Arkansas Rice Update 9-1-23

by Jarrod Hardke, Rice Extension Agronomist - September 1, 2023

Arkansas Rice Update 2023-24

September 1, 2023

Jarrod Hardke, Tommy Butts, & Jason Norsworthy

“I’m a victim of life’s circumstances…”

Pros and Cons

It’s been moving week in rice country.  Most have combines on the move and any that don’t are jumping up and down to get started.

Yield reports continue to be nearly all positive, continuing to reflect how strong this crop has looked throughout the majority of the season.  However, the news isn’t all good.

Milling yield reports have been underwhelming to put it mildly.  Most of these reports have come from central and south AR (where the majority of harvest has taken place so far).  Late July into early August brought more sustained periods of high nighttime temperatures during grain fill in these areas (Fig. 3).

At this time that’s the likely scenario – high nighttime temps (HNT) can lead to thinner kernels which can reduce total milled rice and since they’re thinner can be more prone to breakage and lower head rice.  Northeast AR didn’t experience the same levels of HNT so there’s a chance we see some marked improvement going forward.

There is some rain in the forecast for early next week, but total amounts are forecast to be minimal.  It may slow harvest somewhat, but often small rain events can actually help dry grain out a little quicker, perhaps improving the pace of harvest by getting more of the crop ready.

It’s still early, with plenty to learn about this crop turns out.  September is Rice Month, and hopefully it brings us continued positive harvest conditions.

Let us know if we can help.

Fig. 1.  NOAA 7-day precipitation forecast.

Fig. 2.  Arkansas rice harvest progress, 2012-2023.

Fig. 3.  Nighttime temperatures at selected locations in eastern Arkansas from June 15 to August 31, 2023.

New on Arkansas Row Crops Radio this week:

Rice & Advice 8-31-23:  Harvest Aids

Entomology Update 8-31-23: Late Season Clean Up for Loopers, Stink Bugs and Spider Mites

Rice Harvest Loss Behind the Combine

Jarrod Hardke

Table 1 provides a generalized estimate of converting rice kernel counts to harvest loss.  There’s a process for arriving at an accurate average number though.

The most accurate way to do the count is to count a 10 ft2 area across the entire header width.  For a 30 ft header, that’s an area 30 ft wide x 4 inches.  Not a real feasible or convenient count to make.

Instead, it may be much more straightforward to take a few simple counts from respective areas behind the machine.

For a 30-ft header, think of it as having three 10-ft sections.  Take a single square foot count in the center of each of these 10-ft sections.  Add the three counts and divide them by three to give you an average per square foot.

Remember to count any kernels already on the ground in an unharvested area to deduct from your count that has already shattered on the ground.

Table 1.  Converting rice field loss counts into bushels per acre.

Herbicide Resistant Weed Samples

Jason Norsworthy & Tommy Butts

As harvest gets in full swing, now is often a good time to collect samples from possible herbicide-resistant weed populations.  The primary weeds to be evaluated are barnyardgrass, Pennsylvania smartweed, weedy rice, and white-margined flatsedge.

Barnyardgrass samples will be screened against Roundup, Command, Facet, Newpath, Regiment, Ricestar, and Propanil.

Smartweed samples will be screened against Gambit and Regiment.

Weedy rice samples will be screened against Newpath, Provisia, and Rogue.

To submit samples:

1. Collect 40-50 seedheads from a field.

2. Place seedheads in a paper bag.

3. If submitting multiple samples, keep in separate, labeled bags.

4. Allow seedheads to dry for ~7 days.

5. Do not use plastic bags or sealed bags as seeds can rot.

6. Complete a herbicide resistance screening form for each sample (obtain at county Extension office).

7. Submit samples and forms to county Extension office.

The deadline to submit samples is Nov. 1.  Results are typically ready in early March.

DD50 Rice Management Program is Live

The DD50 Rice Management Program is live and ready for fields to be enrolled for the 2023 season.  All log-in and producer information has been retained from the 2022 season, so if you used the program last year you can log in just as you did last year.  Log in and enroll fields here:  https://dd50.uada.edu.

Use the Arkansas Rice Advisor Internet App!

The Arkansas Rice Advisor site https://riceadvisor.uada.edu functions like an app on your mobile device.  There you can readily access the DD50 program, rice seeding rate calculator, drill calibration, fertilizer and N rate calculators, publications, and more.

Additional Information

Arkansas Rice Updates are published periodically to provide timely information and recommendations for rice production in Arkansas.  If you would like to be added to this email list, please send your request to rice@uada.edu.

This information will also be posted to the Arkansas Row Crops blog (http://www.arkansas-crops.com/) where additional information from Extension specialists can be found.

More information on rice production, including access to all publications and reports, can be found at http://www.uaex.uada.edu/rice.

Acknowledgements

We sincerely appreciate the support for this publication provided by the rice farmers of Arkansas and administered by the Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board.

The authors greatly appreciate the feedback and contributions of all growers, county agents, consultants, and rice industry stakeholders.