• By Lesley Dixon • More and more businesses, consumers and governments are looking for ways to decrease their single-use plastic consumption, and disposable plastic straws have become a lightning rod in the worldwide effort to reduce plastic waste. Recently, scientists and manufacturers have turned to a new material that could make single-use plastics in the foodservice industry obsolete: rice. ... Read More »

• By Luis Espino • Although blast isn’t at epidemic levels in California rice fields this season, the fungal disease nonetheless is at higher levels than during the past several years. The last time we saw a severe blast epidemic was 2011. Since then, we haven’t had much blast; in fact, I had not seen any blast at all during ... Read More »

Southeast Missouri State University’s Department of Agriculture and the Economic and Business Engagement Center have been awarded a $51,000 Rural Business Development Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish an agricultural advanced digital technology initiative. The initiative is part of an effort to incorporate technological advancements into agriculture operations within the region. Southeast has used the funding to ... Read More »

The University of California Cooperative Extension is once again seeking entries into its rice yield contest, and much like in 2018, it will offer a chance to win a John Deere Gator. “We realize that this has been a tough year for just about everyone growing rice; however, the rice yield contest will go on and it will be interesting ... Read More »

Michael Salassi has been named Louisiana State University AgCenter associate vice president and program leader of animal and plant sciences. For the past four years, Salassi has served as head of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness where he is the A. Wilbert’s Sons Endowed Professor of Agricultural and Natural Resources. Prior to that time, he was on the ... Read More »

Mississippi’s 259 rice-producing farms rank the state No. 5 nationally in rice production, a fact highlighted in September when Mississippians are urged to “Think Rice.” They also are invited to celebrate rice and bring awareness to this important row crop at the Annual Delta Rice Tasting Luncheon in Cleveland. The event will be held Sept. 20 at the Delta State ... Read More »

As harvest gets underway, producers in Arkansas are reminded about following the state’s voluntary smoke management program as they prepare to burn crop residue. At the recent University of Arkansas Rice Field Day in Stuttgart, Extension rice agronomist Jarrod Hardke reiterated the importance of following the voluntary smoke guidelines. It applies to burning any crop residue and not just rice, ... Read More »

Wilmington, Delaware-based Belchim Crop Protection USA has received a 2ee recommendation for use of Tenchu 20SG in Texas and Louisiana to control rice delphacid, should it appear in damaging numbers again this season. The insecticide already has a full Section 3 registration for use in rice to control rice stink bugs. After a decades-long absence, rice delphacid — also referred ... Read More »

• By Jim Morris • Statistics and the proliferation of brewpubs bear out the rise in hand-crafted beer. A newer entry, Gunrock American Lager at Sudwerk Brewing Co. in Davis, California, has a great backstory. While rice is frequently used as a cereal in beermaking, it’s taking more of a prominent role in several new beers, including Gunrock. It takes ... Read More »

More than 19.4 million acres of farmland nationwide went unplanted this season, according to an Aug. 12 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency. This marks the most prevented plant acres reported since FSA began releasing the report in 2007 and 17.49 million acres more than reported at this time in 2018. Of those prevented plant acres, ... Read More »