Rice farmers finalizing plans for 2020 planting should be aware of some exciting developments from Horizon Ag that can positively impact productivity and improve their bottom line, including price reductions for many popular varieties, a financing program and the availability of new, high-performing varieties.
“We’re excited to offer some great new opportunities for rice farmers that will pay immediate dividends for their operations,” said Dr. Tim Walker, Horizon Ag general manager. “At Horizon Ag, we’ve built our business on partnerships with industry leaders like BASF, university breeding programs, seed retailers and our farmer customers. We’re proud to show that again this year, with lower prices, financing support and varieties that provide both the yield potential and milled product to maximize revenue.”
After some of the challenging seasons rice farmers have recently faced due to weather extremes and depressed commodity prices, Horizon Ag announced it was dropping the price of several proven Clearfield® varieties — CL111, CL151, CL153, CL163 and CLJ01 — for 2020. The varieties selected for the price reduction are ones that have, season after season, provided outstanding results.
“CL111 and CL153 offer industry-leading blast protection, stable yields and excellent package quality,” said Dr. Walker. “CL151 has consistently produced some of the highest grain yields with premium milling quality over the last 10 years. CL163, because of identity-preserved price premiums, may be one of the most profitable rice varieties we have offered in the last few years. CLJ01 is the first Clearfield aromatic ‘Jasmine’ type rice variety. Together, they give farmers an opportunity to choose the right Clearfield varieties for their farms, at a reduced price.”
Rice farmers looking for enhanced financial flexibility in 2020 can also take advantage of fixed 0%1 APR financing on Horizon Ag seed and BASF crop protection products for the coming year, through a Multi-Use Account from John Deere Financial.
Eligible products include Clearfield varieties CL111, CL151, CL153, CL163, CLL15, CLM04 and CLJ01, followed by Clearpath® herbicide or Newpath® herbicide; Provisia® varieties PVL01 and PVL02 followed by Provisia herbicide; and BASF crop protection products applied to rice acres — Beyond® herbicide, Facet® L herbicide, Sharpen® herbicide or Prowl® H2O herbicide.
Three new Horizon Ag varieties also will be available for planting in 2020.
CLL15, a long grain, semi-dwarf Clearfield rice variety, and CLM04, a medium grain Clearfield rice, were developed at the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart, Arkansas. Both offer the potential for higher yields and excellent weed control, based on three years of university rice cultivar testing, on-farm trials and seed production fields.
Farmers will also have access to the latest Provisia rice variety — PVL02, from the breeding program at the Louisiana State University AgCenter. The Provisia Rice System, developed in partnership with BASF, provides an alternative to imidazolinone herbicide-tolerant rice, enabling farmers to control resistant, costly weedy rice and red rice.
CLL15 has consistently shown average yields 5 to 10 bushels higher than varietal industry standards in multi-year tests. In 2019, numerous fields of CLL15 dried 185 bushels per acre or more, with the best farm yielding over 200 bushels per acre dry across 280 acres.
For farmers with medium grain rice, new CLM04 is an early-maturing, semi-dwarf type with outstanding yield potential, and good milling and grain quality. In state and regional trials from 2016 to 2018, it averaged 198 bushels per acre, better than CL272 and Jupiter. Amylose content and gelatinization temperatures are almost identical to Kellogg’s-approved Jupiter. CLM04, like Jupiter, contains the Pi-ks gene; however, CLM04 also contains the Pi-z gene.
When it comes to controlling imidazolinone herbicide-tolerant rice that’s costing many farmers significantly each season, and adding a new mode of action to manage resistance, farmers have two variety choices for the Provisia Rice System — Horizon Ag varieties PVL01 and new PVL02.
“The new varieties join an already strong lineup of Clearfield and Provisia varieties from Horizon Ag,” said Dr. Walker. “And with other new varietal candidates in our pipeline, we expect to continue sharing exciting news for our customers.”