In the Midsouth, the curves of rice field levees are being replaced by straight rows, a change that can save growers time and money.
Most of the rice in Arkansas and the Rice Belt is grown in controlled floods. But weed challenges, high input costs and fewer labor resources have many growers adapting to “row rice,” named for rice grown in furrow-irrigated rows without the benefit of a controlled flood. In 2019, row rice accounted for more than 100,000 acres — or more than 10 percent — of overall rice production in Arkansas.
“This new practice gives the grower greater flexibility, and we expect to see it increase in the coming years because the practice simplifies rotations and decreases the time and expense associated with flood-irrigated rice,” says Thacher DeStefano, UPL’s marketing manager for Southern crops.
“We know growers have faced many challenges in the past few years, and seeing the industry adapt and change is inspiring. At UPL, we want to support growers with the weed-control solutions like RICEONE® and RICEBEAUX® that best fit their needs with this new production method,” he adds.
A Perfect Fit to Control Weeds in Row Rice
“UPL offers several of the industry’s leading herbicide options for rice growers. When we think about dry-seeded or row rice, UPL recommends a one-two punch of RICEONE CS and RICEBEAUX to control weed pressures,” DeStefano says.
RICEONE CS can be used early in the season as a delayed pre-emergent or early post-emergent application. With its long residual control of broadleaf weeds, it allows growers to get a clean field early in the season. With two active ingredients, pendimethalin and clomazone, it’s the preferred first application for row rice fields.
The second herbicide growers want to consider in row rice is UPL’s RICEBEAUX. It provides contact and residual control in the broadest spectrum of weeds in the rice industry. It was specifically developed to fill the gap in the Clearfield Production System.
RICEBEAUX is an EC formulation containing 3 lbs. propanil and 3 lbs. thiobencarb per gallon. With multiple modes of action and a broad weed spectrum, RICEBEAUX is a reliable mid-season tool for row and conventional rice acres.
Solutions That Give Growers Flexibility
“Row rice also gives growers the advantage of waiting to see how commodity prices are moving before deciding what to plant. If rice is showing the best return, a row-rice crop can be planted in a field where levees will not have to be prepared,” DeStefano says.
The practice also allows growers to conserve water during reduced allocations, reduce labor needs and cut back on other production inputs to raise a healthy crop.
For more information, contact your local UPL representative.
