Last year’s post-harvest weather was a big help, giving farmers a chance to knock out field prep. ⋅ BY MARY HIGHTOWER ⋅ About half of Arkansas’ expected 1.45 million acres of rice has been planted, with northeast Arkansas leading the way,...

⋅ BY V. TODD MILLER ⋅ A national group of scientists — including two from the LSU AgCenter — has released the Fertilizer Recommendation Support Tool, or FRST, a decision aid providing an unbiased, science-based interpretation of soil test phosphorus...

Seeding Rate Work in Furrow-Irrigated Rice We recently wrapped up the “meeting season” circuit, where it seems like we speak about every other day on various research topics that we’ve been looking at throughout the year(s). While meeting season is...

⋅ BY RYAN LOY ⋅ University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Following two consecutive years of decline (see Figure 1), United States rice production increased to roughly 2.9 million acres in 2023. In 2022 and 2023, the world was consuming more...

Working as a Team to Find Ways to Improve ⋅ BY CASSIDY NEMEC ⋅ Editor Brian McKenzie is a fourth-generation rice grower and California native. While he at first had his sights set on a corporate occupation, he is now sitting around...

⋅ BY WHITNEY BRIM-DEFOREST ⋅ University of California Cooperative Extension White water fire (Bergia capensis) was found in September 2023, by the Butte County Agricultural Commissioner’s office in a Butte County rice field. The weed was identified by the California Department...

MSU Extension Names New Delta Region Coordinator The Mississippi State University Extension Service’s Delta region will soon have new leadership. Alex Deason, who has been an MSU Extension agent based in Sunflower County since 2013, began his new role as regional...

Classifying workers as “employees” or “independent contractors” is an important task for agricultural employers because of the legal obligations and protections they owe to their employees. Some agricultural employers hire workers to complete various tasks or provide certain services...

Rice Processing Program Develops Guidelines to Maximize Quality, Reduce Energy ⋅ BY JOHN LOVETT ⋅ U of A System Division of Agriculture The Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station’s Rice Processing Program has released new recommendations to guide on-farm, in-bin rice drying in Arkansas...

The Panama and Suez canals typically bear the weight of global commerce but now carry the additional, heavier burdens of weather and war. “There are two maritime disasters going on simultaneously. One of them is political and the other one...

Nobody can deny that the Biden Administration has put their money where their mouth is when it comes to climate change. Most prominent among their initiatives is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program. Part...

Back in December, I mentioned how there are many aspects in the rice industry that may shift at a moment’s notice. It may be over time, or it may be almost instantaneous, but there is sure to be something...

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There’s a sign on UC-Davis’s campus that reads “This Present Moment Used to be the Unimaginable Future.” I liked that since it almost forced me to look back at where I was years ago and where I am now....

Plan Ahead for Success Each year those reporting the most successful weed control programs continue to be those who focus on overlapping residuals. That, plus starting clean and putting the right chemistry / technology where it has the best chance...