Station Blog Field Harvested

The field of Catahoula rice was harvested Thursday (Aug. 7), and the yield was 43.9 barrels (or 71.1 hundredweight) per acre, according to Larry White, director of the Rice Research Station Foundation Seed Program. The rice was cut at 18.8 percent moisture, and it will take about a week to dry the crop down to 12 percent. Next step is to clean the crop at the Rice Research Station facility to be sold as foundation seed.

Zaunbrecher Field Harvested

The final figures are in for the harvest at Blue Zaunbrecher’s field Wednesday (July 30).
According to Dr. Johnny Saichuk, LSU AgCenter rice specialist, the 37-acre field yielded 7,601 pounds per acre. That works out to 46.9 barrels, or 169 bushels, or 76.01 hundredweight.
If the dry-down factor is considered for 12 percent moisture, the net yield is 7,282 pounds per acre, 45 barrels, 161.8 bushels or 72.82 cwt.
Zaunbrecher, shown in the combine pictured above, said the field’s wet conditions resulted in heavy rutting in some areas, but he is flooding the field for a possible second crop.
In the photo below, Zaunbrecher’s nephew, Bryce Zaunbrecher, levels out the rice being loaded onto a truck.

Meanwhile, harvest is expected sometime around Aug. 6 for the blog field at the Rice Research Station. Larry White, director of the rice station’s foundation seed program, said field received an inch of rain Thursday.

Field Work at Rice Station

A team of roguers walked seed production fields Monday at the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station to remove plants called off-types that have undesired characteristics, such as excessive height, along with any red rice plants. However, red rice plants are very rarely found on the Rice Research Station. The fields are rogued to further ensure a variety’s purity.
Larry White, manager of the station’s seed production program, worked with the roguers and he is at far left in the picture.

Visitors to Wednesday’s Rice Station Field Day can get a look at the blog field during the tours Researchers will discuss their work during the hour-long field tours that start at 7:30 a.m. The final tour will start at 9:15 a.m.

The station received 1.03 inches of rain during the weekend.

Blog fields doing well

Another application of insecticide may be needed for Blue Zaunbrecher’s field to combat stinkbugs. Malathion was applied last week but a check of the field Wednesday (June 25) showed fairly high numbers of the insects.
LSU AgCenter County Agent Eddie Eskew found 40 stinkbugs in 120 sweeps with a net, and Kim Landry of the LSU AgCenter rice verification program counted 26 in 100 sweeps and Zaunbrecher came up with 44 in 100 sweeps. The minimum threshold is 30, so another insecticide application is being recommended.

Harvest is just around the corner, with a projected date of July 17 at the earliest, and Zaunbrecher said he will drain the north part of the field soon where the developing grains are in the dough stage. The developing grains on the south half of the field is in the milk stage.

For detailed explanations of milk and dough stages go to: http://lsuagcenterrice.blogspot.com/2007/07/rice-crop-maturing.html

Eskew said some fields in Jefferson Davis Parish are already being drained, which means they could be harvested as early as July 10.

The blog field at the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station is about 10 percent headed, according to Larry White, manager of the Rice Station’s Foundation Seed Program.
He said a team will be at the field Monday to rogue the field of off-types and red rice.
The field probably won’t be ready for harvest until the last week of July or the first week of August, White said.

Heavy rainfall Wednesday dumped 1.72 inches (4.4 centimeters) of rain on the station.
The annual Rice Research Station Field Day will be held next Wednesday (July 2) with field tours beginning at 7:30 a.m. If you would like a firsthand look at the Catahoula blog field and also like to learn more about rice production, please plan to attend.

Weather turning warmer, plant growth improving

The Zaunbrecher rice field near Lake Arthur is progressing slowly, like many rice fields in South Louisiana. But Dr. Johnny Saichuk, LSU AgCenter rice specialist, is pleased with how the crop appears. With warmer temperatures the crop should begin to grow quickly.

Saichuk determined that some of the plants have a half-inch of internode elongation, shown on in the plant on the right of the picture of two dissected plants. Green ring in both plants is circled in black, and the black line shows the elongation.

Saichuk said the half-inch node is significant. “That’s when you no longer want to make 2,4-D applications.”
Saichuk said the plants will start using more and more water, and he advised Ronnie “Blue” Zaunbrecher to pump up the level.
“This is when rice can use as much as an inch of water a day,” he said.
Saichuk estimates that the rice plants will reach boot stage on June 10, and harvest will be the last week in July.
He said weekly visits to the Zaunbrecher field will focus on scouting for diseases and stinkbugs.
The Rice Research Station field of Catahoula variety is progressing nicely. Thin spots are slowly beginning to disappear as this is the growth stage where maximum tillering (stooling) occurs. The plants are nearing the panicle initiation growth stage which is when the plants begin to shift from vegetative to reproductive growth stages.

Lots of rain

Rice fields across South Louisiana are draining excess water after Thursday morning’s heavy downpour. Young rice plants in the blog field at the Rice Research Station were underwater after getting 4.25 inches of rainfall. Larry White, manager of the Rice Research Station’s foundation seed program, had to make levee repairs and drain off excess water.
Meanwhile, at the blog field grown by Ronnie “Blue” Zaunbrecher of Lake Arthur, a little more than 3 inches fell. Zaunbrecher said he will have 2,4-D sprayed on the field to combat alligator weed.
Cool temperatures are expected tonight and Saturday, with a steady warm-up expected and no forecast of rain possibilities until late next week.

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.