Rice Farming January 2020

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PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

JANUARY 2020

Put to the test FullPage hybrids stood up to the 2019 challenge University of Arkansas OKs 2 conventional varieties Two new Clearfield releases did well in 2019

March January2018 2020

COLUMNS

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Vol. 52, 54, No. 4 2

COVER STORY

4 From the Editor

Rice's long Program provides history ongoing bucks 'what's hotsuccession in food' trends leadership planning

6 Guest Column 5RiceUSA Rice Update and sustainability

Optimism welcomes a new, and USA better,Rice yearUpdate 8 Rice industry sets priorities D P Anext R T Farm M E NBill TS for Ethe

18 Specialists Speaking D E P Aselection RTMEN T S the Cultivar is half

Rice business scene

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Heretotothe stay?

Put test

battle

19 Industry News RiceIndustry business scene 22 News

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20 Specialist Speaking

The California rice industry prepares for what may become annual armyworm FullPage hybrids performed as expected during challenging 2019 season. infestations.

manager Craig Hamm (right) checks panicle movement in RT7521 FP as Louisiana rice producer Marcus ON THE COVER: Pousson looks on.Armyworms once again plagued California rice growers Photo in 2017.by Vicky Boyd

F E AT U R E S

Early herbicide mistakes can ON THE COVER: district plague you allRiceTec season longsales

Photo by Luis Espino, University of California Cooperative Extension

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market, but increased 2018 planting projections cloud long-term outlook.

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Cheers!

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Rock’s Rock Distillery.

Floods aid Town expansion

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rice-crawfish in southwest Despite late,rotation wet winter, UC yield Louisiana.winners still cut 100-plus contest cwt/acre New tools in the tool box SeveralRice newOutlook crop-protection products 2019 Conference are available in time for this year’s rice awards

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Stay up-to-date with the latest from Rice Farming. www.facebook.com/ ricefarming1

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Follow us on Twitter: @RiceFarming

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TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

The yin momentum and yang continues as Market Shorter supplies have shorn up thestrong rough, milled exports remain

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Arkansas rice stars in bourbon from Little Giant invasive snail threatens the

season.

Each year, several individuals are honored for their contributions to the rice industry The smell of success during the Awards Luncheon.

University of Arkansas breeding program releases new jasmine-type Farm-scale demonstrations long grain.

Two new Clearfield releases did well in 2019 with high yield potential, good blast resistance.

Far m & Gin Show recap Tight world rice supplies mean any

University of Arkansas releases disruption could push markets higher.2 conventional varieties

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From The

Editor

Program provides leadership succession planning As I looked out at the attendees of the recent rice leadership program alumni dinner in Little Rock, Arkansas, I couldn’t help but notice how many of today’s leaders were graduates of the program. Possibly even more heartening was the large number of young people who had recently completed the program and were poised to take on industry leadership rolls.

When you come down to it, the Rice Leadership Development Program is ongoing succession planning for the industry. As older leaders retire, there is a continuous group of younger folks who have been trained to fill those voids.

The seven-member 2020 class was named Vicky Boyd at the December Rice Outlook Conference in Editor Little Rock. If you count that class as the 31st, roughly 215 young leaders have completed or are currently in the program. I’m proud to say I’m one of those rice leadership graduates.

In addition to providing an in-depth education about the diverse U.S. rice industry, the class gives participants life skills, such as public speaking, media training and proper social etiquette. It also offers networking opportunities and creates lifelong friendships.

Timothy Gertson, who farms with his family near Lissie, Texas, is a graduate of the 2012 class. One of the teachings that stuck with him was the need for farmers to tell their stories to the general public. As a result, Gertson says he tries to make time for media requests whenever possible.

During development of the 2018 Farm Bill, he testified on short notice before a House conservation subcommittee. Gertson also recently visited Africa as part of a trip to gain first-hand knowledge of U.S. food assistance programs.

Jennifer James, a 1997 leadership graduate who farms with her family near Newport, Arkansas, has been volunteering in the rice industry for about 20 years.

When asked why she devotes so much time to off-farm activities, she says, “It’s my duty to give back what was invested in me during my time in the leadership class. It certainly provided the foundation and gave me access to meetings, committees and networking and helped me build relationships with farmers not only in Arkansas but throughout the country. It has built my confidence and ability to represent farmers in different capacities in the industry.”

Each class comprises five producers and two industry representatives. Applicants must be between 25 and 45 years old. The two-year program involves two one-week sessions annually, finishing in Washington, D.C. It is supported by grants from John Deere Co., RiceTec Inc. and American Commodity Co. Learn more about the program at https://www.usarice.com/foundation/leadership-program, and watch for announcements this summer about how to apply for the 2021 class.

Vicky Send comments to: Editor, Rice Farming Magazine, 875 W. Poplar Ave., Suite 23, Box 305, Collierville, TN 38017 or email vlboyd@onegrower.com.

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RiceFaRming EDITORIAL/PRODUCTION Editor Vicky Boyd 209-505-3612 vlboyd@onegrower.com Copy Editor Amanda Huber ahuber@onegrower.com Art Director Ashley Kumpe akumpe@onegrower.com

ADMINISTRATION Publisher/Vice President Lia Guthrie 901-497-3689 lguthrie@onegrower.com Associate Publisher Carroll Smith 901-326-4443 csmith@onegrower.com Sales Manager Scott Emerson 386-462-1532 semerson@onegrower.com Production Manager Kathy Killingsworth 901-767-4020 kkillingsworth@onegrower.com Audience Services Kate Thomas 847-559-7514 For circulation changes or change of address, call 847-559-7578 or email ricefarming@omeda.com

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC Mike Lamensdorf President/Treasurer Lia Guthrie Publisher/Vice President ASSOCIATED PUBLICATIONS — One Grower Publishing LLC also publishes COTTON FARMING, THE PEANUT GROWER, SOYBEAN SOUTH and CORN SOUTH magazines.

RICE FARMING (ISSN 0194- 0929) is published monthly January through May, and December, by One Grower Publishing LLC, 875 W. Poplar Ave., Suite 23, Box 305, Collierville, TN 38017. Periodicals postage paid at Memphis, TN. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to OMEDA COMMUNICATIONS, CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT, P.O. BOX 1388, NORTHBROOK, IL 60065-1388. Annual subscriptions are $25.00. International rates are $55.00 Canada/ Mexico, $90.00 all other countries for Air-Speeded Delivery. (Surface delivery not available due to problems in reliability.) $5.00 single copy.

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USA Rice

Update

Optimism welcomes a new, and better, year

By Betsy Ward

What’s ahead USA Rice is coming off an exciting year of promotion programs, both here and abroad, and we’re looking forward to building on our successes in 2020. I’ll write more about those programs in the coming months, but suffice to say, I’m excited about what lies ahead.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that 2020 is going to be a very hotly contested election year. With our nation as politically divided as it is, tempers will flare and voices will be raised.

On this front, I can only say that no matter what your political stripe, it is my wish for us all that we can approach the election season with respect for each other and our differing views and agree to disagree without being disagreeable.

I hope you all enjoyed a restful holiday season with friends and family and that you are feeling refreshed and ready to make 2020 a great year for the U.S. rice industry. We’ve got a lot of work to do and as always, there are a lot of big decisions ahead for us and for you.

2020 has so much potential. Knowing that our rice farmers are approaching it with the same determination and resilience as they always have makes it easy to predict that it’s going to be a good year.

PHOTOS BY VICKY BOYD

President and CEO USA Rice

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very year around this time, many of us make resolutions, looking forward to the new year and imagining how we can make the world a better place and improve ourselves. It’s a time of new beginnings, fresh starts and optimism!

There’s no doubt 2019 was hard: Prices and acreage were down; uncertainty plagued the trade front; and weather, where the nicest thing you could say about it was that it was uncooperative and unforgiving, was a challenge. But I believe 2020 is going to be a better year.

I spent lots of time visiting with rice farmers, researchers and industry observers at the USA Rice Outlook Conference in Little Rock last month and though the “good riddance to 2019” sentiment was pretty universal. For the most part, folks were optimistic about the year ahead. And that makes me hopeful.

Whether it is deploying new technologies and innovative practices we heard about at the Outlook Conference that could increase yields and drive down costs or the strides our government seemed to be making on important trade deals as 2019 was coming to a close, there is reason to believe this year is looking up.

