Departments

The National Association of Farm Broadcasters have named Don Molino of the Voice of Louisiana Agriculture Radio Network as its Farm Broadcaster of the Year. The award, which was presented at its recent annual convention in Kansas City, recognizes “individuals who have proven their abilities in broadcasting, have shown true commitment to the industry through their actions and their promotional efforts, ... Read More »

A Purdue University professor has built an innovative handheld sensor that gives plant scientists and farmers a more precise way to measure crop health while gathering up-to-the-minute data that state and federal officials and others will find valuable. Jian Jin, an assistant professor in Purdue’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, hopes his hyperspectral-imaging device will be used widely by ... Read More »

Every time I’ve flown through an airport in the U.S. Rice Belt lately, my carry-on bags have been pulled aside and searched as I went through airport security. No, I wasn’t packing a weapon, carrying explosives or even toting liquids in larger than 3.4-ounce bottles. Scofflaw that I am, I was bringing bags of rice through the airport. Each time, ... Read More »

The 2018 Mississippi State University Row Crop Short Course will feature speakers from seven states covering topics ranging from nematode management in cotton and soybeans to the potential effects of new tariffs on the state’s agricultural industry. The MSU Extension Service and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station will host the course at the Cotton Mill Conference Center in Starkville, ... Read More »

• By Randy Price • If you have ever tried mapping a field with a drone for crop scouting, you will quickly find out that producing an image map of a field requires some amount of work and usually a trip back to the office. For this reason, drone systems have not been fully realized for crop scouting purpose. Still, several ... Read More »

The Alliance Agristar 374, a new R-2 radial tire for muddy rice and sugar cane fields from the Alliance Tire Group, combines deep-lug traction with a smooth ride on the road. With its unique tread bar design—more than 3 inches deep—the new tire features a pair of “step” reinforcements to reduce lug movement and heat buildup while delivering the tractor’s ... Read More »

The University of Arkansas is leading a research group working to identify the natural genetic variations in rice that allows the plant to produce high-quality grain in an environment of rising temperatures. The consortium of four universities recently received $4.65 million from the National Science Foundation to support their work. The team is studying the genetics of more than 400 ... Read More »

Bill Murray played Carl the greenskeeper in the immortal classic film, “Caddyshack.” Throughout the movie, the wily gopher challenged Carl, who was tasked with getting rid of the rodent because it was digging up the golf course. In one of the more memorable parts, Carl played with figurines made of plastic explosive as he mused, “In order to conquer him, ... Read More »

A new program built on the multi-use account through John Deere Financial will offer Southern rice producers zero percent APR financing on purchases of Horizon Ag Clearfield and Provisia rice seed and BASF crop protection products for 2019. Eligible rice seed varieties from Horizon Ag include Clearfield varieties CL111, CL151, CL153, CL163, CL172, CL272 and CLJ01 followed by Clearpath or ... Read More »

Rice, the most widely consumed food crop in the world, takes a beating in hot weather. To combat the high temperatures, a global group of scientists, led by a University of Florida researcher, has found the genetic basis to breed a more heat-tolerant rice cultivar. “The productivity of rice, one of the three major cereal grains feeding the world, is ... Read More »