Rice farming may 2017

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PROFITABLE PRODUCTION STRATEGIES

MAY 2017

Horizon Ag, BASF ink pact to launch Provisia Rice System Handheld device helps predict midseason nitrogen needs

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May 2017

COLUMNS

www.ricefarming.com

Vol. 51, No. 6

COV ER STORY

4 From The Editor Gluten, the Rodney Dangerfield of protein

5 USA Rice Update Trade delegation visits Mexico to reassure top market

DEPA RTM EN TS

Peace of mind

19 Specialists Speaking Managing rice in a late-planted year

22 Industry News Rice business scene

ON THE COVER: Colusa County, Calif., rice producer Kurt Richter shot this photo of rice being loaded at Ridgetop Warehouse in Delevan, Calif.

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Computerized bin system fine-tunes rice drying, producing better grain quality and energy savings.

FEATUR ES 6

Finally, some good news Lower acreage, increased export expectations bring market optimism.

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Driving up costs California’s recently passed fuel tax increase could hit producers where it hurts—in the wallet.

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Take an integrated approach, including rotating modes of herbicide action, to fight ALS-resistant sedges.

Look for the Soybean South supplement included with the Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas versions of Rice Farming.

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www.facebook.com/ ricefarming1 Follow us on Twitter: @RiceFarming Subscribe to One Grower Publishing on YouTube

TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

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To fertilize or not to fertilize?

Arkansas rice researchers take the guesswork out of midseason nitrogen needs with the use of a handheld device.

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

Mix it up

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A new system Horizon Ag, BASF ink pact to launch Provisia Rice in 2018.

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Be a good neighbor Pay attention when applying soybean desiccants around rice fields.

MAY 2017 • RICE FARMING

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RiceFarming

From The Editor

Gluten, the Rodney Dangerfield of protein Much like the late comedian, Rodney Dangerfield, gluten gets no respect. The naturally occurring protein found in wheat, barley and rye has been vilified and, at the very least, totally misunderstood.

I have to look no further than a computer programmer friend with whom I was talking recently. I consider him to be pretty smart, but the questions he was asking opened my eyes about how little the public knows about gluten and why the rice industry needs to continue educating them about it. Fortunately, plain unflavored brown and white rice do not contain gluten.

Our conversation stemmed from a photo Vicky Boyd I sent him of a bag of brown rice grits I had Editor purchased. After educating him that brown and white rice are the same—white rice has simply had the outer bran removed—our discussion moved to gluten. The protein, which gives bread and pizza dough elasticity and structure, has become public enemy No. 1.

A very small number of people have Celiac disease, and eating any gluten can cause sometimes life-threatening health issues. A somewhat larger group, though still very small, suffers from gluten intolerance. If they eat gluten, they have digestive distress but won’t die.

Spurred by fear mongers, food faddists and a lot of erroneous information on the Web, a large number of consumers have gluten aversions. Marketers have taken note, and everything from cherries and almonds to chicken are now labeled “gluten free.” If the public had any knowledge about gluten, they would know this is a marketing ploy and these foods have always been gluten free because they’re not related to wheat.

After sitting through Gluten 101, my friend asked whether it was gluten that made sticky rice sticky.

I replied that rice was inherently gluten free. Instead, it was the presence or absence of amylose, a naturally occurring starch, that controlled kernels’ adhesiveness. Sticky rice, sometimes called sushi rice, also has amylopectin, a plantbased compound that enhances stickiness. Southern long grain, on the other hand, has high amylose and low amylopectin levels. That’s why the individual grains cook up separately and tend to be a bit drier.

“But what about when I eat a big plate of rice and bread and other things for lunch?” he asked. “I feel lethargic afterwards, and I always thought that was the gluten in rice.”

I repeated that rice is gluten free and pointed out that it didn’t really matter what he ate at lunch—if he ate it in large enough amounts, his body would redirect energy to digest it and he would feel like he needed a nap.

Vicky Send your comments to: Editor, Rice Farming Magazine, 6515 Goodman Road, Box 360, Olive Branch, MS 38654. Call 901-767-4020 or email vlboyd@ onegrower.com.

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RICE FARMING • MAY 2017

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 Circulation Manager Charlie Beek 847-559-7324 Production Manager Kathy Killingsworth 901-767-4020 kkillingsworth@onegrower.com For circulation changes or change of address, call 847-559-7578

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, 6515 Goodman Road, Box 360, Olive Branch, MS 38654. 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 AirSpeeded 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 2017

One Grower Publishing, LLC 6515 Goodman Road, Box 360, Olive Branch, MS 38654 Phone: 901-767-4020

RICEFARMING.COM RICEFARMING.COM

USA Rice

Update

Un mercado muy importante A USA Rice trade delegation recently visited with Mexican customers to reassure them of their importance as a key market for U.S. rice.

M

USA RICE

exico has been the top market for U.S. rice both in volume and value for decades. We’ve gone from nearly 100 percent of Mexico’s import market at times to a low

By Betsy Ward of 82 percent in 2014, and we have been over President and CEO 90 percent since. Although we have had a few USA Rice ups and downs, we’re on track for a record year this year. Simply put, Mexico is a market we rely on, and Mexico can count on us.

That was the message delivered firmly and consistently during a recent trade mission USA Rice organized to Mexico.

It’s always important to remind your customers you appreciate them, but we found it especially vital in our current political climate. President Donald Trump, who won the White House largely on waves of support from rural America—read “agricultural communities”—has said more than a few things about Mexico that has threatened to destabilize our countries’ deeply intertwined relationship.

In addition to controversial statements about Mexico, including an insistence USA Rice sponsored Vallarta-Nayarit Gastronomica, a premier food that Mexico pay for service event and trade show, in Mexico City in 2015. an expanded border wall, the president also had harsh words about the North American Free Trade Agreement.

He talked about everything from tearing it up to renegotiating the entire deal.

NAFTA has benefited rice I likely don’t have to remind you that NAFTA has been pretty good for the American agriculture community, particularly rice.

We’ve worked aggressively in Washington and with others in the ag community to remind the president and his team that NAFTA isn’t altogether bad. And he’s listened.

Administration officials have publicly indicated that they understand how important NAFTA is to U.S. agriculture, and that as they work to update it, they will be careful not to Twitter: @RiceFarming

undo parts that work well. And that’s us.

But all the rhetoric has created unease and frankly, some ill will toward us from south of the border. Where once Mexican consumers flocked to and sought out U.S. brands, we are hearing reports of them doing the reverse—going out of their way to avoid U.S. brands. Additionally, the Mexican government has now dropped its tariffs on rice to zero for many countries, opening the door for our Thai and Vietnamese competitors.

None of this works for us at all. And that’s where our trade mission was born.

Keeping Mexico the No. 1 export market Late last month, our chairman, Brian King, led more than a dozen USA Rice representatives from up and down the supply chain on a mission to reassure our customers that not only do we value them, but that we are communicating the importance of our relationship to policymakers back home and that the White House is listening.

We visited with representatives of the Mexican milling industry, wholesalers, and both U.S. and Mexican government officials, and repeated our mantra: “Mexico is an important, reliable trade partner to us, and we are urging our government not to upset our relationship.”

