Rice, a global grain consumed by more than half the world’s population, totes unique versatility unlike other grains throughout history. Each country and culture has made the grain its own as center of the plate, a side and even as an ingredient in desserts. It is no surprise that rice reserves a special spot as a staple celebrated first during ... Read More »
• By Dr. Mo Way, Kate Crumley and Dr. David Kerns • Just want to alert you rice farmers and crop consultants to be on the look out for the English grain aphid. As you probably know, aphids have piercing-sucking mouthparts, like a rice stink bug. But aphids suck up plant juices from the vascular phloem tissue of plants. They ... Read More »
• By Vicky Boyd, Editor • After the discovery of rice delphacid in an El Campo, Texas, greenhouse last winter and a possible sighting recently in Victoria County, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research entomologist has cautioned growers and consultants to be on the lookout for the pest. “My gut feeling is that they’re here to stay,” said Dr. Mo Way, ... Read More »
• By Gus Lorenz, Nick Bateman and Ben Thrash • Rice stink bugs have been relatively quite so far this year. We are still seeing a large number of rice stink bugs, although mainly nymphs, on turn rows feeding on native grasses. We have heard of a handful of fields that were either right at threshold or slightly above and ... Read More »
• By Bruce Schultz • Scientists at the Louisiana State University AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station detailed their work in an online field day presentation July 1. Mike Salassi, LSU AgCenter vice president for plant and animal science, said the virtual field day was necessary as a safeguard against the coronavirus pandemic. Salassi said rice adds $1 billion ... Read More »
2 non-native stink bugs prompt questions about treatment thresholds, spray timings in Florida rice. • By Vicky Boyd, Editor • Since it was first confirmed about 13 years ago, an exotic rice stink bug from the Caribbean and Central and South America has increased in abundance and is now the most common stink bug in Florida rice fields. What the ... Read More »
Arkansas revisits rice stink bug thresholds, finding they still balance grain damage with grower profitability. • By Vicky Boyd, Editor • As two southern rice-producing states changed their rice stink bug thresholds, reducing the number that would trigger treatment, University of Arkansas entomologists decided they should revisit their recommendations. After conducting numerous trials — ranging from caged feeding studies to ... Read More »
Epidemic levels of kernel smut and false smut were prevalent in the 2019 Louisiana rice crop. While smuts have always been a common problem in northeast Louisiana and the Mississippi Delta rice-growing regions, smuts were never really a concern in southwest Louisiana. Over the past five years, sightings of smut in southwest Louisiana rice fields have increased a little bit ... Read More »
RTWG Awards Luncheon recognizes peers for exemplary work. Every two years, rice researchers from around the United States and even the globe get together for the Rice Technical Working Group. This year, the two-day event was hosted by Mississippi State University and held recently in Orange Beach, Alabama. During the awards luncheon, researchers recognize peers who have made outstanding contributions ... Read More »
Research finds rice can take more armyworm defoliation than previously thought without yield loss. • By Vicky Boyd, Editor • After two years of field and greenhouse studies, University of Arkansas entomologists say they feel confident about recommending against treating most fall armyworm infestations in rice. But they say they want one more year of data before they update the ... Read More »
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