Although no one in the rice industry has a crystal ball that can predict the future, the DD50 computer program comes pretty close.

The program, based on 30 years of average daily high and low temperatures collected at weather stations across the rice belt, can give you a good idea of what growth stage your crop will be in at any given time. Add real time weather data added to the program, and the predictions come even closer to what’s happening in the field.

If you’re trying to juggle several fields or have rotational crops other than rice, the DD50 program should help you better manage your rice.

"It’s probably the most important management tool I have," says Jimmy Hoppe, a rice producer in Fenton, La. "The reason I say this is because it gives me the opportunity to anticipate growth stages of the crop. It also allows me to better time fertilizer and insecticide applications, times to drain and gives me a window when my harvest will occur. Another positive aspect is, I receive updates when adverse weather dictates changes."

The program’s name stands for degree-day 50 and is a modification of the growing degree-day concept using temperature data to predict rice development. Warmer temperatures indicate the crop will develop faster. The 50 stands for 50 degrees Fahrenheit; below which the rice plant stops growing.

Years of knowledge and information are contained within this program, available through Internet sites or Extension offices. Growers can generate data for the season by entering variety, date of emergence and location. A report can also be obtained by filling out a card with the same facts at county Extension offices.

Joe Street, Extension rice specialist with Mississippi State University, says MSU’s program has been updated to use real time weather besides historical data. The program is also updated as new varieties are introduced to take into account changes in fertilizer and pesticide recommendations.

"Using real time weather is the biggest improvement in accuracy," Street says.

"It’s one of the most user friendly management programs we’ve got," says Brad Koen, area Extension agronomist with the University of Arkansas in Stuttgart. "It gives the farmer who’s farming several hundred acres of rice the ability to predict growth stages without extensive scouting."

Koen also runs the state’s rice verification program to see how small plot trials relate to farm size fields. Last year he supervised 10 fields, averaging 55 acres, across the state.

"It would be tough to keep up with all these fields without the DD50 program," he says. "Farmers who don’t use this program are really missing out."

Rick Norman, professor of soil fertility at University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, agrees it’s an important part of his work.

"I don’t know how I’d be able to complete my research projects without this program. It would be impossible," Norman says.

He estimates 70 percent of rice farmers in Arkansas use the program, but continues to encourage the remaining ones to try it.

"We tell them the utility of it and that it’s free--after that it’s up to them to decide," Norman says. "Some growers just don’t think they need it, but if they try it I think they will see how it provides peace of mind to refer to it."

There’s no exact research that shows conclusively this program increases profitability, but many are convinced it certainly helps.

Based on rice yield surveys returned by local growers, DD50 fields in Jeff Davis and Allen parishes, La., consistently show higher returns, says Eddie Eskew, a county Extension agent for Jefferson Davis and Allen parishes. However, he says only 20 percent of the rice acres in the state are enrolled in the program.

"Growers that use it always use it," Eskew says. "When I’m in the field, I try to explain the advantages, but if it’s after emergence they feel it’s too late to use. We continue to talk it up at winter rice meetings and in newsletters to encourage more growers to try the program."

Eskew says it’s never too late to start using the program, even after plant emergence. In cases of extreme weather variations, it’s often necessary to rerun the program at a later stage of growth to readjust anticipated projections.

"It’s a good program, but some farmers are still reluctant to use it," he says. "It’s possible more farmers are using it nowadays since they can directly access the program on our Web site instead of coming into the office to pick up the diskette. The program is not meant to take you out of the field but meant to put you back into it at the right time.

"If you get busy with other field operations, it’s easy to miss certain key growth stages. This program helps you make sure you don’t miss out. It’s as easy as throwing the printout on your dashboard and checking it."

Keith Glover, Stuttgart-based president of Producers Rice Mill, a farmer owned co-op with 14 locations, uses the DD50 for planning budget strategies.

"The DD50 really helps us plan the timing of when rice will be delivered to our dryers and elevators," he says. "We hire seasonal help and this program helps me manage our budget since I don’t want to hire them too early or too late. We also use the DD50 to know when certain varieties will peak so we can shift varieties among our larger or smaller elevators."

For questions or comments about this story, contact Vicky Boyd, Rice Farming editor, at vlboyd@worldnet.att.net.

To access these state's DD50 sites, visit: