Since the Board's inception, average yields have jumped from 5,200 pounds to the acre to more than 7,700 pounds-an increase no one dreamt possible 20 years ago. Without it, many of us probably wouldn't have survived the depressed markets of the 1980s.

The primary reason for the increase lies in varietal improvement, which wouldn't have been possible without the rice breeding program at the Rice Experiment Station in Biggs. This year our plant breeders released a new premium quality medium grain and most likely will release a second by year's end. Hundreds of other crosses and panicle selections laid the groundwork for improvements down the road.

Development of new varieties also involves geneticists, who are seeking methods of integrating classical plant-breeding techniques with genetic engineering. Researchers are closer than ever to finding a new herbicide-tolerant strain, and are attempting-albeit with some frustration-to find an economical method of developing hybrid rice.

Entomologists are searching for varieties with tolerance against an old nemesis-the rice water weevil. They've compared organic and conventional fields, looked at safer methods of chemical control and examined new cultural techniques. Out of all this research, it appears better weevil control may be attained by draining fields for a short period of time in the early part of the growing season. The studies continue.

Of course, once new varieties have been developed, they must pass the acid test of real growing conditions. Researchers again put a number of advanced breeding lines through the hoops in nine trials for uniform evaluation. There are some high yielders among those tested. Check the results in the section on variety trials and cultural practices for specifics.

Coordinating the ever-increasing amount of management knowledge is a monumental task, one that will become easier with development of the computerized "expert system." A similar software program works well now for cotton growers in the San Joaquin Valley and should work well for us too.

Results from tests run by University of California researchers in Davis again show that how rice seed is stored will make a big difference in germination and, eventually, in your yields. These figures are the sort of crucial base we need to make intelligent management decisions at all stages of the production cycle.

If anything, the experiences of the past decade have shown we cannot rely too heavily on the export market. It is essential, therefore, that we continue to find new ways of reaching domestic consumers. USDA researchers announced encouraging new findings this year about the ability of rice bran to fight cholesterol, news that should stimulate consumption of processed rice products.

Air quality is an issue all industries must deal with. The excellent work of our agricultural burning program shows that we can successfully manage smoke from burned fields. Complaints were limited to a few days this past season.

Our efforts to reduce smoke from stubble burning has led to an increased interest in alternative methods of rice straw disposal. Researchers began to compare how different systems might impact the incidence of rice diseases. They also began an inventory of beneficial microorganisms to determine the potential for biocontrol of rice diseases.

The future of our industry is increasingly being controlled and affected by public perceptions of how we use agricultural chemicals and what happens to them after they've been applied. As the state's recent suspension of bentazon will attest, we must be diligent in our efforts to find better methods of weed control. An herbicide called Londax® holds new hope of effective control with no lingering residues to threaten water supplies. Rice Board research produced the scientific evidence needed for approval in California.

But don't kid yourself: New issues will arise; it is in the nature of our dynamic enterprise. It is also a strong statement that we need an objective forum like the Rice Research Board to ensure our continued success.