Rice Farming May 2020

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PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

MAY 2020

Two non-native stink bugs prompt questions in Florida Despite COVID-19, rice breeding programs continue

Proof positive UArk research reaffirms state’s stink bug thresholds

One way or another, we’ll deliver profitable production strategies to improve your bottom line.

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March 2018 May 2020

COLUMNS

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Vol. 54, 52, No. 4 6

COVER STORY

4 From the Editor

Rice's long history bucks #stillfarming 'what's hot in food' trends

5 USA Rice Update U.S. Guest rice industry announces 6 Column 2030and sustainability targets Rice sustainability

8 D EUSA P A RRice T M Update ENTS

Rice industry sets priorities 18 Industry News for the next Farm Bill Rice business scene

10

Proof positive Here to stay?

10

D PARTMENTS 20ESpecialists Speaking If you had smut in 2019, plan 19 Industry News

Arkansas revisits rice stink bug thresholds, finding they still balance grain damage with grower profitability.

20 Specialist Speaking

F ECalifornia A T U R Erice S industry prepares for what may become annual armyworm The infestations.

Arkansas’ rice stink bug treatment thresholds.

F E Agauge T U R when E S best to make N applications.

ON THE Armyworms once Photo byCOVER: Vicky Boyd again plagued California rice growers in 2017.

9 8

The yin and yang Unwelcome tourists

12 14

On with the show Floods aid expansion Despite coronavirus restrictions, rice

16 16

Much stronger foundation Even with acreage New toolsa projected in the tool box increase,

to protect yourscene crop this Rice business season

Early mistakes ON THEherbicide COVER: Numerous recentcan plague you all season long trials have backed the University of

6

It’s all about timing

Use plant growth stage and DD50 to

Shorter supplies stink have bugs shornprompt up the Two non-native market, but increased 2018thresholds, planting questions about treatment projections cloud long-term spray timings in Florida rice. outlook.

Photo by Luis Espino, University of California Cooperative Extension

Sign e-newsletter Sign up up for for the the monthly monthly e-newsletter at to have have exclusive exclusive atricefarming.com ricefarming.com to industry news and content delivered industry news and content delivered directly inbox. directly to to your your inbox.

17

Giant invasive snail continue threatensalbeit the with breeding programs rice-crawfish rotation in southwest a few modifications.

Louisiana. the market better than 2017 as Several newappears crop-protection products long as demand doesn’t wane. are available in time for this year’s rice season.

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RICE FARMING

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From The

Editor

#stillfarming Several groups have taken to social media using the hashtag #stillfarming to let consumers know that agriculture is one of 16 essential business structures and that farmers continue to grow food during the coronavirus pandemic.

As some farmers I know have joked, they’ve been social distancing alone in their tractor cabs for years, so self-isolating is nothing new.

All joking aside, agriculture and the allied industries have been charged with the monumental task of continuing to feed the nation while keeping their workers and family safe from the coronavirus.

So far, agricultural chemical dealers have Vicky Boyd reported only spotty absenteeism among their Editor employees as some have decided to self-isolate.

Deliveries of seed, crop protection materials and other inputs appear relatively unaffected so far. Whether that continues will depend on the COVID-19 spread and how long the shelter-in-place rules remain in effect.

Harvest of most crops is still several months off, and growers say they hope things return to some semblance of normalcy before then. Finding reliable help is tough anyway, but adding the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus just boosts growers’ anxieties.

Although grocery shelves may not reflect it, the nation still has plenty of food.

The challenge is the supply chain. Rice millers, for example, make best-educated forecasts about what retail sales will be in coming months and process and package accordingly. There was no way they could foresee retail demands doubling in a matter of a week as consumers panic bought and hoarded.

The same applies to trucking. Produce packers, rice millers and other food processors had trucks lined up to transport their normal supplies to grocery distributors and grocery stores. Then the coronavirus struck.

It will take several weeks for packers, processors, millers and truckers to backfill the voids left on grocery store shelves.

If there is a positive note to the COVID-19 outbreak, it is that children are home from school and able to help on the farm.

A producer I know also points out consumers are finally starting to make the connection that grocery stores don’t produce food — farmers do. Unfortunately, it took a pandemic to drive home the point.

Vicky

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

ADMINISTRATION Publisher/Vice President Lia Guthrie 901-497-3689 lguthrie@onegrower.com Associate Publisher Carroll Smith 901-326-4443 csmith@onegrower.com Sales Manager Scott Emerson 386-462-1532 semerson@onegrower.com Production Manager Kathy Killingsworth 901-767-4020 kkillingsworth@onegrower.com Audience Services Kate Thomas 847-559-7514 For circulation changes or change of address, call 847-559-7578 or email ricefarming@omeda.com

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RICE FARMING (ISSN 0194- 0929) is published monthly January through May, and December, by One Grower Publishing LLC, 875 W. Poplar Ave., Suite 23, Box 305, Collierville, TN 38017. Periodicals postage paid at Memphis, TN. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to OMEDA COMMUNICATIONS, CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT, P.O. BOX 1388, NORTHBROOK, IL 60065-1388. Annual subscriptions are $25.00. International rates are $55.00 Canada/ Mexico, $90.00 all other countries for Air-Speeded Delivery. (Surface delivery not available due to problems in reliability.) $5.00 single copy.

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MAY 2020

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USA Rice

Update

U.S. rice industry announces 2030 sustainability targets

By Betsy Ward President and CEO USA Rice

T

his is an exciting time to grow rice in the United States. Advances in technology and innovative practices have revolutionized the industry and made us one of the most sustainable crops in the world. Over the past 30 years, we’ve seen significant decreases in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, groundbreaking efforts to support conservation and reduction of water use by over half.

This was no small feat. Our farmers and millers achieved these impressive sustainability metrics by working together as an industry and acting as stewards of their land, their communities and the environment.

As much as we have accomplished, there is always more work to be done when it comes to sustainability in agriculture, and U.S. rice farmers are continually rising to that challenge. I’m very proud that our industry has recently announced new sustainability targets to carry U.S.-grown rice forward.

DR. JARROD HARDKE, UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

2030 sustainability goals As we look toward the future, the U.S. rice industry has committed to achieve the following goals by 2030:  Increase land-use efficiency by 10%.  Decrease soil loss by 8%.  Decrease water use by 13%.

TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

It’s an ambitious plan, but our rice farmers have already proven they are up to the task.  Decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 13%.  Decrease energy use by 10%.  Increase biodiversity by 10%.

The U.S. Rice Industry Sustainability Report will be instrumental in tracking these goals. Using data accumulated from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and tabulated in the Field to Market Indicators Report every four years, it will act as a baseline for tracking progress and quantitatively measuring success. The industry’s effort also will be helped by significant research on sustainability practices by land-grant universities in all six rice-producing states.

