Mississippi Rice Progress – 4/12/13

The USDA Crop Progress & Condition Report stated 1% of the Mississippi rice crop had been planted as of April 7.  Last year, 33% of the crop had been planted and we have averaged 12% over the last five years.  To my knowledge no rice was planted April 1-7 due to wet conditions; however, that was the only week since the week of March 11-17 that no commercial and research rice was planted in the state.  Rice planting resumed April 9 and 10 just ahead of the large amount of rainfall received throughout the Delta on Wednesday night through Thursday, April 11.  Based on the 10 day forecast, we should be able to plant some rice next week ahead of the cold front with projected rain for next Thursday.  We are approaching April 20 which based on our planting date model is the date at which rice yields start to decline as a function of planting date.  The predicted decline is about 0.4% per day.  Keep in mind this is a model.  This does not guarantee rice planted after April 20 will automatically be less than if it were planted between March 20 and April 20.  There have been some years where late May rice has yielded equally as well as late March/Early April planted rice.  Hopefully, we will have conducive climatic conditions through the year to allow rice to produce well over a wide planting window.  The message still should be interpreted that at this stage of the game, when the soil will allow we should plant rice.

Allow me to speak for the 1% of the acres that were planted prior to April 1.  Rice planted mid-March (March 14-16) finally began to emerge this week.  The first date for our planting date study which consists of 16 entries was planted on March 14 to a depth of 1.5 inches.  All entries were treateed with a combination of fungicides, insecticide, and gibberillic acid.  The first entry to emerge was CL111 at 27 days.  Rex, Cocodrie, CL151, CL152 and some other less popular varieties followed at 29 days.  So far, these entries have emerged very uniformly (see attached picture).  I will be interested to follow the progress of these very early planted entries through the season.

For those of you interested in following rice progress/situations in other states, I have begun posting “Field Notes” from Dr. Johnny Saichuk, LSU Rice Specialist, and the “Arkansas Rice Update” from Dr. Jarrod Hardke, University of Arkansas Extension Rice Specialist, on our Rice Promoton Board sponsored website (www.rice.msstate.edu).  If I can assist you with issues you encounter through the growing season, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

CL111 29 days after planting. Picture taken on April 12, 2013.