It will take time to see what happens here, but I am confident we did the right thing. The organizations and individuals we met with were appreciative of our efforts. Our continuation of robust promotion programs in Mexico, with more than 300 annual events including cooking demonstrations at the retail level, seminars for chefs and media, restaurant promotions, cooking contests, sponsorship of regional rice festivals, the development of rice-specific cookbooks and magazines, and earned and paid media placements, also sends a strong message to our friends there.

It was a great honor to help lead this delegation, and it continues to be a great honor for us to count Mexico as a friend, ally, and now and forever, the top market for U.S. rice.

Wishing you all a wonderful and safe growing season.

MAY 2017 • RICE FARMING

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Finally, some good news Lower acreage, increased export expectations bring market optimism, but more export sales will be needed to significantly boost prices.

By Kurt Guidry

Market is slow to react Although it is undeniable the market has received some improved fundamental supply and demand news, it is also undeniable that there has been little to no price reaction. The September 2017 rough rice futures contract closed at $10.32 cwt on March 30—the day before the Planting Intentions report was released.

As of April 19, that same contract was trading at $10.57 cwt, only about a 20 cents cwt improvement. Much of this inability to move prices higher is likely linked to a couple of issues. First, favorable conditions have created an extremely quick pace to planting in 2017. As of April 17, 55 percent of the U.S. rice crop is estimated planted. This compares to 46 percent in the previous year and a five-year average of 37 percent. Even more dramatic is the pace of planting in Arkansas.

Currently, it is estimated that Arkansas has about 67 percent of its rice crop in the ground compared to 52 percent in 2016 and just 38 percent over the previous five years. This quick pace and the generally favorable planting conditions have raised concerns

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RICE FARMING • MAY 2017

LSU AGCENTER

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he rice market finally received some positive fundamental supply and demand news over the past few weeks with the release of U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Planting Intentions and World Supply and Demand Estimates reports. Probably the most positive news came from the Planting Intentions report, which showed a 533,000acre reduction in long-grain rice acres for 2017. Leading the way was Arkansas, which expected to plant 360,000 fewer long-grain acres than in 2016.

For a market that has struggled with large supplies and stocks, the potential for lower production in 2017 on fewer acres can be definitely viewed as a positive. Adding to this positive momentum was the World Supply and Demand Estimates report, which increased export expectations for long-grain rice by 2 million hundredweights. Although the pace of export sales has been a trouble spot for the market for much of the current marketing year, it appears they have improved marginally over the past couple months.

Long-grain rough rice export sales continue to perform well and are on par with sales seen in the previous year. Long-grain milled export sales, however, have been extremely slow for much of the first half of the marketing year. While long-grain milled exports were about 15 percent below last year’s pace on April 6, 2017, they have shown some signs of improvement.

Long-grain milled exports trailed the previous year’s pace by 22 percent a month ago and more than 25 percent two months ago. Being curently down only 15 percent definitely shows slight improvement in demand.

The quick pace of planting and the generally favorable conditions have raised concerns of producers planting more acres than indicated in the USDA Planting Intentions report

of producers planting more acres than indicated in the Planting Intentions report.

The other issue is the lingering concern about export demand despite the slight improvement seen over the past couple months.

This is particularly true with long-grain milled rice. A lack of export business from historically large and important customers still leaves plenty to be cautious about overall export demand.

The marginal improvement in futures prices has also been seen in the cash market. Current new crop long-grain cash bids in Louisiana are around the $16.50 per barrel ($10.18 cwt) range, up about 50 cents per barrel from earlier this year. New crop medium-grain cash prices have improved even more with current prices around the $17.25 per barrel ($10.65 cwt) range.

Although this is welcomed, it will take a significant improvement over these levels to get producers excited about the price outlook for 2017. This hasn’t materialized yet in the market, but I think there is still some upside potential, particularly if actual 2017 acres stay at the levels projected in the Planting Intentions report.

Despite the continued worries on the demand side, I think the reduction in acres and resulting reduction in production is enough alone to create upside potential to a $17- $18-per-barrel level for long-grain rice ($10.50-$11.11 cwt).

Anything above that will need additional improvement in export demand. If we don’t see the reduction in acreage as is currently expected, then I think this market is likely destined for the $16- $17-per-barrel range ($9.87-$10.50 cwt) that we have been in for the past two years.

Dr. Kurt Guidry is an agricultural economist with Louisiana State University’s AgCenter. Contact him at KMGuidry@agcenter.lsu.edu RICEFARMING.COM

Management Focus: Weeds And Water Jason Fortner Lonoke County Co-Op Inc. Lonoke, Ark. I grew up in Lonoke, Ark., on a cow/calf operation that’s still in business today. After graduating from Arkansas State, I went to work for the university in the small plot research program directed

by Dr. Jeremy Ross and later Dr. Gus Lorenz. In 2012, I joined farmer-owned Lonoke County Co-Op Inc. and trained under lead consultant Johnnie Madar, who had 20-plus years’ experience. After three years, I took over his position when he retired and now work with consultants Jim Dickson and Brandon Taber.

The 2016 season was weather-driven in our area as early rains delayed spraying on the majority of our crop, and late rains hurt yields in some places, depending on the planting date. This year, we got a good start to the crop and had pretty much everything sprayed before it rained.

Weed Control Our No. 1 weed is barnyardgrass followed by sprangletop, red rice and pigweed. In our rice behind rice fields on heavier ground and zero grades, we have resistance issues with propanil, quinclorac and ALS chemistries. We also must control gooseweed — a late-season aquatic that has shown up for the past few years ­— and glyphosate-resistant pigweed.

In this area, we have rolling, loamy ground so we have a lot of levees that we seed. We apply residual herbicides preplant or very early post, especially on the levees. RebelEX, which has two modes of action, is our go-to herbicide early season in a pre-flood application. We typically have good moisture at that time to activate it for broad-spectrum control of barnyardgrass, sprangletop, and a lot of the broadleaves and aquatics. We also apply Grasp where corn is close by to control barnyardgrass, aquatics and broadleaves, minus pigweed. Grandstand typically is a post-flood option although we have tankmixed it with propanil pre-flood to control pigweeds.

Water Management Water management also is an important part of our program because we have to give the rice a chance to tiller. From one levee to the next, each section, or bay, is a 0.2-foot drop, which allows us to hold the same water depth. We put out nitrogen (urea) before we start flooding up. If urea hits muddy ground, it will volatilize and be lost to the atmosphere.

Going into this season, remember you can’t control the weather, but you can control the decisions you make and your inputs to a certain degree. Play the cards you are dealt. Take what you have and do the best you can with it.

• B.S., ag business, Arkansas State University • Worked for Bevis Farms in Scott, Ark., during college • After graduating, worked for the University of Arkansas Department of Agriculture small plot research program • Joined Lonoke County Co-Op Inc. in February 2012 • Consults on rice, corn, soybeans, wheat and grain sorghum • Arkansas Certified Crop Adviser • Lead crop consultant at Lonoke County Co-Op. Works closely with consultants Jim Dickson and Brandon Taber • Married to wife, Kylee. One son: Henry, 3 • Enjoys hunting, riding horses, team roping and spending time with the family at their cow/calf operation in Lonoke

Recap: Management Focus: Weeds, Water

t

1. Our No. 1 weed is barnyardgrass followed by sprangletop, red rice and pigweed. In our rice behind rice fields on heavier ground and zero grades, we have resistance issues with propanil, quinclorac and ALS chemistries.

