The LSU AgCenter has released two new rice varieties for seed production in 2008. Both varieties were developed at the Rice Research Station located near Crowley.

The recent USA Rice Outlook Conference, held in Orlando, Florida, provided an excellent overview on the current state of affairs in the rice industry. Successful rice research can have positive benefits for Louisiana rice producers regardless of where it is conducted.

The 2007 Louisiana rice crop is out of the field for the most part. While a few fields of second crop remain to be harvested, the harvest season is pretty much completed.

Louisiana rice producers are at the mercy of the weather of our state which can sometimes be detrimental to the crop even in the absence of hurricanes.

A potential new rice insect pest has been identified in the United States. The insect has been identified as the rice panicle mite Steneotarsonemus spinki, Smiley.

Farm & Ranch 1(6):20 - August 2005. Rice variety development is a long-term research endeavor. It normally takes 4-5 years from when the initial cross is made to develop a new population, until superior progeny from that population are uniform enough to be entered into yield trials.

Farm & Ranch 1(5):11 - July 2005. The LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station has a long history of developing new varieties of benefit to the Louisiana rice industry.

Farm & Ranch 1(7):16 - Sept. 2005. The lines that display superior characteristics in preliminary testing are considered for advancement to our Commercial/Advanced (CA) trials, as well as the Uniform Regional Rice Nursery (URN). Only about 5% of lines entered into the preliminary trials will be advanced.

Farm & Ranch 1(10):10 - Dec. 2005. The Louisiana Rice Research Board recently met to review funded projects, evaluate new proposed projects and make decisions on funding for 2006. The board is a 13-member group that administers funds collected at a rate of $.05/cwt on all rice produced in Louisiana. These funds can be used only for rice-related research purposes.

Farm & Ranch - Jan. 2006. The White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area is a unique combination of freshwater marsh and crop land located in the southwest portion of Vermilion Parish.