Louisiana rice producer David Lacour (left) shows Katie Maher of USA Rice a photo on his phone as fellow producer Dane Hebert looks on during the USA Rice Outlook Conference opening reception.

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Kane Webb (left) and Jesica Kincaid, both of USA Rice, compare notes at the USA Rice Outlook Conference opening reception about how many #RideWithRice truck raffle tickets were sold.

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Market momentum continues as rough, milled exports remain strong

By Kurt Guidry

Effects of trade agreements Adding to the positive tone of the market are the recent announcements of two trade agreements. The House of Representative recently passed the U.S. Mexico-Canada-America trade agreement, and the Senate will now take it up.

All signs point to its passage, and that should help to continue to support and strengthen trade between the United States, Mexico and Canada. In addition, recent re-

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ports of the United States and China agreeing to begin to limit tariffs hold promise, creating a more hospitable trade environment for all agricultural commodities.

While neither of these announcements guarantees continued strong rice export demand, they could go a long way in helping to reduce barriers to agricultural trade and create more opportunities moving forward.

Foundation for strong prices With improving supply-and-demand fundamentals, it certainly appears that the foundation has been laid for continued strength in rice prices, particularly in the short term. Currently, cash rice prices have been reported in the $20 to $20.25 per-barrel range ($12.35 to $12.50 cwt). While the holiday season and the start of the new year will likely limit any significant price movement as market activity typically comes to a standstill, there could be some upward pressure on prices if the demand outlook remains positive once the market starts to ramp back up in late January/early February.

It is always difficult to determine how much upward price potential a market has, but it is conceivable that prices could approach $21 per barrel ($13 cwt) for good quality rice. The biggest barrier to prices in the short term may be quality issues seen in some areas because of the difficult production season.

2020 crop size remains big unknown The longer-term outlook for rice prices certainly seems to be dependent on the size of the 2020 rice crop. It shouldn’t be forgotten that while demand has helped support prices in 2019, much of the market improvement is due to lower acreage and supplies. Total rice acres were down by 400,000 acres in 2019.

The question becomes how much of those acres are recaptured by the market in 2020.

Profitability projections at current new crop price levels suggest rice is extremely competitive with crop alternatives and, in many cases, may be the better alternative.

BRUCE SCHULTZ, LSU AGCENTER

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he rice market continues to slowly move up as tighter supplies and generally strong demand has helped to support higher prices.

While the December 2019 World Supply and Demand Estimates report did not provide many significant changes from the previous month, the changes it did make reinforced the perceived strong market demand and tighter overall stocks.

In the December report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture increased its projection for total long-grain rice exports by 3 million hundredweight. This was based on the strong pace of long-grain exports to this point in the marketing year. Through Dec. 12, 2019, long-grain rough exports were about 8% higher than the previous year while milled exports were nearly 23% higher than the previous year.

Cumulative long-grain rough exports were the fifth largest in the past 20 years while milled exports were the third largest over that time period. Over the past 20 years, export sales through the second week in December represented about 35% of total rice exports for the marketing year.

If this historic relationship holds for the current marketing year, long-grain rough exports would be more than 10% higher than the previous year while milled exports would be more than 20% higher. Although it may be unrealistic to think that this pace will continue for the second half of the marketing year, there is still plenty of positive momentum on the demand side of the supply-and-demand fundamentals of this market.

Over the past 20 years, export sales through the second week in December represented about 35% of total rice exports for the marketing year.

It is conceivable that much of those 400,000 acres will come back to rice production in 2020. If that happens, it would certainly be expected lower rice prices. It may be suggested that the market could fall back to prices seen during the 2018/19 marketing year, but there is a stronger supply-and-demand foundation heading into the 2020 crop year that should limit some of this downward pressure.

Regardless, it seems fairly safe to say that if the market sees a large acreage increase in 2020, price prospects will be lower than current levels. As such, producers may consider using the positive tone of the current price situation as an opportunity to manage some of the price risk for the 2020 crop.

Wishing everyone a blessed and safe holiday season and a prosperous new year.  Dr. Kurt Guidry is Southwest Region director and Extension economist with the Louisiana State University AgCenter in Crowley. He may be reached at KMGuidry@agcenter.lsu.edu.

RICEFARMING.COM

Responsible Stewardship Helps Achieve Optimum Weed Control and Prevent Resistance

By Andy Kendig, Ph.D.

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Adama Herbicide Development Leader

dama’s Preface™ and Postscript ™ herbicides and RiceTec’s FullPage™ Rice Cropping Solution are a collaborative effort to bring growers a new, powerful imi-based weed control system in industry leading RiceTec hybrids. Improved tolerance in the FullPage trait and Adama’s chemistry give the grower freedom from worry regarding crop response and flexibility in weed control programs.

The RiceTec FullPage Rice Cropping Solution is a non-GMO herbicide tolerance technology developed through traditional breeding techniques. Since cultivated rice and weedy rice are genetically similar and compatible, any rice trait technology has the opportunity to be transferred to weedy rice if the weedy rice goes uncontrolled. To sustain the efficacy of herbicide-resistant technology, it must be used appropriately according to the stewardship Best Management Practices. These guidelines are designed to help growers manage the technology to take advantage of its benefits for many years to come.

Here is an outline of the stewardship Best Management Practices. ▶ Practice sound rotation practices. Rotating rice with soybeans is the best option to mitigate the development of herbicide-resistant weeds. This practice allows growers to use different tillage and herbicide modes of action, and soybeans do well following rice. ▶ Start initial weed control early. Research shows that weed competition during the first one to three weeks of the growing season can negatively affect yield. We recommend a preemergence, or delayed preemergence, application of a residual herbicide to slow weed growth. ▶ Make two on time applications of FullPage Rice Cropping Solution herbicides. Apply Preface and Postscript on actively growing weeds prior to the 2-tiller rice stage. Research shows two applications are more effective than a single application at a high rate for grass and weedy rice control.

Apply Preface herbicide — preferably at the 6-ounce rate for optimum control — before planting, at planting or up to three weeks after emergence. Make a second application of Preface or Postscript her-

Follow stewardship Best Management Practices to avoid herbicide-resistant weedy rice infestations on your farm.

bicide about 14 days later. If you have escapes, apply Postscript prior to the panicle initiation (½-inch internode elongation) growth stage.

According to their federal labels, Preface and Postscript herbicides can only be used with the FullPage Rice Cropping Solution. ▶ 100% weedy rice control is the goal. To maintain the value of herbicide-tolerant technologies, scout intensely and do not allow weedy rice to flower and go to seed. Rogue any weedy rice escapes before heading. ▶ Mix up herbicide modes of Sponsored by Adama action. Include other ALS inhibitor herbicides with different modes of action in the tank with Preface and Postscript herbicides to avoid the development of weed resistance. ▶ Good moisture conditions are key. To be effective, all rice herbicides are sensitive to water management. Make sure weeds are actively growing at the time of application. Apply Preface herbicide prior to a flush or rainfall for proper incorporation into the soil and optimal residual activity. The Preface label calls for ½-inch rainfall or flushing within two days of application. Postscript is a foliar herbicide, which does not require soil activation. However, performance is maximized under moist or flooded conditions. Do not apply either Preface or Postscript to drought-stressed plants. ▶ Do not save seed. Saving seed for anything other than grain is prohibited. Saved seed will not have tolerance to Preface and Postscript herbicides.

Adama and RiceTec have partnered to simplify the stewardship agreement process required before purchasing FullPage Rice Cropping Solution seed. The paperless stewardship document is now handled by a web-based system and can be accessed and signed by the grower online. Always read and follow label directions.

This article about responsible stewardship is Part 2 of a three-part series featuring the FullPage Rice Cropping Solution technology and Preface and Postscript herbicides. In Part 3, Kendig will address the importance of rotation and the future of the technology.

Cheers!

Arkansas rice stars in bourbon from Little Rock’s Rock Town Distillery

By Vicky Boyd Editor

From grain to glass Bourbon starts out as water and coarsely ground grains that are cooked to initiate the conversion of starches to sugars. The heating also releases natural enzymes that aid in degrading proteins and starches in the grain.

The mixture, referred to as mash, is cooled before yeast is added to start fermentation. The yeast organisms continue the conversion of sugars to alcohol and co-geners, or byproducts, for about three days until most of the sugars are consumed. The spent grain is given to a local producer for cattle feed.

