer hasn’t been able to get the land ready. February burndown applications are a must to minimize the winter vegetation that has come up in the dead vegetation remaining from the fall. If the ground dries out in February, tillage and leveling will help with early March planting. The good news is we will always get our rice crop planted on time in South Louisiana because we have the ability to water seed. Many of the levees are already in place, and it looks like a lot of our farmers are now leaning in that direction.

• B.S., ag business and agronomy, Louisiana State University • Has consulted on rice since 1992. Also consults on soybeans • Member of the Louisiana Ag Industries Association. Past president in 2004 and 2014 • Member of the Louisiana Agricultural Consultants Association • Member and current chairman of the Louisiana Certified Crop Adviser organization • Enjoys deer hunting, the comradery among hunters and preparing for the upcoming season. These activities include planting food plots, keeping up the camp and deer stands, and scouting for deer • Also enjoys inland saltwater fishing for speckled trout, flounder and redfish on Big Lake below Lake Charles, Louisiana

Recap: Start Clean, Stay Clean

1. Weed prevention means little to no competition for our rice crop, which saves money and adds profits. 2. In South Louisiana, our herbicide program starts prior to planting with a good burndown to eliminate any existing weeds. 3. A good option for a grass outbreak and sedges and broadleaves in the field after a rainy spring is to use either Loyant herbicide or RebelEX herbicide — a premix of Grasp SC and Clincher SF herbicides. 4. Loyant has a new mode of action and controlled barnyardgrass, fall panicum, broadleaves and sedges very well. We were pleased that it controlled fall panicum with one pass without tankmixing it with another herbicide. 5. For RebelEX or Clincher alone to reach full potential, we need very wet soils.

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™®Trademarks of Dow AgroSciences, DuPont or Pioneer, and their affiliated companies or their respective owners. Clincher SF, Grasp SC, Loyant, RebelEX and Rinskor are not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions. ©2019 Dow AgroSciences LLC

Seeing red New grass species joins weedy rice as weeds that tested California growers and PCAs in 2018 By Vicky Boyd Editor

RICE FARMING

FEBRUARY 2019

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

Whitney Brim-DeForest, UCCE rice farm adviser for Sutter, Yuba, Placer and Sacramento counties, continues to conduct field trials to learn more about how weedy rice behaves under California conditions. In addition, she hopes to develop programs to help growers rid their fields of the pest.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

lthough the number of rice acres in California infested with weedy rice — also known as red rice — has remained fairly stable the past few seasons, a new biotype popped up in one field in 2018. Add to that a new and yet-identified relative of watergrass, and University of California Cooperative Extension has asked growers and pest control advisers to continue to report any suspicious rice weeds this coming season. Whitney Brim-DeForest, UCCE farm adviser for Sutter, Yuba, Placer and Sacramento counties, made the request as she gave an update on weedy rice and emerging weed issues during recent UC winter rice meetings. During the 2018 season, 25 samples suspected of being weedy rice were submitted to UC for testing, she says. Of those, five were confirmed as weedy rice from four new sites. One site had two different biotypes. “It’s still around, but not a whole lot more,” Brim-DeForest says. “One of the strange things this year is we had a bunch of Arborio rices submitted.” Altogether, the state has about 10,000 weedy-rice infested acres, an amount that has remained fairly constant the past few years. Genetic testing of five biotypes has found they differ from weedy and red rice types found in the Mid-South. One of the disappointing findings from the 2018 samples is a new type being referred to as type 6, she says. It was found in one location in Butte County. The newcomer has reddish awns early after heading and black hulls at maturity. It is distinguishable from type 4, which also has black hulls, by the height of the plants. Type 6 is tall, type 4 is not. For more information on weedy rice, including identifying features, visit http:// www.caweedyrice.com/.

A new weedy rice type, designated as type 6, was found in one Butte County, California, rice field in 2018. It has reddish awns early after heading and black hulls at maturity.

Seeds can remain for years An informal survey at the Woodland UCCE meeting found about one-third of respondents suspected a weedy rice infestation in their fields during the past two years. More than half — 57 percent — say they reported it to UCCE.

Brim-DeForest encouraged growers and PCAs to continue to report suspected weedy rice infestations to UCCE, noting the grower’s name and field location are kept confidential. This enables farm advisers to monitor the field and work with the grower to develop a control program, she says. Ridding a field of a weedy rice infestation is not a one-year effort, either. From 2016-2018, Brim-DeForest conducted a seedbank study in 10 known weedy rice fields to gauge how long seeds can remain. From each field, she collected 34 soil samples, which were then washed to separate the seeds from the soil. The seeds were subjected to potassium hydroxide, which turns the bran on weedy rice seed red. “For the most part, we’ve seen an actual increase in the amount of seed we’ve found in the fields — the number of seeds per meter squared and the total number,” she says. “I don’t know if this is a trend or just variability. I’ll be checking with the growers to see if we can correlate some of the increases or decreases to grower practices. “Most of the growers are trying very hard to try to get the weedy rice out of RICEFARMING.COM

Testing drone-aided scouting Scouting for weedy rice can be an arduous task, so UCCE looked at whether drones could be enlisted to survey from the sky. In theory, the unmanned aerial systems could cover a lot more ground and from a different perspective than humans on foot. Sean Hogan, a UC informatics and geographic information system coordinator, flew a drone mounted with two different types of cameras. One detected red-greenblue light wavelengths and the other multi-spectral wavelengths. Hogan flew at both 40 feet and 70 feet elevation over a rice field with a known weedy rice type 1 infestation before it had headed. At the same time, a farm adviser ground truthed the field geo-referencing each weedy rice find with GPS. Although the drone survey was able to detect a large clump of weedy rice, it failed to detect individual plants, Brim-DeForest says. “It was a little bit disappointing for the first time, but we won’t give up,” she says. “Maybe a different timing (during weedy rice growth), but we don’t want to go too much later.” Brim-DeForest also started an experiment on the UC Davis campus to look at how each weedy rice type responds to one of two treatments: a rotation of rice followed by sorghum, or a spring stale seedbed.

