The Heat is On for California Rice Crop
By Steve Linscombe, Ph.D.
USA Rice
California rice growers are watching their thermometers as much as they are observing their rice fields these days. Daily high temperatures are forecasted to be well above 100 degrees through Saturday in Colusa which is located on the west side of the Sacramento Valley – reaching as high as 110 on Friday. Temperatures this high can have negative impacts on the crop but are much more damaging when the plants are first heading and pollination is occurring.