Breaking through the crust

Despite last week’s torrential rain, the surface of the blog field is dry and crusty. Shown above is a rice sprout breaking through the soil within a small animal footprint. Below is a picture of the seedling.

Larry White, director of the LSU AgCenter’s foundation seed program, expects emergence of the crop will be visible in a day or two.

Check the progress of the blog field

You can see how the rice crop is doing on the blog field in real time.
Here's how: on the right side of the screen, you'll see "Rice Field WEBCAM." Click on the link right below it that says http://www.lsuagcenter.com/ricecam.

2012 blog field planted

The 2012 blog field, a 6-acre field of Jazzman 2, was planted  Monday. Early Wednesday morning, a welcome rain of almost 2.5 inches flushed the field and that should help the seeds sprout.  In the movie clip above, water is draining from the field. By Thursday morning, most of the field had been drained.

Larry White, LSU AgCenter foundation seed manager at the Rice Research Station, drill seeded at the rate of 40 pounds per acre. The seed was treated prior to planting with a fungicide, Dermacor to control rice water weevils  and gibberillic acid  to promote early growth before it was planted.

Before planting, White sprayed herbicides to control existing weeds that included sedges and barnyardgrass.