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- Duck Damage in Water Seeded Rice
Originally published April 20, 2012
Our verification field in Vermilion parish is presenting several problems which will make for an interesting and challenging year. It is a field with a history of Newpath resistant rice, both red and outcrosses. It was left fallow last year and plowed several times. This year we water seeded Cheniere. As many farmers are experiencing this year, water seeded fields are being decimated by ducks. Most of the farmers I have talked to say Teal are the primary problem, but in our field it is Black Bellied Whistling ducks. I have never seen that many together. Wednesday morning there were well in excess of 100 in a 40 acre block. Any ridge or edge of the field has accumulated the evidence of their feeding as can be seen in the accompanying photograph. One farmer told us that he cannot keep his propane guns going because neighbors turn them off at night.
The LSU AgCenter and the LSU College of Agriculture