Despite coronavirus restrictions, rice breeding programs continue albeit with a few changes. • By Vicky Boyd, Editor • In mid-March, University of Arkansas rice breeder Xueyan Sha decided only a few days before his scheduled trip to the university’s Puerto Rican winter nursery to cancel it because of the coronavirus outbreak. Although the move meant he wouldn’t be able to ... Read More »
• By Fred Miller • Jewel, a new mid-season, long-grain rice variety from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, offers high yields and resistance to most known blast races. In 14 Arkansas Rice Performance Trials conducted over three years, Jewel averaged 187 bushels per acre, said Karen Moldenhauer, professor and rice breeder for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. ... Read More »
The American Multi Cultural Ethnic Coalition recently honored Louisiana State University AgCenter rice researcher Ida Wenefrida as one of the Top 20 Global Woman of Excellence for 2020 at a recent Chicago ceremony. The honor recognizes women from around the world, including Poland, Canada, the Philippines, Thailand and Africa. U.S. Rep. Danny Davis of Chicago presented the awards at a ... Read More »
Scientists at University of California, Davis, have used CRISPR technology to genetically engineer rice with high levels of beta-carotene, the precursor of vitamin A. The technique provides a promising strategy for genetically improving rice and other crops. The study was published today in the journal Nature Communications. Rice is a staple food crop for more than half the world’s population. ... Read More »
• By Bruce Schultz • The LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station is collaborating with a Cornell University-based project aimed at studying the ancestors of what became the modern rice plant. Researchers hope the work will uncover useful traits from the wild lines of rice that have been lost through domestication. Three wild strains of rice from China, ... Read More »
Every two years, rice researchers from around the nation and even internationally attend the Rice Technical Working Group meeting to share results and craft plans about future research directions. Mississippi State University will host the 38th RTWG, Feb. 24-27, 2020, at the Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach, Alabama. The agenda is chocked full of research topics as well as ... Read More »
Lynx, a new medium-grain rice variety from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, offers high yields and early maturity. “Lynx consistently showed a yield advantage over both Jupiter and Titan in rice-growing areas north of I-40 and west of Crowley’s Ridge, where the majority of the state’s medium-grain rice is grown,” said Xueyan Sha, professor and rice breeder ... Read More »
When you start looking at historical weather data, Arkansas and the rest of the Southeast haven’t seen a significant overall temperature increase since the early 20th century. What has changed in Arkansas and parts of the Southeast is how those temperatures are distributed, according to information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association National Centers for Environmental Information. Although the ... 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 »
Rice, already a staple grain for billions around the planet, could become an even more important food source with additional nutrients. Researchers with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Rice Processing Program presented this and other hopeful insights based upon their academic research at the annual Industry Alliance Meeting. The 2019 event was organized and hosted by the ... Read More »
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