awns, even at maturity,” Brim-DeForest says. “It looks kind of bushy.” Early watergrass has awns but a larger seed size. Late watergrass is not awned. Barnyardgrass has smaller seeds and may or may not be awned. An informal survey of UC winter rice meeting attendees in Woodland found 28 percent suspect they have the new weed in their ﬁelds, 39 percent did not and 33 percent were unsure. As with weedy rice, she encourages growers and PCAs to call the local farm adviser’s ofﬁce should they suspect this new watergrass species.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

their field, so we’re seeing less coming up. But there’s still a lot in the seedbank.” In response to the weedy rice outbreak, the California Department of Food and Agriculture implemented new rules requiring growers to plant only certified seed or seed produced under an approved quality assurance program beginning with the 2019 season. In addition, handlers are required to seek proof the rice delivered to them was grown with certified or quality assurance program seed.

This new and yet-identified Echinochloa species matures about mid- to late July, is small-seeded and has long, purple awns on all seedheads.

A new grassy weed UC farm advisers also conﬁrmed a new watergrass relative in seven different ﬁelds between 2017 and 2018. They have yet to determine the species, although it belongs to the Echinochloa genus, Brim-DeForest says. Echinochloa includes barnyardgrass, early watergrass and late watergrass — also known as “mimic.” The new weed matures about mid- to late July. It is small-seeded and has long, purple awns on all seedheads. “This new one has really long pink TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

FEBRUARY 2019

RICE FARMING

Industry Bagavathiannan earns Texas A&M Early Career Research award The Texas A&M AgriLife Vice Chancellor’s Awards in Excellence — Early Career Research honor was presented to Dr. Muthu Bagavathiannan at a recent ceremony on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station. The awards, established in 1980, recognize the commitment and contributions of faculty and staff across Dr. Muthu Texas A&M AgriLife, Bagavathiannan and represent the highest level of achievement for the organization. Bagavathiannan joined the Texas A&M Department of Soil and Crop Sciences as a tenure-track weed science faculty in 2014 with a Texas A&M AgriLife Research appointment. He has since established a rigorous research group that is gaining national and international recognition in weed science research, his nomination states. Rice is among the crops he works in. As a principal investigator or co-investigator, Bagavathiannan received through a diverse range of funding sources more than $15 million in grant funds, of which $3.3 million went directly into his research program. In particular, he has secured five U.S. Department of Agriculture grants as the principal investigator and another five USDA grants as the co-principal investigator. Bagavathiannan is also an active member of the TAMU-Unmanned Aerial Systems, or UAS, project where his program has made progress using UAS for weed management applications. He has provided significant leadership to the weed research and development activities within Texas.

University of Arkansas hires new Extension weed scientist The newest University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture weed scientist says he expects to rack up more than a few miles walking fields as he learns more about the issues faced by Mid-South farmers. Thomas Butts, who began his new position as Extension weed scientist on Nov. 26, brings a diverse background, according to a news release. He received his mas-

RICE FARMING

FEBRUARY 2019

News

ter of science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his doctorate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. During his time at University of Wisconsin-Madison, Butts focused on the influence of integrated weed management strategies Dr. Thomas on pigweed across the “Tommy” Butts Midwest and MidSouth. He also conducted herbicide-resistance screenings on several pigweed species in Wisconsin. Butts’ research included a wide array of weed management components such as cultural, chemical and application technology practices. These strategies, along with others, are what he hopes to bring with him to his new position. “I believe it is necessary to get your boots dirty to find weed management solutions. I look forward to walking my fair share of Arkansas rice and soybean fields in the upcoming season,” he said in the release. “Weeds truly are a community problem and working together is an absolute must to reduce their negative impacts.” Butts is based in Lonoke.

Horizon Ag, BASF team with Rabo AgriFinance on 0% financing Horizon Ag and BASF have partnered to offer rice farmers zero percent annual percentage rate financing through Rabo AgriFinance for Clearfield and Provisia varieties and certain BASF crop protection purchases for the 2019 season. The Rabo AgriFinance program is in addition to a previously announced zero percent APR program on Horizon Ag varieties and BASF crop protection products through the multi-use account of John Deere Financial. The Deere program allows farmers to take advantage of free interest until December to better manage their operations for cash flow and profitability. The key difference is the Rabo AgriFinance program is specific to BASF and Horizon Ag rice products while the credit through John Deere Financial is included in a farmer’s overall line of credit with John Deere, according to a news release. The program is offered through Rabo AgriFinance for purchases from Oct. 1, 2018, through Sept. 30.

Eligible rice varieties include all Horizon Ag Clearfield varieties — CL111, CL151, CL153, CL163, CL172, CL272 and CLJ01 — followed by Clearpath herbicide or Newpath herbicide. Also included is the Provisia variety, PVL01, followed by Provisia herbicide. In addition, customers can finance other BASF crop protection products applied to their rice acres — Beyond, Facet L, Sharpen or Prowl H2O herbicides.

Mark your calendars for the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show The 67th annual Mid-South Farm & Gin Show is set for March 1-2 at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, Tenn. The two-day event offers attendees the opportunity to see what’s new in the industry and hear from respected leaders, according to Timothy Price, show manager. Ag Update seminars are scheduled for March 1 and 2. Industry experts, including Joe Nicosia of Louis Dreyfus, will headline the Ag Update seminar March 1. Richard Brock of Brock Associates will provide a grain marketing outlook and recommendations at the Ag Update March 2. Both sessions begin at 8:30 a.m. Price says the 2019 show features many small- and mid-sized companies — including One Grower Publishing, parent company of Rice Farming magazine — with a long history of exhibiting at the show. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m., March 1; and 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., March 2. For more information, contact Price at 901-947-3104 or visit www.farmandginshow.com.

