In partnership with the University of Arkansas, Horizon Ag plans to introduce two Clearfield varieties for seed production this season and commercial planting in 2020.
The new medium- and long-grain varieties were released by the University of Arkansas and are from the breeding program of Dr. Xueyan Sha at the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart, Arkansas.
“Dr. Sha is one of the hardest-working individuals I’ve had the chance to work with,” says Dr. Tim Walker, Horizon Ag general manager. “We believe these two new varieties will be a testament to his knowledge and understanding of the current state of the Southern USA rice industry.”
Variety CLL15 is a high-yielding long-grain Clearfield cultivar with excellent milling characteristics, including good grain length and low chalk. In addition, this variety has broad-spectrum blast resistance similar to Horizon Ag varieties CL153 and CL172.
CLL15 measures about 38 inches tall and stands extremely well. In the 2018 Arkansas Rice Performance Trials, CLL15 yielded 192 bushels per acre compared to 190 bushels per acre for competitive hybrid CLXL745. In the trials conducted from 2016 –2018, CLL15 averaged 191 bushels per acre compared to 197 bushels per acre for CLXL745.
CLM04, a medium-grain Clearfield variety, promises outstanding yield potential rivaling that of conventional medium-grain counterparts Jupiter and Titan. In 43 trials conducted in Arkansas and throughout the Southern United States, CLM04 yielded 198 bushels per acre compared to 195 bushels per acre for Jupiter and 200 bushels per acre for Titan.
Amylose content and gelatinization temperatures are almost identical for CLM04 and Kellogg’s-approved Jupiter. CLM04, like Jupiter, contains the Pi-ks gene; however, CLM04 also contains the Pi-z gene, both of which impart blast tolerance.
For more information about these new varieties that will be in seed production in 2019, go to www.horizonseed.com.