Chairman's Report - 2000

 

 

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Rice Research Board Chairman, Geroge Sligar, Jr.

 

 

Welcome to the 32nd annual report to the California Rice Growers. In the pages that follow we examine how our ongoing investment in research is benefiting California rice farmers. New varieties are in development through our extensive rice breeding program. New strategies are being fashioned to Chairman.jpg (8455 bytes)cope with weeds, insects and diseases. Environmental concerns are being addressed in studies of chemicals, water use and through our exemplary agricultural burning program. Other projects are examining soil fertility, rice quality and product development. It's been a busy and fruitful year in the laboratories, greenhouses and rice fields. My comments highlight some of those achievements in brief.

The agricultural burning program in which the rice industry takes part has been described as a model for air pollution control districts around the state. In the Rice Straw Burning Program section of this report, learn how this well-organized effort takes advantage of atmospheric conditions to maximize burning only under favorable dispersion scenarios. The resultant minimal impact to the air quality of the valley is reflected in the comparatively few complaints received from valley residents.

Progress in the Rice Breeding Program is taking place on many fronts. For instance, efforts to incorporate blast resistance in California-adapted varieties have increased significantly. In other breeding developments, Foundation seed increase took place last year for two new varieties. M-104 is a very early medium grain that holds promise for replacing M-103 in the coolest rice production areas. M-205 is an early, high yielding medium grain that provides an alternative to M-202 and may take the place of M-204 in warmer production areas. And the experimental line 98-Y-242, a very early to early maturing, smooth, high-yielding Calrose medium grain, could eventually replace M-202 in both warm and cool production areas.

Statewide trials are the proving ground for promising new varieties that take place at 16 on-farm sites throughout the rice growing regions of California and in similar tests at the Rice Experiment Station. Commercial standards continue to perform well in these tests, providing a benchmark for improvement. Nitrogen management guidelines for five recently released varieties and progress on a leaf color chart for nitrogen management and a potassium fertility study are also discussed in the Variety Trials section.

Geneticists at UC Davis are furthering their understanding of the basic building blocks of improved rice varieties. Reported in the Genetics section are efforts to tap into sources of blast resistance and cold tolerance through genetic mapping. Sources of improved seedling vigor and weed competitiveness are also discussed. In a separate, yet related, study reported in Salinity Tolerance, other scientists are looking into the genetic mechanisms that could improve tolerance to salinity, an issue of concern in some parts of the Sacramento Valley.

Rice straw management has entered into a new era since growers have begun implementing alternatives to burning. One project is seeking to find out how prolonged straw incorporation is affecting yields and weed and disease pressure under different fertilizer rates. Read about it in Reassessing Soil Nitrogen Availability and Fertilizer Recommendations under Alternative Rice Residue Management Practices.

Weed control is a chief concern of the California rice industry and thus continues as a major area of research. Weed scientists are examining promising new herbicides, such as Regiment, Shark, Command and Clincher. Combinations of herbicides, an important part of the strategy to delay resistance to herbicides, are also reported. Studies on these and related areas are detailed in the section Weed Control in Rice.

Propanil research continued with aerial studies in 2000. Although there is no report on this research for 2000, the work was wrapped up this year and vital information delivered to DPR. The combination of this work, and results from last year, have provided data needed to facilitate regulation change. This effort was completed through the cooperation and concerted effort of the registrants, UCD, CAAA, CRC, Ag Commissioners and the RRB.

Efforts to understand and control stem rot, aggregate sheath spot, blast, and the newest fungal disease, Bakanae, are reported in the section Cause and Control of Rice Diseases. This project is also developing a sampling technique to determine whether burning permits should be issued under the "safe harbor" clause of the Agriculture Burning Reduction Act. A related study is seeking to develop an early warning system to let growers and PCAs know in advance about the presence of blast. Progress on this remote weather station-based intelligence gathering system is reported in Implementation of a Rice Blast Warning System.

The third major area of pest control under study is invertebrate pests and the major insect pest of concern is the Rice Water Weevil (RWW). In Protection of Rice from Invertebrate Pests, entomologists are examining a number of promising controls, including chemical products such as Dimilin and Warrior, and experimental compounds such as Mustang, Icon and Novodor. Researchers are also using a new in-field monitoring device to keep track of RWW. Cultural controls, such as winter flooding, also look promising in these studies. Finally, scientists report differences among rice varieties in their susceptibility to RWW.

A new effort was undertaken in 2000 to understand the cause of delayed phytotoxicity syndrome (DPS) in rice. Reported in the section The Microbial Degradation of Pesticides Important to Rice Culture, scientists point to a byproduct of the rice herbicide thiobencarb (Bolero) on certain soil types as the cause of the problem. The syndrome is characterized by yellowing, stunting and eventually plant death.

Environmental toxicologists are continuing efforts to understand why the rice herbicide molinate (Ordram) seems to pose a greater risk to lab rats than to humans in real-world exposures. This work is reported in Molinate: A Metabolic Explanation for Species Differences in Susceptibility to Male Reproductive Toxicity.

An accurate accounting of water resource use was the motivation behind another new study, Measuring Crop Water Use in California Rice. Previous estimates were based on studies conducted more than 30 years ago. With the advent of new varieties and changes in the methods used to estimate evapotranspiration, preliminary findings strongly suggest actual use is far less than earlier projections.

Refinements were made last year to the California Cooperative Extension World Wide Web site for rice, including the addition of rice water weevil trap count information. This project is briefly addressed in World Wide Web site on California Rice Production.

In Maintaining Rice Quality after Harvest, agricultural engineers take a close look at a number of handling and storage factors that affect grain quality. Harvest moisture, for instance, was shown to have a significant impact on conditions that could lead to off-odors. This section also reports that one-pass drying looks promising and ventilating wet rice in trailers could improve quality.

Food scientists at USDA's Western Regional Research Center in Albany continue work on the textural properties of rice and the antioxidant and cancer-fighting properties of rice bran. Read about a baby food study and the health advantages of "phytochemicials" found in rice in the section Rice Utilization and Product Development.

Another study is examining how rice straw can best be used as supplemental cattle feed. In Rice Straw Utilization by Cattle, read about experiments with "haylage," grazing livestock on rice straw and the comparative forage values of different rice varieties.

As another season begins, we can look to the future with confidence that our challenges are being addressed with sound, scientific research. It's an investment I think we collectively know is essential. The success of the research program is due to the dedicated work of many individuals. Your ongoing support and input are also necessary and appreciated. Thank you on behalf of the Rice Research Board. Best wishes for a prosperous year.

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