AgFax Rice - Louisiana

by AgFax Media LLC, AgFax.com

OVERVIEW

Excessively hot weather in the Midsouth continues to raise concerns about grain quality and maybe yields.

Harvest activity has widened in coastal areas, probably more so in Louisiana than in Texas. Not much info yet on rice yields, although they do appear to be improving in southwest Louisiana after a few disappointing reports last week on the front end of harvest.

More rice is heading in the Delta. No reports of draining.

Rice stink bug pressure varies in the Midsouth. In places, counts fell off as more rice headed and the insects dispersed into other fields. But treatments continue in parts of the region, with particularly high counts in places.

Fall armyworms also are being treated in more Midsouth rice. 

LOUISIANA CROP REPORTS:

Richard Griffing, Griffing Consulting, LLC, Monterey, Louisiana: "We'll begin draining rice in 2 weeks (from 7/19) or even sooner if we keep getting good sunshine. Stink bugs haven't been horrible but they were there. We did have to treat everything, but they're pretty well under control this week."

Dustin Harrell, Louisiana Rice Extension Specialist, LSU Rice Research Station, Crowley: "Yields have picked up some since last week, which is absolutely great. Some CL111 and CL151 are cutting in the upper 40s (barrels/acre) and some CL151 pushed into the 50s. Those are the kinds of numbers we'd hoped to see with the first fields, but the earliest returns last week were more in the low to mid 40s. So, I'm really relieved with this week's numbers.

"Most of the rice being harvested right now will be ratooned, and we sure don't want to approach that with a wait-and-see attitude. In other words, don't wait to see how the rice is growing after harvest before moving into your ratoon program. Immediately after you cut a field shift into a proactive mode. Manage the stubble, apply the fertilizer and establish a shallow flood ASAP."