Four herbicides were sprayed Wednesday morning onto the rice crop on the blog field at the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station.
Dr. Eric Webster, LSU AgCenter weed scientist, said the compounds mixed together included Arrosolo for grasses including sprangletop, Prowl for its residual action on grasses, Londax for broadleaf weeds and sedges, and Permit to fight sedges and residual effects on broadleaf weeds. The yellow coloring from the plume of spray is from Prowl.
Larry White, manager of the Rice Research Station’s seed program said that urea fertilizer will be applied by airplane Thursday morning at the rate of 200 pounds per acre (this will be 92 lb of actual nitrogen per acre) then the permanent flood will be pumped onto the field.

Meanwhile at the Zaunbrecher field near Lake Arthur, Dr. John Saichuk, LSU AgCenter rice specialist, said the crop looks good, but it is growing slowly because of recent cool temperatures.
“It looks good, but it’s just moving slowly.”

Saichuk said green ring stage had been predicted for May 18-20, but now he thinks that will be pushed back by a few days because of the slow growth rate.
Saichuk said farmer Ronnie “Blue” Zaunbrecher will pump some water onto the field to bring up the water level. The week’s rainfall total was a quarter inch, or .7 of a centimeter.