The Mid-South Farm & Gin Show is family friendly and provides an opportunity to see what’s new in the industry. RICEFARMING.COM

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Lessons learned Researchers fine-tuned N, seeding recommendations for Provisia rice during 2018 season By Dustin Harrell

Some key findings Recommendations were made based on existing data that suggested the variety needed 30 more pounds of N per acre to reach its yield potential compared to most other currently grown varieties. Additional research was conducted in 2018, and the new findings indicated the variety responded similarly to other varieties being grown. Therefore, the recommendation was reduced in Louisiana to 120-160 pounds of N per acre for 2019. Data collected prior to PVL01’s release and data collected in 2018 suggested the optimum plant population was 10-15 plants per square foot at the three-leaf stage of development. The recommended seeding rate is 50-70 pounds of seed per acre. The canopy of PVL01 is very thick, and many question if seeding rates can be lowered even further. In truth, seeding rates could go as low as 23 pounds per acre, and a plant population of 10-15 plants per square foot could theoretically still be achieved. However, every seed would have to germinate and every seedling would have to survive to maintain the optimum plant population. Losses due to biotic and abiotic stresses could potentially Dr. Dustin Harrell is the Extension rice agronomist based at the Louisiana State University AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station in Crowley. He may be reached at DHarrell@agcenter.lsu.edu

RICE FARMING

FEBRUARY 2019

COURTESY LSU AGCENTER

he 2018 season was the first year the Provisia variety, PVL01, was grown commercially. Louisiana grew approximately 10,000 acres of PVL01, and the average yield was about 42-43 barrels per acre statewide (6,804-6,966 pounds per acre; 151-155 bushels per acre). Many growers were satisfied with the Provisia system, and I expect Provisia acres will increase in Louisiana in 2019. The Provisia technology was, and still is, desperately needed in Louisiana to clean up Newpath-resistant red and outcrossed rice in infested fields. Because of the great need for the system, the variety PVL01 was developed faster than any other inbred variety in the history of the H. Rouse Caffey. Rice Research Station in Crowley, Louisiana. Prior to the release of any variety, research is conducted for several years to evaluate the optimum nitrogen rate and plant population. Because the variety was fast-tracked for release, less-than-normal data existed to make agronomic recommendations. The Provisia variety, PVL01, was fast-tracked into commercial production, so a less-than-normal amount of agronomic data was available. Field trials conducted in 2018 helped fill in many of the gaps.

reduce seedling populations below optimum. The current recommended seeding rate considers this and provides a buffer for these potential losses. What you need to know If you have never grown PVL01 before, you should also know these additional facts before planting it in 2019: 1. You cannot plant PVL01 after Clearfield rice due to the Newpath residual. 2. The Provisia herbicide does not have a residual component. Use residual herbicides in your herbicide program and overlap when possible. 3. Antagonism has been reported when tankmixing Provisia with several herbicides. Avoid all tankmixes when possible. 4. A “yellow flash” can sometime be seen after Provisia application. This will generally go away after a few days of good growing conditions. 5. PVL01 is a lighter green color than most rice varieties and will not turn that dark green color regardless of how much nitrogen fertilizer you apply. 6. PVL01 is susceptible to blast. You will need to use at least one fungicide application, and it is highly recommended that you use two applications when growing PVL01. RICEFARMING.COM

Richard Costello

Northeast Louisiana ag consultants Ashley Peters (left) and Richard Costello discuss soil maps that can help determine a field’s yield potential.

‘‘

rowing up on a farm in Northeast Louisiana, I was always interested in agriculture,” says rice consultant Richard Costello. “I like watching the crops grow and progress. It gets in your blood. During my advanced postdoctoral training at Louisiana State University, my cousin Michael Costello recruited me to check their rice on the weekends. That’s where I got my rice consulting start. “As consultants, we all have a vested interest in our farmers’ success. That’s what motivates us to attend meetings and get out in the growers’ ﬁelds and make the best decisions we can so they will be proﬁtable. If our farmers don’t make it at the end of the day, then we are not going to make it at the end of the day.” While attending college, Costello interned one summer with Louisiana cotton consultant Jack McDaniel. During his last year at Louisiana Tech University, he also completed two internships with DuPont at its research farm in Greenville, Mississippi. After graduating in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science degree in ag business, Costello decided to further his education at the University of Arkansas where he studied under Dr. Dick Oliver and received a master’s degree in weed science. Having achieved this milestone, Costello worked for the Arkansas Extension service for a year, followed by a short stint at Terra Industries. In 1998, Dr. Jim Griffin talked him into coming to Louisiana State University where he completed his doctorate in weed science with a minor in entomology. Costello worked in a postdoctoral program at LSU until 2004. PHOTOS BY VICKY BOYD

With a good education under his belt and some consulting experience at his cousin’s rice farm, the Louisiana native began looking for more permanent employment. Butch Jones — who operated a consulting business with his son, Hank, and Frank Phelps — approached Costello about coming on board with them. “Their consulting business was in Northeast Louisiana, so I was familiar with the area,” he says. “It was a good arrangement. Hank and I even bought a farm in 2008 and did some contract research for a while. About three years ago, we decided to develop separate consulting companies. That’s when I established Boeuf Delta Ag Services in Oak Grove.” Customized Recommendations Are Key Today, Costello has farmer clients in Northeast Louisiana

