This year brings several new chemical tools to California rice. With many herbicide resistant species as well as emerging problematic weed species, the new chemistries are a welcome tool for managing resistance and preventing the selection of resistant biotypes. Last year, we had use of Loyant® CA Rinskor™ active (florpyrauxifen-benzyl) for the full season (registered late in 2022). Loyant®, which is an auxin mimic, is applied as a foliar product. It gives additional options for ..read more

Date/Time: Wednesday, April 10, 2024; 9:30am - 11:30am Location: UCCE Sutter-Yuba Office; 142 Garden Hwy, Yuba City, CA 95991 RSVP: Click here to register *Please RSVP by Wednesday, April 3, 2024 for an accurate lunch count. Thank you! Contact: Whitney Brim-DeForest, 530-822-7515, wbrimdeforest@ucanr.edu Agenda Information: Propanil Stewardship Agenda ..read more

Stem rot is a common disease of rice that can cause blanking and lodging. When the disease is severe, the presence and effects of the disease on yield can be obvious. However, at lower levels, the symptoms and effects of the disease may “fly under the radar”. Stem rot affects the tillers at the water level. Mid season, small black lesions appear on lower leaf sheaths. As the disease progresses, the pathogen penetrates the tiller and can reach the culm, causing rot. These symptoms ..read more

Every year, the University of California Cooperative Extension, in cooperation with the Rice Experiment Station (RES), conducts rice variety trials in several locations of the Sacramento Valley (fig. 1). The trials are conducted at the RES and eight farm locations across the Sacramento Valley, and one location in the San Joaquin Delta (not on the map) representing the main production areas of California. In 2023, the South Yolo trial was not conducted. Plots in the Sacramento Valley trials were ..read more

In California, most acreage is devoted to high quality medium grain varieties. In 2023, over 94% of the acreage was grown to medium grains. There are currently six medium grain varieties to choose from: very early (M-105), early (M206, M-209, M-210, and M-211), and late-maturing (M-401 – a premium medium grain). Here are some things to consider when making a choice. M-105 is the earliest variety; although it is only 1-2 days earlier than M-206 in the northern part of the valley but it is ..read more

Background White water fire (Bergia capensis) was found in September of 2023, by the Butte County Agricultural Commissioner's office in a rice field in Butte County. The weed was identified by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. It is the first find of this weed in California, and possibly in the United States. It is native to Africa, southern China, and tropical Asia, and it is known to be in rice fields in Europe, Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean. It was ..read more

UC Cooperative Extension will host a Healthy Soils Program field demonstration day on cover cropping in rice systems. The meeting will take place on Thursday, February 29th, from 9:30am to noon, on Staten Island in San Joaquin County (23319 N. Staten Island Road, Thornton). Presentations will describe field trials to evaluate winter cover cropping, incentive programs for growers, and weed management topics ahead of the 2024 growing season. There will also be an opportunity to view different ..read more

My name is Sarah Marsh, and I am excited to join UC Cooperative Extension as the new Rice Farming Systems Advisor serving Colusa and Yolo counties. I will be based out of Colusa at the Colusa UCCE office. I grew up on a diversified row-crop and orchard farm in Arbuckle and am grateful for the opportunity to serve the community in which I was raised. After completing my undergraduate degree in Plant and Environmental Soil Science at Texas A&M University, I obtained a M.S. in Horticulture and ..read more

Note: these meetings are being held by Corteva, Valent, and Gowan ..read more

“White Water Fire” (Bergia capensis) From Butte County Agricultural Commissioner's office: A weed sample collected in Butte County on September 19, 2023, was submitted to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) botany lab for identification. The sample was identified as “White Water Fire” (Bergia capensis). Notes from the CDFA lab indicated that this is the first record of the plant in California and possibly the USA. CDFA has assigned a temporary Q ..read more