Arkion Life Sciences LLC is offering rice producers a rebate of about $2 per acre if they use its AV-1011 bird-repellent on rice seed this season.
The actual amount of the rebate will depend on seeding rates, says Mike Brinkley of Arkion. The offer runs through May.
Many producers in South Louisiana have already seen first-hand the benefits of applying AV-1011 to their seed. The product doesn’t kill marauding birds. Instead, it coats the seed with an unpleasant taste that dissuades birds from feeding on newly planted fields.
Without the treatment, many Gulf Coast growers have to endure the coast of replanting fields.
“Mainly what this rebate is for is the grower who has bird problems and is on the fence about using AV-1011,” Brinkley says. But any grower, including previous users, can take advantage of the offer.
AV-1011 can be applied to rice seed by the local agricultural chemical or seed dealer. Brinkley recommends placing orders early so the facility has enough time to treat the seed without being rushed.
The seed treatment received a full Section 3 registration from the Environmental Protection Agency in 2016. It is not registered for use in California.