and Southeast Arkansas. In addition to rice, he consults on cotton, corn, soybeans, sweet potatoes and grain sorghum. “I would describe my company as a ‘full-service’ consulting business,” Costello says. “From soil sampling all the way to harvest, we do everything possible to help the crop reach its greatest potential. “I also try to go beyond the basic expectations associated with producing a successful crop. I’m there as a friend to talk about things like families and life, do some hunting together or give a shoulder to cry on when things aren’t working out so well.” As far as his consulting style, Costello says he takes the characteristics of each farm and specific field conditions into consideration before making recommendations. “I put a lot of effort into spraying when we determine we need to spray,” he says. “I also look at the land and what kind of yield potential it has. For example, I check five or six different soil types, so there is a lot of variation in productivity. You can’t use just a cookie cutter approach. “We have to consider the economics of everything now, especially going into this season. A lot of my farmers will spend a lot of money up front making several trips across the field to get the land back into shape to farm. After a rainy harvest, the fields are rutted up, particularly in the rice areas where we have buckshot clay.” A Lot Of Sweat And Mud Like most other consultants, Costello is typically up and rolling before the sun rises during the summer. “I typically leave the house about 5 or 5:30 in the morning, and it’s sweat and mud from then on most days,” he says. “There’s not a lot of downtime as we move from field to field walking and looking. Some of my farms are close together, so I might start on the west side and head east, checking each field as I go. “If my scouts are with me, they may start on the bottom end, I will start on the top and we meet somewhere in the middle to discuss whether we found something squirrelly or out of whack. If they report something that doesn’t look like it should, I will go check on it myself.” Costello and his team use FieldX, an agricultural software program that runs on a tablet or laptop computer, to assist in generating reports. “I give my scouts an iPad to keep up with their notes, which they can upload to the cloud and I can download to my laptop,” he says. “I sit down at night or first thing in the morning and go through all the information, make a recommendation sheet and email it to my farmers.

Kudos From The Field “Richard’s vast knowledge of rice is second to none. He surrounds himself with people who share his dedication to the rice production industry. Richard’s opinions on rice production are taken very seriously in our region. He is at the top of the chain when you are seeking answers associated with raising rice.” — Michael Costello, Louisiana farmer ww “Dr. Richard Costello is dedicated to the success of his grower clients. He works throughout the growing season assisting them with production decisions from planting to harvest. Richard is always seeking out new varieties and technologies to make his clients more profitable. He has a desire for his growers to be as sustainable and profitable as they can be, and that is evident by the work he puts in each season on their farms.” — Ashley Peters, Louisiana consultant ww “Richard is aware of the time and effort required to accurately diagnose problems and provide solutions to producers. He truly cares about the rice industry and has developed that special trust with his clients that consultants must have to be consistently effective. Richard’s record of field experience, professional participation and community support clearly show he represents the consulting industry with a positive attitude.” — Rogers Leonard, Associate Vice President, LSU AgCenter ww “Richard has been a dedicated rice consultant to a vast number of rice farmers in Northeast Louisiana for almost 20 years. His expertise has led him to be the authority on rice production in our area.” — Hank Jones, Louisiana consultant

| Richard Costello strives to keep his rice farmers profitable and considers them friends as well as clients. From left are Justin Stutts, Richard Costello, Jason Stutts and Michael Costello.

Richard Costello is joined in the rice field by his son, Daniel, wife Carla and daughter Ava. “Carla has been very supportive, and family support in this occupation is priceless,” he says.

“It’s nice to get away from scribbling everything on a sheet of paper and leaving it in someone’s mailbox or under a rock somewhere. Getting away from paper copies has been nice.” ‘We Are All In This Together’ Costello believes in the importance of communicating with other consultants, university and industry personnel in and out of the field. “I regularly talk to several consultants during the summer to find out what they are seeing in the field and what they are doing about it,” he says. “My opinion is we are all in this together. There is no reason for us not to collaborate and attend meetings together to learn and do what we can to help our customers.” The Louisiana consultant also relies heavily on university personnel for input into problems and solutions. “They are key to our industry,” Costello says. “Without tapping into their expertise, I think we would have trouble managing some of the challenges we face. “I have a good relationship with the basic manufacturers, too. They are honest and up front in providing information about their products and don’t push them where they don’t fit.” Costello also strives to increase his knowledge and build relationships within the industry by attending meetings during the off-season. He belongs to several professional organizations and willingly contributes his time to serve in leadership positions. When Costello learned he had been chosen as the 2018 Rice Consultant of the Year, he says he was surprised, honored and grateful.

Long, hot days are a good excuse for friends to lighten things up. From right are crop consultants Ashley Peters, Hank Jones, Richard Costello and rice scout Gage Costello. “You have to look for ways to make walking rice in the middle of July enjoyable,” Richard says.

Richard Costello At A Glance Background w Bachelor of Science degree in ag business, Louisiana Tech University, 1992 w Master of Science degree in weed science, University of Arkansas, 1996 w Doctorate in weed science with a minor in entomology, Louisiana State University, 2001 w Established Bouef Delta Ag Services in 2016 w Consults on rice, cotton, corn, soybeans, sweet potatoes and grain sorghum in Northeast Louisiana and Southeast Arkansas w President and member of the board of directors of the Louisiana Agricultural Consultants Association. Served as past president of LACA in 2009 w Member of the National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants w Member of the Northeast Louisiana Rice Growers Association w Member of the American Society of Agronomy Family Life w Costello was raised in Oak Grove, Louisiana, where he and his wife, Carla, reside today. They have three children: Daniel Costello, Ava Costello and Lane Essex.

“I was so humbled by what everyone wrote on my behalf,” he says. “I appreciate that so many people have positive thoughts about me.” It is with great pleasure that we congratulate Richard Costello as the 2018 Rice Consultant of the Year.

S P O N S O R E D

B Y

VICKY BOYD

Richard Morris (left) and his son, Matt, farm some of the same ground near Carlisle, Arkansas, that their forefathers did.

