Welcome growers and other interested readers to the 34th annual report to the California Rice Growers.  The pages that follow delve into the latest rice industry funded research. Development of new varieties, progressive pest management strategies, and an analysis of factors affecting milling quality are chief among the topics explored.

California rice acreage jumped from 471,000 acres in 2001 to 540,000 acres in 2002.  The vast majority of this acreage has been planted with one of the improved varieties developed at the Rice Experiment Station.  The newest in the family of these publicly developed rice varieties is M-206, a very early to early semi dwarf that matures a few days earlier than M-202.  It is characterized by improved lodging resistance, higher blanking resistance and improved head rice.  Good milling yields, a stable variety in less than ideal field conditions, M-206 promises to be a solid Calrose medium grain.  Many other highlights are reported in the section on the Rice Breeding Program.

Before any promising experimental line is released as a new variety, it must undergo rigorous testing in Statewide Variety Trials.  These tests are conducted at 16 on-farm locations throughout the state and at the Rice Experiment Station.  In the Variety Trials section read about results of this research, as well as work on nitrogen fertilization, a seeding rate trial on M-205 and a moisture meter calibration experiment.

An experiment examining nutrient cycling changes following prolonged straw incorporation is winding down. Although researchers clearly showed that nitrogen applications can be reduced significantly in these fields, they caution against extrapolating to all fields.   The section Impact of Straw Incorporation on Yield reports on this important relationship between straw management and optimal nitrogen fertilizer applications.

Weed control continues to be one of the most challenging areas of pest management for our rice scientists. Research on promising new herbicides such as Cerano, Clincher and Shark get close scrutiny at different rates, timings and application methods.  Prompted by the need to ensure genetic purity as established by the California Rice Certification Act (CRCA), a large experiment  continued on distances necessary to prevent pollen migration from transgenic to non-transgenic rice.  This and other related research is reported in Weed Control in Rice.

Another major area of rice protection research can be found in the section Cause and Control of Rice Diseases.  Historically, stem rot and aggregate sheath spot have been the rice diseases in the spotlight, but in recent years more attention has been drawn to the two newest diseases — rice blast and Bakanae.   Blast was virtually non-existent in 2002.  Much of the work reported in this section focuses on what scientists are learning about Bakanae.

The third major area of pest management work is reported in Protection of Rice from Invertebrate Pests.  Rice water weevil (RWW) continues to occupy much of this project, although new work on army worms  and “peck” rice has also been initiated.  Results are summarized from extensive ring plots studying the effectiveness of various chemicals on RWW.

The chemicals involved in most pest control work are naturally degraded in the environment, but understanding how is critical to their safe and effective use.  This work is reported in the section on Environmental Fate of Rice Pesticides.  An investigation on the relationship between Bolero, anaerobic bacteria and stunted rice is analyzed in some detail. A related study reported in Control of Tadpole Shrimp discusses efforts to control this crustacean.

Deciphering the factors that affect head rice quality was the rationale for pursuing a research project reported in Water Activity and Rice Quality.  Scientists examined the relationship between moisture content and water activity in 78 loads of rice unloaded at a receiving facility in West Sacramento. A separate but related study looked for relationships between moisture, combine damage and rice quality in Geographic and Environmental Factors Affecting Rice Milling Quality and Yield. 

Yet another study focusing on milling seeks to examine sampling procedures — essentially unchanged in 50 years.  The accuracy of milling samples, which have a major impact on grower returns, is something of paramount financial concern.  Read about this work in Improvement of Rice Sample Milling.

The effect of low water temperature on blanking and grain yield is the focus of another interesting project.  Water temperature has become a matter of concern because of efforts to improve habitat quality for fish.  Reported in Effect of Low Water Temperature on Yield, researchers show what they’ve learned from work on one field near Thermalito Afterbay and another near Richvale.

In Rice Utilization and Product Development learn how food scientists at the USDA’s Western Regional Research Center in Albany are studying textural properties of rice and the nutritional properties of rice bran and a germinated brown rice product gaining favor in Japan. 

Work on two products in the rice utilization area are focusing on how rice straw can be used as livestock feed.  The first, as reported in Rice Straw Utilization for Feedlot Cattle, examines the extent to which a macerator — a mechanical treatment — makes rice straw more palatable to livestock in feedlots.  The other study — Defining Forage Variability — continues work on the use of rice straw as a livestock forage supplement on Northern California ranches.  The study underscores the need for close attention to field handling of rice straw to ensure continued viability of a market for this product.

Finally, as it has for more than 20 years, the Sacramento Valley Fall Burn program continues to minimize impacts to the air quality in the communities where rice is grown.  Open rice field burning dropped to an historic low of 37,373 acres last fall.

You, the growers, fund this work through the Rice Research Board.  Our financial commitment to finding science-based solutions to the issues we face continues to produce tangible economic and environmental results.  Our success can be attributed to your dedication and to the collaboration of many individuals.  It has been an honor and privilege to serve you as chairman of the Rice Research Board.  Thank you for your continuous support.  Although planting has been stressful and problematic, I hope all of you have a safe and prosperous 2003 season.