Working as a whole It goes without saying that rice is farmed differently in every state and often even within the same state. Each state and region has its own challenges and opportunities to reach these goals, so our aim is to rely on aggregate data to show how our industry is working as a whole to reduce our overall numbers. We have a great story to tell, so we’ll keep telling it together.

It’s an ambitious plan, but our rice farmers have already proven they are up to the task. No one is forcing the U.S. rice industry to dedicate so much time and effort to sustainability and conservation. We do it because it is smart; it is efficient; and it supports the land, the ecosystem, the community and the economy.

Rather than satisfy ourselves with the great strides we’ve already made, we are continuing to innovate and challenge ourselves. I know we can reach these goals together, and I am as excited about what we will accomplish in the future as I am proud of what we have achieved in the past.

MAY 2020

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It’s all about timing Use plant growth stage and DD50 to gauge when best to make N applications.

By Jarrod Hardke

Don’t rush The data clearly shows that it takes at least three weeks for preflood N to be taken up by the rice plant and sometimes as long as four weeks. Once the rice plant has effectively taken up the preflood N, it is then ready to maximize uptake of midsea-

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Regardless of the variety or hybrid, apply N and flood up around the five-leaf stage but no later than the “final N date” based on DD50 (heat unit) accumulation.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

P

roper nitrogen (N) management is all about timing. Whether we’re talking about preflood N, midseason N or boot N, we need to be on time to maximize yield and the economic return of the application.

For all rice cultivars, whether varieties or hybrids, the same general recommendation applies for preflood N management. We want to apply N and flood up around Dr. Jarrod the five-leaf stage but Hardke no later than the “final N date” based on DD50 (heat unit) accumulation. This final date differs for each cultivar because each one reaches growth stages at different times, and this is why use of the DD50 Rice Management Program is so important (https://dd50.uaex.edu).

For example, for rice emerged April 20, the final N application timing for Diamond may be May 29 while the final timing for CL153 may be May 23.

Nitrogen applications later in the season are also critical but can have a more general window of application. Research on varieties from 2012-2018 helped us paint a solid picture of the optimum timing for midseason N application.

The recommendation is to wait to apply midseason N (46 lb N/acre) until at least four weeks after preflood N incorporation by the flood AND after beginning internode elongation. Often this timing will coincide with roughly ½-inch internode elongation, but both requirements need to be met prior to midseason N application.

son N. If midseason N is applied too early (overlap in timing where the rice plant is still taking up preflood N), much of the midseason N is lost before the plant can effectively take it up.

The window of application to maximize yield is approximately two weeks long — a much larger window of opportunity than previously thought. So midseason N should be applied four to six weeks after preflood N incorporation but before you reach late boot (flag leaf fully emerged).

Midseason N applications are not recommended on hybrid cultivars unless an N deficiency is noted since the preflood N rates set for hybrids are sufficient to supply the plant until a late boot application can be made.

Instead, it is recommended to apply N to hybrids at late boot to beginning head-

ing — that is, from the time you can see the flag leaf collar to when the first panicles begin to emerge. Applying 30 lb N/acre at this time results in small increases in grain yield and milling yield resulting in a positive net return over the cost of application.

Application made earlier than the late boot application window may still have benefits but also may carry the negative risk of increasing plant height and lodging potential.

Properly managed N fertilization goes a long way toward maximizing yield, milling and economic return. Focus on your N timing in 2020 to maximize overall rice crop success.

Dr. Jarrod Hardke is Extension rice agronomist with the University of Arkansas. He may be reached at jhardke@uaex.edu.

RICEFARMING.COM

2020 Rice Awards Nomination Form The Rice Farmer of the Year, Rice Industry Award and Rice Lifetime Achievement Award recognize those rice leaders who have demonstrated dedication, determination and innovation to the industry. We need your help to identify candidates who are worthy of these prestigious awards. Please take the time to consider which industry members in your area should be recipients of these honors and mail or scan/email this form and supporting materials.

Categories: Please check the box of the appropriate award category:

q Rice Farmer of the Year Award • Must farm at least 200 acres.

• A farmer who has successfully achieved goals in his/her farming operation, rice industry association, community improvement/development, innovative production practices and/or environmental stewardship.

q Rice Industry Award

If you are submitting more than one nomination form, please make a copy before you fill out the form. Nomination forms can be downloaded or submitted online at www.ricefarming.com.

Nominee’s name Nominee’s address Nominee’s phone number/email address Nominee’s rice acreage (if applicable)

• Has been in the rice industry for more than five years.

• A researcher, Extension person, government/association leader, etc… who has demonstrated commitment to the rice industry through innovative practices, industry association, community involvement/development.

Your name

q Rice Lifetime Achievement Award

Your profession

• Has been in the rice industry for more than 10 years.

• An industry leader who has provided great contributions to the rice industry through industry associations, community involvement/development, innovative practices/projects that have advanced the industry.

Deadline:

June 30, 2020

Number of years involved in the rice industry (if applicable)

Your address Your phone number/email address Your signature

Date

Please send completed form & supporting materials to: Carroll Smith 7201 Eastern Ave., Germantown, TN 38138 Scan/Email: csmith@onegrower.com

Include supporting materials to elaborate on your nomination: In addition to completing this form, on a separate piece of paper, please describe the nominee in terms of the following guidelines: Dedication to farming and/or agriculture and the rice industry, local community and education.

Determination to succeed and overcome hurdles that have emerged while trying to reach goals.

Innovation to identify new and better ways for the industry to become more profitable, manage risk, achieve a higher level of efficiency.

It also is helpful to send letters of recommendation for the nominee from other individuals in the rice industry who are familiar with his/her accomplishments. A panel of judges from across the Rice Belt will select the recipients of the 2020 Rice Awards.

The award recipients will be honored at the USA Rice Outlook Conference, Dec. 9-11, 2020, in Austin, Texas, where an official presentation will be made at the awards luncheon. They also will be featured in a special salute sponsored by Horizon Ag, USA Rice and Rice Farming magazine in the December 2020 issue.

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MAY 2020

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MATTHEW VANWEELDEN, UF/IFAS

(From left) Oebalus pugnax, the native stink bug; O. insularis, native to the Caribbean islands, Central America and South America; and O. ypsilongriseus, a pest of South American rice fields. All three are now found in Florida.

Unwelcome tourists 2 non-native stink bugs prompt questions about treatment thresholds, spray timings in Florida rice.

By Vicky Boyd Editor

S

Two exotic stink bugs Oebalus pugnax, the scientific name for the native rice stink bug, is an annual pest of rice fields throughout the Mid-South and South.

In 1994, UF/IFAS researchers confirmed another species, O. ypsilongriseus, in Florida rice fields. It is a well-known pest of South American rice fields.

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TYLER JONES, UF/IFAS

ince it was first confirmed about 13 years ago, an exotic rice stink bug from the Caribbean and Central and South America has increased in abundance and is now the most common stink bug in Florida rice fields.

What the new species’ expansion means for grain stage susceptibility, existing treatment thresholds and insecticide timings are topics that Matthew VanWeelden, a faculty member with University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, is currently pursuing.