Rock Town runs the liquid twice through a custom-built 250-gallon copper pot still to separate out the ethanol alcohol

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VICKY BOYD

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y definition, bourbon whiskey must be made in the United States and be at least 51% corn, but that means 49% can be other grains. For Phil Brandon, founder of Rock Town Distillery in Little Rock, Arkansas, the natural choice for one of his small-batch bourbons was Arkansas rice.

“Arkansas is the No. 1 rice state in the country and the U.S. capital for rice, so I decided to do a whiskey with it,” he says.

“I do a lot of different bourbons with different malted barleys or different grains. I like to play around with different grains to produce different flavors.”

The liquid spirits, currently aging in oak barrels, is 56% corn, 34% rice and 10% malted barley.

Opened in 2010, Rock Town Distillery is the first distillery in Arkansas since Prohibition ended Dec. 5, 1933. The operation is what’s referred to as a craft or small-batch distillery because of the small volumes and batches made one at a time. In addition to bourbon, the craft operation produces whiskey, vodka, gin, rum, coffee liqueur and moonshine.

Brandon, an Arkansas native, likes to refer to his distilled spirits as “grain to glass” or “corn to cork,” since he tries to source as many ingredients as possible locally.

The corn, for example, comes from Stratton Seed in Stuttgart, Arkansas, and is produced within the state. The rice is from Riceland Foods in Stuttgart.

Originally, Brandon had hoped to obtain whole, unprocessed rice right out of the field. When he wasn’t able to, he settled for a 2,500-pound tote of milled white rice.

By regulation, bourbon must be aged in new charred oak containers. Brandon purchases new oak barrels that have been charred over a fire to add additional flavor and richness from Gibbs Brothers Cooperage in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

“It’s kind of cool to be able to do it all Arkansas like this,” he says.

Phil Brandon, founder of Rock Town Distillery in Little Rock, Arkansas, likes to experiment with various grains, including rice, as ingredients in his bourbon.

and produce an essentially clear spirit. From there, the distillate is put into new oak barrels for aging.

The amount of time bourbon remains in the barrels is not dictated by regulations or the calendar but by flavor, Brandon says.

Typically, the bourbons produced by Rock Town spend 19 to 24 months in barrels.

“You do it all by taste, not by age,” he says. “We do everything so it will be ready in the shortest amount of time.”

That doesn’t mean cutting corners, as Brandon pointed to the numerous national and international awards that adorn the entryway to the distillery.

The rice bourbon was put into barrels in November 2018, and he says he expects to bottle it sometime in late 2020 or early 2021.

“I thought the raw distillate was really good,” Brandon says.

“It had lemony characteristics. We’ll see how it ages up.”

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Despite late, wet winter, UC yield contest winners still cut 100-plus cwt/acre

By Bruce Linquist

Greg Driver Driver farms near Robbins (S region) and had the highest overall yields at 119.2 hundredweight per acre. He achieved these yields using the variety M-209 planted on May 2 in a field that had previously been grown to rice — rice is planted every four to five years.

He used a seeding rate of 185 pounds per acre. His total nitrogen rate was 161 pounds N per acre. His herbicide program was Bolero/Londax followed by Grandstand.

Gary Enos Gary Enos farms near Willows (NW region) and had yields of 117.8 cwt per acre with the variety M-209. This field was planted on May 7 at a seeding rate of 190 TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

PHOTOS BY BRUCE LINQUIST, UCCE

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n 2015, University of California Cooperative Extension started the UCCE Rice Yield Contest as a pilot study in Butte County. The contest has now expanded to include all of the Sacramento Valley.Because of potential regional yield differences, the valley was divided into regions (1-NE, 2-NW, 3-S) using the Sacramento River and Highway 20 as dividing lines. All fields south of Highway 20 are a single region.

Harvest and weighing are closely monitored by UCCE personnel. Yields are determined from a minimum of 3 acres from a 10-acre test plot and reported at 14% moisture. In 2019, we supervised the harvest of 15 fields: three from NE, four from NW and eight from S. 2019 was a tough year for most growers due to an unusually wet May, which complicated planting and stand establishment.

Generally, most growers reported lower yields in 2019 than in previous years.

Overall, contest yields were a bit lower than we normally see as well, except in the Glenn/Colusa area. That said, yields were still very respectable, and the 2019 winners were Greg Driver, Gary Enos and Jack Sheppard.

Greg Driver farms near Robbins and had the highest overall yields at 119.2 cwt per acre.

Gary Enos who farms near Willows had yields of 117.8 cwt per acre with the variety M-209.

pounds per acre and a total N rate of 163 pounds per acre. For his herbicide program, he used Bolero followed by Propanil/Grandstand followed by Propanil.

The yields achieved by Enos were the highest we have recorded in the NW region.

Jack Sheppard Jack Sheppard farms near Biggs (NW region) with his father, Josh. Jack is 16 years old, and this was his first field farming. His yields were 113.8 cwt per acre.

This was achieved with M-105 planted on May 9 at a seeding rate of 150 pounds per acre, a total rate of 182 pounds N per acre and a herbicide program of Butte followed

by Superwham.

In general, (NW region excepted) yields were lower in 2019. Lower yields are likely due to the wettest May on record, which made early season stand establishment and weed control challenging.

A learning experience In the five years we have run this contest, we have learned a number of things.

1. High yields are possible from several commercial medium-grain varieties.

Winners have included M-105, M-205, M-206, M-209 and M-401.

2. Yield potential varies from year to year (with 2017 and 2019 being low) and

Jack Sheppard, 16, farms near Biggs with his father, Josh. He harvested 113.8 cwt per acre with M-105.

vary throughout the valley (the reason farmers compete with growers in their own region).

3. Even at high yields, the head rice and milling yields remain good. Head rice totals for 2019 contest winners ranged from 64 to 67; total milling yields 71 to 73.

4. To achieve these high yields, fertilizer N rates were typical for California and ranged from 161 to 182 pounds N per acre for the winners.

5. Good, uniform stand establishment stands out as being important. Contest fields that yielded more than 110 cwt all had more than 70 tillers per square-foot at harvest.

6. High yields can be achieved with a range of herbicide programs.

Increased participation for this year’s contest was in part due to a prize that we offered.

The prize was a John Deere side-by-side.

The winner from each region will draw for the prize at the upcoming winter grower meetings in January. We were able to have this prize due to the generous support of our contest sponsors: Corteva, FMC, Gowan, Nichino, Syngenta, UPL, Valent, Valley Truck and Tractor, and Wilbur-Ellis.

Dr. Bruce Linquist is a University of California Cooperative Extension rice specialist. He may be reached at balinquist@ ucdavis.edu.

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2019 Rice Outlook Conference awards

Sustainability Award Adam Shea (right), manager of sustainability and membership communications, for Riceland Foods, presented Dhu Thompson, CEO of Delta Plastics, with the 2019 USA Rice Sustainability Award.

Missouri rice producer Rance Daniels nominated Delta Plastics because of the company’s focus on recycling.

Based in Little Rock, Arkansas, it is one of the largest recyclers of heavily soiled and contaminated plastic in the United States. Since 1998, it has diverted more than 1 billion pounds of waste material from landfills.

The used poly tubing is cleaned and recycled into products, such as plastic trash bags and plastic shopping bags.

In 2018, Delta Plastics acquired California-based Command Packaging along with its Encore Recycling subsidiary. Command Packaging, based in Los Angeles, makes plastic carryout bags for food service, grocery and retail markets. Encore Recycling, located in Salinas, California, describes itself as the state’s “only manufacturer of high-quality postconsumer recycled polyethylene film-grade resin.”

National Rice Month Scholarship Kyle Voong, a high school senior from Brandon, Mississippi, took home the “big check” and $4,000 grand prize in the National Rice Month Scholarship contest. His three-minute winning video, titled “A Sup-Rice-Ing Presentation,” was a rap tribute to U.S. rice.

A few years ago, USA Rice changed the contest from a written essay format to video format in keeping with the times. The competition, open to high school seniors in the nation’s six rice-growing states, annually kicks off September as National Rice Month.

USA Rice President and CEO Betsy Ward presented the check to Voong during the Rice Outlook Conference awards luncheon.

Second place and $3,000 went to Alexander Laigo of Dallas, Texas, for his video, “The Impact of Texas Rice.”

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Third place and $1,500 went to Breahna Sommers of Church Point, Louisiana, for her video, “The Importance of Louisiana Rice.”

