For more than a century, the LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station has carried out a straightforward mission: to enhance the profitability and sustainability of the Louisiana rice industry.

One of the biggest components of this charge is developing new varieties that produce higher yields and better quality rice. The station has notched dozens of breakthrough releases over the years, and its scientists are always on the hunt for the next best variety. They breed traditional long-grain, medium-grain and specialty-type rices as well as varieties meant to be used as part of the Clearfield and Provisia weed control systems.

Variety test plots at the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station in Crowley. Photo by Olivia McClure.

“We’ve done some calculations and a lot of historical analysis, and it’s shown that, on average over the last 100 years, the breeding program’s yields have increased just below 1% per year,” said Adam Famoso, station director and rice breeder. “When we look at a variety like CLL19, which was released just this year, and compare it to the varieties we had 10 years ago, it’s a very significant yield improvement. The program has been very productive in increasing yield potential, and we hope to continue that because yield is certainly the No. 1 focus of any breeding program.”

The impact of this work has been felt not just in Louisiana, but worldwide.

“Some of the technologies and varieties that have been developed here at the station have been grown throughout the South and even throughout the world,” Famoso said. “The most significant would be the advent of the Clearfield rice, which revolutionized rice farming throughout much of the world by allowing us to control weedy red rice, which is one of the major weeds in rice.”

The variety development program has allowed the rice industry to make strides in sustainability, too. Developing varieties that contain traits that make them resistant to diseases, for instance, reduces the need for chemical applications and saves farmers money.

Below is a rundown of recent accomplishments and up-and-coming varieties in the breeding program.

Clearfield: “We’re very excited about CLL19, which was released commercially this year,” Famoso said, adding that it was grown on about 70,000 acres this year. “This is one we think could be a pretty notable, impactful variety that could be grown on significant acres.”

A new high-amylose variety called CLHA03 is on the horizon, and Famoso expects it to be commercially available in 2025. It’s similar to Addi Jo, which was released a few years ago and was the rice station’s first foray in the high-amylose market class. Amylose is a polysaccharide, and rice varieties with more of it tend to be less sticky when cooked. “It’s very important for some processing applications and for some of our key export markets — that’s the quality of rice they want,” Famoso said. Traditional U.S. long-grain rice is too sticky for some tastes around the world, including Latin America customers. While Addi Jo is a great, high-quality variety, it leaves room for improvement when it comes to yield. “CLHA03 is a great step in that direction,” Famoso said.

Provisia: The current variety, PVL03, has been a consistent performer. “We want to make sure anything we release is an improvement,” Famoso said. He and his team are eyeing two advanced experimental lines — currently called 1130 and 1140 — for potential release. Both have advantages over PVL03 and tradeoffs. 1130 has better second crop, or ratoon, potential and milling quality but has lower yields than 1140. But 1140 doesn’t ratoon as well, nor does it share 1130’s high milling quality.

Conventional long grain: The most recent variety, Avant, was released a couple of years ago. While it’s one of the earliest varieties out there and exhibits excellent ratoon potential, Avant is less resistant to blast disease than many other releases from the rice station. Famoso said two promising experimental lines address these concerns. Both 1008 and 1251 have better blast resistance and higher yields than Avant. “But we need to keep testing them to see if those yield gains are stable,” Famoso said, before making any decisions about a possible release.

Conventional medium grain: A line currently called 21-2070 and tentatively named Venus has been in seed production this year. The station plans to release it in 2025, with it becoming commercially available in 2026. This potential new variety is a cross between Titan and Jupiter, which are widely grown in Louisiana. “It is an improvement on both of those lines — a bit less lodging-prone and a bit earlier than Jupiter, and a bit shorter than Titan,” Famoso said. “And it’s shown a consistent yield advantage over Titan and Jupiter.”

Conventional specialty: Fitzgerald was released in 2024, and seed will become commercially available in 2025. It’s a long-grain, jasmine rice with a sticky texture similar to medium-grain rice when cooked. “It’s targeted to be an option for folks growing either CLJ01 or Jazzman 1,” Famoso said. “It’s a non-Clearfield alternative to CLJ01, and it has higher and more stable yield than CLJ01 Jazzman.”

There also may be a new popcorn rice variety soon. Famoso has been evaluating an experimental line that shows a significant yield jump over Della, the existing variety released decades ago.

Famoso said it’s important to develop new specialty options. Popcorn rice, for example, is a beloved dish in south Louisiana. Much of the jasmine rice consumed in the U.S. is imported, though interest has been growing in producing more domestically.