If We Must

JARROD T. HARDKE \ FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS

For the first time in my career, there is no excitement surrounding growing rice. Sometimes it has been lukewarm excitement, but with optimism. Not so for 2026.

Given the market outlook, it is very difficult to pencil out profitability in any ownership or rent structure scenario. The key for 2026 is to focus on the greatest possible net returns (not simply highest yield) and take advantage of any opportunities for premiums for growing certain cultivars.

One positive for 2026, for the first time in a couple of years, you will largely be able to access seed of whichever cultivar you want.

We were once again reminded in 2025 that under extreme environmental conditions, in particular heat, no option avoids impact. Most had an issue with something they grew, largely dependent on when it was planted and how it was managed during those worst periods of stress. So, there will be reasonable decisions to move away from some cultivars that performed worst for your operation, but alternatives may have been just as affected had they been planted instead.

For 2026, we must once again rely on long-term performance over several years and focus on the top options.

For pureline varieties, that means Ozark and DG263L on the conventional side (with ProGold L4 and RTv7303 also competitive options); CLL18 for Clearfield; and PVL04 and DG563PVL for Provisia or RTv7231MA for MaxAce. PVL06 is a promising new addition, but seed will be extremely limited in 2026.

For hybrids, that means RT7302 on the conventional side, RT7521FP for FullPage, and RT7331MA for MaxAce. Additional FullPage hybrids RT7221FP, RT7321FP, and RT7421FP have also been top performers and have a fit in many places. RT7531MA is a new MaxAce offering with limited performance trial data but should have plenty of availability.

For medium grains, the market is getting interesting with an increase in demand of certain cultivars. Overall performance points toward Taurus and ProGold M3 as top options, while RT3202 is equally competitive but more limited marketing opportunities. CLM05 is a good option where Clearfield is needed.

Jupiter’s inconsistency led to its quick drop off in acres a few years ago, but there is still some demand for it. Titan appears to be following a similar pattern now.

Medium grains may have some interesting marketing opportunities, but know where it is going before you plant it.

Focus on net return potential for 2026, not just bushels. In a year where things are upside down, this will be key to staying afloat. In years where prices are good, the pursuit of bushels generally takes care of itself, but that simply isn’t the case when most options pencil out negative even under high yield situations.

Review the results of the Arkansas Rice Performance Trials at https://uaex.uada.edu/rice. The provided table shows general performance data, but full details of all sites are provided in the complete published data. Be sure to compare performance based on net returns for the differing operating costs of each cultivar, not just a focus on yield. Let us know if we can help.   ∆

Performance of selected cultivars in the Arkansas Rice Performance Trials, 2023-2025.

JARROD T. HARDKE \ FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS