Rice Farming February 2020

www.ricefarming.com

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PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

FEBRUARY 2020

Scout early to catch planthoppers before they cause damage Research: Rice can take more armyworm defoliation than thought

Pretty in pink Bucket traps aid University of Arkansas studies of row-rice pest

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March 2018 February 2020

COLUMNS

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Vol. 52, 53, No. 4 3

COVER STORY

4 From Fromthe theEditor Editor

Rice'splant-based New long historylobbying bucks groups bear 'what's hot inwatching food' trends

5 USA RiceColumn Update 6 Guest

Roaring new trade Rice andtoward sustainability deals

8 USA Rice Update D PARTM E Npriorities TS RiceE industry sets for the next Farm Bill

8 Industry News Rice business scene

DEPARTMENTS 24 Specialists Speaking 19 News Don’tIndustry guess. Soil test!

10 22

Here toin stay?

Pretty pink

Rice business scene

20 Specialist Speaking ON THE COVER: University of Arkansas

The California riceUniversity industry prepares for what mayinto become annual armyworm Bucket traps aid of Arkansas research new row-rice pest and coninfestations. trol measures.

traps from North Louisiana to the Missouri Bootheel in 2019 to monitor billbugs in rice.

ON THE COVER: Armyworms once Photoplagued

by VickyCalifornia Boyd rice growers again in 2017.

F E AT U R E S

entomology graduatemistakes student Chase Early herbicide can Floyd ran you a network of pink bucket plague all season long

9 10

Photo by Luis Espino, University of California Cooperative Extension

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

FEBRUARY 2020

Overwhelmed by seed options?

Keep these 4 things in mind

Look for the Soybean South supplement Sign up for the monthly e-newsletter following page 24 in the the Arkansas, at ricefarming.com to Missouri have exclusive Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas versions Rice Farming . industry news andofcontent delivered directly to your inbox.

New year, varieties Floods aid new expansion

17

Get the jump on planthoppers

16

New the significant tool box yield loss. beforetools it canincause

20 17

Stay up-to-date with the latest from Rice Farming.

Follow us on Twitter: @RiceFarming TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

Shorter supplieslong have shorn upthe theLSU New Clearfield grain from market, increased 2018yields planting AgCenterbut boasts improved and projections cloud long-term outlook. disease package.

12 14

GET CONNECTED www.facebook.com/ ricefarming1

The yin and yang CLL17

California releases high-yielding Giant invasive snailathreatens the long grain and premium Calrose medium rice-crawfish rotation in southwest grain.

Louisiana.

Begin scouting early to catch the pest

Several new crop-protection products are available in time for this year’s rice Don’t season.sweat the small stuff Research finds rice can take more armyworm defoliation than previously thought The smell success without yieldofloss.

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

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17

20 16

17

2019

18

Cliff Mock

Farm & Gin Show 2019recap Rice Consultant of the Year

Cliff Mockmean of Alvin,any Texas, is the 2019 recipient of this esteemed Tight world rice supplies award.markets Read morehigher. about him beginning on page 13. disruption could push

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FEBRUARY MARCH 2020 2018

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RICE FARMING

3

From The

Editor

New plant-based lobbying groups bear watching On its surface, the announcement that a new group has formed to lobby on behalf of plantbased consumers and business may seem innocuous enough. After all, rice is a plant that enjoys popularity not only for its worldwide dietary contributions but also for its positive environmental footprint here in the United States.

But read further, and the goals of the California Plant Based Alliance become apparent. Just look at the group’s tagline: “safeguarding the plantbased industries’ equal opportunity to succeed.”

The formation of the alliance, which claims to be the first state group of its type in the nation, follows on the heels of the federal lobbying Vicky Boyd group, the Plant Based Food Association, formed Editor in 2016.

The alliance’s press release goes on to say it will battle meat and dairy special interests that want the name “milk” removed from dairy alternatives like those made from almonds and oats.

Underlying the dairy industry’s fight is the Food and Drug Administration’s standard of identity for milk, which defines it as “the lacteal secretion, practically free from colostrum, obtained by the complete milking of one or more healthy cows.”

The rice industry is embroiled in its own battle over mislabeling. In this case, the gripe is against vegetable-based products made from the likes of cauliflower or chick peas marketed as “rice.”

USA Rice continues to advocate in front of the FDA that the rice industry needs a nationwide standard of identity to avoid confusing or misleading consumers.

Not waiting for federal action, Arkansas passed state legislation in 2019 defining a number of agricultural products, such as beef, pork, poultry and dairy. Also included was rice, which the law defined as “the whole, broken, or ground kernels or by-products obtained from the species Oryza Sativa L. or Oryza glaverrima, or wild rice, which is obtained from one of the four species of grasses from the genus Zizania or Proteresia.”

Unfortunately, several groups subsequently challenged the law in court, saying it impinges upon free of speech and is designed to protect Arkansas’ agriculture from an “imaginary crisis.”

How these new groups’ activities and lobbying affect the rice industry’s quest for truthful product labeling remain to be seen, but they definitely bear watching.

Vicky

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.

All statements, including product claims, are those of the person or organization making the statement or claim. The publisher does not adopt any such statement or claims as its own and any such statement or claim does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher. RICE FARMING is a registered trademark of One Grower Publishing LLC, which reserves all rights granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in association with its registration.

© Copyright 2020

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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One Grower Publishing, LLC 875 W. Poplar Ave., Suite 23, Box 305, Collierville, TN 38017 Phone: 901-767-4020

RICEFARMING.COM

Lower Prices, Financing and New Varieties Set Stage for 2020 Season 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.

Finance Rate

Program Period

Fixed 0%1 APR

October 1, 2019 – September 30, 2020

Eligible Products Participating Horizon Ag rice seed products and BASF crop protection products Minimum Initial Purchase

Customer Payment Terms

$15,000 minimum purchase; 3 products required

Due in full December 2020

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.

Always read and follow label directions.

1 Offer valid on qualifying purchases made between October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020. Offer limited to Multi-Use Account Agricultural customers with an available Special Terms limit. Subject to the Multi-Use Account credit agreement and approval. Fixed 0% APR from the date of purchase, which may be prior to delivery, until December 2020, when the entire transaction amount is due in full. Regular Multi-Use Account rates will apply after that date. Offer may be limited to qualifying products. $15,000 minimum

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.”

For more information, see your Horizon Ag District Representative or Authorized Retailer.

HorizonSeed.com purchase required. Subject to merchant participation, see your local merchant for complete details. Multi-Use Accounts are a service of John Deere Financial f.s.b.

Provisia®, Clearfield®, Clearpath®, Beyond®, Facet® L, Newpath®, Prowl®, Sharpen® and Liberty® are all registered trademarks of BASF. ©2020 Horizon Ag, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

USA Rice

Update

Roaring toward new trade deals

P

By Betsy Ward President and CEO USA Rice

USA Rice participated in the recent biannual trade day hosted

by United Kingdom wholesale grocer, Wanis.

PHOTO COURTESY USA RICE

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eople have been calling this new decade “The Roaring ’20s.” With the way things have been moving forward on the international trade front, that certainly seems to be the case.

New trade developments at the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020 are pushing ahead, and the U.S. rice industry is poised to benefit from international markets as never before.

All the effort the rice industry has put into advocacy and policy is bearing fruit.

Although there remains a lot of work to be done by our lawmakers and diplomats, all signs point to an exciting future.

ous, as China has agreed to import at least $80 billion of U.S. food, agricultural and seafood products over the next two years. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that rice exports to China alone could be valued at $300 million annually.