With little information about the newcomer’s potential geographic distribution, he has suggested fellow rice entomologists survey for it, as well as another exotic rice stink bug species confirmed in Florida, in their states.

UF/IFAS faculty member Matthew VanWeelden

In 2007, UF/IFAS entomologists Ron Cherry and Gregg Nuessly confirmed a third rice stink bug species, O. insularis.

This one is native to the Caribbean islands, Central America and South America.

RICEFARMING.COM

2017 and 2018 surveys During the past 10 years, Florida’s rice acreage has almost doubled to about 26,000 acres this season. Rice is mostly grown as a rotational crop as the flooded fields help reduce oxidation of the region’s highly organic peat soils and aid control of soil arthropod pests, such as wireworms.

In 2017 and 2018, VanWeelden surveyed the commercial rice acres and adjacent grassy weeds within the Everglades Agricultural Area. Located along the south and southeast shores of Lake Okeechobee, the EAA sits partly in Palm Beach County and hosts nearly all of the state’s rice production.

He took three 50-sweep samples each of the rice and of adjacent non-crop host plants that included 13 species of grassy weeds. Diamond is the most popular rice variety grown in the EAA, with a much smaller acreage of Cheniere. Samples were collected at three sampling periods at up to eight locations per year.

In a shift, O. insularis comprised 61.7% of samples collected in 2018, a two- to three-fold increase over 2007 and 2008 surveys, VanWeelden says. In addition, the exotic species took over from the native O. pugnax as the most abundant rice stink bug species in the state.

He says he doesn’t know why O. insularis has become more abundant and what the population shift means to the region’s rice producers.

“All of our thresholds for spraying are based on O. pugnax, and we don’t know if O. insularis’ feeding behavior is the same.

Previously we had assumed they were feeding in the same way.”

During the 2019 season, VanWeelden established a caged feeding trial on the Diamond rice variety at the Everglades Research and Education Center near Belle Glade to begin to answer that. The trial looked at three stink bug species, three stink bug densities and three grain development stages.

Because of the complexity of the research, he says he’s still reviewing preliminary data from 2019. VanWeelden had hoped to repeat the trial this season, but that may be put on hold because of COVID-19 restrictions. If he isn’t able to plant the trial

by May, he says he’ll have to forego it this season and try again in 2021.

VanWeelden also had hoped to survey non-crop hosts in other parts of Florida this year to determine the distribution of both exotic rice stink bug species.

“We don’t know about the presence of the other two species outside of the EAA area,” he says. “I don’t know if they’re up in different parts of the state.”

TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

MATTHEW VANWEELDEN, UF/IFAS

At first glance, all three rice stink bugs appear similar, depending on natural color and marking variations. To help farmers and consultants differentiate the three, VanWeelden plans to produce a simple identification sheet they can keep in their trucks and use when scouting.

During 2008 and 2009, Cherry and Nuessly surveyed eight rice fields each year and found O. pugnax comprised roughly 54% of all catches, O. insularis, 20% and O. ypsilongriseus, 18%. Two other stink bug species that belonged to a different genus and were likely not rice pests accounted for the remainder of the catches.

The data showed both invasive Oebalus stink bug species were widespread in the region, according to the researchers.

UF/IFAS faculty member Matthew VanWeelden is conducting feeding trials with three stink bug species to determine whether current treatment thresholds may need to be changed.

Surveying other states Because of VanWeelden’s research, the Texas Rice Research Foundation provided funding this season to Mo Way to conduct a survey of rice stink bug species in the state.

“Those are exotics, so it’s time to take a look,” says Way, a Texas AgriLife Research entomologist based at the Beaumont Rice Research Station. He plans to examine rice stink bugs in both the Texas main and ratoon crops.

To help with sampling, Way hopes to enlist a number of consultants who walk rice fields west of Houston.

As they sweep fields, Way has asked them to put the rice stink bugs they’ve collected from their nets into plastic bags and freeze them for later pick-up. The consultants also will label the bags as to the field location, rice growth stage and rice variety.

“We’ll have a lot more to ID, and the samples will be bigger,” Way says, adding he will sweep rice fields east of Houston.

Mississippi State University Extension entomologist Jeff Gore says he also plans to conduct surveys this year to determine whether one or both of the exotic rice stink bugs have migrated west to his state.

University of Arkansas entomologists don’t plan to conduct a separate survey looking at other possible stink bug species, says Extension entomologist Nick Bateman. But they are collecting samples to send to colleagues on the university’s Fayetteville campus to examine for genetic diversity.

“We haven’t seen different species of rice stink bugs, but we have seen quite a bit of variation in rice stink bugs,” he says. “We haven’t been able to document the other two species.”

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Proof positive Arkansas revisits rice stink bug thresholds, finding they still balance grain damage with grower profitability.

By Vicky Boyd Editor

Stink bug damage Rice stink bugs feed on rice kernels by inserting straw-like stylets through which they suck plant nutrients. Feeding early in the grain development can cause blanked kernels and direct yield

LSU AGCENTER

A

s two southern rice-producing states changed their rice stink bug thresholds, reducing the number that would trigger treatment, University of Arkansas entomologists decided they should revisit their recommendations.

After conducting numerous trials — ranging from caged feeding studies to large-block field trials — Arkansas entomologists say the state’s current treatment thresholds still strike a balance between minimizing grain damage and maintaining grower profitability. If followed, the treatment recommendations also are designed to slow insecticide resistance from developing.

“That’s part of our job as Extension folks — we’re always looking because crop production is always changing,” says Gus Lorenz, University of Arkansas Extension entomologist based in Lonoke. “It means looking at thresholds, and we’ve done that across a lot of crops, particularly cotton and soybeans and some in rice.”

Stink bug feeding during milk to dough stages allows fungal pathogens to enter the kernel, resulting in discolored or malformed kernels known as pecky rice.

losses. Stink bug feeding during milk to dough stages allows fungal pathogens to enter the kernel, resulting in discolored or malformed kernels known as pecky rice.

In addition, pecky rice can cause reduced whole kernel yields, and high peck levels may prompt mills to downgrade loads.

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UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

University of Arkansas graduate student Aaron Cato demonstrates how to sweep for rice stink bugs in this file photo. Begin scouting at about 75% panicle emergence.

RICEFARMING.COM

Treatment cutoffs During the past five years, Lorenz, fellow University of Arkansas Extension entomologist Nick Bateman and University of Arkansas Extension rice specialist Jarrod Hardke have conducted trials starting with caged feeding studies to examine trends. Then they ground truthed the findings with large-block field trials.

As part of his doctoral thesis, graduate student Aaron Cato in 2016 began looking at the thresholds as well as when rice was no longer susceptible to stink bug feeding and treatments could be discontinued.

His research backed up the university’s stink bug thresholds of five stink bugs per 10 sweeps for the first two weeks, followed by 10 stink bugs in 10 sweeps afterward.

