The LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station was established in 1909 and will celebrate 100 years of technology development for the Louisiana rice industry with its annual field day on July 1. The station was first established as a joint venture between the Louisiana rice industry, the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The initial catalyst for the establishment of the research station was the need for new improved varieties for the emerging rice industry in the southwestern portion of the state. The production of rice using newly emerging mechanized technology began in the 1880s near Crowley. The acreage seeded to rice expanded and spread rapidly, and this expansion was facilitated by the development of canal systems for irrigation as well as by the construction of the railroads through this portion of the state.

The first rice production was based on old varieties that had been around since rice production was first initiated in South Carolina two centuries earlier. While the early southwest Louisiana rice production was mostly profitable, it was soon realized that for the industry to prosper into the future, new superior varieties would need to become available. Thus, one of the first important functions of the new Rice Experiment Station (as it was called until 1983) was providing new varieties to rice producers. Initially, this work involved evaluating existing varieties to determine their adaptation to this climate. Literally thousands of varieties and germplasm lines were introduced and tested at the research center, and the initial variety releases were based on identification of those best adapted to these climatic conditions.

The seed of these were then increased and made available to producers. Later, a more scientific approach was initiated that involved artificial hybridizations (or crosses) and then selection through the following segregating generations. The superior lines were entered into yield, agronomic and quality testing, and those identified as being superior were increased again, with the resulting seed made available to the industry.

This system is still used in variety development efforts at the station. However, additional tools such as anther culture, marker-assisted selection and a winter nursery facility at Lajas, Puerto Rico, all facilitate breeding activities and allow for delivery of new varieties much more rapidly and with greater frequency than earlier in the station’s history. In addition, through the years, as the number of research projects at the station has increased, variety development efforts have benefited from additional scientists (pathologists, agronomists, entomologists, physiologists, geneticists and weed scientists) cooperating with breeders to fine-tune trait incorporation into new varieties.

The research station has been successful in variety development, having released 42 new varieties in the 100 years of its existence. Of this total, 22 new varieties have been released in the past 20 years, illustrating the importance of new technologies and the benefit of cooperating scientists. The station has also released a diversity of rice types through the years. The Louisiana rice industry has always produced primarily long- and medium-grain types, with the former becoming predominant in recent years. The station has released 14 conventional long grains and 11 conventional medium grains in its history. In addition, the station has released three short grains, three Della-type aromatic long grains, two Toro-type long grains, one jasmine-type long grain, one basmati-type long grain, one variety developed especially for use in the brewing industry and one variety for use in crawfish monoculture. Also, in recent years, the station has released five Clearfield varieties for use with this breakthrough technology that allows for the control of red rice in a commercial rice crop.

For the past 35 years, these efforts have been enhanced by financial support from Louisiana rice producers through check-off funds administered by the Louisiana Rice Research Board. One of the most critical uses of these funds is the financial support of research associates and technicians vital to these efforts. While the Rice Station has developed much new technology that has benefited the rice industry in the past 100 years, variety development has always been at the forefront and will continue to be well into the future.

Permission granted June 17, 2009 by B. Leonards (LA Farm & Ranch) to republish article on the LSU AgCenter Web site.