Insect Control

2016 will not soon be forgotten in Louisiana but for the wrong reasons – historic flooding, reduced quality and significantly lower yields. By Dustin Harrell There are rice seasons where high yield, milling, quality and prices will forever be remembered by...

Dr. Mike Stout, who for 19 years served as a rice entomologist, was named head of the Louisiana State University Department of Entomology. He replaces Jim Ottea, who served as interim head. Stout received a bachelor's degree in biology from...

Texas A&M AgriLife researchers gave rice growers highlights of their new product pipeline during the recent 42nd annual rice field day at the David R. Watermann Rice Research Station in Eagle Lake, Texas. Rice breeder Dr. Rodante Tabien has two...

Under cloudy skies and cool temperatures, attendees of Louisiana State University AgCenter's 107th annual rice field day in Crowley June 29 got a glimpse of several new varieties, hybrids and crop protection materials in the pipeline. Among those were a Clearfield...

While some crop protection companies are reducing their presence in the agricultural industry because of cyclic downturns, Valent U.S.A. is investing in its future with expansion and new construction projects. By Vicky Boyd Editor The Walnut Creek, Calif.-based firm is nearing...

As Mexican rice borer expands, a collaborative effort is studying new management regimes and control methods. By Vicky Boyd Editor Since the Mexican rice borer was first confirmed in Texas in the 1980s, it has slowly expanded its range throughout Southeast Texas and into...

Walnut Creek, Calif.-based Valent U.S.A. plans to expand its research facility in Leland, Miss., as well as build a new facility near Champaign, Ill. The investments are part of a wide-scale global research initiative announced earlier this month by...

Despite the drought and a localized armyworm infestation, this season produced some very strong yields. By Randall “Cass” Mutters An overview of the 2015 rice-growing season in California would not be complete without mention of the ongoing drought. Statewide, the last...

Dr. Jarrod T. Hardke Arkansas Rice Extension Agronomist University of Arkansas, Cooperative Extension Service jradke@uaex.edu If I had told growers in January that they should plant their rice in May to achieve the best yields and that mid-April would be terrible, I’d have been...

Dr. Bruce Linquist California UCCE Rice Specialist balinquist@ucdavis.edu Application of the four Rs (right rate, right source, right timing and right placement) helps ensure high fertilizer use efficiency. Last year we discussed the four Rs of fertilizer N; this year I will touch...

Dr. Jarrod T. Hardke Arkansas Rice Extension Agronomist University of Arkansas, Cooperative Extension Service jradke@uaex.edu Strange is the New Normal Arkansas rice farming in 2014 was a lot like a line heard often about playing cards: it wasn't necessarily a matter of holding good cards,...

Eric Benzel - Pest Control Adviser, Big Valley Ag Services, Gridley, CA While attending California State University-Chico, I worked for the University of California Cooperative Extension office in Butte County conducting rice research. After graduation, I obtained my license and became a rice...

California IPM Information The third edition of Integrated Pest Management for Rice is now available. The publication’s informative color photographs of pests and their damage, line drawings, tables and figures are valuable aids in the diagnosis and treatment of common...

DR. M.O. “MO” WAY TEXAS Rice Research Entomologist moway@aesrg.tamu.edu In rice fields, many insects are aquatic and obtain oxygen by absorbing this dissolved gas directly from the water through their integument, by surfacing and taking a bubble of air with them underwater or...

Ducks Unlimited (DU) Inc. is the recipient of the USA Rice Federation’s Distinguished Conservation Achievement Award, which recognizes the organization’s leadership in and contributions to U.S. wetlands and waterfowl conservation. The award honors those whose exemplary leadership and other...