“We’re not going to drop our thresholds,” Lorenz says. “If anything, we might raise them a little bit.”

Cato’s research also found treatments were no longer warranted after 60% hard dough. Lorenz says consultants and growers simply need to look at the panicle and count the number of straw-colored grains and the green-colored grains. If 60% or more of the grains are straw colored across 50% of the field, then growers won’t see a benefit from an insecticide application.

Bateman says scouting for rice stink bugs should begin about 75% panicle emergence. Prior to heading, rice stink bugs can be found mostly in non-rice host plants on the edges of fields. It’s not until the plants begin to head that stink bugs begin to move into fields.

“Those rice stink bugs aren’t attracted to the rice until it starts to head,” Bateman says.

TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

LSU AGCENTER

Time to revisit thresholds About five or six years ago, Louisiana and Mississippi dropped their treatment thresholds to two to three rice stink bugs in 10 sweeps from panicle emergence through soft dough. Louisiana’s recommendations call for three stinkbugs per 10 sweeps for the first two weeks of heading, followed by 10 rice stink bugs per 10 sweeps after that.

Their old recommendation was five rice stink bugs in 10 sweeps during the first two weeks of panicle emergence, followed by 10 stink bugs per 10 sweeps after that.

Lorenz says he began receiving calls from consultants and growers wondering about Arkansas’ threshold of five rice stink bugs per 10 sweeps during the first two weeks of panicle emergence, followed by 10 stink bugs per 10 sweeps afterward.

“Based on our data, our thresholds were still good, but it started us thinking about it,” he says. “I don’t want growers to take a hit from stink bugs because we’re not spraying quick enough.

But on the same note, we have to maintain profitability. If we sprayed on two to three per 10 sweeps, we’d be spraying 100% of our acreage, and that doesn’t help anybody.”

Callers also asked when they could stop spraying for stink bugs. During the past few years, growers and consultants have seen a surge in rice stink bug numbers clear into the hard dough stage, with some continuing insecticide applications.

Lorenz says he used to advise, “Hard dough, let it go.”

But hard dough is a physiological process that starts at the tip of the kernel and works back to the base of the panicle. Kernels on the same panicle also will be at different stages, complicating determining the hard dough stage.

Rice stink bug females lay a total of 500-600 eggs, which hatch in four to 11 days, depending on temperatures. The insect goes through five nymphal stages before molting to adults.

Throwing money away Some growers tankmix a pyrethroid with the fungicide they put out for disease control at the boot stage, or about three weeks before heading. Both Lorenz and Bateman say adding the insecticide at that timing is a waste of money because the residual wears off long before the rice begins to head. As a result, the emerging heads will not be protected from rice stink bug feeding.

“Why put it out if it’s not going to protect the rice grain?”

Bateman says. “If the heads aren’t out, you aren’t getting protection.”

In fact, putting out a pyrethroid before heading may actually flare rice stink bug populations because it kills beneficial insects, such as long-horned grasshoppers, that feed on stink bug eggs and small nymphs, he says.

Cause for concern The practice also may be contributing to a loss of pyrethroid efficacy in at least a few Northeast Arkansas rice fields. Lorenz and Bateman say they received calls in late September 2019 from a grower who had applied pyrethroids three times and was still not able to obtain good control.

What was concerning was the large number of nymphs that survived treatment, Bateman says. He collected samples and sent them to Neel Joshi, a University of Arkansas assistant professor of entomology at the Fayetteville campus, to have them assayed for resistance.

Bateman also conducted some assays using backpack sprayers and 10 gallons per acre, which should yield optimum control.

“What we were seeing was only about 50% to 60% control, and the bioassays showed the same thing,” he says. “It’s definitely alarming now — that area of the state was spraying a lot of stink bugs at the time.”

Growers do have rotational options — including Tenchu 20SG, a neonicotinoid; carbaryl, branded as Sevin; and malathion — but they are more costly, Bateman says.

Endigo ZC, a premix of thiamethoxam and lambda-cyhalothrin, has shown to be effective in trials against rice stink bugs, but it is not labeled for use in rice. Lorenz says the registrant, Syngenta, is working to get the product labeled for rice this season.

MAY 2020

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An aerial view of the University of Puerto Rico’s Lajas facility, which houses the winter rice nursery used by Mid-South rice breeding programs.

Despite coronavirus restrictions, rice breeding programs continue albeit with a few changes.

UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO

On with the show

By Vicky Boyd Editor

Winter rice nurseries Mid-South rice breeding programs depend on the Lajas, Puerto

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LSU AGCENTER

I

n mid-March, University of Arkansas rice breeder Xueyan Sha decided only a few days before his scheduled trip to the university’s Puerto Rican winter nursery to cancel it because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Although the move meant he wouldn’t be able to make selections of some of his breeding lines, Sha says in hindsight he was glad he did. Several days later, which would have coincided with his trip, Puerto Rico placed a 14-day quarantine on all arriving travelers.

“I was supposed to be there right now,” he said March 26. “Because of all of the restrictions, not only here in Arkansas but there, I became concerned and decided not to travel. With the winter nursery, we’ll definitely see a little impact, but it won’t be huge.

Even though we’re not traveling, we have collaborators affiliated with the University of Puerto Rico. They’ll be able to help us with the harvest.”

Sha last traveled to Puerto Rico in early February and made notes that he planned to pass along to collaborators.

University of Arkansas rice breeder Xueyan Sha has traveled to the winter rice nursery in Puerto Rico for years to select promising new breeding lines. In this file photo, he harvests panicles in his former role as an LSU AgCenter rice breeder.

Rico, nursery operated by the University of Puerto Rico to produce another generation of rice at a time when winter weather envelopes their local fields. They also rely on the facility for seed RICEFARMING.COM

increase. University of Arkansas, for example, obtains about 1,000 pounds of seed annually from Puerto Rico.

Each university program staggers their planting and harvest calendar so they don’t overwhelm staff at the Puerto Rico facility.

The California Rice Experiment Station, on the other hand, has its own nursery on the island of Kauai for producing one or even two generations during the winter.

Louisiana Because of schedules, Louisiana State University AgCenter rice breeder Adam Famoso traveled to Puerto Rico March 14, just ahead of Louisiana and Puerto Rico travel restrictions. He spent two days on the island, obtained what he needed and left a day early because of talk of pending restrictions.

“We harvested all of our F2 early generation material in February and got all of that.” Famoso says. “What we had left were our seed increases and purification of new varieties. If we weren’t able to come down (to Puerto Rico in March), it would have delayed things one to two years.”

Among the varieties in the pipeline nearing release are a conventional long grain as well as a third Provisia long-grain variety.

Material from Puerto Rico was planted in seed increase fields at the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Experiment Station near Crowley within 10 days of Famoso’s return in March. Variety trials planned for off-station sites were delayed temporarily until the university developed coronavirus protocols to keep employees safe.