2. RebelEX, which has two modes of action, is our go-to herbicide early season in a pre-flood application to control barnyardgrass, sprangletop, and a lot of the broadleaves and aquatics.

3. Grandstand typically is a post-flood option although we have tankmixed it with propanil pre-flood to control pigweeds.

4. From one levee to the next, each section, or bay, is a 0.2foot drop, which allows us to hold the same water depth.

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Driving up costs California’s recently passed diesel and gasoline fuel tax increases could hit producers where it hurts—in the wallet.

By Kevin Hecteman

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RICE FARMING • MAY 2017

VICKY BOYD

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alifornia’s new fuel-tax law is sure to drive up the cost of doing business for farmers and ranchers in the state.

Senate Bill 1, approved by the Legislature in early April, seeks to raise $52 billion in fuel and vehicle taxes to fund road and other transportation repairs and improvements.

California Farm Bureau Federation President Paul Wenger, who farms tree nuts near Modesto, foresees a hit to his and other farmers’ balance sheets.

“Not only will we pay for our vehicles, but everyone we get supplies from or truckers that we hire to move our products and livestock, will pass those taxes on to us,” Wenger says. “As always, farmers and ranchers bear a disproportionate burden of increased costs, like taxes, because we can’t pass those on. Farmers and ranchers purchase our inputs on a retail level and sell wholesale.”

Chris Torres, who has a rice farm and a trucking company in Colusa County, says the increased taxes will make it more expensive to operate and come at an especially difficult time.

“The farm economy right now—at least in what I do, the rice farming business—is extremely poor because our dollar’s so strong abroad, so we’re not able to get the money out of the marketplace so we can cover these costs,” he says. “All this stuff that comes out of Sacramento is not thought through, and it’s not thought through from a business standpoint.”

The law drew opposition from nearly two dozen agricultural groups, including CFBF. Cynthia Cory, CFBF environmental affairs director, says the fuel-tax increases will be especially difficult for rural residents.

“The folks who travel the most, which are the folks in the rural area, will pay the most,” she says. “And with the way the formulas are set, it doesn’t mean that what you earn in your area goes back to your area to improve those roads. That was a big part of the problem.”

Cory said SB 1 also requires the state Department of Motor Vehicles by Jan. 1, 2020, to confirm that commercial vehicles are compliant with or exempt from the Truck or Bus Rule for air quality before the vehicle can be registered or sold. The Truck and Bus rule, in place since 2009, requires replacement or retrofit of diesel trucks based on engine size and age.

Proposed amendments that would have protected agricultural trucks were not included in SB 1, Cory says, adding that Farm Bureau is “seeking other ways to have our concerns addressed.”

SB 1 maintains a provision allocating unclaimed gas tax money to county agricultural commissioners, much to the relief of Jim Allan, legislative chairman of the California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association. Farmers who spend money at gas stations and use the fuel offroad, such as in trac-

Beginning Nov. 1, the cost to haul rice to the mill will get more expensive for California producers as increases in the state diesel fuel excise tax and sales and use surtax on diesel kick in.

tors, all-terrain vehicles and other farm equipment, can use their Form 540s to get that tax money back, he says. But most don’t, and much of that money is sent to county agricultural commissioners to help them with their work.

“The agricultural part of it is a major funding source for ag commissioners,” says Allan, also the Solano County agricultural commissioner. “We’ve been getting 39 to 40 cents on the dollar match for county general fund dollars that are spent in agricultural programs at ag commissioners’ offices.”

The money goes to pest-detection and pest-eradication programs, as well as pesticide-use enforcement, inspections at terminals and farmers markets, and other programs, he says.

“Without the gas-tax match to the county general fund revenues, we couldn’t afford to do the programs that we do,” Allan says.

Effective Nov. 1, SB 1 will:  Raise the diesel fuel excise tax by 20 cents per gallon.  Raise the gasoline excise tax by 12 cents per gallon.  Raise the sales and use surtax on diesel fuel from 1.75 percent to 5.75 percent.

In addition, the new law will:  Index diesel and gas taxes to inflation beginning July 1, 2020.  Charge a transportation improvement fee ranging from $25 to $175, depending on the vehicle’s value as of Jan. 1, 2018.  Charge zero-emission vehicles—such as the Tesla, Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt and others—a $100 annual fee beginning in 2020.

Kevin Hecteman is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. He may be reached at khecteman@cfbf.com.

RICEFARMING.COM

Mix it up Take an integrated approach, including rotating modes of herbicide action, to fight ALS-resistant sedges.

By Jarrod Hardke and Bob Scott

Take a systems approach Basically, it is difficult to replace a simple sedge control program like spraying an ounce of Permit, which has worked so well for us for so long. For the most part, if a weed population becomes resistant to one ALS herbicide, odds are it is resistant to all ALS chemistry.

In rice, this means that we have nutsedge populations that League, Permit, Permit Plus, Newpath, Beyond, Grasp, Regiment and any other ALS chemistry probably won’t work on.

Twitter: @RiceFarming

Yellow nutsedge

LSU AGCENTER

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

Smallflower umbrella sedge

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

CHARLES T. BRYSON, USDA AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE; BUGWOOD.ORG

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bout four or five years ago, sedge populations started showing up in Arkansas fields that neither Permit nor Newpath would control. After a series of tests, we determined that we had confirmed populations of both ALS-resistant rice flatsedge (annual sedge) and a few populations of ALS-resistant yellow nutsedge.

We have been using Permit since before it was labeled for rice and Newpath since around 2002, not to mention League and Regiment. So it should not be a surprise that rice flatsedge has developed resistance.

Since flatsedge reproduces by seed, the likelihood for resistance is higher than for yellow nutsedge, which primarily reproduces by tubers or vegetatively. Hence, of the two, flatsedge has been the bigger problem statewide.

In response to ALS-resistant sedge, we wrote fact sheet FSA2173, “ID and Control of Problematic Sedges in Arkansas Rice.”

I have used this fact sheet a lot to answer questions about sedge populations.

If you think you have a problem, you can download the fact sheet from the Web at https://www.uaex.edu/publications/pdf/ FSA-2173.pdf, or you might obtain a copy at your county Extension office.

Annual or rice flatsedge

Yellow nutsedge tuber

In addition to yellow and annual sedge, we also have smaller populations of umbrella sedge and swamp sedge that can be of significance to growers where they are found.

It takes a systems approach now to control annual sedge that is ALS resistant. I like to start out with RiceBeaux or Bolero early post, followed by Basagran plus propanil mid-post.

Another approach could be 2 ounces of Sharpen pre or 1 ounce early post followed

by Basagran plus propanil later or 2,4-D mid-season, where allowed. Again, this information is available in our fact sheet.

Dr. Jarrod Hardke is a University of Arkansas rice Extension agronomist based at the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart. He can be reached at jhardke@uaex.edu. Dr. Bob Scott is a University of Arkansas Extension weed scientist based in Lonoke. He may be reached at bscott@uaex.edu.

