John Deere has launched See & Spray, a system that detects green plant material on fallow ground to activate the system. Once weeds are detected by the camera, a signal is sent back to the controller. Once the controller identifies an area of the field that’s green, a signal is sent across the boom to activate on specific nozzles. The ... Read More »

The California Department of Water Resources recently conducted the third manual snow survey of the season at Phillips Station west of Lake Tahoe. The manual survey recorded 56 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 21 inches, which is 86% of average for this location. The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water contained in the ... Read More »

The System of Rice Intensification has been named as a 2020 climate policy “breakthrough” for government initiatives in Vietnam to increase agricultural production there while reducing methane emissions from rice paddies. SRI was recognized by Apolitical, a peer-to-peer learning platform for sharing government policy ideas, as one of the most beneficial climate policies that can mitigate climate change or enable ... Read More »

• By Michael Klein • The rice industry was reeling from severe weather in 2020 – the most named hurricanes to hit the United States ever and devastating wildfires out West. Optimists felt the new year would bring better everything, including weather. Two months in, they are sorely disappointed as punishing winter weather pounded much of the country and all ... Read More »

Based on  below-average statewide snowpack, the Bureau of Reclamation recently announced reduced water allocations for nearly all Central Valley Project water contractors. Deliveries could change depending on precipitation received during the next few months, said Ernest Conant, Reclamation regional director. The California Department of Water Resources reports that as of Feb. 21, statewide average snow water content in the Sierra ... Read More »

If you farm rice in Louisiana and flood your rice fields for waterfowl, the Louisiana State University AgCenter needs your help. It is working several public and private organizations to develop preliminary data on whether waterfowl have varietal preferences. If you flooded rice fields planted to more than one variety this past winter or previous years and saw a varietal ... Read More »

• By Adam Russell • Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists have declared war on the fall armyworm. Dr. Greg Sword, Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Entomology professor, has received $499,000 to determine fall armyworm behaviors and genomic traits that could aid in controlling the agricultural pests. The three-year project funded by the National Institute of ... Read More »

Pass a good time with the Louisiana State University AgCenter at our virtual crawfish boil, noon-1 p.m. CST, Feb. 25! Bring your crawfish questions for the experts. LSU AgCenter aquaculture specialist Greg Lutz and research farm specialist John Sonnier will discuss Louisiana crawfish production — harvesting, pond management including nuisance animals, and the white spot syndrome virus. LSU AgCenter and ... Read More »

Three fixtures in Louisiana agriculture will be inducted into the Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction during a ceremony at L’Auberge Hotel in Baton Rouge March 4. The new inductees are former Louisiana Farm Bureau President Ronnie Anderson, of Ethel; sugarcane farmer John Gay, of Plaquemine; and Paul “Jackie” Loewer of Branch, a rice farmer who has been a strong advocate ... Read More »

Start early, overlap preemergence residuals for season-long barnyardgrass control. • By Vicky Boyd, Editor • University of Arkansas Extension weed specialist Tommy Butts has a simple recommendation for barnyardgrass control this season: “residual, residual, residual.” “Make sure to get those residuals out preemerge and overlap every 14-21 days,” he said. “And make sure we’re getting activation with plenty of water ... Read More »