“We pretty much can work independently,” he says. “We have one person on the planter and one person inside the tractor.”

Workers also travel to the field in separate vehicles that are disinfected regularly.

During a typical season, Famoso says he likes to have four off-station trials in South Louisiana, one in Central Louisiana and two in North Louisiana. Three off-station trials in the south part of the state already are in the ground, and near-ideal conditions

have promoted strong germination. The breeding program plants most of their trials, and the agronomy project assists with managing one to two locations.

If researchers from the Rice Research Station are not able to travel to the northern parts of the state, Famoso says he can overnight the seed to cooperators at other LSU AgCenters and have them plant the trials.

“It’s pretty much been day by day and week by week and doing as much as we can as far as restrictions and what we can handle,” he says. “All staff have been excellent and gone above and beyond — we’ve been fortunate so far.”

Arkansas Sha, who has traveled to Puerto Rico for years, knows all too well the challenges of the island territory — like hurricanes and earthquakes. As a result, he’s learned not to put all of his eggs in one basket.

“I don’t want everything in Puerto Rico in case a disaster happens,” he says. “Fortunately, I maintain the material in two places — half in Puerto Rico and half in the greenhouses in Stuttgart.”

In late March and early April, field conditions at the Rice Research and Extension Center near Stuttgart were too wet to begin planting rice lines for breeding and evaluation. Field station employees who could work remotely from home were doing so.

“But like my breeding program, we can do very little from home,” Sha says.

As conditions dry, he says he anticipates his crew will be able to work in the fields. Maintaining 6 feet of social distancing won’t be an issue because of the large space devoted to breeding at the research station. Employees who may have ridden together in all-terrain vehicles to field plots in the past will drive individually. Each morning before field work, they also will sanitize vehicle touch points, such as steering wheels and handles, with approved disinfectants.

TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

LSU AGCENTER

The winter rice nursery in Puerto Rico allows Mid-South rice breeding programs to produce an additional generation of rice per year.

MAY 2020

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2020

A crew harvests rice seed at the University of Puerto Rico’s Lajas facility.

Submit a nomination for the 2020 Rice Consultant of the Year Award.

Recognize an outstanding consultant or pest control adviser (PCA) for his or her dedication, leadership and innovation in the U.S. rice industry.

For more information, go to ricefarming.com/rcoy or go to Page 15 in this issue of Rice Farming.

Submit nominations by July 15, 2020.

S P O N S O R E D

B Y

Abbreviated Rules. No Purchase Necessary. Contest ends on 7/15/20 at 11:59:59 PM (CT). To enter, go to http://www.ricefarming. com/rcoy. Nominators must be legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and District of Columbia who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry and possess knowledge and/or experience in the rice farming industry. Entrants must be legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and District of Columbia who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry and serve as a rice consultant or as a pest control adviser in the rice farming industry. Void where prohibited. Sponsor: Corteva Agriscience, 9330 Zionsville Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268. ™ Trademark of Dow AgroSciences, DuPont or Pioneer, and their affiliated companies or their respective owners. ©2020 Corteva.

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UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO

Mississippi Mississippi State University rice breeder Ed Redoña planted early generation material in Puerto Rico in early December 2019 and was scheduled to return in early April to make selections and help with harvest.

But those plans fell through due to coronavirus-related restrictions.

“In fact, I was supposed to have been there since last week to do panicle and line selection work but, due to travel restrictions at both the university and state levels, I could not go,” he said April 7. “However, as a backup plan, the research station manager there agreed to get as many samples of our materials as possible to send back to Stoneville in a couple of weeks or so. I was not able to personally do the selection work there at this particular generation or stage of our breeding materials, which would have been ideal. But we will still be able to preserve our materials — albeit one generation older — for planting and then selection work later this summer in Stoneville.”

If the plan goes as hoped, Redoña says he doesn’t foresee a delay because all of the materials planted in Puerto Rico this year are in the early stages of the breeding cycle. He does have promising lines nearing release, but seed increase for those had already been planned at the Delta Research and Extension Center near Stoneville before the coronavirus outbreak.

Missouri Christian De Guzman, rice breeder at Southeast Missouri State University, had planned to travel to the Puerto Rican facility in late March to make early generation selections and harvest varieties. With

SEMO halting all business travel earlier that month, he had to change plans.

Instead, De Guzman says Anthony Rivera, who oversees the winter nursery, and his staff planned to harvest the rice lines and ship the seed to Missouri. Even if they’re delayed, De Guzman doesn’t anticipate it affecting development and release of varieties in the pipeline.

SEMO also has limited access to university facilities. As an essential employee, De Guzman says he can continue to work on his program remotely and on a limited basis at the outdoor facilities.

“We take social distancing seriously and take precautions by wearing masks and gloves if needed,” he says.

California California Rice Experiment Station director of plant breeding “Butz” Andaya visited the Hawaii winter nursery, made selections and flew back early before March 20 when they were starting to close the island, says station director Kent McKenzie. Breeder Theresa De Leon and breeding assistants originally scheduled to travel after Andaya canceled their plans, and harvest was left to the Hawaiian cooperator.

The seed was subsequently inspected

by Hawaiian agricultural officials as it left Kauai and by Butte County, California, officials as it arrived at the station. It has been processed for nursery planting.

The research station continues to operate at full capacity, implementing recommended safeguards for agriculture and agricultural workers, McKenzie says. The station also is considered part of an “essential industry,” according to state and federal definitions.

RICEFARMING.COM

2020

N O M I N A T I O N

Nominate an outstanding consultant or pest control adviser (PCA) for the Rice Consultant of the Year Award.

Sponsored by Corteva Agriscience and Rice Farming magazine, the annual award recognizes the dedication, leadership and innovation of this crucial segment of the U.S. rice industry.

“Crop consultants are invaluable to rice farming operations through the Mid-South. The agronomic advice consultants provide ensures the future profitability and viability of the rice industry for generations to come,” says LeAnn Bruns, product manager for rice herbicides, Corteva Agriscience.

SUBMIT SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION Please use a separate page for biographical/professional information.

Additional recommendation letters from other farmers, consultants and industry members in support of the nominee are encouraged.

F O R M

“At Corteva, we are honored to sponsor the Rice Consultant of the Year Award, recognizing those consultants who most exceed expectations for their contributions to the rice industry,” she says.

The RCOY Award recipient will:  Be featured in a four-page salute in Rice Farming magazine.  Be honored at a special recognition event.

The award recipient and nominator each will receive one night’s hotel stay and round-trip travel to the event.

Consultant’s Name: Company Name: Mailing Address: City:

State:

Phone:

Email:

ZIP:

Please describe the dedication, leadership and innovation that makes this person a good candidate for the 2020 Rice Consultant of the Year Award. (Use a separate sheet, if needed.)

Submit all materials via: Email: csmith@onegrower.com Mail: Carroll Smith 7201 Eastern Ave. Germantown, TN 38138 Online: ricefarming.com/rcoy

Your Name:

Submit nominations

by July 15, 2020.