MAY 2017 • RICE FARMING

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To fertilize or not to fertilize?

Arkansas rice researchers take the guesswork out of midseason nitrogen needs with the use of a handheld device.

By Jarrod Hardke to a lighter shade of green—because as a nitrogen expert you NEVER say yellow rice,” he says.

Roberts wasn’t sure what to think as he continued across the field looking back and forth from the dark green rice to the light green rice, debating the age old question—to fertilize or not to fertilize?

As Roberts returned to the truck, the grower asked the big question, “Well Doc, what’s it gonna be?” Not willing to divulge his internal argument, Roberts responded, “Probably want to put out some midseason just to be safe.”

Removing the guesswork The producer called at harvest to say a vacuum was more appropriate than a combine to pick up all the downed rice from lodging. The experience led Roberts to believe there had to be a way to take the guesswork out of determining midseason nitrogen needs.

“The problem with determining in-sea-

son nitrogen needs for rice or any other cereal crop is that it is not as simple as color, height, biomass or nitrogen concentration—it’s all of those things,” Roberts says. “Total nitrogen uptake or the actual amount of nitrogen contained in the rice plant is the best predictor of response to midseason nitrogen, which is a function of tissue concentration (color, nitrogen concentration) and biomass (height, canopy coverage/closure).”

Another complicating factor is that “rice breeders have shortened the season of our modern cultivars—most of which has been taken out of the vegetative stage, leaving little room for error with preflood and midseason nitrogen applications,” he says.

So what do we know about nitrogen fertilization of rice?

1) The majority of the yield components are determined by the preflood nitrogen application, and 2) Rice will only respond to midseaPHOTOS COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS SYSTEM DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE

W

“

ell Doc, what’s it gonna be?”

Trent Roberts, Extension soil fertility specialist with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, still remembers when he first fully realized the difficulty in midseason nitrogen management for rice.

“It was a hot Delta morning and a farmer and I were looking at a field of Wells that had just reached ½-inch internode elongation,” Roberts says. “I was a young researcher who was still learning the tricks of the rice game and was asked ‘Does that rice need another shot of nitrogen?’”

Roberts was eager to make a good impression so he pulled on his boots and started out across the field.

“I made it halfway through the field thinking the rice looked good. But as I turned around and put the sun at my back, the rice went from looking lush and green

Include a 5-foot-by-5-foot reference strip that has received about 1/3 cup more urea (above the preflood N rate).

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RICE FARMING • MAY 2017

RICEFARMING.COM

son nitrogen if the preflood nitrogen rate wasn’t enough for season-long needs.

About the same time as Roberts’ midseason prediction disaster, he had started working with the Greenseeker to determine preflood nitrogen applications for rice—with no success.

The Greenseeker handheld device uses normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) technology to assess the “greenness” of the plant canopy, allowing researchers to compare different areas of the field in nitrogen-driven crops, such as rice. The simplicity of the handheld device is what makes it so favorable, Roberts says. Pull the trigger, get a reading; hold the device too close or too far from the canopy for an accurate reading, and you get an error message.

Adapting Greenseeker results to rice Roberts noticed that the Greenseeker did not work well to predict preflood nitrogen in our direct-seeded, delayed flood rice production systems. The plants were too small with very little canopy coverage and no time for plants to use the soil nitrogen pool.

Roberts received his undergraduate degree from Oklahoma State University where the Greenseeker was developed, so he felt almost obligated to figure out a way to make it work.

“Why does it work on wheat in Oklahoma but not rice in Arkansas?” he wondered.

The primary difference was that Greenseeker readings were almost always taken on wheat that had already been fertilized with preplant nitrogen and the Greenseeker was being used to determine if more nitrogen was necessary in late winter to maximize yields.

They weren’t using the Greenseeker to determine the first shot of nitrogen—they were using it to determine their topdress nitrogen.

For the past few years, Arkansas rice growers have supported Greenseeker research through the Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board. Now, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture has developed some guidelines on how to successfully use the Greenseeker handheld to predict midseason nitrogen needs for rice cultivars.

Using the Greenseeker handheld for midseason nitrogen is as easy as: 1. Using an optimum single preflood niTwitter: @RiceFarming

trogen rate determined by N-STaR (Nitrogen Soil Test for Rice), 2. Including a nitrogen-rich “reference strip” in every field, and 3. Taking Greenseeker readings three weeks post-flood and after internode elongation.

“The great thing about using the Greenseeker and a response index is that it is completely objective. You are comparing the NDVI of the nitrogen-rich reference strip to the rest of the field, which received the optimal single preflood nitrogen rate,” Roberts says.

Trent Roberts, Extension soil fertility specialist with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, conducts verification trials with the Greenseeker handheld device.

The response index refers to the NDVI reading of the reference strip divided by the NDVI reading of the field. The closer the values are to one another (closer to 1), the less likely you are to get a response to midseason nitrogen applications.

Current recommendations for midseason nitrogen applications using the Greenseeker are for response indexes greater than 1.15, meaning fields with a response index of 1.15 or greater are most likely to have a significant and statistical yield increase from midseason nitrogen applications. Conversely, fields that have a response index less than 1.15 are not likely to see a response to midseason nitrogen.

Include reference strips Implementing nitrogen-rich reference

strips to use the Greenseeker handheld is simple and can be done for both pureline and hybrid cultivars. Although midseason nitrogen applications are not recommended for hybrids, this technology can be used to determine if the preflood nitrogen applications to hybrids were adequately and efficiently managed.

Reference strips should be 5-foot-by-5foot squares with roughly 1/3 cup of extra urea (above the preflood N rate).

Large bicycle flags work well for marking and remembering the location of the reference strips. It is recommended to have at least one reference strip per 50 acres of rice, and it is preferred to have one in the upper and one in the lower part of the field where water management and nitrogen efficiency may differ.

Greenseeker readings should be taken no earlier than three weeks postflood and after internode elongation to ensure that the rice plant has had ample time to take up and use the preflood nitrogen before making decisions about midseason nitrogen needs.

Measurements using the Greenseeker and response index can be made through flag leaf emergence, allowing producers to check fields throughout the season.

Field measurements should be taken from 10 random strips throughout the field that are more than 50 feet long and compared to the nitrogen-rich reference strip to determine the response index.

Inclusion of the reference strip means that there is no need to calibrate the Greenseeker for different cultivars or environments. But without it, you cannot accurately predict the response index.

The Greenseeker handheld is an exciting new device that producers and consultants can purchase to accurately predict the need for midseason nitrogen. More information on the use of the device in rice and how to use the nitrogen-rich reference strips and response index can be found in the 2017 “Rice Farming for Profit” publication at http://bit.ly/2p7Phre.

Dr. Jarrod Hardke is University of Arkansas rice Extension agronomist based at the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart, Ark. He may be reached at jhardke@uaex.edu. Dr. Trent Roberts is Extension soil fertility specialist with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture in Fayetteville. He may be reached at tlrobert@uark.edu.

MAY 2017 • RICE FARMING

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During LSU’s 2016 rice field day, Dr. Steve Linscombe discussed the efforts to develop Provisia rice.

VICKY BOYD

A new system

Horizon Ag, BASF ink pact to launch Provisia Rice in 2018 to help growers manage grassy weeds.

H

orizon Ag and BASF have reached a formal agreement to launch the Provisia Rice System in 2018, providing a new tool for post-emergence control of a broad range of grasses, including weedy rice.

Like the Clearfield Production System for rice, the Provisia system was developed by BASF through traditional breeding techniques.

In the joint news release, Tim Walker, Horizon Ag general manager, called Provisia an “important new technology that will enable rice growers to achieve better control of costly weeds that have the potential to impact yield and quality.”

The sentiment was echoed by Nick Fassler, manager, BASF Technical Marketing Group.

“We see the Provisia Rice System as an excellent complement to the Clearfield Production System for rice, providing growers with multiple solutions to control red rice, volunteer rice and chal-

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RICE FARMING • MAY 2017

lenging grass weeds,” he says. “Growers will have three unique offers in the rice market: conventional rice, the Clearfield system and then Provisia. We can rotate between those to control different types of red rice and off-types of rice. Provisia will provide the rice market a new active ingredient that will help with those difficult-to-control grasses as well.”

Trait + herbicide The new system is composed of Provisia seed containing the Provisia trait, which is resistant to Provisia herbicide.

The herbicide itself contains the active ingredient, quizalofop, an ACCase or Weed Science Society of America Group 1 herbicide. Although the herbicide will initially control grass weeds, BASF is working on combinations with other herbicides that will also provide broadleaf and sedge control.

The first Provisia rice lines have been developed through an agreement between BASF and the Louisiana State University AgCenter, where Dr. Steve Linscombe

and his team have been working with the new technology.

“Provisia rice will be an excellent addition to the tool box of southern U.S. rice producers,” Linscombe says. “It will provide very good control of red rice and other grassy weeds. It will be especially beneficial in those fields where weedy rice can no longer be controlled with the Clearfield system.”

Walker agrees. “We believe Provisia rice will help extend the life of the Clearfield system where it continues to have efficacy on grass and weedy rice, while also improving control options in areas where the Clearfield system is not as effective today.”

During the past five years, the LSU AgCenter has put a significant effort into developing the first Provisia variety, PVL01, Linscombe says. It will have very good yield and quality.

Horizon Ag will work with LSU to evaluate and bring other Provisia rice varieties to market for future commercial planting.

RICEFARMING.COM

2017 Rice Awards Nomination Form The Rice Farmer of the Year, Rice Industry Award and Rice Lifetime Achievement Award recognize those rice leaders who have demonstrated dedication, determination and innovation to the industry. We need your help to identify candidates who are worthy of these prestigious awards. Please take the time to consider which industry members in your area should be recipients of these honors and mail or scan/email this form and supporting materials.

Categories: Please check the box of the appropriate award category:

q Rice Farmer of the Year Award • Must farm at least 200 acres.

• A farmer who has successfully achieved goals in his/her farming operation, rice industry association, community improvement/development, innovative production practices and/or environmental stewardship.

q Rice Industry Award

If you are submitting more than one nomination form, please make a copy before you fill out the form. Nomination forms can be downloaded at www.ricefarming.com.

Nominee’s name Nominee’s address Nominee’s phone number Nominee’s rice acreage (if applicable)

• Has been in the rice industry for more than five years.

• A researcher, Extension person, government/association leader, etc… who has demonstrated commitment to the rice industry through innovative practices, industry association, community involvement/development.

Your name

q Rice Lifetime Achievement Award

Your profession

• Has been in the rice industry for more than 10 years.

• An industry leader who has provided great contributions to the rice industry through industry associations, community involvement/development, innovative practices/projects that have advanced the industry.

Deadline:

June 15, 2017

Number of years involved in the rice industry (if applicable)

Your address Your phone number Your signature

Date

Please send completed form & supporting materials to: Carroll Smith 7201 Eastern Ave., Germantown, TN 38138 Scan/Email: csmith@onegrower.com

On a separate piece of paper, please consider the following: Dedication to farming and/or agriculture and the rice industry, local community and education.

Determination to succeed and overcome hurdles that have emerged while trying to reach goals.

Innovation to identify new and better ways for the industry to become more profitable, manage risk, achieve a higher level of efficiency.

In addition to completing this form, please describe the nominee in terms of the above guidelines. It also is helpful to send letters of recommendation for the nominee from other individuals in the rice industry who are familiar with his/her accomplishments. A panel of judges from across the Rice Belt will select the recipients of the 2017 Rice Awards.

The award recipients will be honored at the USA Rice Outlook Conference, Dec. 10-12, 2017, in San Antonio, Texas, where an official presentation will be made at the awards luncheon. They also will be featured in a special salute sponsored by Horizon Ag, USA Rice and Rice Farming magazine in the December 2017 issue.

SPONSORS

PEACE of MIND

KURT RICHTER

Computerized bin monitors fine-tune rice drying, improving grain quality and energy savings.

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RICE FARMING • MAY 2017

RICEFARMING.COM

By Vicky Boyd Editor

K

nowing a load could face rejection if it was too high in moisture, Mike McCarty was diligent about sampling his grain bins 2 feet down to take readings. He would dry the grain down to 13 percent moisture at that 2-foot level.

But by doing so, the Osceola, Ark., producer also understood he was over-drying the bottom half of the bin, which could read as low as 9 percent moisture.

That meant he was losing potential profit.

“Our whole operation goes into the grain bins, and we always struggled with how to control moisture,” McCarty says.

All that changed with the installation of AP Innovations Advanced Grain Management system in every bin three years ago. He also subscribes to API’s service that provides personalized bin monitoring 24/7.

The API monitoring system API has remote monitoring systems on grain bins that store more than 30 million bushels of rice, corn, soybeans and other crops throughout the nation’s rice belt, says Aaron Little, an API salesman in Stuttgart, Ark. Each bin is fitted with a series of cables that hang Osceola, Ark., rice producer Mike McCarty is able to monitor grain moisture in bins at different from the roof down to the floor. Senlocations from his computer or smartphone, thanks to API systems in the bins. sors placed every 4 feet along the cable measure grain moisture and temperature or temperature alone. A 30,000-bushel bin, for ex“It’s like having another ample, will be fitted with two grain moisture/temperature partner in the operation cables and two temperature cables.

On the exterior of the bin is a Plenum Sensor, which measures because this used to worry the temperature and pressure of air as it enters the fans into the us all the way through ... We bin. All of the data for the bin site is relayed by a small radio antennae to the farmer’s computer server, where he or she can now have someone who is access the information via smartphone, tablet or computer. monitoring and checking for Users simply set a moisture content goal, such as 13 percent, and the program draws from real-time data and continus. To me, it’s peace of mind, uously calculates equilibrium moisture content, shutting on or off the fans accordingly. not to mention the electricity Some growers, such as McCarty, also subscribe to the savings.” personal monitoring service because they want the added insight only a human can provide, Little says.

— Mike McCarty, rice producer For about 1 cent per bushel of capacity, API provides 24/7 Twitter: @RiceFarming

MAY 2017 • RICE FARMING

15

VICKY BOYD

“It’s like having another partner in the operation because this used to worry us all the way through to when we started hauling out, which is a huge part,” McCarty says. “We now have someone who is monitoring and checking for us. To me, it’s peace of mind, not to mention the electricity savings.”