Luke North of Madison, Mississippi, with his “Think Rice Mississippi” video, and Milena Raeber of San Mateo, California, with “California Rice,” each won $500 for honorable mention.

The contest is sponsored by Corteva Agriscience.

Conservation Award California rice producer and USA Rice Farmers Conservation Committee Chair Leo Lagrande (right) presented the USA Rice Conservation Award to Brantley Farms of England, Arkansas.

Dow Brantley accepted on behalf of the operation.

Laudies Brantley is the second-generation farm operator, who laid the foundation of this progress while raising a family with his wife, Polly. Dow Brantley, a third-generation farmer, is active in the National Cotton Council, USA Rice, Arkansas Rice Federation, Arkansas Farm Bureau and Ag Council of Arkansas.

The Brantleys’ operation has an extensive list of conservation accomplishments including installing 9 miles of irrigation pipeline, two surface reservoirs, 4,400 acres of irrigation water management and 2,700 acres of wetland wildlife management practices implemented to address water quality.

PHOTOS BY VICKY BOYD

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ach year, several individuals are recognized for their contributions to the rice industry during the Awards Luncheon at the USA Rice Outlook Conference. In addition, the newest leadership class is announced. Read more about the honorees at the 2019 conference held recently in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Rice Leadership Class The 2020 Rice Leadership Development Class was announced.

Participants, from left, include Christine Wylie, Colusa, California; Derek Sohnrey, Chico, California; Elliot Maschmann, Oran, Missouri; Garrett Williams, Stuttgart, Arkansas; Mallory Everett, McCrory, Arkansas; and Adam Shea, Little Rock, Arkansas.

Class participant Jason Waller, Mer Rouge, Louisiana, was not present for the photograph.

The two-year program provides a comprehensive understanding of the U.S. rice industry and is sponsored by John Deere Co., RiceTec Inc. and American Commodity Co. Watch for application forms this summer at https://www.usarice.com/foundation/ leadership-program.

RICEFARMING.COM

Horizon Ag Varieties Offer Advantages for 2020 Season As the 2020 rice planting season approaches, farmers will again be faced with the opportunity to select the best seed adapted for their region and growing conditions, with the potential to return the greatest profit.

grain type, and new CLM04, a medium grain rice, are available for commercial planting in 2020. Both offer best-in-class yields and quality potential, as well as other attractive agronomic advantages.

Factors like seed emergence, weed control, disease resistance, yield potential and quality all are critical.

Jackson County, Arkansas, rice farmer Sam Cunningham saw first-hand the potential of CLL15 in 2019.

Horizon Ag rice varieties, fortunately, check all those boxes.

“Seed emergence and vigor were excellent,” said Cunningham. “We saw consistent growth through all stages and very efficient nitrogen uptake, superb standability and excellent tillering. CLL15 has excellent grain fill and quality, and we had a high yield with a 12-bushel advantage over CL151. The rice cupped and milled really well. The CLL15 yield advantage and its resistance to lodging will make this a staple variety on my farm. It offers everything a hybrid can’t produce.”

“It doesn’t matter if a farmer is comparing our varieties with conventional seed, which may be cheaper but doesn’t offer the weed control value or effectiveness of a Clearfield® or Provisia® rice variety, or with hybrids that are much more expensive and may not be proven when it comes to generic technology and ROI, Horizon Ag varieties come out on top,” said Dr. Tim Walker, Horizon Ag general manager. “For example, when it comes to controlling to imidazolinone herbicide-tolerant rice that’s costing many farmers significant revenue each season, there is no good choice besides the Provisia Rice System with Horizon Ag varieties PVL01 and PVL02.”

Wes McNulty, who farms near Pine Bluff, Arkansas, has experienced the strong performance of the Provisia Rice System and is a believer in its ability to result in clean fields.

“I’m very pleased with the Provisia system,” said McNulty. “It provided great early-season vigor and excellent control of weedy rice and barnyard grass. Our Provisia rice averaged 179 dry bushels in 2018 and 176 in 2019. I’m definitely going to expand our Provisia acres in the future.”

Or, if a farmer is looking for an Arkansas-bred variety with Clearfield technology and outstanding yield and quality potential, new CLL15, a long

There’s also something to be said for varieties that have won their place on farms in the South over the years, and that will continue to offer farmers proven performance, year in, year out, said Dr. Walker.

“For instance, CL111 is a workhorse variety that continues to be planted year after year because of its proven high yields, excellent ratoon crop potential, broad-spectrum blast resistance and preferred milling quality. And CL153 has been planted on more acres in Louisiana the past two seasons than any other rice seed because of its performance, quality and disease package.”

This combination of new, high-performing rice varieties and consistent, proven performers continues Horizon Ag’s 20-year legacy of offering varieties that enable farmers to meet the challenges they face while producing a product that returns more to their bottom line.

The Complete Horizon Ag Lineup for 2020 PVL01

The first Provisia-tolerant rice variety, providing outstanding seedling vigor, exceptional tillering, superior grain and cooking quality and good yield potential.

PVL02 | NEW

Newly released Provisia variety with improved yield and milling quality, exceptional tillering and superior cooking quality.

CL111

Proven excellent vigor with high yield potential and outstanding grain quality and milling. Known for its exceptional ratoon crop performance, combined with being Kellogg’s preferred long grain.

CL151

Provides exceptional yield potential while using nitrogen efficiently. Because of its blast susceptibility, it is not recommended for fields with a history of blast and water issues.

CL153

Top-planted Clearfield rice variety in recent years due to its exceptional seedling vigor and yield potential, and outstanding grain quality and milling. Resistant to blast and lodging.

CL163

milling. This variety has exceptional cooking quality, with extra-high amylose content.

CLL15 | NEW

New Arkansas-bred variety with exceptional yield potential, broad-spectrum blast resistance and excellent milling quality.

CLM04 | NEW

New Arkansas-bred medium grain rice with yield potential similar to Jupiter, very good grain quality, and improved blast resistance compared to Jupiter.

CLJ01

The first Clearfield Jasmine-type variety.

Characteristics include very good aroma, premium grain appearance and milling, excellent yield potential and a very good disease package.

Offers excellent yield potential and seedling vigor along with outstanding grain quality and Always read and follow label directions. Clearfield® and Provisia® are registered trademarks of BASF. ©2019 Horizon Ag, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

HorizonSeed.com

Farm-scale demonstrations Two new Clearfield releases did well in 2019 with high yield potential, good blast resistance

By Vicky Boyd Editor

U

Using integrated weed management Although weedy rice has become resistant to imidazolinone herbicides in spotty locations throughout the Mid-South and especially in South Louisiana, the chemistry still has a place in many growers’ weed control tool boxes, says Tim Walker, general manager of Horizon Ag, which markets the Clearfield varieties.

Newpath, Clearpath and Beyond herbicides from BASF are paired with Clearfield rice varieties. They all belong to the imidazolinone herbicide family.

“There are certainly areas in addition to many in Southern Louisiana where (the Clearfield technology) doesn’t work as well as it did, but I think there are a lot of areas where it still works well,” Walker says.

The Clearfield system has been available to growers commercially for almost 20 years — longer than many had expected when it was first launched. In areas where the system may not work as well as it once did, he says the Provisia system offers growers another tool for integrated weed management.

“Our hope and goal is we get into a Provisia-Clearfield-conventional rotation along with soybeans, and we’re not putting so much selection pressure on one technology,” Walker says.

“More and more I’m seeing people are using a pre-emerge type of chemistry in their soybeans, especially in the upper Delta.

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niversity of Arkansas rice breeder Dr. Xueyan Sha made the initial crosses for the Clearfield varieties, CLL15 and CLM04, shortly after relocating to the university’s Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart in 2013.

By using the university’s winter nursery in Puerto Rico, Sha was able to double the number of crops he could harvest each year, speeding the breeding process. Both varieties were released just five years later for seed production during the 2019 season. They are commercially available to producers through Horizon Ag for 2020 planting. In addition, they have received high marks from producers who grew them for seed during 2019.

But Sha, who previously was a rice breeder at the Louisiana State University AgCenter, isn’t about to rest on his laurels and has a number of advanced Clearfield semi-dwarf varieties in the pipeline.

In addition, Dr. Karen Moldenhauer, also a University of Arkansas rice breeder, has a conventionally statured Clearfield long-grain variety — CLL16 — that appears to have even better yield potential than some current Clearfield long grains.

