Lynx, a new medium-grain rice variety from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, offers high yields and early maturity. “Lynx consistently showed a yield advantage over both Jupiter and Titan in rice-growing areas north of I-40 and west of Crowley’s Ridge, where the majority of the state’s medium-grain rice is grown,” said Xueyan Sha, professor and rice breeder ... Read More »
Author Archives: Vicky
Pride of the Bootheel
Missouri farmer wins $25,000 ‘Transform My Community’ grand prize for the Hayti Fire Department • By Carroll Smith, Cotton Farming Editor • Aug. 12, 2009, started out like any other late summer day for Pam and David Dowdy, who farmed in the Missouri Bootheel with their son, Matt. They were unloading grain bins and hauling corn to the river, so ... Read More »
California State Water Project announces 10% initial water allocation
The California Department of Water Resources announced an initial State Water Project allocation of 10% for the 2020 calendar year. The initial allocation is based on several factors, such as conservative dry hydrology, reservoir storage, and releases necessary to meet water supply and environmental demands, according to a news release. State allocations are based on conservative assumptions and may change ... Read More »
A natural resources recipe
Mix rice farmers, stewardship practices and partnership programs for a successful conservation gumbo. • By Amy Robertson Fuselier • What makes the best gumbo? Some say the Cajun trinity of ingredients —onions, bell pepper and celery. Many argue the roux is the basic building block for creating the ultimate gumbo. But everyone agrees that the best gumbo is one that ... Read More »
Strong exports help buoy the market and point to higher prices
• By Kurt Guidry • When examining the market environment for the 2019 rice crop, there are several factors that could be pointed to that would suggest the potential for stronger prices. Adverse conditions at planting, challenging growing season conditions, and lower acreage and production expectations all would suggest higher prices. But despite these supply-side signals, prices during the first ... Read More »
We’re ready to forget 2019, but there are some highlights
Farmers know better than anyone that not every year is going to be easy, but 2019 has certainly tried our collective patience. With heavy rain and even flooding across the country this spring, planting was delayed and almost 750,000 acres never got planted. With more than half of the U.S. rice crop exported annually, ongoing trade disputes, retaliatory tariffs and ... Read More »
Poor conditions prevailed during 2019 season
The one silver lining for the 2019 rice season in Louisiana was that we had a dry September, and many growers were able to work the ground and prepare for the 2020 season. It was a way to close the door on the 2019 season, which, for many, was a season they would like to forget. Rice yields in Louisiana ... Read More »
New Rice Varieties From Horizon Ag Offer Higher Yield Potential, Strong Performance
Three new Horizon Ag rice varieties that fill critical needs for Southern farmers today will be available to plant in the 2020 season. Two of the varieties – CLL15, a long grain, semi-dwarf Clearfield® rice variety, and CLM04, a medium grain Clearfield rice – are the first Clearfield releases developed by Dr. Xueyan Sha, University of Arkansas professor and rice ... Read More »
Researchers turn up the heat to prepare for global warming
When you start looking at historical weather data, Arkansas and the rest of the Southeast haven’t seen a significant overall temperature increase since the early 20th century. What has changed in Arkansas and parts of the Southeast is how those temperatures are distributed, according to information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association National Centers for Environmental Information. Although the ... Read More »
Success is in the air
Rice industry counters aromatic imports with U.S.-bred and grown jasmine-type rice varieties. • By Vicky Boyd, Editor • Fred Zaunbrecher of Duson, Louisiana, has grown jasmine-type aromatic long-grain varieties for years, having harvested the newest, Clearfield CLJ01, the past two seasons. Although the U.S. rice industry will likely never be able to fully sway Asian-born consumers who favor Thai jasmine, ... Read More »