Introduction - 71
 

 

 

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HERE IS 1972 INFORMATION OF IMPORTANCE TO YOUR RICE-PRODUCTION DECISIONS

þ A check mark indicates items that apply NOW -- in 1972. Other items give the newest research findings on the shape of future developments designed to keep the California rice grower economically healthy in the business of farming.

DIVIDENDS ON YOUR RESEARCH DOLLARS

Your financial support for the carefully planned California rice research program has led other agencies, including industry, to coordinate their re search effort and dollars into the total effort. This avoids duplication of research effort, conserves funds for all concerned, and assures earlier achievement of goals.

Another consequence is that facilities devoted to rice research have been expanded to achieve established goals. The key goal of modernizing the facilities at your Rice Experiment Station and employing a capable staff of three plant breeders has been accomplished. A supplementary rice research facility developed at UC Davis has functioned successfully for three crop seasons. The field stations of the University have become more involved. The Imperial Valley Field Station is being used as-a point of introduction of hundreds of new varieties and lines from overseas in order to have new germplasm required for the accelerated breeding program. The Westside Field Station at Five Points is being used to test new genetic lines and potentially new varieties. The UC-USDA cooperative research has shown how to make rice straw usable as a livestock feed.

FEATURED THIS YEAR - NEW-VARIETY PROGRESS AND RESIDUE MANAGEMENT

þ CS-M3 RANKED AS A TOP-YIELDING VARIETY

This new smooth-hulled medium-grain variety has proved to be a topyielding variety broadly adapted for use north of Stockton as a replacement for Calrose. At the West Side Field Station it yielded slightly but not significantly lower than Calrose. It threshes well, is free of hairs on the hulls, and the mill head yield equals that of Calrose.

þ CS-S4 IS ANOTHER POTENTIAL REPLACEMENT

This smooth-hulled pearl variety will compete with Caloro. In 1971 it equaled Caloro in yields in tests at Davis, Robbins, and the West Side Field Station. Over several years of testing at Biggs, Willows, and Escalon it has outyielded Caloro by 6%. Foundation and registered seed is available to growers.

ASSURED STANDS GETTING CLOSER

Traditional rice-growing methods are not yet outmoded, but the day nears as research seeks to outmode seed soaking and assure good stands from the initial seeding. In experiments, coating seed with an oxygen-yielding compound made it possible to drill or sow from the air and then flood. For now, the compound is scarce and expensive, and technical problems remain.

WINTER NURSERY SPEEDS SCREENING AND BREEDING

Variety development time is reduced by growing new selections in Hawaii. Grown this past winter were 6,000 selections and 200 rows for seed. An additional SO lines were increased in Puerto Rico.


Only the highlights of the total program of California rice research are summarized here. To cover new information for your operations in the fewest words, no distinction is made between the work by the various organizations:

  • University of California
  • California Cooperative Rice research Foundation, Inc. (Rice Experiment Station, Biggs)
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife (U.S. Department of the Interior)
  • Commercial companies cooperating on various aspects of the total program

For more details on matters of special interest to you, get in touch with scientists of those organizations or with your local UC Farm Advisor.

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