• By Vicky Boyd,
Editor •

Many growers for the first time got to see the FullPage herbicide-tolerant rice system growing in the field during RiceTec’s recent field day near Harrisburg, Arkansas.
For the 2019 growing season, Alvin, Texas-based RiceTec plans a limited release of four long-grain hybrids bred to tolerate over-the-top applications of Preface and Postscript IMI herbicides from Adama Inc.
“They’re going to be the FullPage system, but they’re going to be products you’re already used to,” says Mason Wallace, RiceTec technical services manager.
RT7321 FP, for example, has similar yield potential, standability and disease package as XP753. Unlike XP753, which has no IMI herbicide tolerance, RT7321 FP has tolerance to Preface and Postscript.
RT7322 FP has similar agronomic traits as Clearfield XL745, and RT7521 FP has traits similar to XP760.
Hybrids are created when two dissimilar parents are crossed, resulting in progeny that have better traits than either of the parents individually. This is sometimes referred to as hybrid vigor.
With the FullPage system, both parents have an IMI-resistance gene, resulting in hybrids with improved tolerance to the herbicide. This helps minimize crop response if applications are accidentally overlapped, such as in the turn-row.
New seed treatment

New to the FullPage system will be the Squad seed treatment. Seed treated with Squad will have the currently offered seed treatments plus an encrustment, which creates a smoother seed surface and allows for better movement through the planter. It also gives the grower better seed singulation for different drills in the rice-growing region.
As a result, Wallace says growers will have to recalibrate their planters if they’re set up for other hybrids.
“Don’t just throw it in your drill and use the same settings because you’re going to burn through your seed very quickly,” he says. “It’s going to take away the abrasiveness of the seed.”
Start clean
As with any herbicide program, growers should start with a clean field, says Andy Kendig, Adama herbicide development lead. The FullPage system comprises two applications of Preface (imazethapyr), which provides post-emerge and residual control of some of the most troublesome grasses including weedy rice, red rice and barnyardgrass.
Postscript (imazamox) is more of a clean-up material for escapes and is applied post-flood, if needed. It does not have residual control.
Kendig’s preferred program starts with clomazone. He may add quinclorac or propanil, depending on the weed species present, with the first Preface application, followed by a second Preface application preflood.
Kendig also recommends a sound stewardship program, which includes two Preface applications and rotating out of rice.
“The situation with herbicide-resistant weeds in rice is sobering,” he says. “We’ve been talking about resistance for 30 years. Something that really bugs me in rice is ALS-resistant red rice. What’s wrong with putting out 55 pounds per acre of soybean seed? That’s a wonderful rotational crop for resistance management and agronomics.”
As IMI herbicides, Preface and Postscript belong to the ALS herbicide class.
Other hybrids in the pipeline
In addition to FullPage, RiceTec showed off a few other hybrids it has in the works.
• XP770 is a conventional long grain showing a similar or slightly better yield potential than XP753. It has about the same maturity as well as the same disease package and standability as XP753, says Matt Snow, RiceTec district sales manager.
• XP113 is a conventional long grain that matures in 117-120 days. It has a high yield potential, very low chalk and excellent grain quality — traits coveted by some export markets.
• RT7801 is a conventional hybrid that initially will be grown for niche markets, such as for ready-to-serve products. It has very high amylose and competes with Sabine. RT7801 has a yield potential similar to XL723.