Improved quality and worker safety Jeremy Jones, a partner in England, Ark.-based Zero Grade Farm, says the family-owned operation had been considering the monitoring system for some time. But seeing it being installed in bins at a Kaplan, La., farm and talking to Mike Shook, co-owner of API, sold Jones.

Zero Grade Farm has used the system on about 40 percent of its bins for the past three seasons and has experienced improved grain quality. The bins use just ambient air to dry the grain.

“It was taking a lot of time coming out to the farm, turning the fans on and the fans off,” Jones says. “It also was getting hard to get the rice to uniform moisture from top to bottom. We’d overdry the rice on the bottom, which translates to poor milling quality. We’d be mixing 10 percent rice with 13 percent rice. Now when we ship our rice, our moisture is consistent from top to bottom and within 0.1 to 0.2 percent.”

Zero Grade, which grows all hybrids, also has seen grain quality improve to where it received premiums on much of its 2015 crop. Jones says he can’t credit the monitoring system for all of the improvement, but he says it definitely played a role.

Equally important, the system now means workers don’t have to enter bins to collect moisture samples, a risky exercise.

Jones subscribes to the personalized monitoring service, which sends him a daily report on the status of each bin he can view on his smartphone, tablet or computer. He says the 1-2 cents per bush-

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RICE FARMING • MAY 2017

KURT RICHTER

bin monitoring for the entire year from initial filling until the grain is shipped.

Farmers can fill the bin as many times as they want for the single payment, he says.

“The monitors are pretty automated, but the difference is we’re watching weather fronts and different things off the coast,” Little says. “Things like that are what the computer can’t do. It’s going off what’s happening right now. It’s not forecasting into the future.”

A grower, for example, may be drying rice but a cold front is forecast. API will alert the customer that he or she may be better off shutting fans down rather than introducing cold air into the bin and making it difficult to finish drying, Little says.

API then adjusts the program to ensure the fans do not cool the grain while trying to dry it, he says.

With temperature and moisture sensors from top to bottom of a bin, AP Innovations Advanced Grain Monitoring system improves the uniformity of grain drying, say growers who have used it.

el he pays for the service is well worth it.

“They’re that partner I need because I’m busy with other things,” Jones says.

“It’s like somebody looking over your shoulder all the time.”

Based on three seasons’ use, he says the family is seriously considering retrofitting the remainder of their bins with monitoring systems.

Dollars and cents Before McCarty installed the monitoring system, he ran each bin fan an average of 90 days from Sept. 1 until November when he started moving out rice. That amounted to 2,000-2,200 hours per fan per year, and he has 24 bins. Like Jones, McCarty relies on ambient air to dry his rice.

For the 2016 season, McCarty’s fans averaged 850 hours each. He pays 8 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity, and the 40 hp fans cost about $2.40 an hour to run.

At the same time, the system is providing more uniform drying. McCarty says for the second straight year, the rice coming out of his bins has averaged within 0.2 percent of 13 percent moisture.

“We try not to cut anything over 20 percent, but you still run into some wet spots,” he says. “The cables in the bin helps us know what’s going on with the rice coming out of the field outside of what our combine monitors are reading.”

McCarty says the milling yield of his 100 percent hybrid crop also has improved.

“I’m not saying we’re getting a premium all of the time, but we’re not getting nearly the deductions that we have in the past,” he says. What used to cost him 10 cents per bushel in downgrades is now closer to even.

In the past, McCarty also had an issue at least once a year with staining caused by hot pockets in his bins. That was when he had 1,600 acres of rice. Now the family has 4,000 acres of rice, but they haven’t experienced any staining with the API system.

“If the driver used to call me, it made me nervous in the days of staining,” he says. “Now I don’t worry when they call because we don’t have the staining issue.”

Remote access McCarty purchased the cabling system outright and opted to subscribe to the personal monitoring service. As part of the package, he received a desktop computer directly connected to a bin-monitoring screen. Just as the bins are situated on a farm, the screen features the same placement of bin icons.

By clicking on an icon, he can see whether the fan is running and the overall grain moisture. Should a fan go down, McCarty receives an alert, via text or call, telling him exactly which bin has a problem.

Having all of the information at his fingertips is a huge labor savings, since the operation has bins near Osceola, Luxora and Keiser.

RICEFARMING.COM

RF0517 Layout_CF 11/13 template 5/5/17 9:00 AM Page 17

When paraquat was applied to rice at 50 percent heading to mimic drift, visual injury ranged from 5 to 25 percent.

BOBBY GOLDEN

Be a good neighbor Pay attention to avoid drift when applying soybean desiccants around rice fields, even those that are near draining and appear finished.

By Bobby Golden

G

enerally, this time of year we discuss midseason to harvest management options for our rice crop. But today I would like to write on a project one of our graduate students, Justin McCoy, is currently working on at the Delta Research and Extension Center.

His project is investigating the influence of late-season off-target movement of soybean desiccants to rice fields and their influence on rice performance.

Preliminary research was established in 2016 to investigate late-season off-target herbicide movement to rice. Two trials were conducted investigating 1) multiple varieties’ response to a single application of either glyphosate (3.2 oz/ac) or paraquat (1.6 oz/ac) applied near 50 percent heading and 2) a single variety’s response to multiple herbicides applied at different timings after 50 percent heading.

For trial 1 evaluating multiple varieties, visual injury associated with the application of paraquat ranged from 5 to 25 percent, depending on cultivar and

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rating date. The greatest injury symptoms were observed on Rex and Jupiter and the lowest injury ratings were observed on CLXL745 and XL753.

Unlike paraquat, when glyphosate was applied near 50 percent heading, no visual injury symptoms were observed. Yield reductions compared to the untreated control were evident in all varieties and ranged from 7 to 26 percent for rice receiving paraquat (1.6 oz/ac) and from 5 to 31 percent for rice treated with glyphosate (3.2 oz/ac).

In general, yield reductions were similar within a variety between glyphosate and paraquat applications.

Different application timings For trial 2, which evaluated different application timings, we observed similar results with paraquat and glyphosate as well as any tankmix that included paraquat (paraquat+chlorate; paraquat+Sharpen).

In general, yield reduction from rice receiving drift rates of glyphosate (3.2 oz/

ac) or paraquat (1.6 oz/ac) ranged from 3 to 23 percent. The greatest yield reductions were observed with application near 50 percent heading; however, yield reductions as great as 10 percent were observed with applications applied as late as draining.

Drift rates of salflufenacil (0.2 oz/ac) or chlorate (6.4 oz/ac) did not reduce rice grain yield at any application timing in preliminary trials.

These preliminary data suggest we should plan carefully how we approach desiccation of our soybean fields that are close to rice fields.

As we prepare for harvest in 2017, let’s remember that even though rice may be nearing the date of draining and looks finished, it is still susceptible to off-target movement of herbicide.