Going for the win Multi-pronged water conservation efforts help growers score ‘more crop to the drop’

TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

By Vicky Boyd Editor

ounded in 1892 by John and Emma Morris, Morris Farm near Carlisle, Arkansas, is the oldest commercial rice operation in the state. Richard and Matt Morris, fourth- and fifthgeneration descendants, respectively, have embraced water-saving technology during the past several years to steward finite resources and help ensure the farm remains productive for future generations. “It sets everything up for future generations, and we feel so blessed because our kids love being out there,” says Matt’s wife, Erica. Their latest practices — including alternate wetting and drying, multiple-inlet rice irrigation, surge valves, flow meters, moisture sensors and

a remote weather station — build on top of existing water-conservation measures. “These are game changers,” Matt Morris says. “The way we look at how we irrigate is completely different now compared to even five years ago.” In addition, the Morrises take a hard look at field fertility and were pulling grid soil samples even before GPS was available commercially. More recently, they added N-STaR and the GreenSeeker handheld to fine-tune nitrogen management. Matt Morris put these practices to the test during the 2018 season when he entered the University of Arkansas’ inaugural “More Crop to the Drop Contest.” FEBRUARY 2019

RICE FARMING

Yield and water-use efficiency The competition borrowed components from three different contests: The Arkansas Grow for the Green Soybean Yield Contest, the National Corn Growers Yield Contest and the University of California’s Rice Yield Contest, says Chris Henry, Associate Professor and Water Management Engineer at the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart, Arkansas. But More Crop to the Drop had a twist – it included water-use efficiency. Each contestant either had to borrow a flow meter from their county Extension office or Natural Resources Conservation Service or buy one. Without the instrument, neither the entrants nor the judges would know how much water was applied. The contest goal was to raise awareness of a dwindling resource in the state and how to maximize production for each acre-inch

This image from Matt Morris’ drone provided a birdseye perspective of irrigation water moving across individual paddies within a field. Based on this, he adjusted the blue gates within a few paddies to promote more uniformity.

of water applied, Henry says. An acre-inch, or 27,154 gallons, is the amount of water needed to cover 1 acre of land 1 inch deep. Matt won the rice category with a yield of 229 bushels per acre and a total water-use efficiency of 7.8 bushels per acre-inch. The moisture came from 16 inches of applied water and 13.4 inches of precipitation. For his efforts, Matt won a tote of hybrid rice seed from RiceTec, valued at $12,000. The average water-use efficiency among all 10 contestants was 5.25 bushels per acre-inch. “The neat thing about this contest is the highest yield didn’t necessarily win,” Henry says. “We had a row-rice field that cut 266.6 (bushels), which was the highest yield in the contest, so Matt’s wasn’t the highest yield. But (the row-rice grower’s) water use was too high, so it really brought his water-use efficiency down. “That’s the point of the contest. You really want to manage the water, since it’s something you can’t buy more of, it’s a much bigger challenge to manage both yield and water.” Henry says he hopes the 10 entrants benefited from the water-management knowledge they gained during the contest and will use it on future crops. “Even if they entered the contest and didn’t win but they did the best they could, they gained perspective of how water and yields relate and how their management compares to others,” Henry says. “Each participant received a report card showing how they did compared to the aggregated result of the group.” To put Matt’s accomplishment in perspective, the average yield

COURTESY MATT MORRIS

VICKY BOYD

Matt Morris prepares to fly his drone over a rice field to scout for signs of plant stress.

RICE FARMING

FEBRUARY 2019

RICEFARMING.COM

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A water-wise family 2018 marked the 118th rice crop on the Morris Farm. In the very field where John Morris planted his first rice crop, the Morrises last summer had their automated weather station and a flow meter. Matt planted the same 60-acre field to the hybrid, XP753, on May 8 and entered it in the water-use contest. 2018 also was the second season the Morrises used MIRI and AWD on their 400 acres of rice. In 2017, the two used the technologies but didn’t see much water savings because of above-average rainfall during the growing season. But the drought-like conditions during the summer of 2018 really showed the benefits of MIRI and AWD, Matt says. AWD involves allowing a flood to recede to a muddy state before the field is reflooded. It works best when paired with MIRI, which uses collapsible poly tubing to simultaneously flood all paddies within a field. A Pani pipe placed in the field lets growers view the water depth below the soil surface as the surface begins to dry. Together with soil moisture sensors, it helps users better time reflooding the field. Located on Arkansas’ Grand Prairie, the Morris Farm sits atop the severely overdrafted Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer. In the 1980s, Richard wanted to reduce reliance on groundwater and built a 60-acre reservoir with a 600-acre-foot capacity. The family added an additional 20-acre water-storage structure a few years ago. In addition to rice, the Morrises grow corn and soybeans, which are irrigated with the same surface systems. They do have deep wells as back-up, but Richard prefers not to turn them on because of the substantial cost and to preserve the aquifer. But 2018’s dry conditions had them worried. “We knew since we built that new reservoir we had 20 more acres of surface water, but we were a little concerned about how it was all going to play out,” Matt says. “But it was all textbook.” Embracing new technology Matt used the University of Arkansas’ “Rice Irrigation” mobile app to develop his MIRI plan for each rice field. As he began to flood the fields during the spring, he launched a DJI drone to check water movement across each check. Using Drone Deploy software, Matt was able to view the aerial image shortly after the drone returned to the launching site. In one field, for example, Support for the contest was provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service, RiceTec, P and R Surge Irrigation, McCrometer, Delta Plastics, DamGates, Irrometer and University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

RICE FARMING

FEBRUARY 2019

VICKY BOYD

in the university’s Rice Research and Verification Program was 186 bushels per acre, and the average depth of irrigation applied was 24.6 acre-inches per acre for 2018, he says. Irrigators reported to the Arkansas Natural Resource Commission they used an average of 37 acre-inches of water to irrigate 1 acre of rice. “Matt and his dad achieved a high-yielding rice crop on 58 percent less water than the expected irrigation needs for rice,” Henry says.

