Rice Farming

Imagine leading an army into battle and leaving the heavy artillery sitting idle. That is roughly what it is like to grow organic rice.

“There is a rather long list of materials you can use on organic crops in the United States,” says Bryce Lundberg of Richvale, Calif. “As organic rice farmers, however, we use very few of those materials.”

Lundberg is director of organic verification for Lundberg Family Farms, a pioneer in organic rice production. He also grows 800 acres of organic rice with his brother, Eric. The Lundbergs and other organic farmers face a daunting challenge: Produce a crop without the use of synthetic fertilizers and crop protection products and accept lower yields in exchange for a premium price.

“We define ‘organic’ very much as the law would define it,” Lundberg says. “We follow the rules of the United States, Japan and the European Union. If you blend all of those together, 95 percent of the standards are the same.”

The definition of organic farming can vary. At the minimum, however, organic farmers substitute the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and fertilizers with some combination of crop rotation, plant residues, animal manure, legumes, green manure, off-farm wastes, mechanical cultivation, mineral-bearing rocks and biological pest control to maintain soil health, supply plant nutrients and minimize pests. That trade-off sounded good to Dean Warnick, who farms near Pleasant Grove, Calif.

“I have grown organic rice for six or seven years,” he says. “I was kind of tired of spending so much money on chemicals and not having them work. About the hardest thing to do was to find farm land that could lay out of production for three years to become certified.”

Creative cultural practices
Successful organic production begins with crop rotation to break up cycles of weeds, pests and diseases.

“Rotation patterns can be very simple or very complex,” Lundberg says. “We have fairly simple rotation guidelines. We use three crop rotation elements over a seven-year period and never use the same element consecutively.”

Organic farmers are unanimous about their No. 1 problem.

“The most significant challenge we face in organic production is weed control,” Lundberg says. “Because there are no inputs, it’s all based on water management and rotation management.”

The Lundbergs apply a deep-water flood (8 to 15 inches) about one week after seed is sown.

Approximately 21 days of deep water are used to control watergrasses. The field then is allowed to dry for approximately 35 days. The dry-up method is used to kill broadleaf weeds and sedges but does not harm rice seedlings. Scouts closely monitor crops during the dry-up period to make sure young rice plants can successfully compete with weeds. When weeds wilt, a 3- to 4-inch flood is applied. This process is management-intensive and has little margin for error.

“If weeds become established,” Lundberg says, “there is nothing you can do. If it is a particularly bad weed year, you may have to live with the consequences for years to come, because weed plants can have thousands of seeds.”

Rice water weevil, which attack the roots of young plants, are the primary insect threat. Again, water management is one of the few controls available.

“If you have rice weevil, you have it, “ Lundberg says. “There is nothing you can do unless it is late in the season and you dry your fields for sedge or broadleaf weed control. As you dry the fields, you eliminate the conditions in which larvae thrive.”

Disease pressure usually is lighter in organic rice. Excessive nitrogen, which encourages diseases such as sheath blight and kernel smut, is rarely a problem.

“Because organic farming is much less oriented toward adding nitrogen, there is much less disease pressure,” Lundberg says. “However, we have been seeing some pressure from Bakanae. Right now, no effective treatment is available, although we are looking at options such as hydrogen peroxide, phosphorous acid.”

The Bakanae infection points to another challenge for organic farmers, which is a lack of Extension support. “Universities will look at these issues if there is a crossover with traditional rice,” Lundberg says. “But we learn a lot by working with other organic farmers.”

Aside from weed and pest control, the major challenge is soil fertility. Lundberg Farms chops and rolls rice straw and turns it back into the soil. Nitrogen-fixing cover crops, such as purple vetch and other legumes, are planted to improve fertility and tilth. Winter cover crops also add organic material and nitrogen to enrich the soil. Fields are left fallow every two or three years.

Warnick applies Nature Safe natural fertilizers, which are made from meats, bones and other organic materials.

“These are things that have been used in fertilizers for a number of years,” says Karen Browder, regional sales manager for Nature Safe in Austin, Texas. Natural fertilizers build soil quality while feeding plants, she says.

“A lot of organic farmers will use manure for soil building, but it can lock up the soil and not allow water to infiltrate,” she says. “Higher yields start with healthy feeding and building up soil microbes. Natural fertilizers feed plants in a wide range of soil types and weather conditions without stressing the soil.”

Counting the costs
Cutting input costs by switching to organic rice may sound appealing to conventional farmers. But they also must be willing to accept the other side of the coin, which is lower yields. Warnick saw the difference when he harvested his 150 acres of organic rice and 600 acres of conventional rice this fall.

“In my organic fields, I did 50 sacks green, which will be 40 sacks dry,” he says. “My conventional rice was 70 to 80 sacks.” (A sack is 100 pounds.)

By growing both organic and conventional rice, Warnick believes he has the best of both worlds. “This year, the price of California rice is going up,” he says. “Some years, I make more money on organic; some years, I make more on conventional.”

