Feature

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 »

• By Bruce Linquist • Following my blog post about a week ago (see below) about using urea or aqua-ammonia (aqua), a number of people have been asking to see the data. The study was conducted in 2017 at the Rice Experiment Station. Aqua and liquid urea were applied at three rates (50, 100 and 150 lb N/ac). Both N ... Read More »

• By Bruce Linquist • This morning, I was out with several members of our research team on the northwest side of the Sacramento Valley planting a variety trial. The grower we were working with had just finished planting all of his rice acreage (1,200 ac) yesterday (April 30). Pretty amazing how fast the rice is getting in this year. ... Read More »

Wet weather that won’t let up has resulted in a very slow start to Mississippi row crop planting, and time is running out for corn. Erick Larson, grain crops agronomist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said he expects a tremendous reduction in planted acreage due to weather conditions this year. “Some growers have already returned corn seed and ... Read More »

The Mississippi State University Extension Service will continue operations as it has through the statewide shelter-in-place order but has canceled all face-to-face events, meetings and trainings through Aug. 1 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes all scheduled Extension in-person conferences as well as 4-H youth programs on and off campus. In addition, Extension offices and units, including the Bost ... Read More »

• By Fred Miller • Jewel, a new mid-season, long-grain rice variety from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, offers high yields and resistance to most known blast races. In 14 Arkansas Rice Performance Trials conducted over three years, Jewel averaged 187 bushels per acre, said Karen Moldenhauer, professor and rice breeder for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. ... Read More »

• By Bruce Schultz • Results from a survey of crawfish producers show that decreased demand for their product is resulting in lost income of about $500 per acre and a season that could end about 40 days sooner than usual in some cases. “When you look at all those things, it’s a pretty impactful scenario for producers,” said Louisiana ... Read More »

The California Rice Commission and its industry partners have received a Regional Conservation Partnership Program award worth nearly $5.5 million. The funds will be used to continue collaborative work aimed at enhancing waterbird habitat in working rice fields. In addition to existing goals, the award also will help fund a few new objectives that include planting cover crops for nesting ... Read More »