Dr. Bobby Golden is an Extension rice agronomist at Mississippi State University’s Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville. He may be reached at bobby golden@msstate.edu RICEFARMING.COM

Specialists Speaking This is unfortunate, since heading is the most effective fungicide timing for blast, sheath blight and cercospora when targeting a “single shot� fungicide management strategy. Therefore, if you have a history of smut pressure and you want to reduce the disease potential, a mid-boot propiconazole application will have to be added to your disease management strategy this season.

Fungicide timing critical for smut management DR. DUSTIN HARRELL LOUISIANA Extension Rice Specialist dharrell@agcenter.lsu.edu

Managing rice in a late-planted year

Kernel smut in rice seemed to be more prevalent in southwest Louisiana last year than it has been historically. Typically, kernel smut pressure in southwest Louisiana is much lower than in the northeastern Louisiana rice-production area.

Because of this, management for the disease in the southwestern part of the state has not been a focal point by some producers and consultants. Due to the increased prevalence of kernel smut in 2016, I thought it would be good to hit the basics about the disease and its management to reduce its occurrence in the 2017 crop.

Kernel smut can be identified by a black mass of fungal spores found inside the rice hull, oozing out of the hull seams and attaching to the outside of the hull when the grain is at or near maturity. The spores will even attach and stain your pants when walking through an infected field.

When a heavily infested field is harvested, large clouds of the spores can form. This further spreads the spores, which seem to attach to everything they come in contact with. Kernel smut is caused by the fungus Tilletia barclayana, and its occurrence results in reduced rice grain yield and quality.

The disease can be spread by the spores overwintering in the soil or from planting seed that has the spores. Later-planted rice and higher nitrogen fertilizer rates favor the development of the disease.

The best way to control kernel smut is with a propiconazole fungicide application when the rice has a 2- to 4-inch panicle around the mid-boot stage of development. Applications of a propiconazole fungicide made once the boot has split and the first floret has begun to emerge are too late and will not effectively manage the disease.

BRUCE LINQUIST

LSU AGCENTER

CALIFORNIA UCCE Rice Specialist balinquist@ucdavis.edu

The best way to control kernel smut is with a propiconazole fungicide application when the rice has a 2- to 4-inch panicle around the mid-boot stage of development.

Twitter: @RiceFarming

This year is looking like it is going to be a late-planted year. We know from our research that planting later tends to reduce yields. It is encouraging to remember that our top yield contest winner who got 127 hundredweight per acre had a planting date of May 21. Late planting dates, along with already low rice prices, necessitate careful management and extra thought to inputs.

Here are some suggestions to reduce input costs, maintain yields and avoid delayed harvests. First, earlier duration varieties need to be considered. Good candidates included M-105 and M-206.

Second, apply your starter blend of NPK 20 to 30 days after planting. This has several benefits: It eliminates a pass before planting, allowing for earlier planting; it reduces scum build up; and it can replace the post-herbicide N application that many growers have been doing.

Third, only apply P and K if necessary. If your soil P values are above 15 ppm (bicarbonate P) or if your soil K values are above 120 ppm, applications of these nutrients may not be necessary.

Fourth, apply a top-dress of N at panicle initiation only if needed (the Leaf Color Chart can be used to determine need).

If a top dress is applied when it is not needed, yields can be reduced and harvest delayed. This can be a particular problem if harvest is already going to be delayed due to late planting.

In early March, I traveled to Australia to attend the International Temperate Rice Conference. Australia is the only country to have higher average yields than California. They have a very similar growing climate to what we have in the state, so it was a good place to learn.

One thing I came away with was that, like California, Australia has a problem with cold temperatures during booting (between PI and heading) that reduce yields. Australian growers are very diligent in raising their flood water during this time to about 8 to 10 inches deep to protect the developing panicle from cold stress.

In a study we recently conducted, cold stress during booting was the No. 1 temperature-related factor that reduced California rice yields. Interestingly, even in the northern part of the MAY 2017 • RICE FARMING

19

Specialists Speaking rice-growing area, which is warmer, the number of nights with cold stress (less than 57 degrees Fahrenheit) during this critical three-week period ranged from zero to 13 nights and averaged close to four nights per year (we used the Durham CIMIS weather station).

Furthermore, late plantings shift the booting period later into the season, putting them at greater risk for cold nighttime temperatures. Therefore, in all areas of the state, growers need to be diligent in raising their water height during this critical period.

Use cultural management to reduce disease pressure DR. JARROD HARDKE

ARKANSAS Asst. Professor/Rice Extension Agronomist University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service jhardke@uaex.edu Disease management starts at planting. Selecting the right cultivar for the right field provides the best chance to minimize disease pressure for the season.

In fields with a history of severe blast disease pressure, it is best to plant a hybrid or a variety with improved blast resistance.

Remember to keep a flood more than 4 inches deep after midseason to suppress blast development. In certain fields in Arkansas, blast cannot be managed by fungicide applications alone and planting a susceptible cultivar could lead to severe losses. When fungicides are needed, use two applications to achieve the best blast management.

Once we have selected our cultivar, we then need to give it the best chance to succeed. Earlier planting dates have shown to reduce disease pressure.

Study your situation and be timely with all inputs SAM ATWELL

MISSOURI Agronomy Specialist atwells@missouri.edu Due to a very dry fall, Missouri growers had regraded and prepared their fields for 2017 and were ready to plant in early April. Recent rains saturated our soils, so very early planting has been delayed, which is OK because we have plenty of time.

How do we make a profit growing rice with current prices in 2017? I believe most farmers grow rice as economically

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RICE FARMING • MAY 2017

Generally speaking, rice planted before early May has the best chance to escape severe disease problems. Avoidance can be a great tool to minimize the need for fungicide applications and potential yield losses associated with disease pressure.

Selecting appropriate seeding rates also can help to reduce disease pressure. When rice stands are too thick, it promotes and increases the sheath blight severity.

Luckily some cultivars have improved resistance to sheath blight for fields with a severe history of the disease. If sheath blight is prevented from reaching upper canopy leaves and causing direct yield loss, it can still have a negative impact.

A high frequency of sheath blight throughout the middle to lower rice canopy can still weaken stems and increase the risk of lodging should harvest be delayed for any reason.

The use of proper nitrogen rates also can help limit disease problems. Sheath blight, kernel smut and false smut incidence can all be increased with excessive nitrogen rates. The use of the Nitrogen Soil Test for Rice (N-STaR) can help determine field-specific nitrogen rates to maximize yield and avoid over-fertilization.

In addition, Greenseeker technology is now recommended for determining midseason nitrogen needs, which which may help to prevent over-application of nitrogen when it is not needed.

(See page 10 for related article.)

Few cultivars have resistance to the smuts and fungicides may be needed for management. Remember that if making a fungicide application for smut prevention, you must spray before boot split. If the application hasn’t been made by then, you’ve missed your window and you should save your money.

Proper cultural management is our best tool to minimize disease issues. Cultivar selection, seeding rates, nitrogen rates and fungicide application timing (when needed) can help ensure a successful season with minimal losses from disease.

For more information, consult the “MP154—Arkansas Plant Disease Control Products Guide—2017” and the “Arkansas Rice Production Handbook.”

as possible already. So I have no advice except study your situation with your consultant and be timely with every input.

Cutting inputs and making big changes may not be advisable in most cases.