Two University of Arkansas Clearfield varieties — the medium-grain CLM04 and the long-grain CLL15 (pictured above) — are available commercially this season through Horizon Ag.

But upon further investigation, there are still a lot of people who are just spraying Roundup. In those rice-bean rotations, we’re putting so much selection pressure on the Clearfield technology and other rice herbicides.

“If they would use a residual in soybeans, it opens up those acres to different types of chemistries that wouldn’t put so much selection pressure on the weeds.”

CLL15 long grain Variety CLL15 is a high-yielding long-grain Clearfield cultiRICEFARMING.COM

VICKY BOYD

CLL16 was known as 19AR1041 as it made its way through advanced screening before being released.

University of Arkansas releases new Clearfield variety for seed production The University of Arkansas has released CLL16 — a new Clearfield long-grain variety — for seed production in 2020. It will be available commercially to growers in 2021.

From the breeding program of Dr. Karen Moldenhauer, the variety has the taller upright architecture of many of her other releases. CLL16 plant height averages 36 inches compared to the slightly shorter-statured CLL15, a semi-dwarf Clearfield variety from University of Arkansas rice breeder Dr. Xueyan Sha’s program. Released in 2019, CLL15 averages about 33 inches.

As with other Clearfield varieties, CLL16 will be marketed through Horizon Ag. “We grew 20 acres of parent seed in 2019, and it did phenomenal,” Horizon Ag General Manager Tim Walker says of CLL16. “CLL15 has done really, really well. But in that one field where we split the field and also had some CLL15, (CLL16) outyielded CLL15 by 15 bushels per acre.”

He cautioned that the results were from one field and one

var with excellent milling characteristics, including good grain length and low chalk. In fact, it has better grain quality than CL151, an industry standard.

In field-scale demonstrations throughout the Mid-South riceproduction area, CLL15 had consistent yields, Walker says.

“Last year (2018), we had it in 1-acre strip trials side by side with other varieties from South Louisiana to Missouri, and it just was a consistent variety with 190-plus bushels (per acre).

“This year it did the same thing. We had a lot of 200-bushel-plus rice, but it was just very, very consistent whether it was a demonstration or seed field.”

Sha saw similar performances.

“This year was a little bit strange. In our advanced yield trials for four years in a row, what I saw is (CLL15) seems to have TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

season. Nevertheless, the variety, tested as CLXAR19 in Dr. Jarrod Hardke’s Arkansas Rice Performance Trials, did well.

Across four locations and two years, CLL16 averaged 206 bushels per acre from 2018-2019 according to preliminary data. CLL15 averaged 196 bushels per acre during the same period.

Walker describes CLL16 as having a bigger, bolder grain than some other Clearfield varieties. Milling yield from 2018-2019 averaged 53-69 with relatively low chalk, according to ARPT data.

Like newer Clearfield releases, CLL16 has an improved disease package, thanks to the two blast-resistance genes: Pi-ta and Pi-ks.

Clearfield varieties have been developed using traditional breeding techniques to tolerate over-the-top applications of imidazolinone herbicides to control weedy rice, many grasses and some broadleaf weeds.

better stability compared to CL153. CL151 is another one that is stable across the whole area as disease isn’t an issue. CLL15 has better stability than CL153 from what I saw.”

CLL15 is a semi-dwarf and about 1 inch shorter than CL153 and CL151, he says.

The newly released Clearfield long grain has two genes — the Pi-ta and Pikm — that impart improved blast resistance to most of the common races found in the South.

Darren Walker, who farms in Prairie County, Arkansas, had two fields of CLL15 for seed production in 2019 with good yields.

He says he didn’t treat the fields differently from what a producer would do with a commercial crop. One field yielded 195 bushels dry, the other 186 bushels dry.

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CLM04 medium grain The medium-grain CLM04 was one of the very first crosses Sha made in spring 2013 in his new role as a University of Arkansas rice breeder.

Like Jupiter, CLM04 contains the Piks gene for blast tolerance. CLM04 also contains the Pi-z gene for improved blast tolerance.

CLM04 is a couple inches taller than Jupiter, so growers need to pay close attention to nitrogen applications to reduce the chances of lodging, Sha says. Maturity also is very similar to Jupiter.

The grain size is similar to CL272 and Titan but larger than Jupiter. CLM04 also has less chalk than Jupiter.

Sha has been working closely with Kellogg’s to provide the Battle Creek, Michigan, food company with samples to test.

“We’ve sent samples three years in a row, and from everything they’ve told us, it’s good,” he says. “I’m pretty optimistic, because so far I haven’t heard anything negative from Kellogg’s.”

This winter, Sha shipped the company 1,000 pounds to run through a pilot plant.

One reason for Sha’s upbeat outlook may be that CLM04 has almost identical amylose content and gelatinization temperatures — two critical processing traits — as Jupiter, a medium grain from the LSU AgCenter breeding program.

Jupiter, as well as Titan, a previous University of Arkansas medium-grain

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VICKY BOYD

grown,” says Darren Walker, no relation to Tim. Unlike commercial growers, he says seed producers don’t have samples run for milling yields, so he couldn’t comment on that trait.

Darren Walker planted the CLL15 April 20 during a break in the rains after planting his other seed fields. He applied a premix of azoxystrobin and propiconazole fungicide early to pick up sheath blight and kernel smut. Because of the two-gene blast resistance, he says that disease was not an issue.

Harvest also was easy, since the grain comes off the panicles cleanly and without cracking.

“It would be my No. 1 pick out of the Horizon varieties,” Darren Walker says.

“If they will let me, I’ll grow some more of it.”

Tim Walker says Horizon Ag should have seed available to plant about 100,000 acres of CLL15 for the 2020 season.

The medium grain, CLM04, averaged 196 bushels per acre from 2016-2019 in the statewide Arkansas Rice Performance Trials. Of all the Clearfield seed production fields in South Louisiana this season, CLM04 performed the best, averaging 50 to 51 barrels (180 to 184 bushels) per acre.

release, successfully completed Kellogg’s lengthy testing process and were approved.

Tim Walker is equally optimistic about CLM04 based on what he’s seen in the field.

“It looks like we’re finally getting a Clearfield variety that’s right there with Jupiter and Titan with respect to yield performance,” he says. “CL272 wasn’t always competitive from a yield standpoint in South Louisiana, and in certain situations in Arkansas, it also wasn’t competitive.

Jupiter was more consistent, but CLM04 has shown to be a lot more stable.”

CLM04 averaged 196 bushels per acre

from 2016-2019 in the statewide Arkansas Rice Performance Trials. In those same trials, Jupiter averaged 197 bushels and Titan 201 bushels — not statistically different.

Of all the Clearfield seed production fields in South Louisiana this season, CLM04 performed the best, averaging 50 to 51 barrels (180 to 184 bushels) per acre.

“All the grain quality is almost identical to the Jupiter and Titan, and we would hope that Kellogg’s sees that,” Tim Walker says.

Horizon Ag should have seed available to plant about 30,000 acres of CLM04 for the 2020 season, he says.

RICEFARMING.COM

University of Arkansas releases 2 conventional varieties

T

Lynx Lynx, a new medium-grain rice variety from Dr. Xueyan Sha’s breeding program, 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,” says Sha, also a professor at the Rice Research and Extension Center.

“Lynx reaches 50% heading in an average of 86 days, the same as Jupiter, but it matures three to four days earlier. It appears to have a better seedling vigor than Jupiter and a slightly better milling yield than Titan.”

It has a plump, big kernel similar to Titan but is larger than Jupiter. Shaw plans to send a 1,000-pound sample to Kellogg’s this winter so they can run it through their pilot plant.

Lynx is named after a constellation seen in the Northern Hemisphere.

The new medium grain averaged 207 bushels per acre in 62 statewide and regional replicated trials from 2016 through 2019, Sha says. That’s compared to 202 bushels per acre for Jupiter and 201 bushels per acre for Titan.

The new variety contains the Pi-c and Pi-ks genes, making it resistant to most of the common blast races. Lynx is susceptible to sheath blight and false smut, similar to Jupiter.

The new medium grain had an average milling yield of 59% whole kernel and 68% total milled rice in 30 state and regional tests, Sha says.

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Jewell, tested as 17AR1087, is a new high-yielding long grain from the breeding program of Karen Moldenhauer.