Address: City:

State:

Phone:

Email:

S P O N S O R E D

ZIP:

B Y

Abbreviated Rules. No Purchase Necessary. Contest ends on 7/15/20 at 11:59:59 PM (CT). To enter, go to http://www.ricefarming.com/rcoy. Nominators must be legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and District of Columbia who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry and possess knowledge and/or experience in the rice farming industry. Entrants must be legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and District of Columbia who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry and serve as a rice consultant or as a pest control adviser in the rice farming industry. Void where prohibited. Sponsor: Corteva Agriscience, 9330 Zionsville Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268. ™

Trademark of Dow AgroSciences, DuPont or Pioneer, and their affiliated companies or their respective owners. ©2020 Corteva.

TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

MAY 2020

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Much stronger foundation Even with a projected acreage increase, the market appears better than 2017 as long as demand doesn’t wane.

By Kurt Guidry

T

he current rice market continues to show strength despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the prospects for larger acreage and larger production levels in 2020. In Louisiana, current cash offers for old crop rice have been able to maintain generally favorable levels around the $23.50 per-barrel level (roughly $14.50 per hundredweight).

It is debatable just how much rice in the area remains unpriced, but the ability for the market to continue to support those levels generally points to the favorable current supply and demand dynamics. Price bids for the 2020 rice crop are currently being reported around $20 per barrel (roughly $12.35 cwt). Although this is at a discount to old crop prices, it is still a relatively strong price level given the potential for increased acreage and production in 2020 and the uncertainty regarding any long-term demand impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Acreage estimates come into play The biggest factor threatening to limit the market’s ability to maintain current prices is the expectation for more acres and production this year. In its 2020 “Planting Intentions” report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture projected planted rice acres at 2.85 million acres, up over 300,000 from 2019 and only 99,000 below 2018 levels.

Looking at long grain, the USDA pegged those acres at 2.1 million, which is up over 320,000 from last year and close to 2018 levels. Typically, an increase such as this would result in a negative reaction from the market. However, the market really hasn’t seen a significant downturn because even though USDA projected higher acres for 2020, they were lower than projections earlier in the year.

This, along with the positive short-term supply and demand conditions, likely helped prevent the expected reaction from the market.

RICEFARMING.COM

Data through April 9 shows total rice export sales are 20% higher than the previous year while long-grain rough exports are 29% higher and long-grain milled sales are up 18%.

BRUCE SCHULTZ, LSU AGCENTER

Wet conditions may influence prices too Another factor that could provide at least short-term support to the market is the current wet conditions in parts of the Mid-South.

As of April 19, the USDA reported only 30% of the rice crop planted. Arkansas was at 23% planted compared to the five-year average of 45%. It is at the same pace as last year when wet conditions resulted in a large number of prevented planted rice acres for that state.

While it is probably still too early to suggest significant rice acreage will not be planted, many areas will need drier conditions. Currently, most of Arkansas and Mississippi are shown to have a crop moisture index rated as wet or extremely wet.

The seven-day forecast calls for another 1 to 2 inches of rain. Until conditions become more favorable for planting, risk premiums should continue to provide short-term support to prices.

While there are several factors that point to stable and supported prices for rice, the long-term outlook still would suggest some downward pressure on prices. Given current market information and projections, a logical projection for prices for the 2020 crop is in the $18 to $21 per-barrel range (roughly $9.88 to $12.98 cwt).

Current September 2020 futures prices are trading around $12 cwt, which would be viewed as being at the upper end of price projections for the average marketing year price. 

TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

Dr. Kurt Guidry is Southwest Region director and Extension economist with the Louisiana State University AgCenter in Crowley.

He may be reached at KMGuidry@agcenter.lsu.edu.

USA RICE

Exports remain strong Despite the lower-than-expected acreage in the report, the numbers still suggest higher production and supplies for the 2020/21 marketing year. When these numbers are used to project overall supply and demand values, they result in ending stocks increasing to levels that rival 2018 for all rice and 2017 for long-grain, when prices averaged around $18.63 per barrel (roughly $11.50 cwt).

Assuming actual acres match planting intentions and a return to normal or trend yields in 2020, ending stocks are projected to be similar to 2017. The 2017/18 marketing year would logically provide the downside potential for 2020 crop prices. However, given the tight stocks heading into the 2020 production year, the 2020/21 marketing year has a much stronger foundation for prices then existed in 2017. As long as there is no significant downturn in demand during the 2020/21 marketing year, prices should stay supported at or above those 2017 levels.

To this point, there has been no apparent significant downward trend in demand. Data through April 9 shows total rice export sales are 20% higher than the previous year while long-grain rough exports are 29% higher and long-grain milled sales are up 18%. This compares to year-over-year changes in exports expected to be in the 5% to 8% range.

If the current pace in export sales continues, it would suggest a further tightening of stocks before 2020 harvest. This could continue to support prices for longer into the 2020 production year than would normally be expected given the expectation for higher acreage.

MAY 2020

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Industry

News

Riceland names Ben Noble executive vice president, COO

UArk launches 2020 ‘Most Crop Per Drop’ contest

Do you think you know how to irrigate and stretch your water supply? If so, enter the University of Arkansas’ “Most Crop Per Drop” contest.

Unlike regular yield contests that simply look at how many bushels you can produce per acre, this contest involves how many bushels you produce per acreinch of water used.

The winner may not have the highest production per acre, but he or she will have harvested the most bushels for every inch of water.

Not only do the winners receive bragging rights, but there are some pretty hefty prizes, too. First place in the rice category receives a tote of RiceTec hybrid seed, valued at $11,000. The second-place prize is $5,000 from M&M Mars.

Deadline to submit the entry form is June 30. Read more about last year’s winners, prizes and contest sponsors, and the rules and fine print at https://www.uaex. edu/environment-nature/water/contest/ default.aspx.

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VICKY BOYD

Riceland Foods of Stuttgart, Arkansas, has named Ben Noble executive vice president and chief operating officer. In his new role, Noble will oversee the company’s strategic direction, product innovation and day-to-day administrative and operational functions.

Noble joined the rice Ben cooperative as vice presNoble ident of marketing and strategy in September 2017, adding the role of vice president of sales in August 2018.

He recently served as president of Noble Strategies, a Little Rock marketing and public affairs firm with agricultural-based clients including Tyson Foods, Monsanto, Con-Agra, Anheuser-Busch and Riceland.

Noble was the founding executive director of the Arkansas Rice Federation, which includes the Arkansas Rice Council, the Arkansas Rice Farmers and the Arkansas Rice Millers.

Field Day Calendar

(from left) Rice Farmer of the Year Jennifer James, Rice Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Ford Baldwin and Rice Industry Award recipient Jim F. Cook received recognition at the 2019 USA Rice Outlook Conference Awards Luncheon.