Marketing organic rice can be difficult. Warnick is one of 25 farmers under contract with Lundberg Farms. “Organic works best when you can work cooperatively with a group of farmers,” Lundberg says. “We get together quite often during the production year and are always learning from each other.”

The equipment requirements in conventional and organic rice are similar, Lundberg says. Far more important is the mindset that is required for making the switch to organic.

“You need an orientation toward crop rotation and taking ground out of rice production,” Lundberg says. “You will not be in a position to have full control of weeds. You also must look at smaller production units. It’s hard to have 200- to 300-acre units, because water management is so critical. Things don’t always work out the way you plan, and there are no silver bullets.”

Warnick also advises conventional farmers to carefully count the costs before making the move to organic. “It sure is hard to drive by and look where there used to be a nice, clean field of conventional rice,” he says. “You need to have a strong constitution.”

For questions or comments about this article, contact Rice Farming editor Vicky Boyd at (209) 571-0414 or vlboyd@att.net.

Internet Hotlink:

Rice diseases in Arkansas
http://www.aragriculture.org/pestmanagement/diseases/Rice/default.asp

Demand for organic rice continues to build steam
The growth in demand for organic food resembles a blue-chip stock: Steady but not spectacular.

“I would says organics in general have really matured and grown over the years,” says Tim O’Donnell, vice president of sales and marketing for Lundberg Family Farms. “For organic rice specifically, we have seen a very steady and controlled increase. But there has been nothing dramatic, such as 100 percent growth in a year.”

The Lundbergs have been building the market for organic rice one customer at a time since they began selling to health food stores in the 1960s. They now market more than a dozen varieties in more than 130 different products, from whole-grain rice to desserts to cereals. The company continues to look for ways to expand the market, including exports.

“Most European countries hit us with major tariffs,” O’Donnell says. “At the same time, we compete with several European exporters who don’t pay tariffs here. But we still do some business in both Europe and Japan.”

O’Donnell, who has been with Lundberg Farms for 16 years, cautions farmers to make sure they have a buyer lined up before they begin growing organic rice.

“It is very difficult to get started,” he says. “Farmers need to align themselves with someone who already is marketing organic rice. If you are getting a lower yield and taking land out of production for three years, how do you realize a profit? As with any other commodity business, price always is key.”

Even so, O’Donnell is bullish on the future of organic rice.

“Organic still takes up a very small part of the rice business,” he says, “but it should take a larger part. I think demand will continue to grow.”

