HERE WE GO AGAIN! Here is our first issue of RiceFax for 2010. This marks the beginning of our eleventh season. OVERVIEW Midsouth making progress. Planting in the Delta is proceeding at a fast pace. The weather broke out of that cold, wet pattern that dominated conditions over the winter and into the first days of spring. Plenty of sunshine and temperatures in the 80s quickly dried things out to the point that some rice now needs to be flushed. South Louisiana’s crop is behind due to cool weather conditions earlier that delayed planting and stymied plant development. A drier weather pattern has has necessitated flushing. Texas growers continue planting. The same rainy patterns that helped refill reservoirs and flush hurricane-deposited salt from fields also has caused widescale planting delays. CROP REPORTS Johnny Saichuk, Louisiana Extension Rice Specialist, Crowley, La.: "Our biggest deal right now is that people were waiting earlier for a rain and didn’t want to flush. But it didn’t rain. When they finally did flush, the crop was that much more behind. We’ve seen a big shift with the weather. A month ago it was too wet to do anything. But now a lot of areas haven’t had significant rain in two weeks or longer. I’m in a field in St. Landry Parish today (4/13) where we’re doing some research, and the last rain here was 0.14 of an inch on April 1. We’re going to be late this year, no question about it. We haven’t had the heat units needed to make rice move early. Conditions are very, very comfortable for us, which is good for people but not conducive to normal rice development." Wayne Dulaney, Dulaney Seed Co., Clarksdale, Miss.: "We’re going full bore here right now. A good bit of rice is going in the ground, and a little is up. Some people are putting out glyphosate right behind the planter where they applied Command. Conditions are real good. Compared to last year, it’s a completely different season. I’m calibrating drills right now, and it’s about to run me ragged. Where rice is up, it’s just spiked through."
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Chuck Wilson, Arkansas Extension Rice Agronomist, Stuttgart, Ark.: "Things are rocking along. If it remains dry, I won’t be surprised if we’ve planted 40% of the rice by the end of the week. We had planted 19% of the crop by last Friday, according to USDA, and people have steadily been planting since then. We’re starting to flush some rice, it’s been that dry." Garry N. McCauley, Extension Rice Production Specialist, Eagle Lake, Texas: "We’ve got people still planting, while others are finished. I would guess that we’re over 50% planted (as of 4/14). Acreage probably will be at or above the 170,000 acres we had last year. Several canal divisions already are maxed out on the water they can deliver, which is a clear indication that acreage is up. We also expect more acreage on the east side of Houston because we’ve had a very wet winter. All that rain pushed out salt that was deposited with Hurricane Ike, and the salt had prevented rice production in affected fields. We expect a lot of that land to come back into production this year. Our main rice producing areas have missed the last 2 to 3 opportunities for rain. When fronts did come through, they were dry, then the temperatures dropped and the wind picked up and made things that much drier. Everybody right now (4/13) is watering like crazy. In west Wharton County I’m seeing that little mist of blowing dust, so we might get some sand blasting. All the rain this winter really made it possible to have more rice this year. The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA, which manages reservoirs and supplies irrigation water to parts of the state) announced in January that there would be enough water in reserve for the main rice crop, then in February said that there would be enough for a ratoon crop, too." Wendell Minson, Bootheel Crop Consultants, Dexter, Mo.: "We’ve had 3 to 4 excellent days for planting. The wind hasn’t blown, and it’s been 81 to 82 degrees. We have some rice that’s already up. By this weekend my customers probably will have 25% of their rice planted, maybe more than that. The rice that isn’t up yet (4/14) will need rain for emergence at this point. There’s a slight chance for Friday and Saturday. Where they could start planting, growers began pushing hard last Wednesday (4/7). Rain has varied lately. A strip right through the middle of my biggest rice county missed the last rain. But parts of my territory got 2 inches, and those growers are just now able to start working ground a little." Nathan Buehring, Mississippi Extension Rice Specialist: "Planting conditions are pretty good. Some of the lighter soils are drying up now (4/14) and getting a little hard, but the heavier soils are still mellow and working pretty good. Given another good week, we will have a lot of our crop planted. Most of this year’s rice ground has at least been worked, so it’s ready for planting. We are reaching the point that people will be begging for a rain later this week where they’ve planted and need moisture for emergence. On the other hand, growers who still need to work some land will be hoping for dry conditions. Rice planted before last week’s rain is already up with this stretch of 80-degree temperatures, and it’s coming up to pretty good stands. Some recommendations have been made for flushing, but I doubt if much will get done anytime soon because everyone is trying to plant. But we probably will see flushing start in places by this weekend (4/17-18) if we don’t get rain." Curt Johnson, CRC Ag Consulting, LLC, Lake Village, Ark.: "We’re 25% finished with rice planting. I’m driving across a field right now (4/14) and seeing pretty much a stand. Some of my earliest rice, in fact, has been up for a week, planted around March 20. I was surprised that it made it out, considering how cool it’s been. My acreage is up 25% to 30%. Nearly all of my growers are increasing rice acreage. Some are going up a little, but at least one will more than double what he planted last year. The additional rice acreage is coming out of cotton and corn. My partners and I keep hearing that cotton acreage is going up everywhere else, but it’s not increasing here." Stuart Gauthier, Extension Agent, Vermilion Parish, La.: "We made some farm visits around the parish today (4/14) and found that many fields are getting their first Newpath application and are being flushed. Our estimate puts us at close to 70% finished with planting. Also, close to 75% of our rice is being drilled. At all cost, it is important with drilled and water seeded rice to keep the fields moist while germination is occurring and the seedlings are young. Some fields already have been flushed 2 or 3 times. That’s not excessive. It is necessary to look at each field on an individual basis and make sure that it stays moist. This will also help herbicides work better. We have some farmers trying to wait for weeds to get more advanced before making their first Newpath application. Research has never shown that this approach is beneficial in the long run. In the end, early weed competition has the biggest impact on yield." ALSO OF NOTE Louisiana Rice Delayed By Cool, Dry Conditions, Plus Scouting Tips 4-12. Louisiana Rice Field Notes From Johnny Saichuks E-Central Louisiana: Don't Forget Political Agriculture This Spring; More Stripe Rust In Wheat; More Growers Coming Back To Cotton 4-11. Ag Report from Agricultural Management Services, Inc. Also, updates on soybeans, corn, rice Arkansas Daily Grain Prices Louisiana Rough Rice Louisiana Ports Daily Gulf Grain Mississippi Daily Grain Prices Texas Gulf Grain Quotes
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Owen Taylor, Editor. owen@agfax.com ©2010 AgFax Media | 
