Growing a Sustainable Crop for the Bottom Line ⋅ BY CASSIDY NEMEC ⋅ EDITOR Jeff Rutledge owns and operates a farm in Newport, Arkansas, located between and along the White River and Black River. Rutledge has an undergraduate degree in agronomy from...

⋅ BY BRITTANEY MANN ⋅ U of A System Division of Agriculture Naturally occurring polyphenols and proteins from pigmented waxy rice may help starch ingredients improve texture without any chemical modification — a change some consumers may welcome, said Ya-Jane Wang,...

⋅ BY CASSIDY NEMEC ⋅ EDITOR John Cecil is a fourth-generation rice grower in Willows, California. His great grandfather bought some land there back in the 1800s. He began to take over the operation located in the Glenn-Colusa irrigation district in...

The Roy Blunt Soil Testing and Research Laboratory will strengthen research support for southeast Missouri producers. A groundbreaking was held April 5 for the Roy Blunt Soil Testing and Research Laboratory at the University of Missouri’s Fisher Delta Research, Extension, and...

The U.S. rice industry generates roughly $34 billion toward the U.S. economy, but exports account for more than 50% of the rice produced and processed here in the United States. Agricultural exports are critical to the U.S. economy, and...

There’s a song I listen to every now and then with the lyrics “life is not the mountaintops; it’s the walking in between.” I really like that metaphor this time of year. It seems like the “in between” time...

Hiring is Part of a Recent Partnership Supporting Collaborative Breeding Efforts Horizon Ag is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. María Guadalupe Montiel for the newly created position of rice breeder for the company’s independent lab located at the...

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...