DR. XUEYAN SHA

Jewel Jewel is a new high-yielding mid-season long-grain variety from the breeding program of Dr. Karen Moldenhauer, a professor at the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart.

Like Roy J and Diamond, Jewel has an erect architecture and stands about 37 inches tall. It has straw strength similar to Diamond and approaching Roy J. Maturing about three to four days earlier than Roy J, Jewel has rough rice yields comparable to Roy J and LaKast with excellent milling yields of 59-71, based on three years of Arkansas Rice Performance Trial data.

Jewel contains the Pi-ta and Pi-ks genes for resistance to most of the common races of blast. It is moderately susceptible to sheath blight as well as bacterial panicle blight, much like Roy J. The new release has a cook type similar to L202 and Cheniere with high amylose and intermediate gelatinization temperature.

PHOTO COURTESY KAREN MOLDENHAUER

he University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture recently released two conventional rice varieties: Jewel, a long grain, and Lynx, a medium grain. Both will be available to seed producers in 2020 and available commercially in 2021.

Lynx, known as 17AR1121 during the breeding process, offers high yields and early maturity.

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Put to the test FullPage hybrids performed as expected during challenging 2019 season

By Vicky Boyd Editor

D

espite challenging conditions, RiceTec’s FullPage herbicide-tolerant rice system performed as expected during the 2019 season with improved imidazolone tolerance and agronomic traits similar to current Clearfield rice hybrids.

The Alvin, Texas-based hybrid rice development company had about 20 farm-scale FullPage demonstrations planted from South Texas and South Louisiana north to the Bootheel of Missouri.

“2018 had exceptional yields across all hybrids and varieties,” says Whitney Blake, RiceTec Mid-South sales agronomist. “This year was more average across the board, so we did see, on average, about 200 bushels dry across the 20 demonstrations spread from Texas to Missouri.”

Of course, he says, some yields were higher than 200 bushels, while some were lower.

“Speaking in general, they weren’t quite what they were (in 2018) — that’s how farming goes,” Blake says. “The crop was later this year. When you push a crop later, you start running into tighter windows in the summer to fill that grain out.”

Two FullPage hybrids, RT7321 FP and RT7521 FP, will be available commercially for the 2020 season.

RT7321 FP is an early hybrid, reaching maturity in 109 days, whereas RT7521 FP is slightly later at 116 days. They are similar in agronomic performance to RT7311 Clearfield and Gemini 214 Clearfield, respectively.

Testing herbicide partners Both FullPage hybrids are paired with the IMI herbicides, Preface and Postscript, from Adama USA. The IMI herbicides are ALS inhibitors.

Hybrids are created when two dissimilar parents are crossed, resulting in progeny that have better traits than either of the parents individually. This is sometimes referred to as hybrid vigor.

As with Clearfield hybrids, FullPage hybrids were developed using traditional breeding methods and are not genetically modified.

RiceTec designed the FullPage system specifically for its hybrids, resulting in improved tolerance to the IMI herbicides.

Andy Kendig, Adama herbicide development lead, has been testing Preface and Postscript on FullPage hybrids at variable rates in experimental trials for the past few years and has seen excellent crop safety.

RiceTec had two FullPage hybrids — RT7521 FP and RT7321 FP — in farmscale demonstrations during 2019.

They are paired with Preface and Postscript herbicides from Adama.

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RICEFARMING.COM

‘FullPage rice can handle it’ The improved IMI herbicide tolerance was one trait that attracted Marcus Pousson to plant a demonstration field of RT7521 FP in 2019.

The Welsh, Louisiana, producer had planted 100% Clearfield RiceTec hybrids during the past four years.

“I’m thinking the rate’s a little bit higher on the Preface, which is a little better because some of the (weeds) are starting to get resistance. FullPage rice can handle it — it doesn’t sting it.”

For the occasional weedy rice escape, Pousson had his crawfish crew hand rouge the field and remove the plants before they could go to seed.

He planted 450,000 seeds per acre, which is the recommended rate for lighter soils. On heavier soils, RiceTec recommends 500,000 seeds per acre.

Pousson put out Command and Preface behind the seed drill, followed by a second Preface application tankmixed with Louisiana producer John “Tee” Guidry (left) and RiceTec rep Nicky Miller discuss the RT7521 FP demonstration field Guidry had planted.

VICKY BOYD

TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

VICKY BOYD

“We feel good that we have really good tolerance, and recommend that growers use the the full label rate of 6 fluid ounces per acre to get the best possible control,” he says.

During 2019, Kendig also conducted small-plot trials to determine the compatibility of the two Adama IMI herbicides with common tankmix partners.

“We’ve seen excellent results from the common tank mix and program herbicides,” he says. “Weed control in rice is a program approach, and growers need to add additional herbicides for alternative modes of action and to control weeds not normally controlled by Preface and Postscript.”

RiceTec district sales manager Craig Hamm (right) checks panicle movement within RT7521 FP as Louisiana producer Marcus Pousson looks on.

Permit preflood. The Permit picks up indigo, also known as coffee bean or hemp sesbania, and sedges.

Craig Hamm, RiceTec district sales manager, says he has some other growers who also used Preface as a pre with good results as long as they got the flood on quickly.

Other growers put out the first 6-ounce shot of Preface on two-leaf rice, followed by a second 6-ounce application at tillering.

Although hybrids have resistance to blast, Pousson applies a fungicide to control other diseases, such sheath blight and smuts, and to have healthier plants going into the second crop.

His first crop yielded 48 barrels (172 bushels) per acre dried, which he says were some of the best yields in the area.

“It could have been better, but with the weather conditions we had, it was pretty

good,” Pousson says, referring to the rainy summer that hampered pollination and grain fill.

His second crop yielded only 11 barrels (40 bushels) per acre, which he blamed on rain during pollination and hot night temperatures in the fall.

“I think with the right conditions, it’s a 20- to 30-barrel second crop,” Pousson says, adding he plans to plant additional fields to FullPage hybrids in 2020.

Trying new things John “Tee” Guidry, who farms near Raynes, Louisiana, likes to try new things, especially if a company has some data on them.

When his RiceTec rep, Nicky Miller, mentioned FullPage, Guidry wanted to try a field.

He used 4 ounces of Command tankmixed with Roundup as a burndown before no-till drilling RT7521 FP. At the three-leaf rice stage, he applied 6 ounces of Preface, Prowl and a third rate of Permit.

Guidry followed three weeks later at tillering with a second shot of Preface and a half rate of Permit.

“The weed control was great,” he says Guidry cut 52 barrels dry per acre (187 bushels per acre) on his first crop, about 14 barrels (50 bushels) more than his non-hybrids. He did not ratoon his FullPage field.

Although Guidry says the FullPage system provided excellent barnyardgrass control, he had some challenges with resistant weedy rice.

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Specialists

Speaking

Variety selection, early planting critical to high-yielding crops DR. M.O. “MO” WAY

TEXAS Rice Research Entomologist moway@aesrg.tamu.edu

and DR. SHANE ZHOU

TEXAS Associate Professor & Research Plant Pathologist Texas A&M Research and Extension Center at Beaumont xzhou@aesrg.tamu.edu

and DR. DANTE TABIEN

Associate Professor, Plant Breeding and Genetics Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Beaumont retabien@tamu.edu We have had some good ground working weather in the Texas Rice Belt during November and December, so proactive farmers are breaking and leveling ground in preparation for the 2020 rice crop. This fall/winter preparation is crucial to planting early — some Texas rice farmers try to plant as early as mid-February.

Early planting allows for avoiding late summer and early fall rains, which play havoc with main crop harvest, and for ratoon cropping. As you well know, Hurricane Harvey dumped about 4 feet of rain on parts of the Texas Rice Belt in late August 2017.

Then, Tropical Depression Imelda clobbered the eastern Texas Rice Belt with 30-40 inches of rain in a 24-hour period in mid-September 2019. So both varietal selection and early planting are extremely important in producing a high yielding/quality crop.

We finally have some 2019 variety/yield/quality data based on the Texas Rice Crop Survey. Texas grew about 154,000 acres of rice with the top five most popular varieties being XL723, Clearfield XL745, Presidio, Jupiter (medium grain) and CL153.

I suspect Texas growers will rely on some of these varieties again in 2020. Main crop yields were highest for Clearfield XL745, followed by CL151, CL153, Cheniere, XL723 and Presidio. Average main crop yield across all varieties was about 7,300 pounds per acre.