No pesticides? No fertilizer? No problem Organic farmers turn to alternative solutions
By Alan Goforth
Imagine leading an army into battle and leaving the heavy artillery sitting idle. That is roughly what it is like to grow organic rice. “There is a rather long list of materials you can use on organic crops in the United States,” says Bryce Lundberg of Richvale, Calif. “As organic rice farmers, however, we use very few of those materials.” Lundberg is director of organic verification for Lundberg Family Farms, a pioneer in organic rice production. He also grows 800 acres of organic rice with his brother, Eric. The Lundbergs and other organic farmers face a daunting challenge: Produce a crop without the use of synthetic fertilizers and crop protection products and accept lower yields in exchange for a premium price. “We define ‘organic’ very much as the law would define it,” Lundberg says. “We follow the rules of the United States, Japan and the European Union. If you blend all of those together, 95 percent of the standards are the same.” The definition of organic farming can vary. At the minimum, however, organic farmers substitute the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and fertilizers with some combination of crop rotation, plant residues, animal manure, legumes, green manure, off-farm wastes, mechanical cultivation, mineral-bearing rocks and biological pest control to maintain soil health, supply plant nutrients and minimize pests. That trade-off sounded good to Dean Warnick, who farms near Pleasant Grove, Calif. “I have grown organic rice for six or seven years,” he says. “I was kind of tired of spending so much money on chemicals and not having them work. About the hardest thing to do was to find farm land that could lay out of production for three years to become certified.” Creative cultural practices Successful organic production begins with crop rotation to break up cycles of weeds, pests and diseases. “Rotation patterns can be very simple or very complex,” Lundberg says. “We have fairly simple rotation guidelines. We use three crop rotation elements over a seven-year period and never use the same element consecutively.” Organic farmers are unanimous about their No. 1 problem. “The most significant challenge we face in organic production is weed control,” Lundberg says. “Because there are no inputs, it’s all based on water management and rotation management.” The Lundbergs apply a deep-water flood (8 to 15 inches) about one week after seed is sown. Approximately 21 days of deep water are used to control watergrasses. The field then is allowed to dry for approximately 35 days. The dry-up method is used to kill broadleaf weeds and sedges but does not harm rice seedlings. Scouts closely monitor crops during the dry-up period to make sure young rice plants can successfully compete with weeds. When weeds wilt, a 3- to 4-inch flood is applied. This process is management-intensive and has little margin for error. “If weeds become established,” Lundberg says, “there is nothing you can do. If it is a particularly bad weed year, you may have to live with the consequences for years to come, because weed plants can have thousands of seeds.” Rice water weevil, which attack the roots of young plants, are the primary insect threat. Again, water management is one of the few controls available. “If you have rice weevil, you have it, “ Lundberg says. “There is nothing you can do unless it is late in the season and you dry your fields for sedge or broadleaf weed control. As you dry the fields, you eliminate the conditions in which larvae thrive.” Disease pressure usually is lighter in organic rice. Excessive nitrogen, which encourages diseases such as sheath blight and kernel smut, is rarely a problem. “Because organic farming is much less oriented toward adding nitrogen, there is much less disease pressure,” Lundberg says. “However, we have been seeing some pressure from Bakanae. Right now, no effective treatment is available, although we are looking at options such as hydrogen peroxide, phosphorous acid.” The Bakanae infection points to another challenge for organic farmers, which is a lack of Extension support. “Universities will look at these issues if there is a crossover with traditional rice,” Lundberg says. “But we learn a lot by working with other organic farmers.” Aside from weed and pest control, the major challenge is soil fertility. Lundberg Farms chops and rolls rice straw and turns it back into the soil. Nitrogen-fixing cover crops, such as purple vetch and other legumes, are planted to improve fertility and tilth. Winter cover crops also add organic material and nitrogen to enrich the soil. Fields are left fallow every two or three years. Warnick applies Nature Safe natural fertilizers, which are made from meats, bones and other organic materials. “These are things that have been used in fertilizers for a number of years,” says Karen Browder, regional sales manager for Nature Safe in Austin, Texas. Natural fertilizers build soil quality while feeding plants, she says. “A lot of organic farmers will use manure for soil building, but it can lock up the soil and not allow water to infiltrate,” she says. “Higher yields start with healthy feeding and building up soil microbes. Natural fertilizers feed plants in a wide range of soil types and weather conditions without stressing the soil.” Counting the costs Cutting input costs by switching to organic rice may sound appealing to conventional farmers. But they also must be willing to accept the other side of the coin, which is lower yields. Warnick saw the difference when he harvested his 150 acres of organic rice and 600 acres of conventional rice this fall. “In my organic fields, I did 50 sacks green, which will be 40 sacks dry,” he says. “My conventional rice was 70 to 80 sacks.” (A sack is 100 pounds.) By growing both organic and conventional rice, Warnick believes he has the best of both worlds. “This year, the price of California rice is going up,” he says. “Some years, I make more money on organic; some years, I make more on conventional.” Marketing organic rice can be difficult. Warnick is one of 25 farmers under contract with Lundberg Farms. “Organic works best when you can work cooperatively with a group of farmers,” Lundberg says. “We get together quite often during the production year and are always learning from each other.” The equipment requirements in conventional and organic rice are similar, Lundberg says. Far more important is the mindset that is required for making the switch to organic. “You need an orientation toward crop rotation and taking ground out of rice production,” Lundberg says. “You will not be in a position to have full control of weeds. You also must look at smaller production units. It’s hard to have 200- to 300-acre units, because water management is so critical. Things don’t always work out the way you plan, and there are no silver bullets.” Warnick also advises conventional farmers to carefully count the costs before making the move to organic. “It sure is hard to drive by and look where there used to be a nice, clean field of conventional rice,” he says. “You need to have a strong constitution.” For questions or comments about this article, contact Rice Farming editor Vicky Boyd at (209) 571-0414 or vlboyd@att.net. Internet Hotlink: Rice diseases in Arkansas http://www.aragriculture.org/pestmanagement/diseases/Rice/default.asp Demand for organic rice continues to build steam The growth in demand for organic food resembles a blue-chip stock: Steady but not spectacular. “I would says organics in general have really matured and grown over the years,” says Tim O’Donnell, vice president of sales and marketing for Lundberg Family Farms. “For organic rice specifically, we have seen a very steady and controlled increase. But there has been nothing dramatic, such as 100 percent growth in a year.” The Lundbergs have been building the market for organic rice one customer at a time since they began selling to health food stores in the 1960s. They now market more than a dozen varieties in more than 130 different products, from whole-grain rice to desserts to cereals. The company continues to look for ways to expand the market, including exports. “Most European countries hit us with major tariffs,” O’Donnell says. “At the same time, we compete with several European exporters who don’t pay tariffs here. But we still do some business in both Europe and Japan.” O’Donnell, who has been with Lundberg Farms for 16 years, cautions farmers to make sure they have a buyer lined up before they begin growing organic rice. “It is very difficult to get started,” he says. “Farmers need to align themselves with someone who already is marketing organic rice. If you are getting a lower yield and taking land out of production for three years, how do you realize a profit? As with any other commodity business, price always is key.” Even so, O’Donnell is bullish on the future of organic rice. “Organic still takes up a very small part of the rice business,” he says, “but it should take a larger part. I think demand will continue to grow.”
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