Help us recognize deserving industry leaders

We at Rice Farming magzine don’t come up with the award recipients’ names ourselves — we rely on you, as their peers, to nominate them.

The submissions are then judged by a panel of rice producers and/or allied industry representatives.

The award recipients don’t do what they do for the accolades and awards. Instead, they devote countless hours advocating on behalf of the rice industry.

That’s what makes these awards even more meaningful.

We’re recognizing these folks with lagniappe — something extra, as they say in Louisiana — for what they believe is “just the right thing to do.”

Visit page 7 for more information and a nomination form.

USA Rice, Rice Foundation unveil 2030 sustainability goals

USA Rice and The Rice Foundation recently unveiled a new set of sustainability targets that build on more than three decades of conservation accomplishments.

Over the next 10 years, the U.S. rice industry has committed to increasing landuse efficiency by 10%, decrease soil loss by 8%, decrease water use by 13%, decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 13%, decrease energy use by 10% and increase farmland biodiversity by 10%.

These goals are on top of reductions the industry has made over the past 36 years.

Because of the tenuous situation with the coronavirus, please double check whether the field day is still scheduled before planning to attend.

▪ June 30: Texas A&M AgriLife Research Extension Rice Field Day, David R. Wintermann Rice Research Station, FM 202 just north of Eagle Lake, Texas. Field tour in late afternoon, then move to the Eagle Lake Community Center for dinner and a business meeting.

▪ July 1: H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station Annual Field Day, Crowley, Louisiana. Tours early in the morning, followed by presentations inside. Check back later for more information.

▪ July 9: 73rd Texas A&M AgriLife Research Extension Rice Field Day, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 1509 Aggie Drive, Beaumont, Texas.

▪ July 23: University of Arkansas Row Crops Field Day, Rohwer Research Station, 140 Experiment Station Loop, Watson, Arkansas.

▪ Aug. 5: University of Arkansas Row Crops Field Day, Northeast Research & Extension Center, 1241 W. County Road 780, Keiser, Arkansas.

▪ Aug. 7: University of Arkansas Rice Field Day, Rice Research & Extension Center, 2900 Highway 130 East, Stuttgart, Arkansas.

▪ Aug. 26: California Rice Experiment Station Rice Field Day, 955 Butte County Highway, Biggs, California.

They include reducing water use by 52%, reducing greenhouse gases by 41%, reducing soil loss by 29%, reducing energy use by 34% and improving land-use efficiency by 39%.

The U.S. Rice Industry Sustainability Report will be used as a baseline for tracking the goals. Data comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and are tabulated in the Field to Market Indicators Report, which is published every four years.

In addition, land-grant universities in the six rice-producing states estimate practice adoption and have research results on the water, energy and emissions savings through use of these practices.

RICEFARMING.COM

For the first time, giant snails wipe out a Louisiana rice field

By Bruce Schultz

Why this field?

The farmer recalled that a lower population of snails was in the field last year, but no damage to rice occurred. However, this time the snails decimated the rice seedlings.

The farmer had a problem two years ago with snails clogging his crawfish traps.

The field is irrigated with surface water from a bayou that flows into the Mermentau River.

Wilson says he wants to know why the snail population was so high in this field compared to nearby fields.

The farmer plans to replant and control the snails with copper sulfate.

AgCenter rice specialist Dustin Harrell says apple snails have been a problem in Texas rice fields.

“Most of it is from clogging drains and causing breaks in the levees,” he says. “This is the first time in North America with significant damage in a stand of rice.”

Bruce Schultz is assistant communications specialist at the LSU AgCenter. He may be reached at BSchultz@agcenter.lsu.edu TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

DR. DUSTIN HARRELL, LSU AGCENTER

A

n invasive species of snails has wiped out a 50-acre field of rice, the first time the pest has been known to do that in Louisiana.

Louisiana State University AgCenter entomologist Blake Wilson says channeled apple snails were found throughout the field.

“There was no trace of rice. If you didn’t know better, you’d think it was a snail production farm,” Wilson says.

He says the farmer knew snails were present in high populations in some fields, because he had previous problems with the mollusk disrupting crawfish production.

The damaged field had been flooded throughout the winter, and extremely high snail infestations were present when it was water-seeded with rice.

“That’s the worst-case scenario,” Wilson says.

Rice plants were damaged by channeled apple snails in a southwest Louisiana field.

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RICE FARMING

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Specialists

Speaking

If you had smut in 2019, plan to protect crops this season DR. DUSTIN HARRELL

Epidemic levels of kernel smut and false smut were prevalent in the 2019 Louisiana rice crop. While smuts have always been a common problem in northeast Louisiana and the Mississippi Delta rice-growing regions, smuts were never really a concern in southwest Louisiana. Over the past five years, sightings of smut in southwest Louisiana rice fields have increased a little bit each year. And in 2019, we had high levels of the fungi everywhere.

Levels were so high in some fields that harvested grain was rejected at some delivery points. Unfortunately, spores of kernel and false smut can overwinter in the soil and will be available to inoculate our current crop.

If you had smut last year, you need to make plans to protect your crop this year. Even if you did not have smut last year, it might be a good idea to apply a fungicide to help protect your crop from airborne spores from infected fields nearby.

Take a multifaceted approach to sheath blight DR. BOBBY R. GOLDEN MISSISSIPPI Extension Rice Specialist bgolden@drec.msstate.edu

As I sit down to write this article April 17, less than 7% of the total Mississippi rice acreage has been planted. At this time last year, we were around 30%, while our 10 -year average for this time is greater than 50% planted.

This delay in planting makes speculating on the 2020 rice season difficult, but as we trend toward a later-planted crop, disease management may play a crucial role in the later months. Seed treatments are still vital for seedling disease prevention, even as germination periods decrease with a later-seeded rice crop.

Sheath blight caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani is considered the most important disease for Mississippi producers in direct-seeded, delayed flood environments. This disease requires a multifaceted approach for proper management, including choosing less-susceptible cultivars, avoiding excess N fertilization and regularly scouting fields, especially when rice is grown continuously without crop rotation.

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DON GROTH, LSU AGCENTER

LOUISIANA LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station dharrell@agcenter.lsu.edu

Smut levels were high enough in 2019 that LSU AgCenter plant pathologist Don Groth was able to evaluate rice varieties and hybrids for false smut susceptibility for the first time.

Propiconazole (Tilt, PropaMax, Bumper; 6 to 10 ounces) and difenoconazole (AmistarTop; 14 ounces) fungicides are recommended to be applied at 2- to 4-inch panicle in the boot to help protect the panicle from being infected with smut. Applications of the fungicides after boot split will not provide any protection.

Remember, these applications are preventative only; they are not curative. These applications will be going out where no signs The proper use of fungicides has aided management of this disease, but yield reductions can be significant if not controlled in a timely manner. The increasing adoption of furrow-irrigated rice throughout the Mid-South rice production region can have significant implications on rice disease management in Mississippi.

