The objective of the Foundation Seed Rice Program is to purify, increase and distribute foundation seed of new varieties of rice to Louisiana rice farmers. This foundation seed is typically of varieties developed through the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station’s rice breeding program but also sometimes includes varieties developed at research centers in neighboring states.
Each year the Rice Research Station devotes approximately 80 acres of land to the production of seed. This includes head row seed (to replenish breeder seed stocks), breeder seed (planting stock for the foundation fields) and foundation seed (the planting stock from which registered and certified seed is produced).