As part of the deal, China will comply with World Trade Organization requirements and adjust its internal classification standards for U.S. rice, opening the door to rice exports fro this country after years of difficulty. For those in the rice industry who have been closely following China’s refusal to play by WTO rules and unfair importing standards for rice, this is a huge win.

Trade pacts move forward At long last, the United States-MexicoCanada Agreement, years in the making, was passed in the U.S. Senate, Jan. 16. The decision was by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 89-10. It just goes to show that our allies and friends in Congress are listening to us and that our efforts on the Hill every year make a big impact, even on members who represent non-ricegrowing districts.

I know that U.S. rice growers must be hugely relieved to have this agreement finalized, so they can be guaranteed the market stability and economic freedom they need to trade with our North American neighbors. It will certainly be nice to get back to business as usual.

Meanwhile, great headway has been made with China after nearly two years of backand-forth tariffs that had a huge impact on U.S. agriculture. In January, President Donald Trump signed the historic “Phase One” pact with China to end the dispute and normalize trade between the two nations. I’m honored to tell you that USA Rice Chair Charley Mathews Jr. was in the room when the deal was signed—a testament to our significance.

The benefits to U.S. agriculture are obvi-

South Korean deal The office of the U.S. Trade Representative also announced a long-awaited trade deal with South Korea at the end of 2019, ensuring the import of 132,304 metric tons of U.S. rice annually beginning this year. This certainty allows the industry to make longterm plans and gives us a secure, guaranteed market for years to come.

U.S. growers can benefit from stable market access, and Korean consumers can enjoy the high quality and cost-competitive rice the United States is famous for worldwide. It’s a win-win.

Brexit comes into focus As trade deals around the world are falling into place, the United Kingdom and the European Union are still hashing out their differences. Brexit is coming into focus after four years of fits and starts, but the implications for U.S. rice — what kind of market a newly “independent” U.K. will be and where existing tariff rate quotas will end up — remain to be seen.

USA Rice has attended meetings in the U.K. and EU with key importers and traders, and is in regular contact with the USTR’s office as they continue to make the region a top priority.

The 2010s were all about change, and the 2020s are already set to see those changes come together into a new status quo of fair, functional and respectful trade relationships.

The year is off to a good start, with more positive developments on the way.

RICEFARMING.COM

Adjust Weed Control To Planting System John Lawrence Zaunbrecher Simplot Grower Solutions Eunice, Louisiana

I grew up on a rice farm in Acadia Parish, Louisiana. After graduating from McNeese State University, G&H Seed Co. hired me to work in the warehouse and run the seed treatment division. I later transferred to the field and began consulting and now consult for Simplot in Eunice, Louisiana.

In 2018, we had a wet fall and were not able to get the ground prepared for the spring. High winds from Hurricane Barry in July negatively affected pollination and put a lot of stress on the rice plants. First-crop yields were down 10 to 15 barrels (36 to 55 bushels), and milling was off, along with ratoon crop yields. Last year, we had a dry fall and were able to get the ground ready. If the weather cooperates, we could have some rice planted before March 1.

Pinpoint Flood System

For early season weed control, we start with a pre-plant burndown and Command — a residual herbicide to help keep the fields clean.

We typically follow up with some combination of Newpath, Permit and Grasp® SC herbicides, depending on the weed spectrum. However, we are starting to switch gears to Loyant® herbicide as more farmers transition to the “old school” method of water-seeding using a pinpoint flood system because of weedy rice. With this approach, fields are flooded and worked in the water. They are drained for a short time after seeding so the rice plant can peg down. After the root is set, the field is reflooded.

Once rice reaches the 4- to 5-leaf stage, we apply Loyant followed by a fertilizer application. Loyant is going to be a big factor in this system because it is excellent for aquatic and broadleaf control. No other herbicides are applied during the season in a water-seeded pinpoint flood situation. This year, about 65% of my acres will use the water-seeded pinpoint flood system, and 100% of those acres will probably have Loyant on them. It’s a one-stop shop.

Dry-Seeded Rice

In dry-seeded rice, we apply Command, Sharpen and Roundup® herbicides up front and follow this application with Newpath, Permit and Grasp SC, or we may just use a shot of Permit followed by a Loyant/ Newpath tank mix, depending on the weed spectrum. Right after permanent flood, we apply Clincher® SF herbicide postemergence because we know the grass is out there. We fight a lot of sprangletop and fall panicum. If you wait until the grass pokes out of the top of the rice, you are behind the eight ball, and yield is already affected.

As we begin the season, remember that your future is safe with guidance from Simplot Grower Solutions and Corteva Agriscience.

Geaux Tigahs!

• Grew up on a rice farm in South Louisiana.

• B.S. degree in agriculture business, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, Louisiana.

• Has consulted for seven years on rice, soybeans and corn.

• Farms rice and crawfish in Acadia Parish.

• Wife: Erin. Two children: Henry (2) and Anna Grace (10 months).

• Enjoys time with family and friends and deer hunting.

Recap: Planting Systems’ Weed Control

t

1. We are starting to switch gears to Loyant® herbicide as more farmers transition to the “old school” method of water-seeding using a pinpoint flood system because of weedy rice.

2. Once rice reaches the 4- to 5-leaf stage, we apply Loyant followed by a fertilizer application. Loyant is going to be a big factor in this system because it is excellent for aquatic and broadleaf control.

3. Following our early season weed control application in dry-seeded rice, we may use a shot of Permit followed by a Loyant/Newpath tank mix, depending on the weed spectrum.

4. Right after permanent flood, we apply Clincher® SF herbicide postemergence because we know the grass is out there. We fight a lot of sprangletop and fall panicum.

Sponsored by

™® Trademarks of Dow AgroSciences, DuPont or Pioneer, and their affiliated companies or their respective owners. Clincher SF, Grasp SC and Loyant are not registered for sale or use in all states. ® Roundup is a registered trademark of Monsanto Technology LLC. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions. ©2020 Corteva.

Industry

News

California Rice Experiment Station names new associate director

COURTESY MID-SOUTH FARM AND GIN SHOW

Dr. Russell Rasmussen has been named the new associate director of the California Rice Experiment Station in Biggs. He will work alongside current director Dr. Kent McKenzie this year and take over as director when McKenzie retires Dec. 31.

“We have some overlap, which is a great modDr. Russell el for hiring new people,” Rasmussen Rasmussen says.

Prior to joining the Rice Experiment Station, he worked in developing hybrid wheat for Syngenta and hybrid sorghum for NexSteppe, and was director of traits and technology for Alvin, Texas-based RiceTec. Rasmussen says it was his experience helping develop hybrid rice that made him interested in this position.

“I enjoyed the rice work when I was down in Houston,” he says. “The fields are beautiful in the spring when they’re flooded with water. It’s an international crop that impacts so many people around the world. It’s just a fascinating crop.”

Rasmussen earned a bachelor’s and master’s of plant sciences at Utah State University and a doctorate in agricultural and horticultural plant breeding from the University of Minnesota.

The Mid-South Farm and Gin Show is a family friendly event with free admission and hundreds of exhibits.

Plan to attend the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show, Feb. 28-29, in Memphis The 68th annual Mid-South Farm and Gin Show is planned for Feb. 28-29 at the Memphis Convention Center, 255 N. Main St., in Memphis, Tennessee.

The show provides valuable information and features products and services offered by hundreds of exhibitors.

The show officially begins at 8:30 a.m., Friday, with the Ag Update Meeting featuring cotton-related presentations. Show exhibits open at 9 a.m. both Friday and Saturday.

The show resumes Saturday at 8:30 a.m. with another Ag Update Meeting featuring Richard Brock, Brock Associates, who will present a grain market outlook and discuss challenges facing farmers in 2020.

Milo Hamilton, co-founder and senior agricultural economist, Firstgrain Inc., will host a special rice marketing educational seminar at 1:30 p.m.

Show closing times are 5 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, respectively. At 9 p.m., Saturday, the popular Jamboree will kick off at the Peabody Hotel Grand Ballroom with music by The Krackerjacks.

For more information, visit https://www.farmandginshow.com/.

UC seeks cooperators for tadpole shrimp study

DR. LUIS ESPINO

Do you want to make sure your freshly planted rice fields don’t become a muddy mess?

Small tadpole shrimp, when their shell is about half the size of a rice seed, can injure rice roots as they emerge from the seed.

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Wondering if tadpole shrimp are becoming less susceptible to pyrethroids?

University of California entomologists Luis Espino and Ian Grettenberger do too!

Pyrethroids are widely used for managing tadpole shrimp, and resistance seems to be a growing issue.

The entomologists are looking for additional fields where they can sample tadpole shrimp to test for pyrethroid resistance.

They will be gathering soil/shrimp and then using these samples to run laboratory bioassays and measure susceptibility.

The goal is to start measuring precisely how susceptible populations are in different fields. This will help them determine the levels of resistance in populations. The work also will help generate the long-term baseline data they need to stay on top of the issue.

The entomologists will report any data publicly in such a way to keep participants anonymous.

In addition, they hope that by measuring resistance in individual fields, they can help producers by noting any susceptibility slippage that may not have shown up yet in terms of control.

The entomologists also hope their work can help address questions about whether lack of control is due to resistance or application issues.

The entomologists seek fields with known pyrethroid resistance in tadpole shrimp, suspectible fields where it might be an issue and fields where pyrethroids still provide tadpole shrimp control.

If you are interested in participating, call or email Ian Grettenberger at 530-7520473 or imgretenberger@ucdavis.edu.

RICEFARMING.COM

S:7.375"

Provi Conventional Rice

e

Optimal 3-Year Rotation So

ybeans

The Provisia Rice System is an excellent rotation partner for the Clearfield Production System for rice. A three-year rotation of these systems and soybeans helps control resistant weeds, including red rice, volunteer rice and annual grasses. That means more flexibility, more control and more sustainable rice-planting years on more acres. Get your rotation in order and get the cleaner fields that drive yields. Talk to your BASF rep or Authorized Retailer.

Always read and follow label directions.

Clearfield and Provisia are registered trademarks of BASF. © 2020 BASF Corporation. All rights reserved.

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Optional 4th Year

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In rice, it’s all about rotation, rotation, rotation.

The three-year rotation of the Provisia Rice System, the Clearfield Production System for rice and soybeans gives you the best chance of keeping weed resistance under control — while growing more rice over multiple seasons.

CLL17 New Clearfield long grain from the LSU AgCenter boasts improved yields and disease package.

By Vicky Boyd Editor

Performance across the Rice Belt In 59 trials throughout the Mid-South Rice Belt beginning in 2015, LA2097 — as the variety was designated before release — averaged 7,841 pounds per acre for the main crop. That compares to 7,155 pounds for CL111, 7,330 pounds for CL153 and 6,653 pounds for Cheniere, according to LSU AgCenter data.

In 2019, the average yield advantage was 7% more than CL153 across over 20 tests throughout Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas, Famoso says.

In a 10-acre seed increase field near Crowley, CLL17 yielded about 50 barrels (about 193 bushels) per acre in 2019, Walker says.

Based on trials at eight locations, CLL17 has shown a similar ratoon yield potential as CL153 and CL111, Famoso says.

Milling yields for CLL17 averaged roughly 62/70 across 41 trials compared to 63/71 for CL111, 62/71 for CL153 and 63/72 for Cheniere.

Although the new variety is a semi-dwarf, it stands at 39 inches, 1 inch taller than CL111 and 2 inches taller than CL153. At the same time, CLL17 reaches 50% heading at 81 days, one day

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VICKY BOYD

T

he Louisiana State University AgCenter has released CLL17, a new early season, semi-dwarf, long-grain, Clearfield rice variety for registered seed production this season. It will be available commercially to growers through Horizon Ag in 2021.

From the breeding program of Dr. Adam Famoso, the new Clearfield variety has shown strong yield potential, excellent milling yield, very good grain quality and resistance to blast.

“Over three years, it has consistently performed at or better than CL151 and CL153, averaging 5.8% more than CL153,” Famoso told attendees of the 2019 LSU AgCenter Rice Field Dr. Adam Day in Crowley. “It certainly has very good Famoso yield potential with excellent blast resistance.”

Tim Walker, Horizon Ag general manager, agreed, saying the new Clearfield variety offers growers a good overall package.

“Clearly, we have the yield advantage without sacrificing the disease package,” he says. “Compared to CL151, we pick up blast. We pick up resistance to Cercospora, which again, has cost us a couple of years in Southwest Louisiana. But we don’t give up milling. Just head to head with CL151, for example, you get improved grain length. You get more stable yields, especially in a blast environment. This, in and of itself, is worth a lot.”

The H. Rouse Caffey Rice Experiment Station near Crowley, Louisiana, was just one of several locations where CLL17, known by the breeders as 1602097 (front right), was tested over the past five years.

earlier than CL153, two days earlier than Cheniere and two days later than CLL111.

As with other newer Clearfield releases, CLL17 contains two genes — Pi-ta and Pi-ks — for improved blast resistance. In addition, it is resistant to Cercospora, moderately susceptible to bacterial panicle blight and straighthead, and susceptible to sheath blight.

Seed availability Barring unforeseen hiccups, Walker says Horizon Ag expects to have seed available to plant about 100,000 acres in 2021. How the availability of CLL17 affects existing Clearfield long-grain varieties depends on the market.

But Walker did say that he expects CL153 seed availability will be significantly reduced in 2021.

“CL151 and CL111 will probably be reduced a bit (in 2021), but those have been such a big part of acreage in Southwest Louisiana,” he says. “I don’t think it makes sense to have as many varieties as we could possibly have. It becomes very inefficient, so you have to make the call at some point. Just because 111, 151 or 153 comes off the market, we have full confidence that these new varieties are better bets for growers.”

RICEFARMING.COM

New year, new varieties California releases a premium Calrose medium grain and a high-yielding long grain.

By Vicky Boyd Editor

M-211 M-211 is a high-yielding, early maturing, semi-dwarf Calrose-type variety with a higher yield potential than M-209 and M-206, says Dr. Kent McKenzie, Rice Experiment Station director. Based on three years of trials from 2017 through 2019, M-211 averaged 9,712 pounds per acre compared to 9,196 and 9,129 pounds per acre for M-209 and M-206, respectively.

The new variety is adapted to the warmer growing regions of Northern California. “It’s not a variety for Davis or cold locations,” McKenzie says. “If you go to the correct environment, it’s a good choice.”

A ‘premium Calrose’ Formerly designated as 12Y2175, M-211 has a complex pedigree that includes a number of Calrose varieties as well as the premium medium grain, M-401. The result is what McKenzie describes as a “premium Calrose.”

Historically, the Rice Experiment Station has referred to longer-season medium-grain varieties that cook up very soft, have a shiny grain and a different grain texture than Calrose as “premium medium-grains,” McKenzie says. M-401 is the most widely grown premium medium grain in the state.

Because M-211 has many Calrose characteristics but cooks more like M-401, it’s been described as a premium Calrose, he says.

In 2018, 19 individuals from six external organizations were asked to blindly grade the potential new release for a number of factors, such as grain appearance and cooking characteristics. Out of the 19, 18 responded favorably.

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VICKY BOYD

T

he California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation Inc. has approved the release of two new varieties from the Rice Experiment Station.

The medium-grain M-211 and long-grain L-208 will be sold for seed production this season and available commercially for growers for the 2021 season. Both were developed by a breeding team at the California Rice Experiment Station in Biggs, California, led by Dr. V.C. “Butz” Andaya. Other members of the team are Drs. Teresa De Leon, Shyamal Talukder and Cynthia Andaya.

The grower-funded Cooperative Rice Research Foundation, which owns the experiment station, will apply for U.S. Plant Utility Patents for both varieties. They also will be available exclusively to California rice growers. As such, export of seed is prohibited, and any breeding or genetic research first requires a Material Transfer Agreement.

Tested as 12Y2175, M-211 is described as a premium Calrose-type medium-grain variety that received high marks from industry experts for its market acceptability.

The new variety also was evaluated by mills and marketing organizations for its cooking quality and received unanimous ratings for high market acceptability.

To help ensure good milling yield potential, growers should not let harvest moistures fall below 20%, McKenzie says.

L-208 Although long-grain varieties occupy only a small percentage of California’s total acreage, Rice Experiment Station breeders continue to develop and release these new, improved grain types to diversify the portfolio.

L-208 has the same pedigree as L-207 but with earlier maturity, shorter plant height and increased yield potential.

It is adapted to the Sacramento Valley’s warmer production areas and is not recommended for cool or cold rice-producing environments.

Tested as 14Y1006, L-208 averaged 10,340 pounds per acre across 41 University of California Cooperative Extension trials.

That compares to 10,000 and 9,190 pounds per acre for L-207 and L-206, respectively.

The new long grain reaches 50% heading at about 81 days, four days earlier than L207 and two days earlier than L-206. It also is about 3.5 inches shorter than L-207.

Kernel dimensions fall midway between L-207 and L-206, but L-208 has improved milling yields. It also has standard U.S. longgrain quality and starch characteristics.

RICEFARMING.COM

2019

Cliff Mock

J

ust before sunrise in Brazoria County, Texas, rice consultant Cliff Mock climbs into his truck and heads to the field. He covers the area along the Gulf Coast in Wharton, Colorado, Fort Bend, Brazoria and Galveston counties.

Mock has consulted year after year for some of the same rice farmers he worked for as an agronomist at Chocolate Bayou Land and Water Co. in the early 1980s. From 1984-2003, he explored opportunities with several fertilizer and chemical companies until he launched his own private consulting business — Cliff Mock Consulting — in Alvin, Texas.

“The only turnover in growers I have is a younger generation taking over,” Mock says. “I look at myself as one of the luckiest persons in the world.”

The Texas consultant grew up on a ranch in Montgomery County where his family farmed row crops, but cattle was the mainstay. He attended Texas A&M University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science in 1977. After graduation, he was hired as a county Extension agent in Brazoria County from 1977-79. During his tenure in this position, Mock says he worked closely with rice production.

“Today as a crop consultant, I get to see a wide variation of farming practices and circumstances. I often think I am like a sponge. I take what’s been successful on a farm and modify or introduce it to the next producer. Cliff Mock Consulting offers a range of services that include feasibility budgets, variety selection, calibrating and setting planters, soil fertility and pest management recommendations.”

Mock, along with his wife, Beth; son, Wade; and daugh-

ter-in-law, Stephanie, is a partner in Mock Farms in Brazoria County. They grow about 2,400 acres of rice and soybeans.

Wade is in charge of the operation’s day-to-day activities, and Cliff helps him out in the afternoons when time allows.

“Years ago, one of my farmers got me started in farming, and I carried on until my son, Wade, got out of school 10 years ago and took over,” Mock says. “Being involved in the farming partnership allows me to see the grower’s viewpoint on decision making. I can talk with my clients realistically and make decisions accordingly. I understand it’s their crop and their livelihood. As a consultant, I work for them.

“I’m fortunate in that the growers try to follow my recommendations. If they can’t, it’s my job to figure out how we can take what we are dealt and optimize their operation. I know them, and they know me. We work together to try to produce

VICKY BOYD

Crop consultant Cliff Mock (sitting on ATV) is joined by Texas rice farmers (from left) Patrick Pavlu, Rodney Mowery, Mark Tomlinson, Allen Kohleffel, Andy Anderson, Seth Tomlinson and Wade Mock.

the most profitable crop possible. I don’t take that trust lightly.”

Third-generation Texas rice farmer Arthur Anderson says, “In years prior to the crop consultant, the philosophy of successful farming was to work and sweat from dawn to dark and prudently manage one’s pennies. Since the advent of the airplane and the advice of knowledgeable crop consultants, the standard lifestyle of the rice farmer has dramatically improved.

“Cliff energetically assists, projects and advises farmers throughout their entire crop year, beginning prior to the crop being planted through post-harvest. I know Cliff to be honest, direct and friendly.”

Takedown Of Major Rice Pest In addition to operating his crop consulting business, Mock works closely with Texas AgriLife Research and Extension personnel at Beaumont. Dr. M.O. Way, Texas A&M AgriLife entomologist, says Mock serves as “the eyes and ears of my program by alerting me and other rice scientists to pest management situations needing attention.” He recalls an instance in 2015 when a serious outbreak of rice planthopper — an exotic pest that originates from Central and South America — occurred in the Texas Rice Belt south and west of Houston.

“The rice planthopper was causing significant damage by removing plant sap to the point of plant death,” Way says. “Cliff and my crew set out insecticide trials in his and his son’s infested fields. We also monitored the entire Texas Rice Belt for this critter. Largely due to Cliff’s efforts, we found virtually all ratoon rice fields west and south of Houston infested — regardless of variety — with yield losses estimated at 20%.

“In 2018, he again notified me of an outbreak of this exotic pest attacking ratoon rice in Galveston, Matagorda and Wharton counties. The infestations and damage were similar to those in 2015. Because of Cliff’s expertise and timely observations, we were able to conduct an insecticide screening test.”

Data gathered from the small-plot replicated trial ultimately led to rice farmers having an effective tool to manage this pest.

“Without Cliff’s keen eye, we may have missed this serious infestation, and our data would have been less robust or even non-existent,” Way says.

Technology, Research, Information Sharing Mock says advances in rice production technology are incredible, and yield increases come from having a complete package.

“Seed technology, for example, has enabled us to farm fields that would have been impossible to farm years ago. Hybrids have brought yields into a whole new realm.”

Kudos From The Field “Cliff has been an integral and valuable part of my program as well as all the other Texas rice scientists’ programs. He is an astute, well-respected and dedicated crop consultant who also has remarkable ‘people skills’ to communicate honestly but compassionately with clientele.”

— Dr. M.O. Way Professor of Entomology, Texas A&M University ww “When I think of Cliff’s best traits, I immediately think of ‘a hard worker.’

He is totally committed to the Texas rice industry. I can always count on Cliff to tell me straight what he thinks is best for my fields. He is a very honest individual. Cliff is not in it for the money but for the benefit of his producers.”

— Rodney Mowery Texas farmer ww “Cliff’s crop consulting expertise has helped me and all of his clientele survive hard economic times and receive the most from the inputs he recommends.

His leadership of the Texas Rice Research Foundation advisory board has been most valuable to us and the rice industry as a whole.”

— Arthur Anderson Texas farmer Chairman, Texas Rice Research Foundation ww “Cliff’s efforts have improved the livelihood of Texas rice producers, and he has strengthened the quality of rice research in Texas. I have had the pleasure of working with Cliff for nearly 20 years.”

— Dr. L.T. Wilson Professor and Center Director, Texas A&M AgriLife Research

| Cliff Mock (right) and his 2018 summer intern Weldon Nanson collect rice planthoppers in a severely damaged field. Nanson is now an independent Texas crop consultant in Matagorda and Jackson counties.

DR. M.O. WAY/TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

Cliff Mock (right), who keeps a busy schedule during the season, is supported by his family. From left are son, Wade; granddaughter, Harper: daughter-in-law, Stephanie; and wife, Beth.

The Texas consultant also credits his rice farmers’ efforts in growing the crop.

“Precision leveling, the tillage equipment to work and plant more efficiently and timely, less harvest loss from harvesting equipment, improved grain handling facilities and other cultural practices all work together to increase yields. Other production practices, such as nitrogen inhibitors, yield mapping, improved soil sampling techniques and ratoon crop manipulation, also contribute to producing a successful rice crop. The list grows every year.”

Mock remembers when he started as an agronomist at Chocolate Bayou Land and Water Co., a 4,800-pound green rice crop was considered a good crop. He says growers now aim to produce 16,000 pounds for main and ratoon crops.

“I also serve on the advisory board for the Texas Rice Research Foundation,” he says. “This group helps Texas rice farmers and researchers, but I’m the big winner in being able to keep up to date on new techniques.”

Mock says the relationships he has with other consultants, university and industry personnel and the information they share are important to the success of his business.

“I talk with other consultants at least a couple of times a week during the season, and we often communicate daily. I also work with university researchers. Many ask me to direct them to growers for off-station trials. I cooperate with chemical and seed companies in trials to gather information under actual field conditions to evaluate new varieties, seed treatments, pesticides and the like.”

In the heat of the season, Mock works until dark, then drives home where he types emails, studies field notes and reviews recommendations while eating dinner. He knows it’s his

Wade Mock (left) — pictured with Cliff Mock, his father and partner — operates Mock Farms where he grows about 2,400 acres of rice and soybeans in Brazoria County near Alvin, Texas.

Cliff Mock At A Glance Background w Bachelor of Science degree in animal science, Texas A&M University, 1977. w Established Cliff Mock Consulting in 2003. w Consults on rice and soybeans along the Texas Gulf Coast in Wharton, Colorado, Fort Bend, Brazoria and Galveston counties. w Serves on the Texas Rice Research Foundation advisory board. w Serves as the agriculture representative for the Gulf Coast Water Authority Board of Directors. w Serves on the Gulf Coast Foundation advisory committee. w Founding member of the Lower Brazos River Coalition. w Recipient of the 2014 Texas Ag Industries Association El Campo Region Certified Crop Consultant of the Year Award. w Recipient of the 2011 Texas Plant Protection Consultant Award.

Family Life Mock was raised on a ranch in Montgomery County, Texas. Today, he and his wife, Beth, reside in Alvin, Texas. They have two daughters: Jana and Haley. One son: Wade (wife, Stephanie). One granddaughter: Harper, 2. responsibility to help growers achieve their goals.

“I have to be totally involved with what they want and give them a realistic picture of what they can expect,” Mock says.

It is with great pleasure that we congratulate Cliff Mock as the 2019 Rice Consultant of the Year.

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Trademarks of Dow AgroSciences, DuPont or Pioneer, and their affiliated companies or their respective owners. ©2020 Corteva.

™®

B Y

Get the jump on planthoppers Begin scouting early to catch the pest before it can cause significant yield loss.

By Vicky Boyd Editor

F

rus that causes the “hoja blanca” disease. In both 2015 and 2018, Way sent dead, preserved delphacid samples to Dr. Ismael Badillo-Vargas, Texas A&M AgriLife Research virologist, for analysis.

None tested positive for the hoja blanca virus. Samples collected in 2019 are still being analyzed for the virus.

In Colombia and other South American countries where the insect vector and disease are present, the only way growers are able to successfully produce a rice crop is by using resistant varieties.

In December 2017, Way traveled to the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Cali, Colombia, to observe firsthand the relationship between the insect and hoja blanca. It was there he learned of CIAT’s program to breed delphacid-resistant varieties.

Planthoppers can damage two ways The rice planthopper — also known as the rice delphacid — can damage rice by direct feeding, but it also can carry the vi-

Delphacid infestation symptoms A delphacid infestation starts as scattered circular spots of rice that are yellowing and/or have dying foliage. Often referred to

TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

CLIFF MOCK

or three out of the past five years, growers and consultants have found the rice planthopper in scattered fields of second-crop rice south and west of Houston, Texas.

Dr. Mo Way, Texas A&M AgriLife Research entomologist, has told growers and consultants annually to be on the lookout for this ¼-inch-long pest, and his warnings appear to have paid off. The infestations in 2019 were caught early enough that growers were able to apply an insecticide and obtain good control that prevented yield loss.

“There are no economic thresholds, so I think the farmers did the right thing (to treat) because once they pop up, they can really expand quickDr. M.O. ly,” Way says.

‘Mo’ Way Cliff Mock, an Alvin, Texas, crop consultant, says he specifically looked for the rice planthopper last season in second-crop rice and only found very low populations.

“If I would not have been really looking for (planthopper), I would not have found it,” Mock says. “I would not have found it if I were walking across a field during normal stinkbug scoutCliff ing. I had to work to find it.”

Mock Last season, Mock says he could make 10 sweeps of a field with his net and pick up no more than two planthoppers. Often times, the sweeping wouldn’t pick up any.

That compares to 2015, the first year the pest was confirmed in Texas, when growers and consultants were caught by surprise with damaging second-crop rice infestations. Back then, Mock says, he could make five sweeps and catch more than 2,000 planthoppers.

“We had them (in 2019), there was no doubt,” he says. “They just never reached the populations they did a couple of years ago.”

When he found planthoppers, Mock recommended Endigo ZC insecticide. The premix of thiamethoxam and lambda-cyhalothrin received a Section 18 emergency use exemption from the Texas Department of Agriculture for the pest. The Section 18 expires Nov. 9, 2021.

Rice farmers in Texas also can apply Tenchu 20SG to control the planthopper, Way says. This use is legal under a 2(ee) Recommendation because Tenchu 20SG already had a label to control rice stink bug. But farmers cannot apply Endigo ZC to control rice stink bug because it is not registered for that pest.

Rice planthoppers were easy to find in many second-crop rice fields during the 2015 infestation south and west of Houston, Texas.

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RICE FARMING

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CLIFF MOCK

Hopper burn is caused by direct feeding of both immature and adult rice planthoppers, also known as rice delphacid. This photo was shot in 2015 in second-crop rice.

as hopper burn, the discoloration is caused by excessive direct feeding by both nymph and adult planthoppers.

Because these symptoms also could be caused by diseases, such as narrow brown leafspot or Cercospora, Way says you need to sweep the area with a net to confirm the presence of planthoppers.

“You can’t just look at the field from the pick-up,” he says.

“You need to get out in the field to check with a sweep net. In a heavily infested field, it’s really obvious with desiccated and bronze spots.”

Unlike some insect infestations that start at the edge of fields and move inward, Way says delphacid infestations will be scattered throughout the field.

“There’s no pattern,” he says. “Because they’re strong fliers, they’ll be in the middle and on the edge.”

As the infestation continues, the spots expand, eventually coalescing into even larger patches.

“So it’s really critical that the farmers get in the field and scout,” Way says. “They should be looking at it right from (plant) emergence on. I’m not sure why we’re only seeing it in the second crop.”

He bases his recommendation for early scouting on what he learned from Colombian colleagues.

Keep your eyes peeled As with the Texas delphacid discoveries in 2015 and 2018, the 2019 finds were brought to Way’s attention by consultants who found the pest while scouting fields.

All of the infestations have been south and west of Houston, and none have been found to the east. The pest was not found in Texas during 2016 and 2017.

Whether the rice delphacid will return during the 2020 season is a big unknown, Mock and Way say. After the 2015 infestation, they monitored what had been a severely infested rice field and ryegrass pastures adjacent to that field over the 2015-16 winter

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The rice delphacid, or rice planthopper, is about ¼ inch long.

and during the 2016 season. Ryegrass is a pretty good host, although rice is preferred, Way says.

They didn’t find a single planthopper.

Testing for varietal tolerance Way also is working with Texas A&M rice breeder Dr. Dante Tabien and Louisiana State University AgCenter breeder Dr. Adam Famoso to obtain seeds from public inbred varieties. Those will be sent to Dr. Maribel Cruz, an entomologist at CIAT, so she can rate them for field tolerance to rice delphacid feeding.

In exchange, she will send some of their resistant varieties to Tabien and Famoso, so they can begin incorporating the resistance trait into their breeding programs.

The planthopper, known scientifically as Tagosodes orizicolus, was reported in rice-growing areas of the Southeast United States from 1957-1959 and from 1962-64.

During that time, hoja blanca was found in Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. But because the vector never established, the disease has not been reported in the United States since then.

If you suspect a rice delphacid infestation, contact your state Extension entomologist. If you grow rice in Texas and suspect the pest, contact Way at 409-239-4265 or moway@aesrg.tamu.edu.

RICEFARMING.COM

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Simply. Grow. Together.

Don’t sweat the small stuff Research finds rice can take more armyworm defoliation than previously thought without yield loss.

By Vicky Boyd Editor

In with the new The university’s current FAW treatment threshold is adopted from wheat in the mid-1990s and is based on the number of larvae per square foot.

According to recommendations in the university’s MP-192 Rice Production Handbook, “Treat when six or more armyworms per square foot. Later in the season, treat when fall armyworms are present and damaging the flag leaf.”

Lorenz and Bateman’s goals are to update the treatment recommendations, including potential differences in defoliation response between conventional and hybrid cultivars.

The armyworm research was started by University of Arkansas graduate student Layton McCullars as part of his master’s thesis.

It was prompted by large FAW outbreaks that occurred in 2016 and to a lesser extent in 2017.

Lorenz and Bateman have continued the project after McCullars graduated in 2019 to try to refine treatment thresholds.

Field and greenhouse trials Field plots of rice were mechanically defoliated using scissors or a mechanical string trimmer at various growth stages and var-

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DR. GUS LORENZ, UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

A

fter two years of field and greenhouse studies, University of Arkansas entomologists say they feel confident about recommending against treating most fall armyworm infestations in rice. But they say they want one more year of data before they update the university’s economic thresholds and treatment recommendations.

“We don’t need to get real excited in rice about fall armyworms,” says Dr. Gus Lorenz, an Extension entomologist based in Lonoke. “There’s very little long-term and yield-limiting damage that fall armyworms can cause. I can feel very comfortable based on two years (of research) that I can make a recommendation, ‘don’t spray unless you see something that’s devastating.’”

The exception is if fall armyworms — known scientifically as Spodoptera frugiperda — have eaten three- or four-leaf rice plants completely to the ground. Even then, Lorenz and fellow Extension entomologist Dr. Nick Bateman say, the yield loss was only about 5 bushels per acre.

But they emphasize that defoliation like that is rare, and most fall armyworm o­ r FAW ­infestations aren’t nearly as severe.

Not only does avoiding an insecticide treatment save growers money, but it also preserves beneficial insects, such as long-horned grasshoppers, that help control rice stink bugs, Lorenz says.

Rice can take a lot more fall armyworm defoliation than originally thought, according to University of Arkansas research.

ious percentages to simulate armyworm damage and correlate it to yield loss. The treatments included 25%, 50% and 100% defoliation.

In greenhouse trials, studies evaluated damage from FAW larval feeding and manual defoliation.

Young rice, unless it’s completely defoliated to the ground, tended to regrow with no significant yield losses, the researchers say. As the plants grew, significant defoliation was required before there was an economic yield loss.

“Where we really started seeing major yield loss was at 66% of plant defoliation at green ring,” Bateman says. “That’s two-thirds of the plant eaten back at green ring.”

In fact, the researchers say, they couldn’t force the worms to cause feeding damage to that degree and had to instead rely on mechanical defoliation for the severe defoliation treatments.

What they did notice is defoliation over 50% at the late tiller stage may delay heading by up to two weeks. This, in turn, may push back harvest, complicating a grower’s plans and potentially subjecting the rice crop to late-season inclement weather.

As part of the research, Bateman and Lorenz also are investigating how hybrids respond to FAW defoliation and whether new thresholds may have to be adjusted for those cultivars.

RICEFARMING.COM

ADAMA Pledges Commitment to U.S. Rice

By Andy Kendig, Ph.D.

A

ADAMA Herbicide Development Leader

DAMA is serious about rice and dedicated to providing superior service in the field. This commitment began when RiceTec and ADAMA established a partnership to bring growers the FullPage™ Rice Cropping Solution. The imi-based weed control program incorporates RiceTec’s non-GMO, high-yielding FullPage hybrid rice with ADAMA’s Preface™ and Postscript™ herbicides.

The FullPage trait has improved crop tolerance, and Preface and Sponsored by ADAMA Postscript have similar weed control spectrums. They target red rice, weedy rice, feral rice, barnyardgrass, most broadleaves and many sedges.

Preface offers good pre-flood, post-emergence and residual activity. Postscript offers pre- and post-flood activity but with less residual. According to their federal labels, Preface and Postscript herbicides can only be used with the FullPage Rice Cropping Solution.

Two New Herbicides Join the Roster It’s important for growers to use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices. For the 2020 season, ADAMA is adding to its portfolio two foundation herbicides — Vopak™ 3ME and Zurax™ L. Effective rice weed control is always about the foundation products, alternative modes of action and residual.

Vopak is a clomazone-based product used as a pre-emerge treatment in the FullPage Rice Cropping Solution, conventional rice or other trait systems. It’s a strong, economical grass control option for barnyardgrass, sprangletop and several other secondary grass weeds.

ADAMA updated its Zurax herbicide by introducing an easier to handle liquid formulation called Zurax L. This quinclorac-based product is an excellent post-emergence partner with residual activity. It adds post-emergence and residual broadleaf and grass control in herbicide-tolerant rice — such as the FullPage Rice Cropping Solution — and in conventional rice as well.

A full weed control program uses several modes of action and residual herbicides in the FullPage™ Rice Cropping Solution.

The ADAMA team at the 2019 RiceTec Arkansas Field Day in Harrisburg.

In the rice plot pictured below, the full weed control program began with an application of Vopak + saflufenacil for a clean start and good residual control of grass and broadleaf weeds. This combination should be tankmixed with a burndown herbicide if weeds are present at planting.

Next, Preface was tankmixed with Zurax L to control red and weedy rice, barnyardgrass and broadleaf weeds. Because effective rice weed control requires two herbicide applications before flood up, Preface was applied again to provide residual activity.

Should any red or weedy rice escape the pre-flood treatments, stewardship Best Management Practices require a third cleanup application of Postscript along with handweeding, if needed.

This program is one of many effective ways to manage difficult weeds with Preface, Postscript, Vopak and Zurax L herbicides in the FullPage Rice Cropping Solution.

ADAMA is committed to providing outstanding service to our products. We recently added two persons to our Mid-South team and want growers to know our Solutions Specialists are willing to show up and assist them with their rice crops throughout the season. Always read and follow label directions.

This article is Part 3 of a three-part series featuring the FullPage Rice Cropping Solution technology and Preface, Postscript, Vopak 3ME and Zurax L herbicides.

Pretty in pink Bucket traps aid University of Arkansas research into new row-rice pest, control measures.

By Vicky Boyd Editor

U

niversity of Arkansas entomologists continue their quest to learn more about the rice levee billbug, a weevil pest that until recently only caused occasional issues for levee rice. With the increasing popularity of row rice — also called furrow-irrigated rice — the billbug has risen in importance as a rice pest, especially in the upper third of fields that aren’t under a permanent flood.

During 2019, Arkansas growers planted more than 100,000 acres of row rice, and that number is expected to grow in coming years.

As the new system expands, so, too, will new agronomic issues.

“It’s not just insects,” says Dr. Nick Bateman, University of Arkansas Extension rice entomologist. “It’s weeds and fertility

and disease issues. It’s a totally new system. Billbug is the first big one that has jumped up. There may be more pests insect-wise that will manifest themselves as time goes on and the acreage increases.”

Robb Dedman, a crop consultant who works in Southeast Arkansas, says he hasn’t seen significant damage yet in the row-rice fields he scouts. But he’s keeping a careful watch.

“It’s in the neighborhood,” Dedman says. “Right now, I think the majority of billbugs are on the (Grand) Prairie. But I think as we continue to move to more row rice or row rice-bean rotations, we’re going to see the numbers elevate. I think it’s a situation that will continue to get worse if we don’t manage it.”

VICKY BOYD

University of Arkansas graduate student Chase Floyd checks under a bucket trap for billbugs.

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RICEFARMING.COM

Billbugs, the dry ground relative Rice levee billbugs belong to the beetle family, Curculionidae, as do rice water weevils. But unlike rice water weevils, which favor flooded rice fields, billbugs seek dry ground.

In many row-rice fields, growers board up the bottom to catch and back up irrigation water flowing from the top. It is the top third, which is furrow irrigated much like soybeans and has periods of dry soil, that billbugs typically infest.

After hatching, billbug larvae burrow into rice stems, where they feed and deprive the developing grain head of nutrients. The result can be blanked heads, which by the time they’re visible are too late to treat.

By spending much of their life in tillers, larvae also are protected from foliar-applied insecticides.

Until recently, billbugs were an occasional pest of rice levees that typically received little attention. As such, little research has been done on their biology and possible alternate hosts.

But Bateman says studies underway are designed to fill in some of the knowledge gaps.

A bucketful of data Using 5-gallon hot pink plastic buckets, Chase Floyd — a University of Arkansas entomology student working on his doctorate degree — trapped row rice fields from northern Louisiana to the Missouri Bootheel during the 2019 season. Anecdotal information points to billbugs being attracted to the hot pink color more than to white or to yellow.

Floyd placed the buckets on edges of rice fields and weighted them down with a bit of dirt. He returned weekly to count the number of weevils that crawled under the buckets.

“What he found is 55% to 60% of the fields where he had buckets had billbugs, so it looks like 60% of the row rice had some level of billbugs,” Bateman says. “In some of those cases, he was catching one out of the whole field. In some cases, he was catching multiple billbugs per week.”

Although the buckets served as a monitoring tool to detect the presence of the pest, Bateman says they haven’t yet been able to correlate number of billbugs to damage severity.

He says they also evaluated yellow sticky traps as well as a modified malaise trap, where the weevils would be attracted to a light and fly into funnel-shaped netting.

“We tried every trap we could find, and those buckets seemed to work the best out of any of them,” Bateman says.

Part of their goal is to determine exactly when billbugs enter rice fields. Visual damage, such as tillers dying, seems to begin around green ring, prompting Bateman to theorize the billbugs are entering a field one to 10 days before green ring.

“It’s probably the fourth or fifth tiller when they’re really targeting that field,” he says. “There’s very little information out there, so we’re trying to figure out a whole lot of things.”

Does the movement of billbugs correlate to the rice plant growth stage or does it have more to do with degree days? Those are questions Bateman says remain unanswered.

Developing a pheromone attractant As part of that effort, University of Arkansas chemical entoTWITTER: @RICEFARMING

DR. NICK BATEMAN, UNIVERSITY OF ARAKNSAS

Comparing billbugs to any other pest, he says an integrated approach will be needed to gain the upper hand.

After hatching, billbug larvae burrow into rice stems, where they feed and deprive developing grain heads of nutrients.

mologists in Fayetteville as well as those with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service in Stoneville, Mississippi, are working to identify a pheromone to use as a trapping lure. Bateman and fellow entomologist, Dr. Gus Lorenz, say they remain hopeful since billbugs belong to the same family as boll weevils.

“We know how much the pheromone played in controlling and ultimately eradicating the boll weevil,” Lorenz says. “We were able to achieve that with the boll weevil because of the development of the pheromone. We feel like that might help us to understand (billbug) activity and understand when it’s coming into a field and to see how big the population is.”

Knowing when billbugs begin entering a field also could help with timing a foliar insecticide spray. Ongoing trials are looking at different foliar insecticides.

Over-treating standard seed treatments Preliminary research led by Bateman has found over-treating a standard neonicotinoid seed treatment with a diamide insecticide — either Dermacor or Fortenza — appears to control both rice water weevils and billbugs. The neonicotinoid is needed to pick up grape colaspis, a soil-borne pest common in rice fields rotated with soybeans. The diamides offer longer residual weevil control than neonicotinoids but have little effect on grape colaspis.

Even in the absence of billbugs, the overtreatment appears to boost yields by up to 38 bushels per acre, he says. More commonly, yield increases ranged from 10 to 25 bushels per acre.

“In a lot of the cases, those guys who get grape colaspis get rice water weevil,” Bateman says. “What we saw in those situations — particularly in those situations where they had grape colaspis, then had rice water weevil come in behind — the combination treatments excelled.”

Overwintering sites Rice water weevils tend to overwinter in plant litter, especially along tree lines. Whether billbugs do the same remains unknown.

Following the 2019 season, the researchers surveyed around fields that had heavy billbug infestations. What they observed was as temperatures began to drop, the insects moved farther down into the root mass.

They also found some on the edges of fields in bermudagrass, suggesting billbugs may begin to migrate from fields in early September at harvest to nearby host plants.

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Specialists

Speaking

Don’t guess. Soil test!

Weeds: What should you be aware of in 2020?

DR. DUSTIN HARRELL

LOUISIANA LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station dharrell@agcenter.lsu.edu

DR. WHITNEY BRIM-DEFOREST

CALIFORNIA University of California Cooperative Extension Rice and Wild Rice Adviser Sutter, Yuba, Placer and Sacramento counties wbrimdeforest@ucanr.edu

PHOTO COURTESY LSU AGCENTER

There are several nutrients we should pay close attention to when it comes to rice production. Along with nitrogen, the most important nutrients to monitor include phosphorus, potassium, sulfur and zinc.

When I make farm visits to evaluate nutrient problems, the culprit is generally one of these five. Visual observation of nutrient deficiency symptoms is one tool used to diagnose which nutrient is the problem, but another even more powerful diagnosis tool includes the results from a recent soil test.

The truth is that a calibrated soil test is very good at providing an availability index of the important plant nutrients. Calibrated soil tests also include fertilizer recommendations needed to provide optimum yields while preventing the occurrence of yield-limiting nutrient deficiencies during the growing season.

Although soil testing is a very powerful tool that estimates nutrient availability and provides research-based fertilizer recommendations, many growers still do not use it. Low rice yields and poor economics over the past few years have many growers looking for places to save money.

Soil testing and reduced fertilizer rates are often the first line in the budget to be cut. However, are you really saving money when you are losing yield to unexpected nutrient deficiencies?

Absolutely not.

In this upcoming growing season, be sure to use soil testing to determine nutrient levels and fertilizer needs. Who knows, a soil test may inform you that you have been applying a nutrient annually that is not needed. Last, but not least, the most important take home from this article is that when it comes to applying fertilizer nutrients, don’t guess. Soil test!

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Managing weeds in California rice has always been complicated, and it seems to continue to get more so every year. Last year due to late rains, weed control was particularly troublesome.

In many cases, there was insufficient time to prepare the seedbed before planting, and excessive amounts of water in the field diluted granular herbicides. Although we do not yet know how different the weather may be this year, there are some key things to be on the lookout for this season: 1) Watergrass control: Over the past couple of years, we have become aware of a couple of watergrass species or biotypes that are increasingly difficult to control with herbicides. While we do not yet know the species, we can provide some tips: a. Go as early as you can in your watergrass control program, either at day of seeding or pre-emergence, if possible. This particular species/biotype grows quickly and outcompetes the rice if allowed to get a head start. b. Tankmix two grass herbicides or apply sequential applications of grass herbicides as quickly as possible. This helps to overwhelm the plants’ ability to process the herbicides if they are metabolically resistant. If they are target-site resistant, having multiple modes of action will increase the likelihood of control. c. Keep water depth high, especially at the beginning of the season. Watergrass species can emerge through flooded conditions, but their emergence is suppressed.

2) Weedy rice: Although not a widespread problem (about 3% of California acres are infested), we want to continue to keep the populations low and stop the spread to new fields and farms. Please report any suspicious plants to your local farm adviser.

3) Drift: Many of our rice-growing counties now allow for outdoor hemp farming or will allow it for the first time in 2020. Since we do not yet know the effect of rice herbicides on hemp, it is important to continue to exercise caution when applying foliar herbicides, following label directions and county restrictions on aerial spraying, and checking for wind speed and direction.

4) Herbicide Update: RebelEX is a Corteva product that RICEFARMING.COM

Specialists

Speaking

has been registered in California since 2012. It has not been marketed, however, so it is not in widespread use.

RebelEX is a liquid formulation, combining Clincher (cyhalofop-butyl) and Granite SC (penoxsulam). The application timing is from one-leaf rice up until 60 days before harvest. It is an excellent grass control herbicide, but pay close attention to whether cyhalofop-resistant sprangletop and/or watergrass species are present. Presence of resistance will decrease efficacy of this product.

Weed management continues to pose new challenges every year. Growers and pest control advisers are the first line of defense to ensuring new species do not spread as well as ensuring that everyone is practicing safe and efficacious herbicide applications.

On your mark, get set, plant!

DR. M.O. “MO” WAY

TEXAS Rice Research Entomologist moway@aesrg.tamu.edu We are at the start of the 2020 field season, but really, Texas farmers should have begun prepping for the 2020 field season back in the fall of 2019. Timely land prep prior to the 2020 field season is crucial for a successful 2020 rice crop.

An adult chinch bug near the crown of a rice plant.

PHOTOS BY DR. M.O. WAY

A greenhouse study highlights the amount of damage adult chinch bugs may cause to rice plants at various populations. Two adults per plant can kill a rice plant.

TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

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SPECIALISTS SPEAKING I know farmers west and south of Houston have had good weather relative to being able to disk, land level and harrow fields last fall and this winter. However, rice farmers east of Houston have not been as fortunate. Seems like every seven to 10 days on the east side of the Texas Rice Belt, we get a rain that prevents field preparation.

So if you have not prepped your fields by this time due to persistent, wet weather, be poised to take advantage of any window of opportunity to get in the field and begin/continue working ground. Clearly, timely field prep allows for early planting, which helps ensure good yields on both the main and ratoon crops.

We experienced extremely wet weather at the end of the 2017 season (think Hurricane Harvey) and 2019 season (think Tropical Storm Imelda). A lot of main crop rice had not been harvested when these events occurred, demonstrating the importance of planting early.

One of Texas’ early season but sporadic rice pests is the chinch bug, which can reduce stands. The adults and nymphs feed above and below ground. Feeding on recently emerged rice can cause stippling and striping of foliage, stunting and stand loss. In the

past, rice fields in Liberty County have been especially hard hit.

We have two seed treatments that do a good job controlling this early season pest — CruiserMaxx Rice and NipsIt Inside. Timely flushing of fields can also help drown the insects and/or move them up the plant, resulting in less damage. So be on the lookout for chinch bugs when rice emerges.

I recently participated in a meeting in San Antonio, Texas, of the National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants. These professionals are highly trained and can make your operation run more efficiently and profitably.

I know rice farming is a highly complex and constantly evolving profession. It is difficult to keep up with government regulations and programs, new agronomic practices, changing pest management tactics, rice market fluctuations, maintenance of equipment, financing, etc.

A certified crop consultant can help you make decisions, scout your fields and provide other expertise. If you don’t employ a crop consultant, you may want to do some research on this topic.

I am convinced crop consultants can help your operations while assuming some of the responsibilities you farmers shoulder every day to produce our food and protect our environment.

Use Extension seeding rates as a baseline ARKANSAS Assoc. Professor/Rice Extension Agronomist University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service jhardke@uaex.edu Seeding rate selection is one of the most argued points in any crop. Rice is certainly no different as we rely on drills rather than planters that currently lack some of that precision.

The move toward air drills has certainly improved seed placement in rice, though it’s still a sort of controlled spill.

For rice grown on a silt loam soil, we recommend drill-seeding 30 seed/ft2 for varieties or 10 seed/ft2 for hybrids (assuming a good seed bed and optimum planting date). This equates to about 64 to 80 pounds of seed per acre for varieties and 21 to 24 pounds of seed for hybrids, depending on your specific cultivar selection. It’s generally advised to increase these seeding rates by 20% for rice grown on clay soils.

These recommendations are an excellent starting point and are built on a great deal of research supported by rice growers through the Arkansas Rice Check-Off. They provide an excellent chance at establishing a successful stand and should be used as a baseline. It is up to individual growers to deviate from the baseline recommendation based on their specific situation.

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PHOTO COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

DR. JARROD HARDKE

Seeding rate selection is one of the most argued points in any crop.

The goal with choosing your seeding rate is to achieve a final plant stand of 12-18 plants/ft2 for varieties or 5-8 plants/ ft2 for hybrids to obtain maximum grain yield potential. On average across a wide range of locations, soils and conditions, we only see about 50% to 60% of the seed we plant in the final stand — which puts us in these recommended ranges and is why we recommend the seeding rates we do.

At the end of the day, if you can achieve the final plant stands mentioned above with a lower seeding rate, do it! Saving $10 to $15 per acre can really add up — just be conscious that you’re removing any room for error, and any event may reduce your stands below a level needed to achieve maximum yields.

In general, a stale seedbed, good soil conditions and an optimal planting date give us the greatest opportunity to reduce seeding rates and still achieve the minimum plant stands necessary to maximize yield. Make any adjustments small and gradually and when in doubt, keep the seeding rate up.

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Delta Implement Co.

Cleveland, MS: 662-843-2742

Don Medlin, Co.

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Hondo, TX: 830-584-1576 Robstown, TX: 361-387-1572 Taylor, TX: 512-352-6381