This year, the Acadia Parish Louisiana State University AgCenter will again be hosting the Acadia / LSU South Farm Field Day, June 12, beginning at 8:30 a.m. We will have LSU AgCenter rice and soybean specialists give talks regarding rice varieties, agronomics, state update, rice diseases, rice insects, rice herbicides and soybean production. Most presentations, like in years past, will ... Read More »
New ground sprayer design allows for wider boom, less rutting and improved efficiency • By Vicky Boyd, Editor • Randy Chrisman had an “aha” moment during the 2016-17 winter when he came up with the idea for a rubber-tracked sprayer with a wide boom that would be more efficient than traditional steel-wheeled rigs. A Williams, California, rice producer who also ... Read More »
Early season disease management is becoming increasingly important as Texas rice farmers trend toward planting earlier at lower seeding rates (about 50 percent of Texas rice acreage is planted to hybrids). Clearly, the earlier plantings have a better chance of producing both high-yielding main and ratoon crops. But planting earlier means exposing seed to lower temperatures and possibly wetter soil, ... Read More »
The University of California is seeking producers’ and farm managers’ help as they conduct a survey of weedy rice infestation and rice production practices in the state that may affect the weed’s persistence and infestation levels. As you know, weedy rice is a pest problem that can potentially cause significant losses to the state’s rice industry. UC Rice Farm Advisers Luis ... Read More »
New grass species joins weedy rice as weeds that tested California growers and PCAs in 2018 • By Vicky Boyd, Editor • Although the number of rice acres in California infested with weedy rice — also known as red rice — has remained fairly stable the past few seasons, a new biotype popped up in one field in 2018. Add to ... Read More »
Researchers fine-tuned N, seeding recommendations for Provisia rice during 2018 season. The 2018 season was the first year the Provisia variety, PVL01, was grown commercially. Louisiana grew approximately 10,000 acres of PVL01, and the average yield was about 42-43 barrels per acre statewide (6,804-6,966 pounds per acre; 151-155 bushels per acre). Many growers were satisfied with the Provisia system, and ... Read More »
Vicky asked me to talk about weed management, so I asked Dr. Muthukumar Bagavathiannan to help me. Muthu is our rice weed scientist located at College Station, but he makes many forays into the Texas Rice Belt during the growing season. Of utmost importance is proper weed identification, which demands frequent and careful scouting. Last year, I was called out ... Read More »
We have been fortunate to see new products on the market for rice over the past few years. These products have put more tools in the toolbox for us to use to manage our rice crop. In 2018, we saw three new herbicides (Loyant, Gambit and Provisia), one new herbicide premix (RiceOne), one fungicide (AmistarTop) and of course, the new ... Read More »
Extremely grassy season put the new Provisia Rice System to the test • By Vicky Boyd, Editor • Growers with resistant weedy rice who planted the first commercial Provisia rice variety in 2018 say the decision was a “no-brainer,” even though they knew it had a slightly lower yield potential. The alternative would have been either suffering significant yield loss due ... Read More »
• By Bruce Schultz • In a series of meetings in southwest Louisiana, Louisiana State University AgCenter experts offered farmers advice for growing their 2019 crop. Farmers met recently in Welsh, Abbeville, Ville Platte and Crowley only a few weeks from the start of planting season. AgCenter rice breeder Adam Famoso says a new line of Provisia rice, PVL108, in development ... Read More »
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