In 2018, the Morrises installed an automated weather station so they could remotely monitor evapotranspiration, precipitation, temperature, wind and other environmental conditions.

Matt saw the water was taking longer to move across a few of the paddies so he fine-tuned the blue gate settings from the Rice Irrigation app on the collapsible tubing to provide a larger flow. The result was more uniform irrigation across all paddies, reducing the risk of fertilizer volatilization. To make checking fields easier, the Morrises put their GreenSeeker reference plot near the AWD monitoring pipe, so they could take care of both during one stop. Matt also used his smartphone to monitor through the remote weather station in one of their rice fields how much water was being lost each day to evapotranspiration. To stretch surface supplies across the fields, they added surge irrigation valves. Based on data collected from moisture sensors sunk in the soil, the valves automatically switch irrigation from one field to the next once pre-set soil moisture thresholds are met. In the past, Matt says they would irrigate for two days, then switch. “Before, we were just guessing,” he says. “Now we surge irrigate until we get those numbers down to zero.” Sleepless nights Matt admits he babied the contest rice field and had many a sleepless night wondering whether he should have done something differently. Ironically, he says, even their non-contest rice fields averaged close to 228 bushels per acre on about 16 inches of applied water. “Now I know we can grow more rice because I’m using less water, and this year was a drought,” Matt says. “If I can do this on a year like it was, what can I do in a year that isn’t a record dry year?” RICEFARMING.COM

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

™

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

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

iceTec and Adama have partnered to bring rice farmers the FullPage Rice Cropping Solution. This imi-based weed control program combines high-yielding FullPage hybrid rice with Preface and Postscript herbicides. A significant benefit of FullPage hybrid rice is its higher level of crop tolerance than the competitive systems, which is especially important for early planting when the rice may be growing slowly, and growers are dealing with herbicide crop response in cool weather. Preface and Postscript have similar weed control spectrums with Preface offering good preflood, postemergence and residual activity, and Postscript offering pre and postflood activity, but with less residual. They target red rice, weedy rice, feral rice, barnyardgrass, most broadleaves and many sedges. According to their federal labels, Preface and Postscript can only be used with the FullPage Rice Cropping Solution.

Herbicide Rates And Timing Rice weed control programs should start with a pre-emerge application of a clomazone-based residual herbicide. Preface herbicide, which has some residual activity, should be sprayed very early post when the rice first emerges to target small and actively growing weeds. At 4- to 5-leaf rice, growers should treat again and have the flexibility to spray Preface or Postscript herbicide shortly before flood up. These two preflood applications are critical to achieve adequate weed control. The Preface label has a use rate range of 4 fluid ounces per acre up to 6 fluid ounces per acre. We recommend the 6 fluid ounces rate that has shown the most reliable weed control year in and year out. And with the FullPage Rice Cropping Solution’s improved crop tolerance, growers don’t have to worry about po-

tential crop response from the 6-ounce use rate. If coffeebean (hemp sesbania) and jointvetch are present, farmers can tankmix Zurax™ — Adama’s quinclorac-based herbicide — with Preface to control these legume weeds and add another layer of residual activity. Zurax also helps control Palmer amaranth (pigweed), which has become troublesome in rice. Postscript herbicide also provides a postflood, over-the-top cleanup opportunity if there are weedy rice escapes. With all herbicide-tolerant rice, 100 percent control of the weedy rice Sponsored by Adama is essential. Escaped red, feral or weedy rice can cross pollinate with the herbicide-tolerant rice and develop uncontrollable weed infestations. Scout carefully. If there are any escapes, we recommend a Postscript postflood use rate of 5 fluid ounces per acre as a third application along with handweeding, if needed. Customize Tankmix We want to remind growers they have the flexibility to tankmix another herbicide with Preface, especially for legume weeds and pigweed. Rice weed control can be tricky, and no year is the same. Different rice fields may need different tankmix partners. We want growers to work with their trusted consultants, Extension personnel and personal experience to customize this system for their individual situations and specific weed problems. This article is Part 1 of a three-part series about the rates, timing and flexibility of Preface and Postscript herbicides. Andy Kendig will also address the importance of practicing stewardship to sustain the FullPage Rice Cropping Solution technology.

Congratulations 2018

Rice Farmer of the Year Award

Melvin â&#x20AC;&#x153;Skipâ&#x20AC;? Hula Jr. and his wife, Cathy, reside in Hazen, Arkansas.

2018

Rice Lifetime Achievement Award

Marvin Hare Jr. and his wife, Lynne, reside in Newport, Arkansas.

From your friends at www.agheritagefcs.com Follow Us on Social Media @AgHeritageFCS

Stop by and visit Farm Credit at the 2019 Mid-South Farm & Gin Show | March 1 & 2 | Memphis, TN