Highest head rice yields were reported for Cheniere, CL153 and Clearfield XL745. About 53% of our main crop was ratooned, with highest yields reported for XL753, Clearfield XL745, XL723, Presidio and CL153. Average ratoon crop yield across all varieties was about 3,100 pounds per acre.

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Be aware that the following varieties are very susceptible or susceptible to sheath blight: CL111, Presidio, Jupiter, CL153 and CL151. The following varieties are very susceptible or susceptible to kernel smut: Presidio, CL151, Cheniere, CL111 and CL153.

As for narrow brown leaf spot, the following varieties are very susceptible or susceptible: CL153, CL151, CL111, CL163 and Cheniere.

Finally, we highly recommend you apply an insecticide and fungicide to your seed. This is good insurance, and the increase in yield and quality will more than pay for the treatments.

Good luck in 2020, and let’s hope Mother Nature cooperates!

Diversify cultivar selection to spread the risk DR. DUSTIN HARRELL

LOUISIANA LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station dharrell@agcenter.lsu.edu One of the most important choices a grower makes each year is determining which varieties and hybrids to plant. There are many things to consider when selecting which variety to grow including disease resistance, yield potential, lodging susceptibility, ratooning potential, seed cost, profitability and the appropriate herbicide resistance seed technology.

Regardless of the cultivar, it is always a good idea to diversify your selection to avoid the risk of yield loss due to disease, lodging or insect outbreak that specifically targets one cultivar.

There are many popular rice varieties and hybrids returning for 2020 in Louisiana. Returning non-herbicide-tolerant inbred long grains include Mermentau and Cheniere. Popular Clearfield inbred long grains include CL153, CL111 and CL151.

Popular RiceTec hybrids include the non-herbicide tolerant long grain XP753. Popular RiceTec Clearfield hybrids include Clearfield XL745 and Gemini 241 CL. Returning popular inbred non-herbicide tolerant medium grains include Jupiter and Titan.

These varieties and hybrids will once again make up the bulk of Louisiana acres in 2020.

The new Provisia variety, PVL02, will be commercially available for the first time on a limited acreage in 2020. PVL02 has many advantages over its predecessor, PVL01. PVL02 has a greatly increased yield potential, and it also matures almost two weeks earlier than PVL01.

In addition, PVL02 has shown to have a good ratoon yield potential, which is extremely important for our South Louisiana rice growers.

Disease potential is slightly improved with PVL02; however, it is still moderately susceptible to blast, sheath blight and cercospora. It is considered susceptible to bacterial panicle blight.

The grain length of PVL02 is shorter than its predecessor and milling is also improved.

RICEFARMING.COM

Specialists Last, but not least, PVL02 leaf color is back to the typical darker green we are used to with our southern long grains.

The initial Provisia release, PVL01, will also be available in 2020 if you would like to try the Provisia herbicide resistance program.

The second big release for 2020 is the new IMI herbicide-resistant hybrid rice system called FullPage. RiceTec will be releasing two new FullPage hybrid varieties, RT7321 FP and RT7521 FP. RiceTec has partnered with Adama, which will provide the IMI herbicide for FullPage. The FullPage system will be similar to the Clearfield system; however, instead of Newpath and Beyond, Prescript and Postscript herbicides will be used.

I had the opportunity to test the nitrogen response for the FullPage hybrids, RT7321 FP and RT7521 FP, in 2019. These hybrids performed well in my trials and had a similar yield potential to RiceTec’s other hybrid offerings.

The nitrogen response of both FullPage hybrids in our limited testing was similar to Clearwfield XL745 and Gemini 214 CL. Little herbicide testing of the system at LSU has been conducted so far. However, I was told that the tolerance of the new FullPage hybrids is higher than the Clearfield hybrids.

This will bode well for our early season IMI applications on young hybrids, especially if we are cold and wet again in 2020.

Speaking

Varietal choices, M-210 and certified seed DR. BRUCE LINQUIST CALIFORNIA UCCE Rice Specialist balinquist@ucdavis.edu

Medium-grain rice varieties are the most common in California. The commercially available medium-grain Calrose rice varieties have been selected to meet the high quality and yield standards for California.

Varietal selection is one of the first and most important decisions a rice grower will need to make each year. When deciding, first consider the maturity class that fits into your farming operations and climatic zone.

There are three maturity classes: very early (e.g. M-105), early (e.g. M-206, M-209 and M-210) and late maturing (e.g. M-401, M-402 — both premium medium grains). Thinking about your climatic zone, both M-105 and M-206 are considered broadly adapted varieties that will do well in most California rice growing areas.

VICKY BOYD

M-210 is a new Calrose medium grain with improved resistance to blast races found in California.

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Specialists Speaking However, a closer look at variety trials in the coolest areas of the region (Davis and near the Sacramento airport) shows that M-105 generally outyields and matures faster than M-206. One issue with M-105 is that it seems to be more prone to lodging than M-206 — so experiment with M-105 before growing it on a large amount of acreage.

M-210 is a new Calrose medium-grain variety with improved resistance to the rice blast races found in California. It was developed from a DNA marker-assisted backcrossing program, is essentially “M-206 with additional blast resistance” and is designed for those areas in California that have had issues with rice blast. It replaces M-208.

A disease survey conducted in 2019 found that 80% of fields surveyed in Glenn County had at least some blast (in Colusa and Butte counties, it was 30%). There was also word from some growers in Glenn County that blast severely reduced yields in a few fields.

Given this, M-210 should be considered for areas where blast is a problem. Results from 2019 rice variety trials located in Glenn, Butte and Colusa counties showed that average yields across these locations for M-210 were 96.1 hundredweight per acre versus 92.4 cwt per acre for M-206. On average, M-210 headed one day later than M-206.

As a reminder, due to weedy rice concerns, the California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation Board of Directors in 2016 passed a policy that only classes of certified seed (foundation, registered and certified) of CCRRF rice varieties may be planted.

Effective in 2019, the California Rice Certification Act requires that all rice produced in the state come from seed enrolled in an approved certified seed program or a quality assurance program.

These steps were taken to ensure that fields are planted with seed that has been screened for the presence of weedy rice types.

Handlers will be requiring proof that rice delivered to the mills has been grown with seed that meets these requirements.

Do your homework before selecting varieties DR. BOBBY R. GOLDEN MISSISSIPPI Extension Rice Specialist bgolden@drec.msstate.edu

It seems like every year when I sit down to write about variety selection, it is pouring rain. Today, Dec. 16, is no different, with a strong cold front moving through and heavy rain forecast to already damp ground. Any hopes for fieldwork in late December through early January is pretty much gone by the wayside.

So if we can’t spend time in the field, we have the opportunity to sit in the office and pour over data to help us make a better-informed cultivar selection decision.

Over the past month, cultivar selection data has started to be released from each university in the Mid-South cataloguing next

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year’s offerings and their performance potential. Cultivar selection decisions are perhaps the first and most important choice a producer has to make affecting next year’s profitability, aside from fall fertility decisions.

There are numerous excellent varieties and hybrids available for Mississippi producers in technology trait and conventional management systems. With so many options available, it’s often difficult to decide. Relying on university-sponsored variety trials conducted at multiple locations can aid in seed selection decisions.

Mississippi’s 2019 on-farm variety trials evaluated 36 entries at seven locations. Data collected from these trials is available from the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station variety trial website (http://mafes.msstate.edu/variety-trials/).

The document contains small-plot variety testing data as well as disease reaction ratings and nitrogen fertilization suggestions.

Of the entries evaluated, 20 will be commercially available for 2020. When considering yield averaged across all locations, most cultivars performed well, with standouts among conventional inbred rice varieties including Diamond (233 bushels per acre) and Thad (223 bushels per acre) compared to Rex (218 bushels per acre) as the control.

Diamond and Thad were released from Arkansas and Mississippi, respectively. Each of these varieties has performed well on limited commercial acres in Mississippi.

The newer rice hybrids, RT7801 (265 bushels per acre) performed similarly to XL753 (261 bushels per acre), and the new Full Page offerings of RT7321 FP (247 bushels per acre) and RT7521 FP (291 bushels per acre) showing promise in first-year testing.

If red rice is an issue and a Clearfield or Provisia variety is preferred, CL153 (217 bushels per acre) and CLL15 (233 bushels per acre) have performed well across Mississippi.

