The 104^th LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station Field Day was held on June 26. The field tour included five stops with speakers from Rice Station, the Baton Rouge campus, the University of Arkansas and Mississippi State University

The first stop included presentations by Dr. Eric Webster and me. Eric discussed several new rice herbicides that he is evaluating. His project has been evaluating Sharpen as a herbicide for use as a postemergence herbicide in rice. Sharpen is currently labeled as a preplant burndown herbicide in rice with a 14-day preplant interval. Sharpen has similar activity to Aim and Blazer. It has excellent activity on hemp sesbania, Texasweed and Indian jointvetch. Sharpen also has activity on rice flatsedge and several grass species. Sharpen is being evaluated at 1 and 2 oz/A. The adjuvant also plays an important role in the activity of this herbicide. Two rice variety tolerance trials were conducted this year. The long and medium grains appear to have similar tolerance to Sharpen. Sharpen at 1 oz/A resulted in injury of 10 to 20%; however, at 2 oz/A, injury increased to above 30%. This injury was transient, and by 2 to 3 weeks after treatment, injury dropped below 15%. Sharpen has potential for use in our production system; however, this herbicide will need to be used with caution. Another promising herbicide is an experimental compound from Gowan. This herbicide appears to need water to be active. The herbicide has some soil activity but must be activated within a few hours of application. The herbicide seems to be more consistent if a flood is present prior to application. This herbicide is probably the best ducksalad material that Eric has ever evaluated. It has activity on sedges, grasses and broadleaf weeds. Initial observations indicate activity on Amazon sprangletop. I discussed two experimental rice lines that are good candidates for release in 2014. LA2065 is a Clearfield medium-grain line with excellent yield and quality traits. The line also has very good resistance to blast disease and straighthead disorder. LA2025 is a Clearfield Jazzman line with very good yield and quality, as well as excellent aroma, cooking characteristics and blast resistance.

At the second stop, Dr. Don Groth discussed the use of Sercadis (fluxapyroxad) to control sheath blight in those fields where the disease organism is tolerant of azoxystrobin. Louisiana has received a Section 18 registration for Sercadis for control of sheath blight for 2013 in Acadia, Evangeline, Jefferson Davis, St. Landry and Vermilion parishes in Louisiana or where azoxystrobin resistance has been identified. It may be applied between panicle differentiation and late boot with a minimum 28-day preharvest interval and a 4-hour reentry interval. Other fungicides need to be used to control blast or tank-mixed with Sercadis to control Cercospora. Also, at this stop, Dr. Jong Ham discussed his research on controlling sheath blight and bacterial panicle blight. He is conducting research on various bacterial strains that have been isolated from rice plants and tested for their antibacterial and antifungal activities against the pathogens of bacterial panicle blight and sheath blight. Some of these bacterial strains showed promising biocontrol activities for the two rice diseases in field experiments. It is expected that the efficacy of these biological materials can be synergistically enhanced in combination with known control measures, such as fungicides and bactericides. He is also testing new products developed by biocompanies. This year, six products from five companies are being tested for their effectiveness in the suppression of bacterial panicle blight and/or sheath blight.

Next month we will discuss the information presented at the insect control, hybrid breeding and agronomic research stops.

Permission granted July15, 2013 by B. Leonards (LA Farm & Ranch) to republish article on www.lsuagcenter.com