University of California Cooperative Extension is surveying for rice diseases this fall. The objective is to document the incidence of diseases in Sacramento Valley rice fields to justify to the California Air Resources Board the industry needs to continue burning 25% of its acreage annually. Every five years, the air board has to reapprove the straw burning program. One reason ... Read More »
• By Vicky Boyd, Editor • Rice breeders at the California Rice Experiment Station are on a roll, having released nine improved varieties in the past 10 years. And their success appears to be continuing as they have two lines — 12Y2175 and 14Y1006 — being considered for potential release in the next few years, said Virgilio “Butz” Andaya, director ... Read More »
The California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation recently honored Butte County rice producer Frank Rehermann for his years of industry leadership, including 20 serving on the California Rice Commission. In presenting the California Rice Industry Award, CRC President and CEO Tim Johnson described the numerous trips Rehermann made to Washington, D.C., to advocate on behalf of California rice growers. “When he ... Read More »
• By Luis Espino • Although blast isn’t at epidemic levels in California rice fields this season, the fungal disease nonetheless is at higher levels than during the past several years. The last time we saw a severe blast epidemic was 2011. Since then, we haven’t had much blast; in fact, I had not seen any blast at all during ... Read More »
• By Jim Morris • Statistics and the proliferation of brewpubs bear out the rise in hand-crafted beer. A newer entry, Gunrock American Lager at Sudwerk Brewing Co. in Davis, California, has a great backstory. While rice is frequently used as a cereal in beermaking, it’s taking more of a prominent role in several new beers, including Gunrock. It takes ... Read More »
The University of California Cooperative Extension will host a free weedy rice workshop, from 10 a.m.-noon, Aug. 1, at the Colusa Casino Chairman’s Room in Colusa. Weedy rice, an all-inclusive term for red rice and undesirable outcrossings, was confirmed in about six California rice fields in 2003. By 2016, it had exploded and had been found in about 60 fields ... Read More »
• By Bob Johnson • A team of researchers is waiting to learn how many of the small chinook salmon that were raised on the healthiest of food in Mike Dewit’s rice field in the Yolo Bypass, fitted with microtransmitters, and released into the Sacramento River in late April survive the arduous journey to San Francisco Bay and the ocean ... Read More »
The Environmental Protection Agency has approved a Section 18 emergency exemption for Intrepid 2F Insecticide for use in Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Merced, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties, California. You need to make certain Intrepid 2F Insecticide is on your rice pesticide (restricted materials) permit at the county agricultural commissioner’s office. The various pesticide database companies will receive ... Read More »
• By Bruce Linquist • Rain in May, especially in the amounts we have seen this year, are far from ideal for rice growers. It makes establishing seedling, nitrogen management and weed control extra challenging. Rain in May is not new. In 1995, 1996, 1998 and 2005, average May rainfall in the Sacramento Valley was 2.3 inches and average statewide ... Read More »
• By Luis Espino • Over the winter, I gave a few presentations that touched on armyworms. In the presentations, I usually had pictures of adult armyworms. Several comments I got after the presentations made me realize that armyworm adult moths sometimes are confused with other moths or butterflies that are seen in abundance at certain times of the year. ... Read More »
Rice Farming A One Grower Publication