Departments

DR. JOHN SAICHUK LOUISIANA jsaichuk@agcenter.lsu.edu Last year, when I was writing about disease management for the 2012 rice-growing season, I concentrated on what I thought was going to be the major issue of the year – resistant sheath blight. At the time,...

First Session Completed The 2013-15 Rice Leadership Development Program class participated in its first session March 11-15, with a look at rice production and marketing programs in the Gulf Coast states of Texas and Louisiana. In Texas, the group met with...

DR. JARROD T. HARDKE ARKANSAS Rice Extension Agronomist University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture jhardke@uaex.edu “Do I have an adequate water supply to irrigate the rice acreage I intend to grow?” This should be one of the first questions a rice grower asks before the...

Rusty Hestir Hestir Rice Service DeWitt, Ark. After attending the University of Arkansas, I worked for Ag Plans of DeWitt and later for Rice Management, Inc. of DeWitt before starting my own agriculture consulting business, Hestir Rice Service, in 1992. I mainly...

Our industry must aggressively campaign to promote U.S. rice. By Sarah Winnan Moran Manager International Promotion USA Rice Federation For more than 15 years, the United States has enjoyed a robust market share in Latin America. A logistics advantage, strong contract performances and the...

By Carroll Smith Editor For many farmers, securing a production loan for the upcoming year is a critical part of the process to make sure the growing season runs smoothly and the bills get paid. The Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation recently...

By John Cartwright With the discovery of overwintering blast next door in Louisiana, Arkansas rice growers should scout their fields early in the season to nip any potential infections in the bud, said Yeshi Wamishe, Extension plant pathologist for the...

Rice farming’s rewards and challenges in today’s environment By Carroll Smith When Trey Daniel, Brandon Rodgers and Jason Smith entered Arkansas State University (ASU), the three young men joined a fraternity and enjoyed the camaraderie and support of being among a...

California IPM Information The third edition of Integrated Pest Management for Rice is now available. The publication’s informative color photographs of pests and their damage, line drawings, tables and figures are valuable aids in the diagnosis and treatment of common...

DR. M.O. “MO” WAY TEXAS Rice Research Entomologist moway@aesrg.tamu.edu In rice fields, many insects are aquatic and obtain oxygen by absorbing this dissolved gas directly from the water through their integument, by surfacing and taking a bubble of air with them underwater or...

ROBB DEDMANPRO AG CONSULTING, INC. RISON, ARK. In 1990, I worked as a rice scout for Dr. Nathan Slaton, who, at the time, was a county agent with the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. After graduating from college, I went to work...

JOE MENCER RICE PRODUCER LAKE VILLAGE, ARK. U.S. rice used to be known as the best quality rice in the world. Today, we are losing that reputation. If we are going to keep this industry alive, we’ve got to address the quality...

BY CARROLL SMITH EDITOR The origin of the phrase “thinking outside the box” is typically attributed to the Nine Dots Puzzle, pictured below. Three rows of three dots are inside a box. The challenge is to connect the dots with...

Healthier plants result in higher yield potential, milling quality Healthier rice plants cope much better with stresses such as diseases and inclement weather, resulting in higher yield potential and milling quality. And more rice producers are improving their plant health...

Sixth generation California rice farmer thinks outside the box BY CARROLL SMITH EDITOR Many years ago, John Browning was one of the first people to raise rice in the heart of the Sacramento Valley. Today, his great grandson, Fritz Durst, is...