Horizon Ag is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. María Guadalupe Montiel for the newly created position of Rice Breeder for the company’s independent lab located at the Louisiana State University (LSU) AgCenter Rice Research Station at Crowley. The position was created as part of a recent partnership between Horizon Ag and the LSU AgCenter to support enhanced collaborative breeding efforts. In her new role, Dr. Montiel will have access to the AgCenter’s elite rice-breeding germplasm, and any new varieties released by Horizon Ag will be in addition to the AgCenter’s breeding activities. “We ..read more

By Michael Dot Scott KPEL965.com For those of us in South Louisiana, we sometimes wince a little whenever we see videos pop up online from out-of-town YouTubers documenting their travels to Acadiana. Not because we don't want them down here, but mainly because we're never sure what sort of light the video will show us in. Admittedly, for people not from here, there's a whole lot about our lifestyle and culture that some people seem to misunderstand. READ AND WATCH MORE ..read more

By Jamison Cruce USA Rice This week, industry leaders representing the rice farmer, merchant, and milling sectors traveled here to meet with Washington trade experts and advocate for leveling the global playing field on trade.  USA Rice members also shared industry priorities for the next Farm Bill during talks with legislators on Capitol Hill. The fly-in focused on the Biden Administration’s trade agenda; the current state of the World Trade Organization (WTO); challenges with domestic rail transportation; food aid during a time of war; interagency discussions about the financing situat ..read more

By Forrest Laws Delta Farm Press It hasn’t been that long ago that the only way to irrigate rice was to build a system of levees strong enough to keep water at a prescribed depth on a field until it was ready to be drained and harvested. Fast forward to 2024 and rice farmers now have seven, eight or possibly even nine systems, depending on how you count them, for keeping their crops watered during the long Midsouth growing season. READ MORE ..read more

By Tobie Blanchard LSU AgCenter The LSU AgCenter is partnering with Horizon Ag, a seed marketing and variety development company, to initiate a new rice breeding program focused on varieties for southern rice-producing areas, which include Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas. READ MORE ..read more

By Donna Gentry, Ph.D. LSU AgCenter The LSU AgCenter was recently awarded a $1 million grant to focus on specific Best Management Practices in sugarcane and rice that address reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving soil health. Three rice farms in Vermillion parish are participating in this project to determine the effectiveness and impact of these practices compared with a more conventional production system. To highlight and discuss the project, a rice field day has been scheduled for June 11, 2024 in Kaplan, Louisiana at Wyatt Hardee’s farm (9902 Hanna Road, Kaplan) with registratio ..read more

By Forrest Laws Delta Farm Press As U.S. rice farmers rush to finish planting their 2024 crop, one of their largest export markets is at risk because of financial restrictions placed on banks that would normally provide dollars for U.S. rice shipments to Iraq. READ MORE ..read more

Several types of conventional cancer therapies, such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy, destroy healthy cells along with cancer cells. In advanced stages of cancer, tissue loss from treatments can be substantial and even fatal. Cutting-edge cancer therapies that employ nanoparticles can specifically target cancer cells, sparing healthy tissue. READ MORE ..read more

The LSU AgCenter is Louisiana rice farmers’ MVP, or most valued partner, in research and crop variety development. From creating a new market for jasmine rice, to producing varieties of rice that are better for diabetics and more sustainable and resilient to changes in the environment, LSU has been critical to the Louisiana rice industry for more than 100 years. The research also has world-wide impact since one-fifth of the global population’s calories comes from rice. More than 60 percent of the rice Louisiana farmers plant was developed by the LSU AgCenter, with a direct economic impact of ..read more

By Kane Webb USA Rice Down in southwest Louisiana we know tailgating! And cooking rice dishes such as jambalaya while getting your pregame on is a tradition. But lest you think it’s only for college football, let’s set the record straight: we can and will tailgate before lots of other sports, including baseball, and rice is always a focal point of the festivities. Friday, April 12, was Cajun Country Rice Day at the University of Louisiana – Lafayette (UL) for the first of a three-game baseball series versus Marshall University in the Sun Belt Conference.  READ MORE ..read more