Arkansas Rice Variety Program

C.E. Wilson, Jr. Director, RREC /Professor / Extension Rice Agronomist

Arkansas Rice Production

• ~1.5 million acres• Average yield = ~6750 lbs (150 bu/acre)• Produce approx. 48% of all US rice• US produces 1.5% of world supply, but rank 4th in total exports

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General Production Practices

Overview of Arkansas Rice Variety Testing

• Uniform Regional Rice Nursery• Arkansas Rice Performance Trials• On-farm variety testing (Disease Monitoring

Program)• Rice DD50 Program• Variety X Nitrogen Trials

Uniform Regional Rice Nursery

• Multi-state regional project – AR, LA, TX, MS, MO• 200 Entries• Disease ratings• Plant Height, Heading, Grain Yield• Milling Yields• Cooking Quality Analysis

– Chalk, Amylose, Gel Temp• DNA marker profiles

Arkansas Rice Performance Trials

• 100 Entries, 4 maturity groups• 6-8 locations• Disease ratings• Plant Height, Heading, Grain Yield• Milling Yields• Cooking Quality Analysis

– Chalk, Amylose, Gel Temp

Disease Monitoring Program

• 25 Entries• 10-12 locations• Disease ratings• Grain Yield, Milling Yield

Rice DD50 Program• RREC primary location

– 4 seeding dates annually– 18-20 cultivars– Measure for PD, 50% Hdg– Yield & milling yield

• Measurements for 50% heading, yield, and milling yield

Rice V X N Studies• 3-4 locations annually

– RREC, Pine Tree, NEREC, SEREC• 3 years• All new cultivars• 6 N rates

Thank you!