Feature

Despite coronavirus restrictions, rice breeding programs continue albeit with a few changes. • By Vicky Boyd, Editor • In mid-March, University of Arkansas rice breeder Xueyan Sha decided only a few days before his scheduled trip to the university’s Puerto Rican winter nursery to cancel it because of the coronavirus outbreak. Although the move meant he wouldn’t be able to ... Read More »

2 non-native stink bugs prompt questions about treatment thresholds, spray timings in Florida rice. • By Vicky Boyd, Editor • Since it was first confirmed about 13 years ago, an exotic rice stink bug from the Caribbean and Central and South America has increased in abundance and is now the most common stink bug in Florida rice fields. What the ... Read More »

• By Ching Lee • Ideal planting conditions should have allowed rice farmers throughout the Sacramento Valley plenty of time to prepare and seed their fields this spring, But short supplies of a liquid fertilizer have slowed their progress, leaving some of them scrambling to make last-minute adjustments. Most rice farmers use aqua-ammonia, a key source of nitrogen for their ... Read More »

Furrow-irrigated rice has been gaining ground, increasing from less than 1% to 10% of total rice acreage in Arkansas in the past five years. The “Arkansas Furrow-Irrigated Rice Handbook” provides research-based information about selecting cultivars, establishing stands, and managing fertility, weeds, disease, insects and irrigation. It also provides information about budgeting and crop insurance, which became available for furrow-irrigated rice ... Read More »

• By Bruce Schultz • Rice prices have rebounded, and the Louisiana 2020 crop is off to a good start. Louisiana State University AgCenter economist Michael Deliberto said there are several reasons why the economic outlook for rice is positive. “There is no doubt that supplies are tight and demand has been good. These are the highest U.S. prices in ... Read More »

Like people, some plants handle stress better than others. Now, in a recent issue of Agronomy, a team of Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and university scientists report their identification of U.S. rice varieties with the right “genetic” stuff for coping with reduced water use. Their efforts dovetail with a trend toward water-saving measures that some growers are implementing in not ... Read More »

Texas wheat and rice producers could see opportunities as food grains show steadiness amid calamity for other commodities, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist. Dr. Mark Welch, AgriLife Extension economist, College Station, said food grains have avoided much of the “complete wreck” market disruptions have made of commodities like corn, cotton, beef and crude oil. As dairy operators ... Read More »

Lost markets and lost off-farm income related to the COVID-19 pandemic have proven doubly difficult for many California farmers and ranchers, according to a survey by the California Farm Bureau Federation. More than half of the farmers responding to the voluntary survey said they had lost customers or sales due to COVID-19, and nearly half said they or someone in ... Read More »

The University of Arkansas recently published the “Arkansas Furrow-Irrigated Rice Handbook” that is available online. This new publication is aimed at providing recommendations for the increasingly popular rice-production system that irrigates rice much like other row crops — running water down the furrow. Also known as row rice, the system accounted for more than 100,000 acres — or more than ... Read More »

The Natural Resources Conservation Service is accepting applications for the 2020 Conservation Stewardship Program as part of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program efforts led by the USA Rice–Ducks Unlimited Stewardship Partnership. This special CSP initiative is specifically for rice producers. The Gulf Coast CSP special sign-up assists landowners and rice producers who voluntarily implement conservation and management practices that aim ... Read More »