Early insects and diseases reduce yield and quality and increase production cost, which lowers profit. I follow University of Arkansas recommendations to always plant treated seed.

Integrated pest management and consultants are a great investment, and we should never let our guard down checking fields.

High-yielding hybrid and conventional varieties need to be scouted closely for early insect and disease detection, then foliar applications can be made in a preventive manner. Hybrid varieties generally have a better disease package, but don’t ignore scouting them. Although disease and insect pressure has been relatively low in Missouri the past few years, we were hit hard in isolated areas with sheath blight, blast and insects in 2016. We hope for better results in 2017.

RICEFARMING.COM

SPECIALISTS SPEAKING

Scouting doesn’t cost; it pays with early detection DR. M.O. “MO” WAY TEXAS Rice Research Entomologist moway@aesrg.tamu.edu

TWITTER: @RICEFARMING

DR. M.O. WAY

Chinch bugs can quickly destroy levee rice if not caught early by scouting.

Adult and nymph chinch bugs feed on rice seedling culm.

LSU AGCENTER

For this month’s Rice Farming article, I want to talk about the value of scouting your fields. I have been in many rice fields where farmers finally observe a problem that should have been addressed earlier. Of course, by the time the unsuspecting farmers notice the problem, frequently it is too late to do anything about it.

For example, chinch bugs can attack rice as soon as rice emerges from the soil. If NipsIt Inside or CruiserMaxx Rice has not been applied to the seed, these pests with piercing-sucking mouthparts can reduce a stand.

In Texas, the treatment threshold for chinch bugs is about one adult per two seedlings. If you have not planted treated seed, then pyrethroids applied in higher-than-normal final spray volumes usually do the trick.

You can also flush your fields to drown them or make them sick. But to get the most bang out of your spray dollar, early detection is essential.

Don’t just check your fields from your pick-up—walk into the field at least 100 feet and check along this transect. Carry a pocket knife, a magnifying glass and your smartphone camera.

Observe in a number of spots in your fields—you may only have an isolated affected area, which you may be able to treat without having to spray your entire field.

When you are looking for chinch bugs, scout during the cooler parts of the day. During the heat of the afternoon, they move down into the cracks in the soil where they are harder to detect.

Get on your hands and knees and wiggle seedlings from side to side to observe any chinch bugs below ground level on the plant.

Often times, you can find them in the whorls of seedling sedges. Young nymphs are orange. If you see these critters along with adults, you know they are reproducing on your rice—this is bad.

Another early season rice pest is fall armyworm. Again, farmers often detect larval populations after economic damage has been done.

Scout your fields looking for the larvae and ragged defoliated rice—treatment threshold is about 20 percent defoliation in the presence of larvae. Frequently, farmers are alerted to a fall armyworm problem when they see cattle egrets in their fields.

By this time, the birds are feeding on larvae and economic damage has been done. Dermacor X-100-treated seed does a good job as do pyrethroids applied when larvae are young.

Other insects you should scout for while looking for the above pests are aphids, South American rice miner and rice delphacid, which did not invade Texas rice fields last year but was very problematic on our ratoon crop in 2015.

Basically, look for anything out of the ordinary, including in-

sects, diseases, nutrient disorders, etc. Immediately report any problems you are not sure of to your local Cooperative Extension agent or rice scientist.

My Entomology Project’s “2016 Entomology Research Report” can be downloaded from http://bit.ly/2qbP0BT MAY 2017 • RICE FARMING

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Industry News IN MEMORIAM

Noted UC Davis rice entomologist Larry Godfrey dies

Rice Market & Technology Convention set for Miami

University of California Extension entomologist Larry Godfrey, a 26-year member of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology faculty, died April 18 after a battle with cancer. He was 60.

Godfrey was a fixture at the California Rice Field Day in Biggs, making annual presentations on rice pests for the past 25 years. Much of his work focused on finding new insecticides to control rice water weevil.

He also was a strong proponent of integrated pest management to reduce agriculture’s footprint on the environment. UC Davis Extension entomologist Larry Godfrey talks about his latest rice water weevil trials during the 2016 A native of Indiana, California Rice Field Day at Biggs.

Godfrey became interested in insects watching farmers and homeowners battle the pests. A 4-H entomology project furthered his interest in insects.

He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in entomology from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., and a doctorate from the University of Kentucky, Lexington.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to pet rescue groups or groups that support young people interested in entomology or agriculture.

USA RICE

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

The Rice Market & Technology Convention, which brings together importers, millers and allied industry representatives from throughout the Western Hemisphere, will be held June 6-8 in Miami.

The conference has been organized by the Houston-based U.S. Rice Producers Association for the past 10 years.

As of early April, more than 120 rice-related businesses had registered.

In addition to networking opportunities, the convention will include an educational program with topics ranging from the new Trump administration to rice research, and the advances and outlook for hybrid rice. A post-harvest drying clinic will precede the conference.

For more information, visit www.rice mtconvention.com.

Liz Williams, president of the National Food & Beverage Foundation, presents Robert “Robbie” Trahan with a certificate naming Falcon Rice Mill to the Culinary Heritage Register.

Falcon Rice Mill named to culinary heritage list Falcon Rice Mill of Crowley, La., has been added to the National Culinary Heritage Register. The list, administered by the National Food & Beverage Foundation, recognizes culinary products, processes, inventions, traditions and establishments that are at least 50 years old and have contributed significantly to the development of American food and beverage history.

Falcon Rice Mill has been owned by the Falcon family for 75 years. It started in 1942 as a seed rice business, and the

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RICE FARMING • MAY 2017

family installed a milling operation in 1950.

The mill packs under several names, including the Cajun Country brand of long-, medium- and whole-grain brown; jasmine; and popcorn rice.

Nichino, Kyoyu Agri sign licensing deal for rice herbicide Wilmington, Del.-based Nichino America Inc. and Kawasaki, Japan-based Kyoyu Agri Co. Ltd. have signed a licensing agreement that would allow Nichino to market and sell the rice herbicide, pyraclonil, in California.

The product is not currently registered for use in the United States nor in California.

A PPO-inhibitor, pyraclonil belongs to the Weed Science Society of America Group 14. It offers a new mode of action to rice producers for the control of watergrass, including those populations resistant to other modes of action.

It already is registered for use in sev-

eral other countries and is one of the best selling rice herbicides in Japan, according to a news release.

Rice Field Days • June 27, 2017: Texas A&M Rice Field Day, David R. Wintermann Rice Research Station, Eagle Lake, Texas • June 28, 2017: H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station Field Day, Louisiana State University AgCenter, Crowley, La. • July 12, 2017: Northeast Louisiana Rice Field Day, Oak Ridge and Rayville, La. • July 13, 2017: Texas A&M Rice Field Day, Texas A&M AgriLife Beaumont Research Center, Beaumont, Texas • Aug. 4, 2017: University of Arkansas Rice Expo, Grand Prairie Center, Stuttgart, Ark. • Aug. 24, 2017: Missouri Rice Field Day, Missouri Rice Research Farm, Malden, Mo. • Aug. 30, 2017: California Rice Field Day, Rice Experiment Station, Biggs, Calif.

For the most up-to-date information, visit www.ricefaring.com/calendar/ RICEFARMING.COM

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