Financing Programs Give Farmers Choices to Manage Cash Flow, Profitability Horizon Ag and BASF are partnering to offer rice farmers a new 0% APR financing program, provided through Rabo AgriFinance, for Clearfield® and Provisia® varieties and certain BASF crop protection product purchases for the 2019 cropping season. The Rabo AgriFinance financing program is in addition to a previously announced 0% APR program on Horizon Ag varieties and BASF crop protection products through the Multi-Use Account of John Deere Financial and enables farmers to take advantage of free interest until December 2019 to better manage their operations for cash flow and profitability. “As we head into 2019, Southern farmers continue to experience a long trend of decreased farm profitability, year over year,” said Dr. Tim Walker, general manager, Horizon Ag. “With cash flow getting tighter and interest rates on the rise, it is more important than ever that industry leaders like Horizon Ag partner with farmers to help them address financial challenges and get the crop planted. We are proud to be part of a program that offers farmers 0% interest financing for high-performing products.” Walker noted that the key difference is that the Rabo AgriFinance program is specific to BASF and Horizon Ag rice products while the credit obtained through John Deere Financial is included in a farmer’s overall line of credit with John Deere. The Rabo AgriFinance offer is for 0% APR financing for Clearfield and Provisia rice varieties, along with rice crop protection products from BASF. The program is offered through Rabo AgriFinance, part of the Rabobank group, for purchases from October 1, 2018, through September 30, 2019. Eligible rice varieties from Horizon Ag include all of its Clearfield varieties — CL111, CL151, CL153, CL163, CL172, CL272 and CLJ01 — followed by Clearpath® herbicide or Newpath® herbicide, along with Provisia variety PVL01 followed by Provisia herbicide and Facet® L herbicide. Customers can also finance other BASF crop protection products applied to their rice acres — Beyond® herbicide, Facet L herbicide, Sharpen® herbicide or Prowl® H2O herbicide. Products may be purchased at different times from one of multiple authorized retailers. The offer is exclusive to the Southern rice region states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas. “We are excited about being able to offer both the Rabo AgriFinance and John Deere Financial options for Horizon Ag customers,” said Walker. “Combined with Clearfield and Provisia varieties that provide farmers with outstanding yield potential, grain quality and weed control, these programs reflect our ongoing commitment to improve rice farmer profitability this season and for years to come.” For more information about both financing programs, farmers can talk to their BASF or Horizon Ag representatives or go to HorizonSeed.com. Other limitations may apply. See full program terms and conditions for further details. Credit subject to approval by Rabo AgriFinance. Must be Rabo AgriFinance authorized retailer. Qualifying transactions must be submitted for payment by the program dates in order to receive the corresponding interest rate. Offer valid on qualifying purchases made between October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019. John Deere Credit offer limited to Multi-Use Account Agricultural customers with an available Special Terms Credit Limit. Subject to the Multi-Use Account credit agreement and approval. Fixed 0% APR from the date of purchase, which may be prior to delivery, until December 2019, when the entire transaction amount is due in full. The principal balance, accrued interest, and all finance charges associated with the purchase are due in full on the customer’s December 2019 statement due date. Regular Multi-Use Account rates will apply after that date. Offer may be limited to qualifying products. No minimum purchase required. Subject to merchant participation; see your local merchant for complete details. Multi-Use Accounts are a service of John Deere Financial, f.s.b. Always read and follow label directions. Clearfield, Clearpath, Beyond, Facet, Newpath, Provisia, Prowl and Sharpen are registered trademarks of BASF. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2019 Horizon Ag, All Rights Reserved.

Specialists

Speaking

Good weed control starts with proper weed ID DR. M.O. “MO” WAY

TEXAS Rice Research Entomologist moway@aesrg.tamu.edu

and DR. MUTHUKUMAR BAGAVATHIANNAN

Vicky asked me to talk about weed management, so I asked Dr. Muthukumar Bagavathiannan to help me. Muthu is our rice weed scientist located at College Station, but he makes many forays into the Texas Rice Belt during the growing season. Of utmost importance is proper weed identification, which demands frequent and careful scouting. Last year, I was called out to identify a prostrate, broadleaf weed infesting a Chambers County rice field before flood. I brought it to the greenhouse and reared it to flowering, at which time I was able to identify it as Virginia buttonweed. Farmers east of Houston should be on the lookout for this invasive weed in 2019. If you don’t practice no-till, plant into a well-prepared seedbed devoid of seedling weeds. For no-till, make sure all weeds are dead or dying before you plant. Apply burndown herbicides/ combinations that are effective against the entire spectrum of weeds (including resistant ones like pigweed) in your fields. And remember, effective control of early season weeds is a key resistance management strategy. Apply a pre-emergence, residual herbicide (e.g. clomazone), but be careful to adjust the rate based on your soil type. As you know, heavy soils bind herbicide molecules, so these soils require higher rates of soil-applied herbicides compared to lighter soils. Refer to product labels for recommended rates specific to your soil type. Labels can be downloaded from www.cdms.net or www.greenbook.net. If there is no projected rainfall within a couple of days of application, flush immediately to activate the herbicide. About 0.5-1 inch of water is sufficient for activation. In my own research plots, I have observed severe stunting, bleaching and phytotoxicity when I applied too much clomazone. Also, I think this stunting and phyto persist longer when conditions are cold and wet, which often are associated with early plantings. If you apply a post-emergence herbicide, make sure you apply it when weeds are small. Once grass weeds begin to tiller, they are very difficult to control, and they aggressively compete with rice for space, sunlight, water and nutrients. To us, applying post-emergence herbicides too late seems to be the most common mistake in weed control. We know that trying

RICE FARMING

FEBRUARY 2019

DR. MO WAY

TEXAS Assistant Professor Texas A&M University muthu.bagavathiannan@tamu.edu

If you farm east of Houston, be on the lookout for this new invasive weed, Virginia buttonweed.

to schedule an aerial application in the spring is difficult, to say the least. Rain, wind (speed and direction) and irrigation scheduling can play havoc with your best-laid plans. In spite of all the technological advances in rice production, we still are at the mercy of Mother Nature.