The newly released Provisia, PVL01 (203 bushels per acre), produced good yield and excellent grass control on limited acres. PVL02 has also looked very good in limited testing outside of the official variety trial, and limited seed supply should be available in 2020.

Remember no single variety is the silver bullet, and spreading risk with multiple varieties and production systems is a good practice.

Cultivar selection is half the battle DR. JARROD HARDKE

ARKANSAS Assoc. Professor/Rice Extension Agronomist University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service jhardke@uaex.edu Rice acreage in Arkansas is expected to increase substantially in 2020 after record prevented planting resulted in low acres for 2019. Making planting decisions early will help to ensure getting RICEFARMING.COM

VICKY BOYD

Specialists

University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Foundation Seed Service sells foundation rice seed to growers of certified seed.

the cultivars of choice as supply tightens with increased acreage demand.

Hybrids performed well in 2019 given the delayed planting window but did have some inconsistency in those conditions.

There are a few new hybrid offerings to choose from in 2020.

RiceTec’s XP753 continues to be the most widely grown cultivar in Arkansas and likely will be again for 2020. RT 7301 only had limited testing in 2019 but looks comparable to XP753 with similar yield and milling. RT 7501 also yields similarly to XP753 but has slightly better milling.

RT Gemini 214 CL has been a very good Clearfield hybrid that will continue to dominate for 2020 based on yields similar to XP753 with very good milling. FullPage hybrids RT7321 FP and RT7521 FP will also be available this year. These, like Clearfield hybrids, are tolerant to IMI herbicides (Preface and PostScript instead of Newpath and Beyond). These two FullPage hybrids are very competitive with Gemini 214 CL for grain yield, and RT7521 FP may even have slightly better milling.

Clearfield varieties also performed well in 2019 where we were able to manage them in a timely manner. CL151 continues to show high-end yield potential, particularly where it can be actively managed and disease pressure is low.

CLL15 is a new offering that appears to have a similar highend yield potential but with a much improved disease package.

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The better disease package should improve yield stability for CLL15 across a range of environments. CLM04 is a new medium-grain Clearfield with a good disease package and yields that compete with Jupiter and Titan.

Conventional long-grain varieties are essentially narrowed to Diamond for 2020. It continues to provide the most consistent yields compared to other long-grain varieties. For conventional medium-grain varieties, Jupiter and Titan have very similar performance. However, Jupiter’s later maturity provides more flexibility in management timing to achieve top yields, while Titan must be managed much more timely. The advantage to Titan is that it heads five to seven days earlier than Jupiter and is ready for harvest up to 10 days earlier.

For the most part, regardless of cultivar selected, our maturities are very similar so it is difficult to spread risk based on maturity alone anymore. The preference is to grow multiple different cultivars and spread risk based on a combination of maturity, disease package and yield potential.

The earlier we are allowed to plant, the greater our yield potential. To maximize yield across the board, plant varieties first followed by hybrids. While all cultivars lose yield as we plant later, hybrids can have better yield stability later, and the lower seeding rates don’t always withstand tough early season conditions during stand establishment. In addition, plant varieties on your fields that are easier to manage as hybrids will continue to perform well even on difficult-to-manage ground.

This table presents the results for selected cultivars in the Arkansas Rice Performance Trials from 2017-2019. Note that some cultivars have only been tested for two years, and this affected their three-year average. Additional information can be found at http://www.uaex.edu/rice.

Performance of selected cultivars in the Arkansas Rice Performance Trials, 2017-2019.

Cultivar

Grain Type

50% Heading

RT XP753

L

RT Gemini 214 CL

Grain Yield (bushels/acre) 2017

2018

2019

Mean

82

220

229

242

230

L

85

215

235

239

230

RT7501

L

83

--

235

240

237

RT7321 FP

L

79

--

214

237

226

RT7521 FP

L

82

--

220

240

230

Jupiter

M

87

203

199

218

207

Diamond

L

86

206

206

204

205

CLM04

M

87

202

205

208

205

Titan

M

81

200

192

218

204

CLL15

L

86

190

192

206

196

CL151

L

83

191

185

205

194

LaKast

L

84

188

187

198

191

CL153

L

86

185

183

189

186

PVL01

L

89

163

162

175

167

JANUARY 2020

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The Rice Technical Working Group meeting, Feb. 24-27, in Orange Beach, Alabama, offers a mix of educational and networking opportunities.

Plan to attend biennial RTWG meeting, Feb. 24-27

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, at the Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach, Alabama.

The agenda is chocked full of research topics as well as networking opportunities and time to catch up with old acquaintances or make new ones.

In recent years, RTWG has expanded to include a half-day consultants and certified crop advisers meeting, Monday morning, Feb. 24.

That afternoon, a rice water symposium is scheduled and open to all attendees.

CEUs will be available for both the CCA/ consultants meeting and water symposium.

The event begins officially Monday night with the opening reception.

Presentations kick off Tuesday morning, Feb. 25, with the opening session.

Throughout Feb. 25 and the morning of Feb. 26, attendees also can view research posters.

Concurrent break-out technical sessions on topics including breeding, genetics, economics, marketing, post-harvest quality, rice culture, weed control and plant protection will be held Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 25, and Wednesday morning and afternoon, Feb. 26.

An awards luncheon is planned for noon, Feb. 26, to recognize researchers who have gone above and beyond as nominated by their peers. Wednesday night features a closing reception.

RTWG concludes Thursday morning,

22

RICE FARMING

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JANUARY 2020

News

Feb. 27, with an executive committee and closing business meetings.

For more information, to register for RTWG or to reserve hotel rooms, visit https://www.mafes.msstate.edu/rtwg/.

J.R. Simplot Co. to acquire Pinnacle Ag

The J.R. Simplot Co., a privately held food and agribusiness firm headquartered in Boise, Idaho, has agreed to acquire all of the interests in Pinnacle Agriculture Enterprises LLC and its subsidiaries. The acquisition will bring together two distributors of agricultural crop inputs and related services. The target acquisition close date is in early 2020.

“By combining our geographic footprint and shared commitment to service, we will better serve customers in some of the most important agricultural communities in the world,” Doug Stone, president of Simplot’s AgriBusiness Group, said in a news release.

Simplot’s AgriBusiness focus is rooted in phosphate expertise, technology, innovation, retail distribution and agronomic knowledge.

“The completion of our strategic alternatives review has created an exciting opportunity for our employees, customers and the industry with Pinnacle joining the Simplot family,” Rob Marchbank, Pinnacle president and CEO, said in the release.

The combined footprint of Simplot Grower Solutions and Pinnacle stores will grow to more than 200 locations across North America, with approximately 2,700 employees and more than 500 crop advisers.

Delta Plastics offers half-mile-long polytubing

Based on customer suggestions, Little Rock, Arkansas-based Delta Plastics plans to launch polytubing in half-milelong rolls this season.

“Obviously, it’s going to be thinner, but it will perform as well or better than 9 or 10 mil, which is what most people use,” says Matt Tucker, a Delta Plastics salesman from Pine Bluff, Arkansas. “In certain areas, people have their fields graded on quarter-mile runs. But a lot have longer runs. They can load up four rolls in

the morning and lay out 2 miles before they have to come back for more.”

The half-mile polytubing is manufactured from a proprietary blend of resins, making it as strong as the company’s standard quarter-mile polytubing.

The longer-length product is not woven and can be mixed with quarter-mile tubing for recycling at the end of the season.

PHOTO COURTESY SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION

COURTESY RICE TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP

Industry

Three generations of Romingers

Leopold Award honors California brothers for conservation

Rominger Brothers Farms of Winters, California, received the 2019 California Leopold Conservation Award during a ceremony at the California Farm Bureau’s recent annual meeting in Monterey.

Sand County Foundation created the Leopold award to inspire American landowners by recognizing exceptional farmers, ranchers and foresters.

Named in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, it is given in 20 states.

The award is presented annually by Sand County Foundation, Sustainable Conservation and the California Farm Bureau Federation.

Owners Bruce and Rick Rominger grow diversified crops, including rice, hay, winegrapes and processing tomatoes.

The family has long been recognized as leaders for their adaptability and innovation while overcoming regulatory challenges that, together with their conservation goals, enhance their business.

This includes planting miles of hedgerows to benefit important pollinators like bees, restoring over 5,000 feet of stream corridors to connect riparian areas and wetlands to aid a variety of species, and managing irrigation water on their rice fields to boost declining shorebird populations.

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