JUSTIN CHLAPECKA \ FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS
Hello, everyone. This is my first column to contribute under my new job title — as an Assistant Professor of Agronomy with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. I’ve been in this role since January of 2025, located at the new Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center south of Jonesboro. It’s a dream come true to be able to come back home and serve those who’ve mentored me in my earlier years. I am happy to be back to contribute to Rice Farming magazine as well!
Not all varieties are equal when looking at flood- versus furrow-irrigated rice. First, a word of caution. In almost every instance, furrow-irrigated rice is expected to yield less than conventionally flooded rice. We now have a somewhat sizeable group of farmers that successfully grow furrow-irrigated rice year over year. Economics have changed since when the practice was first gaining heavy traction, but honestly, this could be in favor of the practice for some. The name of the game in 2026 is reducing expenses without significantly compromising yield, so we should keep that in mind no matter what direction we choose to go. One thing is for sure in my mind, this is definitely not the year to try furrow-irrigated rice for the first time. We’re happy to help, but this is not the year to experiment.
Cultivar trial data from local universities, including the University of Arkansas (UADA) and the University of Missouri (Bootheel locations), is available to assist you in cultivar selection. For furrow-irrigated rice, the yield potential of most cultivars keeps a similar ranking as flooded rice, meaning a top 5 yielder in one system should also be a top 5 yielder in the other. However, yield potential is usually less in the upper portion of the field, by as much as 15%-20%. Hybrids are typically preferred due to their propensity to take stress better, including better capability to take up native nitrogen, drought stress tolerance, and disease resistance. Inbred varieties can average 10%-15% lower yield potential, which could pan out to be more profitable in years of low rough rice prices such as 2025 and 2026.
Some of the more popular inbred varieties, including Ozark and CLL18, can yield well on rows. However, one additional thing to keep in mind with furrow-irrigated rice is disease tolerance. Blast disease is heavily combated by holding a deeper flood, and since there is no flood on most of a furrow-irrigated rice field, blast ratings along with preventative fungicide application(s) must be accounted for. Inbreds are typically more susceptible to blast, although hybrids are not immune to the disorder as we have proven in the past couple of years. Disease ratings can be found in the Rice Management Guide. The 2026 edition will be available soon.
In cultivar selection, your production system (flood vs. furrow-irrigated) absolutely matters. You can find more information on cultivar trials and other studies at https://arkansascrops.uada.edu/posts/crops/rice/2025_Arkansas_Rice_Performance_Trials_Final.pdf. Our crew in the Research Agronomy program wish you all a Happy New Year. If we can ever be of assistance, please shoot me an e-mail at jchlape@uada.edu, or come visit us at the NERREC!
JUSTIN CHLAPECKA \ FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAs