Rice Farming March 2024

Photo by Cassidy Nemec

From The Editor

One Step at a Time

There’s a sign on UC-Davis’s campus that reads “This Present Moment Used to be the Unimaginable Future.” I liked that since it almost forced me to look back at where I was years ago and where I am now. I could not have even imagined that I would be standing here today doing what I’m doing now.

It made me think to how I got here, and I quickly decided that it was truly one step at a time. There were more than a few occasions where I would try to take about a thousand steps at a time as that’s sometimes just my nature, but it was always the times I decided to just take the next step that brought me to where I am now.

As we get into the throes of planting, I think this is a valuable thing to remember. We can rush things and maybe find success at the end regardless, but seeing the crop through each stage and taking the time to witness its development throughout the season could be much more beneficial in the long run.

In this month’s issue, we see several prime examples of taking things step by step.

Pages eight and nine detail the return of California’s waterfowl with its rejuvinated wetland habitat. It discusses the role the waterfowl plays in the turning of the season. “The birds also play a role in preparing the fields for planting. As they feed on leftover grains and insects, they mash up rice straw that must be decomposed before the next crop can go in the ground.”

In the cover story on pages 12 and 13, Dow Brantley discusses his path to how he got to where he is now on his farm through programs like the USA Rice Leadership Development Program and his involvement in the organization ever since. “Through USA Rice, I’ve gained a better understanding of the industry and how much politics is involved in rice around the world. Just to be around and listen to others in the rice industry and hear what their issues are today — you pick up a little bit here and a little bit there. You take those ‘little bits’ and see if you can make an idea.”

Beginning on page 20, Extension specialists across the rice-growing states take a look at weed management, and Dr. Jarrod Hardke discusses the “start clean, stay clean” method. “Plant into a stale seedbed environment, if possible, to maximize our rice stand and to minimize weed emergence from disturbing the soil. Let’s discourage weed emergence in the first place,” he said.

In starting the season off right, I thought it would be nice to take a minute to remind us all that we don’t watch everything magically come together all at once. It usually takes some time and effort but is also more than worth it in the end if we just take it one step at a time.

Cassidy

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

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Cassidy Nemec Editor

By Cameron Jacobs, CAE Domestic Promotion USA Rice

Rice Wins the Popularity Contest of Consumer Trends

Over the past three years, USA Rice has collaborated with The Hartman Group to delve into the trends and demographics surrounding rice consumption, offering valuable insights into the Who, What, Where, When, and Why of rice eaters. I have been presenting the findings of Hartman’s Rice Eating Occasions Report at the USA Rice Outlook Conference since the project began, but I wanted to share some key takeaways with you here.

You’ll be pleased to hear that consumers have a lot of positive things to say about rice.

To kick it off with some demographics, our research shows that Millennials and Gen Z are leading the way in “rice eating occasions” (individual moments when a consumer eats rice). Interestingly, if we narrow it down to brown rice, Gen Z consumption drops off dramatically, with Millennials still consuming the most brown rice, followed by Gen X

in second place. Rice-eating occasions are also more likely to occur in cities and suburbs than rural areas and to take place among larger households, those with children, and those with higher income brackets — which speaks to rice’s versatility in meeting the unique needs of every member of a household.

Now let’s get into some consumer sentiments, emotions, and motivators. Survey respondents overwhelmingly viewed rice as a simple, affordable, and natural food that complements

all types of meals, including global flavors and local or seasonal ingredients. It meets a broad range of needs: consumers see rice as both a comfort food and a way to discover new and exciting cuisines. They choose rice because it is conducive to their dietary restrictions and health/fitness goals, or sometimes just because it gets the job done. The point is, no matter what a consumer needs or wants, rice fits the bill more often than not.

We all know that eating rice makes you feel good, and the data reflects that. Survey respondents associated rice with feelings of delight, health, and socialness. To the consumer, rice is a favorite food and a celebratory food, one that impresses guests and brings people together. It’s also convenient, which was a major trend in 2023. We saw significant growth in the importance of function and convenience to consumers as they resumed their pre-pandemic routines, so it makes sense that microwaving overtook stovetop as the preferred preparation method.

Rice clearly checks a lot of boxes, but there is one consumer need that truly stands out to me, and that is sustainability.

Rice-eating occasions are more likely among consumers who are willing to pay more to support the environment. A staggering 46% (close to half!) of all rice eaters are motivated by sustainability concerns, and that is excellent news for the rice industry. We have a great story to tell there, and this research shows that it’s really resonating with consumers.

There is so much more information I wish I could include here, but after all, this is a column and not a research paper, so I strongly encourage you to visit usarice.com and download The Rice Eating Occasions Report. Please reach out if you’d like help delving into these findings in more detail.

For now, I’ll sum it up: 2024 is shaping up to be a great year for rice consumption across all age groups, and there are few food products that can capitalize on as many modern food trends as rice can. From sustainability to affordability, consumers are reaching for rice to satisfy a wide range of needs, and that’s good news for the industry.

Arkansas Ag Scientists Recognized for Conservation Work in Rice, Soybeans

By Mary Hightower University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture

Trent Roberts and Caio Vieira, faculty members with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, were recognized for their conservation work in rice and soybeans at the National Conservation Systems conference.

Roberts, interim head of crop, soil and environmental sciences as well as the Endowed Chair of Soil Fertility Research was awarded Rice Researcher of the Year. Vieira, assistant professor of soybean breeding, was honored as Soybean Researcher of the Year at the National Conservation Systems conferences on Jan. 30-31 in Jonesboro. Both have appointments with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the division’s research arm. Roberts also has a division Extension appointment and both have teaching appointments in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.

Roberts was honored for his work in rice fertility. Among other roles, he’s director of the N-STaR program, short for Nitrogen-Soil Test for Rice, established to help growers in the nation’s top rice-growing state. N-STaR enables growers to test for organic nitrogen, a more usable nutrient for rice. He has also had a hand in developing management recommendations for furrow-irrigated rice; examining the benefits of using the Greenseeker handheld for nitrogen management in rice; and investigating use of cover crops in Mid-South rice rotations.

“It is an honor and privilege to receive the Rice Researcher of the Year award,” Roberts said. “Although this is not a team award, I would be remiss if I did not thank all the staff and students who have contributed to the success of our program over the years. I am proud to work in rice and hope that our work continues to make meaningful impacts within the industry.”

Caught off Guard

Caio joined the experiment station in 2023. The award recognized contributions

to soybean breeding in the Mid-South. His work includes identification of natural tolerance to off-target dicamba exposure, breeding for resistance to stressors including southern root-knot nematode, and breeding for tolerance to stressors like flood and drought. The award also recognized contributions based on implementation of data analytics in breeding decisions, such as genomic prediction models.

“I have an entire team supporting me every day,” Vieira said. “I am happy to ‘bring this back home’ and share the results of our work with my team.”

Roberts said that “Dr. Vieira’s recognition highlights the meaningful impact he’s had on soybean cultivar enhancement during his short tenure leading the UADA soybean breeding program.

“Although his contributions began as a master’s student and continued through his Ph.D. and early career since joining our department, his success provides a glimpse into the continued growth and excellence of our UADA breeding programs,” Roberts said.

Industry Impacts

“I am very happy for both Trent and Caio to be recognized as Rice and Soybean researchers of the year,” said Jean-François Meullenet, director of the Arkansas Agri

cultural Experiment Station.

“Dr. Roberts has had sustained impacts on rice production in Arkansas and has brought significant innovation to the rice industry in Arkansas through N-STaR and the Greenseeker technology. He is one of our very best talents,” Meullenet said.

“Dr. Vieira is a great example of the amazing talent we have attracted to Bumpers College and the Division of Agriculture in the past few years,” Meullenet said. “He has had a phenomenal start in research, and I am confident that this is just the beginning of a great career at the University of Arkansas. Congratulations to both of them.”

Very Deserving

Jeff Edwards, dean of Bumpers College, said. “I worked closely with both Trent and Caio while I was head of the department of crop, soil, and environmental sciences, and both are very deserving of their awards.

“Trent has made major contributions to the rice industry, which is obviously very important in Arkansas, and across the country and the world. Caio has made an impact in his short time with us in his work with soybeans, and I’m looking forward to what he does going forward,” Edwards said. “Their research and accomplishments have been significant, and it’s great to see them recognized.”

Trent Roberts, left, and Caio Viera, accepting awards at the National Conservation Systems Conference.

Growers See Opportunities in Clearfield and Provisia Varieties

With higher-than-expected demand for long grain rice seed and shortages reported by some seed suppliers, more rice growers are turning to elite Clearfield and Provisia varieties to plant in 2024, based on their reputation for overall performance and value.

“We’re having many growers moving from hybrids to high-yielding Clearfield® and Provisia® varieties, and we are committed to working with them to ensure they have the best experiences possible with our seed,” says Horizon Ag general manager Dr. Tim Walker. “Selling the seed is just part of the story. We want to get it planted on time and manage it to maximize yield and quality potential.”

Due to multiple factors beyond Horizon Ag’s control, there has been significant demand for inventory, particularly Clearfield long grain offerings, pressuring available supplies throughout the region. As a result, Dr. Walker says Horizon Ag is aggressively working with seed retailers and growers, sharing information regarding availability and options.

Horizon Ag District Field Representatives also are actively engaged to help growers who typically plant hybrids successfully transition to managing Clearfield and Provisia varieties.

“Partnership and service are two of our core values at Horizon Ag,” says Dr. Walker. “We know there is more demand for elite long-grain varieties than may be available. This is an opportunity for us to put those values into action and stand by our farmers.”

This season may be a good year to try top-performing Provisia varieties like PVL03, which was the top variety planted in Louisiana last year, and new PVL04, the first Provisia variety developed by the University of Arkansas rice breeding program.

PVL03 offers outstanding stalk strength, yield potential, milling and grain appearance. It has both Pi-ta and Pi-ks genes for blast resistance but needs to be managed to prevent Cercospora infection on the stem. PVL03 gives farmers the unmatched ability to control and proactively manage against the development of resistant weedy rice, red rice, and grasses.

PVL04 offers improved yield potential over PVL03 in the upper Delta while performing similarly to PVL03 in the Coastal Region. It contains the Pi-ks and Pi-ta blast-resistant genes and has shown very good straw strength. It needs to be managed to prevent Cercospora infection on the stem. PVL04 has excellent package quality.

particularly while weedy rice problems are minimal and more easily managed. This will help maximize the effectiveness of Provisia herbicide and prolong both the Provisia and Clearfield technologies.

“It’s a long-term mindset,” he says. “When the Provisia technology was introduced, it was with a variety that wasn’t nearly as high-yielding as our Clearfield varieties, and it went out in only the worst weedy rice-infested fields. Today’s Provisia varieties are much improved. It’s better to go out with this technology when you have a 10% infestation, get good chemistry results, and then follow a recommended rotation.” Growers looking for more information about Horizon Ag Clearfield and Provisia varieties can go to www.Horizonseed.com.

New Mobile App Update Provides Valuable Tools

The Horizon Ag Productivity App has been updated to make it even more valuable as a decision-making tool for rice farmers planning for the coming season. From details on new varieties to updated disease ratings across the seed portfolio, the App is the place to go for information regarding Horizon Ag Clearfield and Provisia varieties.

The app has been updated to include farmer videos regarding experiences with new varieties — CLL19 and PVL04 — as well as for CLL18, a very high-yielding Clearfield variety released last year and expected to be in high demand this season.

Also new is a milling yield premium calculator, which joins other valuable tools for drill calibration and calculating ROI potential for 2024.

The Horizon Ag Productivity App is available in the App Store or Google Play.

Dr. Walker notes that this may be an opportunity in areas where Provisia rice hasn’t been planted to add it to at least a portion of the acreage,

More information about Horizon Ag varieties and services available this season can be found at HorizonSeed.com or by contacting your Horizon Ag District Field Representative.

Waterfowl Flock Again to Valley Rice Fields

By Caleb Hampton

The return of fully planted rice crops to the Sacramento Valley following years of drought has restored another essential feature of the region. After harvest, reservoirs replenished by last year’s historic storms enabled farmers to flood more of their fields this winter, creating wetland habitat for migrating waterfowl.

Right now, “You can’t drive down the road without seeing thousands of geese,” said Kim Gallagher, who grows rice along Highway 45 in Yolo and Colusa counties and participates in government-funded programs that incentivize rice farmers to flood their fields in the winter for wildlife conservation.

Birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway have stopped in the Central Valley for centuries, resting and refueling for their journey north in the spring. But since the Gold Rush, California has lost 95% of its wetlands to development.

“The result of that has been a loss of the habitat these birds depended on,” said Jeff McCreary, director of operations for Ducks Unlimited’s western region.

Sacramento Valley rice fields are an exception, generating eco-

nomic activity while restoring crucial wetlands. Today, around 300,000 acres of the valley’s rice paddies are flooded each winter to provide food and shelter for 7 million ducks and geese, according to the California Rice Commission. More than 200 species of wildlife, including threatened species such as Sandhill Cranes, rely on the fields.

Especially over the past decade, state and federal programs have been developed to incentivize winter flooding, defraying some of the cost, and rice farmers have embraced their role in wildlife conservation.

“Seeing the rice in the summer and the waterfowl in the winter are two sides of the same coin,” Gallagher said. “In my book, it completes the process.”

Two years ago, drought prevented farmers from planting about half of the Sacramento Valley’s 500,000 acres of rice, especially on the west side of the valley where Gallagher farms, and limited participation in winter flooding programs.

“The reduced rice acreage resulted in a smaller footprint of waterfowl habitat in the valley,” said Elliott Matchett, biologist for

Sandhill Cranes, a threatened species, find food and shelter in a Glenn County rice field that was flooded this winter to create wildlife habitat.

CALIFORNIA RICE COMMISSION

the U.S. Geological Survey, who monitors waterbird populations across the Paci c Flyway.

e farmers noticed their absence. Usually, the birds “make a hellacious racket,” as one farmer put it with admiration, but that winter, “it was quiet on this side,” Gallagher said. A year ago, growers said the outlook was bleak when harvest ended, limiting ooding from October until the new year when atmospheric river storms inundated much of California.

Now, ample water supplies from those storms have restored both rice and habitat. is year, the elds are “packed wall to wall with ducks and geese,” Gallagher said. “It’s a huge contrast.”

e number of acres enrolled in one winter ooding program, the California Winter Rice Flooding Incentive Program, increased from around 20,000 last winter to more than 60,000 this winter, according to data collected by the California Rice Commission.

