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Rice Consultant’s Corner
Challenges Related To Water Situation Jake Onstott PCA, Growers Ag Service, Inc. Yuba City, Calif. I grew up as the third generation in a family of crop dusters, but my love has always been to “play in the dirt.” After deciding that I wasn’t going into flying, I began working as a scout for a couple of PCAs while in college. My career took off from there. Being an ag consultant was as close to being a farmer as I could get. So that was the route I chose to take. I worked for a fertilizer company for 10 years, then joined Growers Ag Service in 2009. Today, the drought is still on California rice farmers’ minds, although we are off to a really good start as far as rainfall. Not knowing how much surface water will be available has led to many wells being drilled to help farmers sustain their operations. One of the challenges faced by growers who rely on well water or who weren’t able to properly decompose their straw last year is scum control. It can be very problematic when trying to establish a stand. Some farmers will drain the field to allow the rice to get above the scum before it forms and floats to the surface. We’ve also found that making phosphate starter applications 20 to 25 days after seeding as opposed to applying it preplant definitely helps reduce the scum population. As far as weed control, we try to control grass and certain broadleaves early with Cerano or Granite GR to avoid weed competition while the rice is getting established. Thirty-five to 40 days later, we rely heavily on propanil and Regiment to clean up remaining sedges, broadleaf weeds and any escaped grasses. I typically use Granite GR in a permanent flood situation. With a zero-day water hold, it offers more flexibility and longer residual control. Granite GR also takes out a wider spectrum of weeds than some of the other herbicides on the market out here. Watergrass, or rice mimic, is a big target weed for us along with propanil-resistant sedges like smallflower umbrella plant and ricefield bulrush. Where Granite SC is used, it’s often combined with Clincher. These two chemistries work very well together. Also, rice farmers who are baling their straw and removing it from the field need to get a good soil analysis prior to planting to make sure that potassium levels are sufficient, especially if they baled straw for several years in a row. Ideally, potassium should be applied in a preplant program to help the roots on the rice plant get established. Although many farmers delayed working their ground and planting last year because of the unknowns associated with the water situation, we still had some of the highest yields that we have had in a long time. I also grow some rice, so I keep reminding myself that as the world population and the upper class within this population continues to grow, there is going to be more demand for a higher quality and safer food supply. Our rice is the perfect fit for that scenario. Regardless of what happens in the short term, I believe the long-term future of California rice looks bright. Sponsored By
• B.S. degree in agribusiness – Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo • Member of California Association of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA) • Has consulted for 19 years • Consults on rice, walnuts, almonds and prunes • Married to wife, Kristin • Two children: Levi, 12, and Elizabeth, 9 • Enjoys duck hunting, fly fishing, coaching youth sports and traveling
Recap: Challenges Related To Water Situation
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1. The drought is still on California rice farmers’ minds, although we are off to a really good start as far as rainfall. 2. One of the challenges faced by growers who rely on well water or who weren’t able to properly decompose their straw last year is scum control. Some farmers will drain the field to allow the rice to get above the scum. Also, making phosphate starter applications 20 to 25 days after seeding as opposed to applying it preplant definitely helps reduce the scum population. 3. We try to control grass and certain broadleaves early with Cerano or Granite GR to avoid weed competition while the rice is getting established. Watergrass, or rice mimic, is a big target weed for us along with propanil-resistant sedges like smallflower umbrella plant and ricefield bulrush. 4. Where Granite SC is used, it’s often combined with Clincher. These two chemistries work very well together. 5. Rice farmers who are baling their straw and removing it from the field need to get a good soil analysis prior to planting to make sure that potassium levels are sufficient, especially if they baled straw for several years in a row. Ideally, potassium should be applied in a preplant program.
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Rice Consultant’s Corner
Stick To Field-By-Field Strategies In 2015 Carl Fannon Simon Says, Inc. Holly Grove, Ark. When I was a young teenager looking for something to do to make extra money, Jeff Calloway, an independent seed and chemical dealer in Holly Grove, hired me to “sweep up.” Later, he sent me out with his representatives to help me learn the consulting business. I worked for and learned from Jeff for 13 years before taking a job at a Terra location when I was 26. Ten years later, I left to start my own consulting business – Simon Says, Inc. – in 1998. While I was at Terra, ag pilot Randy Everett jokingly said that farmers couldn’t make a decision without “Simon” telling them what to do. He always called me Simon instead of Carl, so I ran with it when I opened my own company. In looking back at last year, we didn’t have a lot of hot weather. It was cool and wet, which delayed planting dates two to three weeks, resulting in some late rice. Because we didn’t have optimum heat units as the rice got closer to maturity, our yields were off some in 2014 compared to what we harvested in 2013.
Barnyardgrass And Red Rice Control Barnyardgrass is the No. 1 weed in our area, followed by red rice. The program that we normally use for this pest is to come in with Super Wham, then apply Grasp or Grasp Xtra with Facet when we go to flood. In places where we have continuous rice, sprangletop issues or escaped barnyardgrass, we apply RebelEX once the flood is established to take care of any weed issues at this time. It’s one of my goto products. Sometimes we make this application later, but most of the time we come in with RebelEX after we have a flood established. Where dayflower is becoming a problem, most of the above-mentioned herbicides do a pretty good job of controlling it, too. If red rice is present, farmers plant Clearfield varieties and use Newpath to fight this weed. Where pigweed shows up on the levees, we try to take it out early with propanil when making a blanket aerial application. In some places, we can still put out 2,4-D at mid-season, but most of the pigweed is controlled early with propanil. However, in some cases, farmers do have to spray the levees individually.
Field-By-Field Philosophy Remains In Place For insect control, we rely on seed treatments to take care of rice water weevils. Where we have a moderate number of rice stink bug, we piggyback an insecticide with a fungicide application just prior to heading to try to save an application if we can wait that long. Although plans can change between now and planting, I believe we will see an increase in rice acres this year. My strategy for 2015 is to continue using a field-by-field approach when making recommendations to give my farmers the most bang for their buck. Sponsored By
• Began scouting rice as a young teenager under the guidance of Jeff Calloway, an independent seed and chemical dealer • Established Simon Says, Inc. in 1998 • Consults in Phillips, Monroe and Arkansas Counties on rice, soybeans, corn and wheat • Member of the Airport Commission Board in 2004 • Member of Pine Grove Missionary Baptist Church • Married to wife, Angie, for 33 years • Two grown children: Jared, (wife, Kelsey); Ashtyn • Enjoys hunting and fishing
Recap: Stick To Field-By-Field Strategies In 2015
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1.The 2014 season was cool and wet, which delayed planting dates two to three weeks, resulting in some late rice. 2. The program that we normally use to combat barnyardgrass – – the No. 1 weed in our area, is to apply Super Wham, followed by Grasp or Grasp Xtra with Facet when we go to flood. 3. In places where we have continuous rice, sprangletop issues or escaped barnyardgrass, we apply RebelEX once the flood is established to take care of any weed issues at this time. It’s one of my go-to products. 4. Where dayflower is becoming a problem, most of the abovementioned herbicides do a pretty good job of controlling it, too. 5. If red rice is present, farmers plant Clearfield varieties and use Newpath to fight this weed. 6. Where pigweed shows up on the levees, we try to take it out early with propanil when making a blanket aerial application. In some places, we can still put out 2,4-D at mid-season. 7. For moderate numbers of rice stink bug, we piggyback an insecticide with a fungicide application just prior to heading.