We may need to rethink our N program for row rice DR. BOBBY GOLDEN

MISSISSIPPI Extension Rice Specialist bgolden@drec.msstate.edu Managing nitrogen fertilizer in a row-rice environment will be a little different than what we as Mid-South rice producers have been accustomed to in our direct-seeded delayed-flood production environment. Traditionally in flooded rice culture, we apply two-thirds of our nitrogen at the five-leaf stage, followed by establishment of the flood. Our remaining N is applied either at midseason or late boot, depending on our cultivar selection. This program is the most efficient strategy in flooded culture but may not be as efficient in RICEFARMING.COM

Specialists furrow-irrigated rice, depending on the environment. Therefore, a change will more than likely be required when managing N in a furrow-watered situation. When considering N management in furrow-irrigated rice, a few things have to be considered. The first is am I going to stop up my discharge pipes and allow a portion of the field to remain flooded? Second, how great is my slope? On row-rice fields where the bottom of the field will be stopped up, there will be three distinct management zones with varying levels of flood depth after the first irrigation. On these fields, split applications of nitrogen are recommended. If the slopes are not that great (< 0.1 inch fall), we may be able to get by with a more traditional program, especially on soils that have a high clay content. However, because there are distinct zones in the field, we may have to make additional applications in the zone with less standing water. The safest (from an N loss standpoint), but more costly, recommendation is to use a “spoon feeding” approach to nitrogen management on row-rice fields. Preliminary research in the upper MidSouth rice-producing states suggests a spoon-feeding strategy can produce great yields on row-rice fields with steep slopes and/or fields where producers have difficulty maintaining a uniform flood. The spoon-feeding strategy that has provided great yield potential in Mississippi has been to apply N in four split applications, with each application representing about 25 percent of the

Speaking

total required nitrogen rate. The first application should be made at the five-leaf stage, with subsequent applications every seven to 10 day in front of an irrigation. In practice, the spoon-feeding method on Mississippi farms has equated to applying 100 pounds of urea in three to four applications, with the fourth application many times only conducted on the top side of the field. If you have questions on fertilization of row rice, give us a call and we will help discuss an appropriate N strategy for your rowrice situation.

Zinc and the kitchen sink DR. JARROD HARDKE

ARKANSAS Assoc. Professor/Rice Extension Agronomist University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service jhardke@uaex.edu High pH soils in Arkansas can routinely have zinc (Zn) fertility issues. The most common problem ﬁelds are generally silt loam or sandy loam soils and have a pH greater than 6.0. Soils ﬁtting this description need added Zn if the soil test indicates

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Row rice can be planted on the same beds used for the previous year’s soybeans, providing the field doesn’t have many ruts.

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less than 4 ppm of Zn. Recent research by Dr. Nathan Slaton continues to show the advantages of 10 pounds of actual Zn applied as zinc sulfate. Compared to many other products at various rates, zinc sulfate at 10 pounds of actual Zn does the most to increase Zn tissue concentration in seedling rice. Other products may contain Zn but typically at rates much lower if applied based on product recommendations. The added benefit of 10 pounds Zn is that we can build the soil test level and reduce our application needs in the future. Zinc seed treatments also have value to rice growers. However, they are not a replacement for proper Zn fertility as described above. The current recommendation is to have 0.25 to 0.5 pound Zn per hundredweight (cwt) as a seed treatment. But recent surveys have suggested we are not always getting that amount on the seed. A Zn seed treatment will help to iron out some of those severe problem areas with extremely high pH and low Zn soil levels. In situations with high pH and low soil test levels, Zn seed treatments do not provide sufficient Zn alone. There has been a great deal of talk lately about new urease inhibitors for rice. All these new products contain NBPT, generally providing very similar reductions in ammonia volatilization and increases in nitrogen (N) efficiency. At this time, I have no

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Specialists Speaking

High pH soils in Arkansas can routinely have zinc (Zn) fertility issues, such as those pictured above.

reason to recommend one of these products over another. One item to note is that if you are able to flood a silt loam in three days or less or a clay in seven days or less, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need NBPT-treated urea. Just plain urea will do. Having said that, if you have any flood establishment concerns, NBPT-treated urea is cheap insurance to protect your N investment.

GreenSeeker helps assess mid-season top-dress nitrogen need DR. BRUCE LINQUIST CALIFORNIA UCCE Rice Specialist balinquist@ucdavis.edu

Early planting generally leads to higher yields with an average 1.5 100-pound sacks-per-acre yield penalty for every week delay during May. That said, you do not want to cut corners on sound management practices to simply plant a bit earlier. One thing I learned in 2018 doing the yield contest is the importance of getting a uniform stand of seedlings. You want to see a uniform 20 to 25 seedlings per square foot for optimal performance. Seeds can tend to bunch together due to poor seed bed preparation or winds during and shortly after planting. By panicle initiation (PI), you would like to see 70 to 80 tillers per square foot. Despite an increasing trend to apply a top-dress nitrogen application at panicle initiation, these applications may not be necessary. Top-dressing N is expensive as it requires an airplane and a more expensive form of N fertilizer. Top-dress N applications are needed if the plant is N deficient or you suspect it will become so. At PI (45 to 55 days after planting), the crop should be assessed to determine if a top-dress of nitrogen fertilizer is necessary. A good assessment is important because not applying N when needed can lead to a reduction in yield; however, applying N

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fertilizer when it is not needed can lead to lodging, delayed maturity, increased incidence of disease and reduced yields. The GreenSeeker, which measures the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) of the canopy, is a new tool that we have been testing. We have found that a response index of 1.1 or greater indicates the need for top-dress N application. The response index is the NDVI reading of an enriched N strip (representing a crop with unlimited N) divided by the NDVI reading from the field test area. The enriched strip is an area where extra N was added to the field (could be done by overlapping an area with an aqua rig or a small area where you intentionally added extra N). For example, if the N enriched strip gave an NDVI value of 75 and the field test area gave an NDVI value of 68, the response index would be 1.1 (75/68=1.10) and this would indicate the need for a top-dress N application. I mentioned above that over application of N can lead to increased disease. In 2018, we saw an increase in kernel smut. High levels of kernel smut are associated with high nitrogen levels. Kernel smut can lower both yields and grain quality. The variety, M-209, seems more susceptible to kernel smut than some of our other medium grains, so be particularly mindful of over applying nitrogen fertilizer if you are growing that variety. Additional information on nutrient management as well as other aspects of crop management can be found at the UC Rice website, http://rice.ucanr.edu/. RICEFARMING.COM

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