Alex Struckmeyer, who grows rice in Colusa County, ooded his elds for the rst time this winter. “ e drought was pretty arduous for us,” Struckmeyer said. Since he ooded his elds a few months ago, he has seen “more birds on this ranch than ever before.”

Recently, hundreds of Sandhill Cranes descended on the elds outside Struckmeyer’s home. “It’s magical,” he said. “It adds a little extra joy to this already beautiful landscape.”

Waterfowl take enormous bene t from the rice paddies, stocking up on more than half the calories they need to make their 2,000-mile return journey in the spring. “ ey use the rice elds to store up body fat to fuel their migration up north,” said McCreary, the Ducks Unlimited director.

Several winter ooding programs have been developed to meet the needs of speci c types of wildlife and the abilities of di ering farm operations.

Jon Munger, vice president of operations at Montna Farms in Sutter County, is participating in a federally funded program that creates varying oodplain depths in rice elds at the end of the winter ooding season.

“ e month of February is a critical time for a lot of these birds that are moving through,” Munger said. “I really like to see us be-

Hundreds of Snow Geese take o from a rice field in Yolo County. During the winter, rice farmers in the Sacramento Valley flood their fields to provide wetland habitat for waterfowl migrating along the Pacific Flyway. Ample water supplies this winter have brought back large numbers of birds.

ing able to provide that varying habitat. It bene ts not just ducks and geese but all sorts of shorebirds. When you get the really shallow mud ats, you’re attracting a lot of the little wading birds — the dowitchers and other little guys that visit those elds.”

e birds also play a role in preparing the elds for planting. As they feed on le over grains and insects, they mash up rice straw that must be decomposed before the next crop can go in the ground.

“It’s part of the whole ecosystem,” Gallagher said. “We get rid of our rice straw, which is the goal so that we can plant rice next year, and we’re also creating food for the waterfowl.”

Previously, Sacramento Valley rice farmers mostly burned their elds to get rid of the straw. Since 1992, a state law has limited rice straw burning, and growers have increasingly adopted winter ooding to decompose their straw.

“We’ve pushed for more people to ood their elds post-harvest, and many more growers seem to be doing that,” said Katie Cahill, communications manager for the California Rice Commission. e incentive programs are typically oversubscribed, she said, with more farmers wanting to ood than can be funded.

A er the drought, last year’s full rice crop brought back farming, hauling, processing and other ancillary jobs that depend on the sector. Farmers and wildlife experts said the return of waterfowl this winter is also part of the valley’s economic recovery.

“ e Sacramento Valley hosts one of the greatest concentrations of wild waterfowl in the world,” Cahill said. “It brings in people from all over the state and across the world.”

Several small towns at the northern end of the Central Valley get important revenue from wintertime wildlife tourism, duck hunting and events such as the Snow Goose Festival, held recently in Butte County, all of which rely on the region’s ricelands.

“ e rice in the Central Valley is the anchor of the Paci c Flyway,” McCreary said. “ ere’s a lot of societal bene ts from it.”

Caleb Hampton is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. He may be contacted at champton@c f.com.

Panel Discussion Takeaways

Experts addressed the theme ‘Provisia — save the technology’ during a recent conservation forum.

BY CARROLL SMITH

Author’s note: At the end of January, Horizon Ag hosted a Provisia Rice Panel during the National Conservation Systems meeting in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Participants included Drs. Tim Walker, Jason K. Norsworthy and L. Connor Webster. Following are some key takeaways from that forum.

Dr. Tim Walker, Horizon Ag general manager, kicked off the discussion by getting right to the point.

“Once we lose the Provisia Rice System, we’re not aware of anything that is up and coming in the next few years to replace Provisia from a weedy rice management standpoint,” he said. “It is of dire importance that we take care of the tool we have with Provisia rice.”

Dr. Connor Webster, rice weed scientist at the LSU AgCenter, started working with the Provisia Rice System in 2017.

“In Louisiana, we have about 15 populations of outcross with the Provisia system that we confirmed two years ago,” Webster said. “This past year, we saw about six different populations of outcross, so we are trying to tackle this head on with best management practices.”

Dr. Jason Norsworthy, weed scientist with the University of Arkansas, began working with the Provisia Rice System two to three years prior to its launch. “We have three new populations in Arkansas I confirmed resistant to quizalofop this past year,” Norsworthy said. “I had 21 or 22 samples that came in for screening in the herbicide resistance screening program for weedy rice and they all tested positive for resistance to imazethapyr (Newpath).”

Residual, No Residual

An important point to consider is that the Clearfield Production System for Rice included Newpath herbicide, and the FullPage System included Preface herbicide. Both of these residual herbicides would carry you to flood, which meant there was little risk of outcrossing. In the Provisia Rice System, Provisia herbicide has no residual activity associated with it.

“This changes how we think about the timing of our herbicides and how we position the Provisia rice weed control program,” Norsworthy said. “We’ve got to do something different. We’ve got to get soybean into the rotation.”

Webster adds that when they documented their first Provisia-resistant weedy rice, he asked the grower about his field history to learn what might have contributed to the resistance.

Rates And Timing

Norsworthy said that Provisia rates, timing and the inclusion of Rogue herbicide is a good strategy to help control weedy rice.

“I think one of the biggest mistakes we made early on was applying 15 ½ ounces of Provisia following by another 15 ½ ounces,” he said. “Because Provisia has no residual, weedy rice starts emerging before you get to flood, and there are no bullets left in the gun.

“Our current recommendation is to put Command — or clomazone — herbicide down at planting so it can help remove barnyardgrass, sprangletop and all the other grasses out there that reduce the coverage of Provisia herbicide. So, I like to start out with Command at a low pre and then at 2-leaf, overlay it with 11 ounces of Provisia. Then I come back at pre-flood with another 10 ounces of Provisia. As soon as the flood is established and there is some open canopy, I’m going to apply another 10 ounces of Provisia.”

Where there is a zero-grade field with side-inlet irrigation, Norsworthy includes Rogue herbicide in the mix. If weedy rice has emerged and is beneath the flood, Rogue will kill it. If it’s above the flood, Provisia will take it out.

“This is a planned weed control program that starts at Day 1,” Norsworthy said. “You have to go into the season with a planned approach. Also, if you have cold, wet, cloudy conditions, you are likely to see injury. When this happens, the worst thing you can do for the outcrossing weedy rice scenario is stop spraying. If you quit spraying, the weedy rice is going to outcross and the technology is as good as dead in that field.”

From left, the Provisia rice panel included Drs. Jason Norsworthy, University of Arkansas weed scientist; Tim Walker, Horizon Ag general manager and Connor Webster, LSU AgCenter rice weed scientist.

Rice/Soybean Rotation

During the discussions, the panel continued to promote implementing a rice/soybean rotation. Some takeaways include:

■ If you are inundated with Clear eld-, FullPage-resistant weedy rice, you are better o going into soybeans.

■ If you have low populations of the resistant weedy rice, you are better o going into the Provisia rice system.

■ Although glyphosate herbicide is an excellent grass material, like Provisia it has no residual. Be sure to include herbicides with residual activity before barnyardgrass produces a viable seed. Growing a soybean crop that has grass seed production in the crop means you haven’t moved forward in terms of managing the soil seed bank.

■ If you are going to protect Provisia, there is no reason to plant anything other than soybean behind it.

A pertinent question from the audience addressed herbicide strategy in drought-stressed conditions. “What weed management strategy should be followed when rice is planted later in the season and it’s time for pre- ood herbicide applications, but the planted rice and the weedy rice are stalled out and there is not much herbicide metabolizing going on?”

Norsworthy said his recommendation is don’t change the course. “Even if the plant is stressed, and Provisia is not going to be as e ective in that scenario as it would if you had good growing conditions and high moisture, you are still going to have some activity. What concerns me is when all of a sudden you drop nitrogen on there and water on there. e plant will no longer be stressed, and if I had not sprayed it and have 3-inch, 4-inch weedy rice, how tall is that weed going to be in the next seven days?

“I assure you that you’re going to have di culty controlling weedy rice post ood,” he added. “I want weedy rice at three inches or less when I’m trying to control it post ood — not 8-inch, 10inch or 12-inch weedy rice that’s tillering. at’s why I come back to Provisia. My recommendation on Provisia is 11-10-10. at rate does not change regardless of environmental conditions.”

Concluding Remarks

Walker pointed out that situations do arise that can put you behind the eight ball. He recommends “growing the crop on paper” before the season begins and focusing on timeliness. Once the herbicide applications get o schedule, and the weeds are still growing, the snowball e ect is huge with Provisia rice.

“Educating landlords and decision makers is probably a missing piece in the puzzle,’ Walker said.

e consensus among the panel members was that landlords are going to have to come to the realization that four or ve years down the road rice will not be grown in these elds, considering today’s weedy rice populations. If landlords say they want to grow rice because it’s economically pro table, they have to understand it’s not going to be economically pro table four or ve years from now if measures — such as rotating rice with soybeans — are not implemented right away.

Although this is one example of how to protect Provisia rice, consider following all the Best Management Practices to steward and hopefully save — or prolong — the life of the technology.

Carroll Smith is the associate publisher and editor-in-chief for One Grower Publishing magazines.

Provisia variety PVL03 is the most planted rice seed line in Louisiana.

Farming for the Future

How Water will Determine the Rice Industry

OBy Cassidy Nemec Editor

n a Century Farm about 30 miles outside of Little Rock, Arkansas, Dow Brantley is running the farm business his grandfather started years ago. His dad is still around and had run the business before Brantley stepped into the role in 2000 a er graduating from the University of Arkansas in 1998 and working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C. for a couple years.

“ at was my mom and dad’s requirement — if we wanted to farm, we could, but we had to get out and do something else for two years,” Brantley said. “My dad would always say it’s a big world with lots of opportunity, and all I know is the farm. A er my two years, I was ready to come home.”

The Farm

On the farm, Brantley grows rice, corn, cotton, and soybeans, of which rice is just under half of the total crop acreage. In addition to the farm, the Brantley family operates a commercial grain elevator with a capacity of just over three million bushels, 95% of which will be rice and corn.

“We’ve got an army of us here that make this all run every day,” Brantley said.

He said they started small before growing aggressively in creating zero-grade elds. “In this part of the world, we struggle with drainage since the land is very at. In 2001, we started zero-grading our rst elds, and that land has become more productive,” he said.

When growing row rice, he said they have noticed they can grow two row rice crops before the third one is growing up in grass, so rotation is necessary there. “We’ve struggled with what to do with some of our least productive elds, and it changed the game when we could plant row rice.”

Brantley said one of the most challenging aspects of the farm is dealing with weather and all the stress that stems from that. “In

those stressful times, you’re making decisions a year in advance on the growth side. We’ve been fortunate though and made good crops.”

He added that as the farm has grown, so has the complexity of running it. “I didn’t know who to ask for assistance on that… you kind of learn as you go.”

Overall, Brantley said making good crops and seeing how the growth has worked over the years in both the operation and the people who help it run is rewarding. He said that he only sees more growth in the short and long term. “ e challenges will be having enough people and resources in place to be successful. at’s going to take a lot of money, so we’ll have to have a good banking system that’s willing to take risks on that.”

Involvement

Outside of the farm, Brantley is involved in many di erent arenas within the ag community and rice industry. is includes heavy participation in Arkansas Rice and USA Rice for decades now. He has served as Arkansas Rice Federation chairman and as chairman for USA Rice.

Locally, he has served as a board member for Ag Heritage Farm Credit as well as Arkansas Ag Council among other local involvements.

In 2003, Brantley participated in the USA Rice Leadership Development Program. In addition to that, he also did Riceland Food’s leadership program.

“ rough USA Rice, I’ve gained a better understanding of the industry and how much politics is involved in rice around the world. Just to be around and listen to others in the rice industry and hear what their issues are today — you pick up a little bit here and a little bit there. You take those ‘little bits’ and see if you can make an idea.”

He said he gets to help as the Farm Bills are being written to hopefully implement what is best for the rice industry. “I’m very

“We removed 80 acres of land to build this, but this is the future,” Brantley said. “This is what will keep us in the rice business. 20 years from now, whoever has water will be your rice industry.”

prepared now, whether it’s a Farm Bill or conservation program; just being involved helps.”

The Water Component

He said their main focus on the farm presently revolves around water.

“We’re building reservoirs and trying to bring in more surface water to this community,” Brantley said. “We’re struggling in areas to have a good supply of groundwater.”

He said they have built three reservoirs in the past five years and are building another this year. They used the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) funding for two of them.

One of their 70-acre reservoirs holds 10 feet of water when full to make for 700 acre feet. He said they use about an acre to an acre and a half foot to water a zero-grade rice crop, so they hope to use it to water 1,000 acres and hope to fill it up once throughout the summer.

“We removed 80 acres of land to build this, but this is the future,” Brantley said. “This is what will keep us in the rice business. 20 years from now, whoever has water will be your rice industry.”

They have a tailwater ditch that runs alongside that captures the water or can be pumped into. All their pumps are natural gas and are used to irrigate and move water around the farm.

Brantley said the long-term outlook is all about water. “The two big irrigation projects are the Bayou Meto Irrigation District and the White River Irrigation District. We’re in the Bayou Meto Irrigation District here and are two years away from having river water pumped through here.”

“We have a plan that might take 20 more years to get it to completion as we just have it in Phase I, to help make our groundwater sustainable. We’d pump in the river water, let it flow through here, they pick it up on the bottom end, and pump it right back into the river.”

He said that these irrigation projects are sustainable projects. “It won’t replace all the water. There will be some people who never stop using well, but it makes that aquifer recharge or stay at the level it is today.”

Improving Systems

Brantley said they are living in Walmart’s world by having to do more for less so are always trying to improve systems across their crops. Even on their row crops, he said they try to improve their no-till systems with undertakings like cover crops. “We’re furrow irrigators, and we have pretty flat soils, which makes it hard to get water to go through all of that,” he said.

As far as sustainability goes in rice, it’s again all about water. “It’s how little can we use? Where can we save, recoup, restore our water?”

He said they are working with companies like Gerber and Indigo on some other sustainability measures as well.

“We’re doing a study with Gerber on some row rice to see if they can achieve lower arsenic levels than normal. The rice industry’s arsenic levels are good, but they’re wondering if they can grow some and lower it even more.”

New technology is being implemented and improved in various aspects on the farm.

“It’s coming at us so fast, it’s hard to keep up,” Brantley said. “From all of the equipment, the guidance, the autonomy that’s around the corner — the ability for us to see and manage from an office or computer from the tractor or even our pick-up trucks — that’s all helping.”

He said for their farm, they try to pinpoint the technologies that will work best for their operation.

“As our farm’s grown, we try to find the technology that manages people and their time so we can make sure they have the right resources they need to be efficient.”

Autonomy is a factor that some are worried about, but Brantley does not necessarily see this resulting in fewer people working down the road.

“I had one guy say, ‘You’ll replace me,’ and I said, ‘No, you’ll manage three or four tractors.’”

He said this will allow them to farm smarter with more technology. “That’s what’s exciting. That’s where there will be growth. It’s wild to think what a farm will look like in 20 years.”

Dow Brantley (right) and crew after finishing their most recent reservoir build.

Legal Issues with Land Trusts: What Uses are Permitted on the Land?

With an increased interest in conservation and land preservation, the use of legal tools like land trusts and conservation easements have grown in popularity. Specifically, nonprofit land trusts which typically act as a 501(c)(3) organization for the purpose of preserving and conserving open spaces like historic buildings, farmlands, or wildlife habitats, have gained traction. As discussed in the first article of this series, a nonprofit land trust is a private organization that can operate on a national, regional, or local level and preserves open space through tools like conservation easements or restricted deeds. This is part two of a series of articles discussing the legal challenges that can arise with nonprofit land trusts.

This is part two of a series on land trusts from the National Agricultural Law Center.

A nonprofit land trust will retain a property right in land through conservation easements or restricted deeds. These legal tools allow it to restrict or permit certain uses on the land. With a conservation easement, a nonprofit land trust will not outright own the land but will retain a right to prohibit the landowner from engaging in certain activities on the land. With a restricted deed, the nonprofit land trust obtains the land either through donation or purchase, and the land will be subject to the restricted covenants found in the deed prohibiting certain uses of the land. For example, a land trust created for the purpose of conserving a wildlife habitat which holds a conservation easement on a parcel of land, might have language in their agreement that prohibits the landowner from engaging in profit-generating activities on the land, such as horseback riding lessons. Similarly, a land trust with the purpose of preserving a historic site might have accepted a donated parcel of land with a deed containing a covenant restricting the property from being developed into a residential neighborhood.

Typically, the permitted and prohibited uses will depend on both the nature of the land and the land trust’s goals, and the land trust’s deed or agreement with the landowner will usually define which uses are allowed. Though permitted and prohibited uses are generally stated, there are instances where the allowed uses were considered unclear, and courts were asked to make distinctions. The remainder of this article will review a few of these instances.

Agricultural Structures

One of the biggest questions related to nonprofit land trusts created for the purpose of preserving agricultural land is the question of what constitutes agricultural use. Many of these land trusts will have a conservation easement agreement with property owners that prohibits development on the property but makes an exception for agricultural uses or development of farm buildings. However, the definition of agricultural uses is not always clear cut and can be fact specific. For example, in Virginia, a land trust sued a property owner when the language of their conservation easement agreement

stated “farm buildings or structures” as an exception to a no build provision, and the property owner constructed a building to store and sell wine, to process and sell cheese, and to make and sell bakery products. Wetlands Am. Tr., Inc. v. White Cloud Nine Ventures, L.P., 291 Va. 153, 167, 782 S.E.2d 131, 139 (2016). Here, the court looked at the Virgina building code and the Webster dictionary definition of “farm building” to determine the property owner’s intended use of the building for production, preparation and marketing of agriculture products falls under the agreement’s definition. Id. Similarly, a New York state court found that a property owner’s construction of a barn and access road to the barn did not violate the conservation easement agreement between the property owners and a land trust because the purpose of the easement was to conserve and enhance agricultural uses. Orange Cnty. Land Tr., Inc. v. Tamira Amelia Farm, LLC, 141 A.D.3d 632, 634, 34 N.Y.S.3d 618, 620 (2016).

Conversely, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed that property owners with a conservation easement violated their agreement that required the owners to maintain the property “substantially undisturbed in its natural condition” by filling in a sinkhole with 6,269 cubic yards of fill material.  Nature Conservancy, Inc. v. Sims, No. CIV.A. 07-112-JMH, 2009 WL 602031, at *3 (E.D. Ky. Mar. 5, 2009), aff’d, 680 F.3d 672 (6th Cir. 2012). Here, the court found that the filling of a sinkhole did not conform with the “agricultural uses” provision of the easement agreement because it was not an action necessary for the growing of crops. Id.

Commercial Activities

Certain commercial activities have also led to disagreements between nonprofit land trusts and landowners. While nonprofit land trusts might allow landowners to create features on a parcel of land that can be used by the public, such as hiking paths or nature trails, nonprofit land trusts tend to be more skeptical about profit-generating uses. In Maine, a court determined that the conservation easement between a property owner and a land trust did not include permitting the property owner to use land for fee-generating activities like horseback riding lessons, wagon rides, horse-drawn sleigh

rides, hiking, and snowshoeing under its authorization of “residential recreational use.”  Windham Land Tr. v. Je ords, 2009 ME 29, ¶ 35, 967 A.2d 690, 701. Here, the court determined that “residential” referred to “those who are regularly living at that locale,” and the use of land for pro t-generating activities violated the easement’s intent to preserve the land’s “natural scenic condition.” Id.

Pro t-generating activities could also include a landowner’s decision to rent a structure on the premises. In Massachusetts, a court determined that landowners who own a retreat center on the coast of Duxbury Bay with a conservation restriction enforced by a nonpro t land trust were not breaking their easement by renting the retreat out to businesses and families. Wildlands Tr. of Se. Massachusetts, Inc. v. Cedar Hill Retreat Ctr., Inc., 98 Mass. App. Ct. 775, 784, 160 N.E.3d 297, 304 (2020). Here, the land trust sought to stop the landowners from renting to businesses and families because it believed the language of the agreement only allowed the retreat to be rented for “classes, conferences, and retreats for purposes consistent with the conservation purposes;” however, the court disagreed stating that the language of the agreement permitted rentals so long as they did not “materially impair or harm the premises or the conservation interests.” Id.

Residential Developments

Some parties have also litigated whether building a residential structure violates a trust agreement. In Wyoming, the state supreme court found that landowners were not able to build a guest house or a caretaker’s house as “associated improvements” to a single-family residential structure when their conservation easement agreement with a nonpro t land trust de ned “associated improvements” as “barns, garages, shops, greenhouses, storage sheds, and corrals.” Four B Properties, LLC v. Nature Conservancy, 2020 WY 24, ¶ 5, 458 P.3d 832, 843 (Wyo. 2020). Here, the court determined the agreement’s de nition of “associated improvements” was unambiguous because the agreement distinctly permitted one single-family residential structure, and “associated improvements” was de ned using examples that do not include a residential meaning. Id.

Developments on Neighboring Properties

A question that might arise for a property

owner with land in a land trust, is whether they can restrict the land trust’s development of other properties. Generally, a landowner with a conservation easement possessed by a land trust does not have standing to challenge the decisions the land trust makes about developments on property the landowner does not own. In Estate of Robbins v. Chebeague & Cumberland Land Trust, the Supreme Court of Maine determined that a property owner with land burdened by a conservation easement does not have standing to bring a claim enforcing the terms of the conservation easement

on land they do not own. 2017 ME 17, 154 A.3d 1185.

Conclusion

A land trust is a nonpro t organization that uses legal tools like conservation easements and restricted deeds to protect land for conservation and preservation purposes. While most land trust agreements will de ne what uses are permitted and prohibited on the land, courts have stepped in to determine meaning in cases of ambiguous terms such as agricultural uses, commercial activities, and residential developments.

Management of Rice Seed Midge: Insecticide Trial Results

By Ian Grettenberger, Kevin Goding, Sophie Allen (UC Davis), and Luis Espino (UCCE)

Rice seed midge damage was first officially recorded in California rice production in 1953, and this pest is actually a number of different species that are frequently lumped together in terms of defining them as a pest. Midges are some of the first colonizers of freshly flooded rice fields. In high enough numbers, they can cause economic damage to rice during establishment. They often are most problematic in late-planted rice fields or during cool springs when rice struggles to germinate and become established. They have been a spotty but challenging pest in recent years, so we have been working to examine management approaches. Current insecticide programs used for other early season pests like tadpole shrimp may not control rice seed midge.

This past year, we conducted a study examining control of midge larvae with insecticides. It was building off of last year’s work, which indicated that a few materials may help manage seed midge, but many others, especially pyrethroids, seemed to not help or possibly even make matters worse (disrupted biocontrol?). We wanted to test a number of materials and a number of rates. We conducted it with very late-planted rice to exacerbate rice seed midge (it worked!) at the Rice Experiment Station. We used 10.7 ft2 metal ring plots for our study. Treatments were applied immediately before planting. We sampled for midges using a “scoop mud → wash mud → count bugs” approach 11 days after treating. At the end of the trial, we estimated yield in each ring based on panicle counts. We couldn’t just get grain yield because of irregular maturity and most rings simply not fully maturing given the late planting.

Overall, we saw some differences in midge counts among treatments, showing variability in efficacy. The untreated had the high-

est number of midges, followed by the pyrethroid treatments, including Warrior II at both rates and Mustang Maxx, which were all statistically equivalent to the untreated (Figure 1). These pyrethroid treatments were generally equivalent to the Pyganic 5.0 treatments (both rates) and the low rate of Belay, although these had numerically lower counts. Most other treatments had very few midges, which included the Aquabac XT, high rate of Belay, Dimilin, and Vantacor treatments. The high rate of Aquabac XT had the fewest midges overall. Aquabac XT is a Bacillus thuringensis material (israelnsis strain), which relies upon toxins produced by bacteria for their efficacy.

These results were a bit more “pronounced” than our 2022 trial in that the materials generally worked better across the board. The general lack of efficacy we saw with pyrethroids was consistent though. Vantacor and Aquabac XT were especially effective, even

Trade name, active ingredient, and rates, used in the rice seed midge trial. Not all materials are currently labelled for rice and/or seed midge.

for different treatments. Values represent means across replicates. Means not sharing a level are significantly different based on posthoc comparisons and α = 0.05. Error bars are ± 1 SE.

There was no effect of treatment. Values represent means across replicates. Means not sharing a level are significantly different based on posthoc comparisons and α = 0.05. Error bars are ± 1 SE.

an individual plot, and

are

plots and across replicates for each treatment. Each small point

by points differing in color or shape. The larger points represent means across plots for that treatment for both variables. The line represents a linear smoothing function based on a generalized additive model and the shaded portion is a 95% confidence interval. If there was a very clear midge-yield loss relationship, there would be a trend of decreasing yields with increasing midge counts.

at the lower rates we tested, so this is something we think will be worthwhile following up on and learning more about their possible fit in rice IPM.

Other materials were also effective, but there was a mismatch between the yield assessment we made and midge counts. For yield, Aquabac XT clearly provided the best response, along with Vantacor (Fig. 2). What was less clear was what was happening with many of the other treatments. A large number were simply not different than the untreated, even though they did have extremely good midge control. The relationship between plant responses and midge abundance was fairly muddled overall, although it was not just that there was lots of noise. It is possible that there is some sort of difference based on when larvae are affected and die. However, we did treat very early, so this does not seem like it would be the driver. However, no other driver can be suggested otherwise. In

Fig. 3, the relationship between midge counts and yield can be seen for the different treatments. It is clear that additional trial data could help elucidate these relationships and clarify if the lack of a yield response for some materials is consistent.

Of note, we treated these plots early, but not so early that the materials were applied to dry soil as is sometimes done in rice with insecticides. It will also be important to know what happens when rescue treatments are made. It seems like rate of insecticide may come into play a bit more at this timing. It appears that the materials relied upon heavily for tadpole shrimp (pyrethroids) may not also be effective for rice seed midge. Rice seed midge is likely going to remain a pest that can crop up in rice, so we plan to continue to address issues around management.

This article is provided by University California Cooperative Extension.

Figure 3. Relationship between midge count and yield for individual

represents

treatments

denoted

Figure 1. Rice seed midge abundance in 10.7 sq ft metal ring plots

Figure 2. Yield in rings for the rice seed midge trial.

Mississippi Rice Council Annual Meeting Recounts a Year of Rice-Centric Activities

Mississippi Rice Council President Kirk Satterfield welcomed about 75 producers to the annual meeting recently to learn about promotion, research, agronomy, politics, and more.

Promotions were first up with a brief report from Mississippi Promotion Board Chair Patrick Swindoll, and then a detailed accounting of promotion activities from Bolivar County Extension Coordinator Laura Jane Giaccaglia. Highlights included the launch of the “Between the Levees” cookbook that was sold at the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show, the numerous activities and public appearances of the Delta Rice Queen and Ambassador, as well as the evolution of the National Rice Month celebrations in the region.

Hunter Bowman, Extension rice specialist at the Delta Research & Extension Center, provided agronomy updates, specifically sharing results of his crop protectant research. Then doctoral candidate Anna Smyly with the center talked about her team’s research into water use and tailwater recovery studies.

Ducks Unlimited Director of Conservation Innovation Scott Manley and USA Rice Director of Grower Relations Josh Hankins offered updates on the Climate Smart Commodity program that is a joint project of those organizations and the National Black Growers Council.

Finally, Satterfield introduced the USA Rice Washington staff: President & CEO Peter Bachmann, Chief Operating Officer Sarah Moran, and Vice President of Communications & Domestic Promotion Michael Klein.

Bachmann thanked the attendees for their continued support of USA Rice and for “lending” Satterfield to the national group to serve as chair of USA Rice. He talked about the tens of millions of dollars the group has been able to direct to the rice industry and explained that a new Farm Bill is clearly a priority, but challenging as the legislative calendar gets a bit shorter each day.

Moran gave an overview of export markets and promotion activities and talked about quality concerns with U.S. rice in key markets and how USA Rice is working with researchers and breeders to address the issue.

Klein then shared domestic promotion highlights, including work being done on a refresh of the Grown in the USA rice mark, and an update on school foodservice programs, including the new

K-12 Foodservice Cookbook. He

promoted the USA Rice Daily, The Rice Stuff podcast, and the 2024 USA Rice Outlook Conference scheduled for December 8-10 in Little Rock that he said will be “the biggest and best yet.”

There followed, as always, an outstanding meal, fellowship, and a meeting of the Mississippi Rice Promotion Board.

— Deborah Willenborg,

USA Rice’s The Daily

Arkansas Century Farm Program

The Arkansas Century Farm Program recognizes Arkansas’s rich agricultural heritage and honors families who have owned and farmed the same land for at least 100 years. The Arkansas Department of Agriculture administers the program.

The Arkansas Century Farm Program is voluntary, each family chooses whether to submit an application and participate in the program. The program places no restrictions on the farm and offers no legal protection. There is no cost to the family to submit an application and participate in the program. Successful applicants receive a personalized certificate and a metal sign identifying their historical farm.

Qualifications

• Only the property’s legal owner(s) may apply for the Arkansas Century Farm Program.

• The same family must have owned the farm for 100 years or more by the end of the calendar year.

• The line of ownership from the original settler or buyer may be through spouses, children, siblings, or nephews and nieces. Adopted children will be recognized equally with other descendants.

• The farm must be at least 10 acres of the original land and make a financial contribution to the farm’s income.

Application Process

The Department is accepting applications for the 2024 Arkansas Century Farm Program. The deadline to apply is May 31, 2024.

The online application is available at https://www.cognitoforms. com/ArkansasAgriculture1/_2024ArkansasCenturyFarmProgram Application.

A printable application is available at https://www.agriculture. arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024-Century-Farm-Application.pdf.

Applications must be received via email to beth.moore@agriculture.arkansas.gov or postmarked on or before May 31, 2024, to be eligible for designation as a 2024 inductee.

• Applications must be submitted on official forms provided by the Department with all questions completed.

• Applications must be complete, legible, and signed to be considered.

• All applications must include verification of ownership for 100 years.

For questions about the Arkansas Century Farm Program, contact Program Manager Beth Moore at beth.moore@agriculture. arkansas.gov or (501) 539-4027.

About 75 producers were present at the annual Mississippi Rice Council meeting to learn about promotion, research, agronomy, politics, and more.

LDAF is Now Accepting Applications for Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Grant

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) is now accepting grant applications for the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program (RFSI).

The LDAF will work in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)to award $4.6 million for equipment and infrastructure projects to Louisiana food and farm businesses, as well as other eligible entities including nonprofits, local government entities, tribal governments, schools, and hospitals. The application period opened Feb. 7, 2024, and applications will be accepted through April 15, 2024.

The goal of the RFSI program is to build resilience in the middle-of-the-food-supply-chain, increase and streamline markets for small farms and local businesses, and support the development of value-added products for consumers that will lead to fair prices, fair wages, and new job opportunities.

“There are many people and steps needed to bring locally produced food to our tables. The RFSI grants will help fund those in our local supply chain that process, transport, and distribute our food,” remarked Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain.

“This funding will create new opportunities, strengthen markets for local farmers, and increase stability for consumers. We look forward to seeing all of the great projects that come out of this partnership with USDA.”

Through the cooperative agreement, the LDAF will coordinate the initiatives that will strengthen Louisiana’s middle-of-the-foodsupply-chain. Funds will support expanded capacity for aggregating, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distributing locally and regionally produced food products, including specialty crops, dairy, grains for eating, and aquaculture. RFSI funds exclude meat, wild-caught seafood, and poultry products as those products are funded through other USDA programs.

Applications will be evaluated through a competitive review process in cooperation with the USDA-Agriculture Marketing Service. Applications will be ranked based on their project’s need, proposed outcomes and feasibility, as well as the impact they will have on the local food supply chain in their communities. The LDAF encourages applications that serve underserved farmers and ranchers, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, veteran

producers and processors, and other middle-of-the-supply-chain businesses owned by socially disadvantaged people.

Applications are due no later than 4:30 p.m. CT on April 15, 2024. For more information on the applications, please download and carefully read the Request for Applications at https://www. ldaf.la.gov/business/grants-funding/resilient-food-systems-infrastructure.

The LDAF and USDA will announce the projects receiving funding this summer. To apply for RFSI grants, or for additional information, including training dates and locations, and frequently asked questions about the RFSI grant process, please visit: https:// www.ldaf.la.gov/business/grants-funding/resilient-food-systems-infrastructure, or contact RFSI@ldaf.state.la.us.

Leadership Farm Bureau Class Announced for 2024

Nine agricultural professionals have been chosen for the California Farm Bureau’s 2024 Leadership Farm Bureau program.

Leadership Farm Bureau class members will participate in a 10-month educational and development initiative that prepares them for leadership roles in Farm Bureau and agriculture. The program includes 250 hours of instruction, with seminars on key issues affecting California farmers and ranchers and agricultural businesses.

Program participants will learn about government and legislation, media and communications, public speaking, and team building. They will also attend lobbying sessions in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., and meet with lawmakers and administrative and regulatory officials.

Members of the Leadership Farm Bureau class include:

• Ben Abatti III of Imperial County, a third-generation farmer who grows alfalfa, sugar beets, wheat, and other forage crops in Holtville.

• Alex Arroyo of Monterey County, general manager of King City Transplanting in the Salinas Valley.

• Tanya Brouse of Butte County, a program coordinator for the Butte County Farm Bureau who also works with the Butte Agriculture Foundation.

• Sy Honig of Sutter County, a third-generation farmer, owner of Honig Farms and a pest control advisor.

• Jackie Kennedy of Glenn County, founder of Knaughty Farms Olive Oil and office manager for a family farm growing olives, rice, and walnuts.

• James Moller of Shasta County, a seventh-generation cattle rancher and a manager for Driscoll’s Inc. focusing on strawberry nursery production.

• Rachel Nettleton of Kern County, executive director of the Kern County Farm Bureau and a marketing and communications professional.

• Harsimerdip “Harry” Sidhu of Sutter County, a vice president of First Northern Bank in Yuba City who grew up on his family’s fruit and nut farm.

• Danielle Vietti of Tulare County, a vice president at AgWest Farm Credit in Tulare who specializes in dairy financing.

Plan Ahead for Success

DR. JARROD T. HARDKE ARKANSAS

Professor/Rice Extension Agronomist University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture jhardke@uada.edu

Each year those reporting the most successful weed control programs continue to be those who focus on overlapping residuals. at, plus starting clean and putting the right chemistry / technology where it has the best chance for success.

Burndown herbicide applications help us to start the season clean, but plant-back intervals must be carefully observed. Some elds received fall applications of Dual and should not be planted to rice this spring (expect a 10% yield reduction and 25% stand reduction). Fall-applied Command can be followed with rice planted in the spring, but season total use limits must be followed. Plant-back intervals for spring burndown applications of 2,4-D, dicamba, Elevore, Select, and Valor (14-30 day plant-back depending on herbicide) should also be used with caution as we approach planting time.

Be careful where you place your herbicide technologies and how you approach your weed control program in them. We have barnyardgrass and weedy rice populations con rmed resistant to Newpath/Preface. ere are also weedy rice populations resistant to Provisia/Highcard.

If you planted a Clear eld or FullPage cultivar last year and sprayed Newpath or Preface, you need to rotate to another crop — you cannot rotate to conventional rice or Provisia/MaxAce due to carryover issues. If you planted a Provisia or MaxAce cultivar last year, you need to rotate to soybean due to concerns with out-

This photo of a rice field heavily infested with barnyardgrass, taken in June 2020, shows the repercussions of not getting a jump on the weed with overlapping residual preemergence treatments.

crossing and potential loss of this technology.