With this relatively new production technique, the lack of a permanent flood and nitrogen management strategies may greatly affect disease incidence and pathogen presence. One of the most concerning diseases in furrow-irrigated acreage is rice blast.

Rice blast is caused by the fungus Pyricularia grisea and is one of the most damaging rice diseases in Mississippi with respect to rice yield and quality. One of the most effective control strategies is to maintain a flood of at least 4 inches continually across a conventionally grown flooded field.

However, this strategy becomes unfeasible on at least portions of furrow-irrigated rice fields. With 10% to 15% of the state’s rice acreage expected to be in a furrow-irrigated production this year, increased incidence of this disease is a major concern and must be properly managed and accounted for.

Rice blast management in furrow-irrigated fields begins with planting cultivars with inbred resistance mechanisms, avoiding excessive N fertilization and planting early to avoid heavy blast pressure that can occur later in the season. Because we will not be planting early in 2020, intensive scouting so fungicide applications can be made with timeliness in blast-infested fields is paramount.

RICEFARMING.COM

Specialists

Speaking

of the disease are present. This has historically not been an application and expenditure that growers have worried about in southwest Louisiana. However, if a grower had smut last year, they should highly consider using a fungicide to prevent it this year.

Smuts have historically been low at the Rice Research Station. Because of this, Dr. Don Groth, station resident director and plant pathologist, has never had the opportunity to rate rice variety and hybrid susceptibility to the fungus.

Levels were high enough in 2019 for him to make false smut evaluations for the first time. His ratings ranged from 0 (no sign of the disease) to 9 (highest level of the disease possible). Some of the most susceptible cultivars included CL172 (4.8), Gemini 241 CL (4.3), CLXL745 (3.8), Presidio (3.2) and PLV01 (2.9).

It is important to note that this is just one dataset acquired at only one location in one year and may not be representative of a dataset replicated over multiple years at multiple locations.

Nonetheless, I would be more likely to apply the 2- to 4-inch panicle in the boot application to prevent smut if I were growing these cultivars.

DR. SHANE ZHOU, TEXAS AGRILIFE RESEARCH

Of rice water weevils, kernel smut and rice planthoppers DR. M.O. “MO” WAY

TEXAS Rice Research Entomologist moway@aesrg.tamu.edu

and DR. SHANE ZHOU

TEXAS Associate Professor & Research Plant Pathologist Texas A&M Research and Extension Center at Beaumont xzhou@aesrg.tamu.edu According to the Texas Rice Crop Survey, about 80% of our crop was planted and about 70% had emerged as of April 10. The Texas rice crop is off to a good start in 2020 due in large part to a relatively dry planting season. However, only about 1% has gone to flood.

If you have not applied an insecticide to your seed to control primarily rice water weevil, you may have missed the boat. My project’s research has shown that application of pyrethroids before the flood to control rice water weevil is not as effective as in the past.

I also do not recommend draining fields to control this root-feeding pest because soil must dry to cracking. Rainfall, which is common in southeast Texas during our growing season, can prevent drying.

I sound like a broken record, but please be on the lookout for the rice planthopper this year. In the past, this exotic pest has atTWITTER: @RICEFARMING

Propiconazole- or difenoconazole-containing fungicides are effective against kernel smut, but timing is absolutely critical.

tacked Texas ratoon rice, although it can possibly attack earlier.

There’s a chance we won’t find it in Texas this year, but we have to be proactive. If you suspect this insect in your fields, contact me at moway@aesrg.tamu.edu or 409-239-4265.

Kernel smut has become a major disease in recent years in Texas. The fungus infects and replaces the endosperm of the rice grain with a mass of black spores. Kernel smut occurs on both main and ratoon crops but usually is more severe on the main crop.

The disease is not systemic. The smut spores fall to the soil surface where they remain dormant until the following rice crop.

They can also be introduced into a field via smut-contaminated rice seed.

The spores float to the surface of the paddy water where they germinate and produce air-borne spores that infect rice florets.

Disease development is favored by frequent light showers, high humidity and excessive nitrogen.

Some varieties, such as hybrids, are less susceptible. Presidio and Dixiebelle are very susceptible. A three-year crop rotation can help reduce the number of smut spores in the soil.

Kernel smut is difficult to control. Propiconazole- or difenoconazole-containing fungicides are effective, but timing is absolutely critical. Mid-boot is the best time to apply a fungicide.

MAY 2020

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RICE FARMING

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Specialists Speaking (Contact Dr. Shane Zhou at xzhou@aesrg.tamu.edu for more details about specific fungicides and rates). Some severely infected fields may require a second application 14 days after the first at mid-boot.

Get fungicide timing right DR. LUIS ESPINO

CALIFORNIA University of California Cooperative Extension Rice Farm Adviser, Butte and Glenn Counties laespino@ucanr.edu A common question I get regarding fungicides is what is the best timing for application. That’s going to depend on the disease you are targeting. In California, there are four diseases of importance: stem rot, aggregate sheath spot, blast and kernel smut.

Stem rot and aggregate sheath spot are similar in their cycle. The inoculum of both survive in crop residue in the form of sclerotia. After flood, the sclerotia float to the surface of the water and infect rice plants at the water level when conditions are favorable.

Stem rot penetrates the culm and causes tissue degradation, resulting in lodging and partially filled panicles. Aggregate sheath spot affects leaf sheaths and moves up the plant, causing leaf yellowing and death. In severe cases, aggregate sheath spot

can reach the panicle and cause blanking. Both diseases can be found in most fields, but usually one is more prevalent than the other. In general, stem rot is more problematic for growers than aggregate sheath spot.

For these two diseases, fungicides should be applied at the early heading stage. Some growers like to piggyback the fungicide with their propanil application around 35-45 days after seeding to save on application cost.

Fungicide trials conducted for the past three years have shown that a fungicide treatment at the propanil timing is not as beneficial as an application at the early heading stage.

Blast can affect the foliage or panicles. I don’t recommend a fungicide application for leaf blast unless the stand is being affected. Against blast, you want to use a fungicide to protect the panicles. The best timing for this is to treat at the early heading stage when you see the first flush of panicles emerge. As you delay treatment, the fungicide becomes less effective. If you see leaf blast, plan on treating for blast at early heading.

Kernel smut has become a concern in the past five years. In 2018, we saw several fields severely affected, especially in the northern part of the Sacramento Valley. Kernel smut control with fungicides is challenging because signs of the disease — the black mass of spores replacing the kernels — are only visible close to harvest when it is too late to do anything.

In fields with a bad history of kernel smut, application of propiconazole should be done during the boot stage. Remember that long grains are more susceptible than medium grains and of the medium grains, M-209 seems to be the most susceptible variety.

DR. LUIS ESPINO, UCCE

Stem rot starts at the water level and rots the culm, causing lodging and blanking.

Panicle blast occurs when a lesion rots the node right below the panicle, causing blanking.

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