Plant into a stale seedbed environment, if possible, to maximize our rice stand and to minimize weed emergence from disturbing the soil. Let’s discourage weed emergence in the rst place.

Start clean with a good residual program of Command combined with appropriate other herbicides for your farm. Follow that up with an overlapping residual before weeds emerge, which may include Prowl, Bolero, Facet, or more Command in some combination (use multiple modes of action).

e economics of rice production will be tough in 2024, and we don’t want to skimp on our herbicide programs. If we focus on getting residual herbicides applied and activated, that’s the best way to keep our weed control budget under control. Post-emergence herbicide applications can get very expensive very quickly. While we don’t like to see weed escapes, sometimes you have to stop and remember that perfect weed control isn’t necessary to achieve a perfect yield. Good luck in 2024.

Weed Control Strategies for 2024

DR. JUSTIN CHLAPECKA

MISSOURI

Assistant Research Professor/ Rice Extension Specialist

University of Missouri jchlapecka@missouri.edu

As meeting season is nally winding down, many of us are just a few weeks away from putting a drill into the eld. As we move into Plant ‘24, a good portion of ground is ready to go a er the dry fall season. While planting into a stale

seedbed will be a great option in that scenario, we must think more about burndown applications in the absence of spring tillage. Some may have already applied a burndown, but starting clean is absolutely essential to having a clean rice field come August.

My idea has always been to get a good burndown at planting, but you must be sure that what you apply is going to work, as we likely won’t get a second chance if the rice emerges very quickly. Clomazone is an essential application at planting, as a pre-emerge for barnyardgrass and most other grasses that we will contend with during the season. We routinely see the best weed control where pre-emerge products are overlapped at a bare minimum of 21 days apart. In fact, somewhere around the two to two-anda-half week time frame is ideal for overlapping residuals in a furrow-irrigated rice system.

The best way to kill grass in a rice crop is to never see it above the soil surface. Once we see grass in the field, we are already behind the eight ball. While there are generally fewer resistance issues in Missouri than further south, we do have our fair share of problems where continuous rice has been grown.

If you suspect herbicide resistance is an issue, imazethapyr-tolerant rice is a great tool for barnyardgrass and weedy rice control. In some areas, however, resistance has developed to imazethapyr, but quizalofop-tolerant rice could be another tool in the toolbelt. Yield has lagged since this technology was released, but the newer cultivars have shown tremendous improvement and there are more in the pipeline.

In related news, we will greatly miss having Jim Heiser as our weed scientist in the Bootheel. As we try to fill that gap, if you have any rice questions now or in-season you can contact us via e-mail at jchlapecka@missouri.edu. As always, eat MO rice!

New Herbicides Add Tools to Weed Management in 2024

DR. WHITNEY BRIM-DEFOREST

CALIFORNIA

Cooperative Extension

Rice Advisor

University of California, Davis wbrimdeforest@ucanr.edu

This year brings several new chemical tools to California rice. With many herbicide-resistant species as well as emerging problematic weed species, the new chemistries are a welcome tool for managing resistance and preventing the selection of resistant biotypes.

Last year, we had use of Loyant CA Rinskor active (florpyrauxifen-benzyl) for the full season (registered late in 2022). Loyant, which is an auxin mimic, is applied as a foliar product. It gives additional options for early-season control of sedges and broadleaf weeds, and although not strong on watergrasses when applied alone, provides added control when tankmixed with other herbicides for grass control. Based on data collected in 2022-2023, two

good tank-mix options for watergrass control are SuperWham/ Stam (propanil) and Regiment (bispyribac-sodium). It does not control sprangletop.

Cliffhanger (benzobicyclon) was just registered in 2024 and is a new formulation of a previously-registered granular product already widely in use in California rice. Since it can be applied as a foliar product, it expands the timing that benzobicyclon can be applied in the flooded system. It can also be applied as a direct-stream application into the water. It is an HPPD-inhibitor, providing a good option for rotation. It controls sprangletop, ricefield bulrush and smallflower umbrella sedge. Additional tankmix testing will be occurring this season to determine if it might be a good partner in combination with other herbicides for added late-season watergrass control.

The last product recently registered is Zembu (pyraclonil). Zembu is a granular formulation of pyraclonil, applied pre-emergence or at day-of-seeding into a flooded field. It provides control of smallflower umbrella sedge and broadleaf weeds and provides suppression of watergrass. As a PPO-inhibitor, it is a new mode of action for watergrass, as the only other PPO-inhibitor registered in California rice only has activity on sedges. It will provide a great rotational option for growers at the beginning of the season, as well as a great partner product (for added control) with other granular into-the-water products.

As always, the label is the law, so make sure to read and follow the current labels for each of these herbicides (found on the manufacturers website or at the Department of Pesticide Regulation’s website). Also check in locally with your Agricultural Commissioner’s office for training information and any other county-specific requirements.

With these three new options, as well as the currently registered products, rice growers in California should have a great suite of tools available this year, both for resistance management as well as to prevent the selection of future resistance. For help planning a weed management program, please reach out to your local Rice Farm Advisor.

MATTHEW QUINTON

Bearded sprangletop (left) and Mexican sprangletop

Weed Control Using Water

DR. RONNIE LEVY LOUISIANA

Extension Rice Specialist

Louisiana State University

RLevy@agcenter.lsu.edu

Proper water management is a key component in controlling weeds. Several different water management schemes have evolved in Louisiana, and two major planting systems dictate the basic water-management strategies used by producers.

Historically, a majority of Louisiana’s rice is in Southwest Louisiana and most of this acreage was planted using a water-seeded system prior to the commercialization of Clearfield rice and now Provisia rice. The introduction of herbicide-resistant rice has caused a shift from water-seeded to dry-seeded rice in Southwest Louisiana. The remaining acreage is grown in northeast Louisiana, where dry seeding methods are more common.

In water-seeded rice, the weed spectrum generally changes from a predominantly annual grass problem in drill-seeded rice to more aquatic weed problems. If a water-seeded system is used for several years, it may cause a shift in the weed spectrum from terrestrial to aquatic weeds. The predominant weeds found in this production system are alligatorweed, ducksalad, grassy arrowhead, common arrowhead, creeping burhead, pickerelweed, and roundleaf mudplantain. Two types of water management systems are used by producers: (1) pinpoint flood, and (2) delayed flood.

Water seeding is strongly tied to weed management. Weed seeds have the same requirements for germination as rice — proper tem-

perature, water, and oxygen. By flooding a rice field before temperatures have risen to levels sufficient for germination, two of the requirements for weed development are at least minimized. The cool temperatures at planting reduce germination, and the flooded soil will become saturated. Saturated soils have little dissolved oxygen in them; thereby reducing weed seed germination and emergence.

Using Water Aids in Reducing Weed Populations

In situations where weeds are not controlled with labeled rates of herbicides applied under environmental conditions that are favorable for herbicide activity, these weeds may be resistant. Changing herbicides with different modes of action may prevent or delay development of resistance in Louisiana.

Rice producers in Louisiana have been fairly successful at keeping resistance problems to a minimum, but with increased weed resistance or without newer control options, the use of water to increase weed control may return.

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