Weather Issues Hampering Rice in Many Areas

HORIZON AG REGIONAL REPORTS

<h1>Weather Issues Hampering Rice in Many Areas</h1>

CLL19 is one of the top varieties in Louisiana this season

Planting in South Louisiana is approximately 90% complete. There were some fields that were planted in late February, but most of the planting really kicked off around March 10. The majority of the crop was planted from that time until the end of the month. PVL03 and CLL19 are the two most popular Horizon Ag varieties that have been planted in my region.&nbsp;

We had a few rounds of severe weather and higher than normal winds in certain areas during the first week of April. This came just after the majority of the region received 5 inches of rain and some areas up to 13 inches. Excess water and high winds are not a good combination for newly-seeded rice. Areas of fields that could not drain, or where the wind had the water stacked up, really took a beating. It is taking a little time for this rice to recover but we are seeing progress and are hopeful this will be our worst weather event of the year.

Herbicide applications began this week and will continue as long as weather conditions are favorable. I expect to see permanent flood established on some of the fields within the next two weeks.

Please mark your calendars &ndash; our Annual Louisiana Field Day is scheduled for Monday, June 23, 2025 in Kaplan. We look forward to seeing you there!

Thank you for your continued support of Horizon Ag.

<h3>Corey Conner District Field Representative (337) 249-9523</h3>

Heavy rains in the North Delta have flooded out many rice fields.

What a spring it has been for the Upper Delta rice region. Depending on the location, there have been major challenges establishing stands of rice, whether conditions were too dry, flooded out, fields crusted over or destroyed by blackbirds.

Coupled with these adversities and the lack of replant seed, growers have endured additional financial stresses in 2025. Farmers here started the year off with a less than desirable economic outlook and the compounding floods have made it even more challenging at this point.

Most of the river bottom acres in the Delta have spent 7-plus days underwater, and it appears water will stay up for at least 10 more days. For these particular fields, it will be the end of April or the first week of May before growers are able to get back into them. This has expedited talk around the potential of PP acres in these low-lying areas.

Some of the rice where flooding is not an issue still faces challenges, such as the ground crusting over before the rice emerges or blackbirds moving in and damaging the seed. Some farmers also need a shower within the next 7 days to avoid having to flush the rice to establish a stand.

There are some bright spots in the Upper Delta, however. Although it appears we are behind on planting, data shows we are on par with our normal progress to date. Much of the early-planted rice has emerged, and if the forecast holds true, more rice will get planted this week.

The rice that has emerged seems to have a good stand and will soon be ready for the first application of NewPath&reg; herbicide or Provisia&reg; herbicide. The forecast for this rice is favorable as the highs are expected in the 80s for the next week and this will help give the rice a much-needed kickstart, as much of it has endured water and chemical stress.

Some early-planted CLM05 has been slow to emerge, and I have talked with a few growers concerning the increased time it has taken. There are a few outside factors that have influenced emergence, including cool temperatures and lack of moisture until the recent 10-inches of rain. With warm weather this week and moisture, I am optimistic this rice will emerge soon.

As always, thank you for your partnership with Horizon Ag, and thank you to our growers who trust us with their rice seed demands. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

<h3>Chase Kagen District Field Representative (870) 273-9283</h3>

Crusted over fields in some areas have prevented rice from emerging.

Blackbird damage has been a significant problem for farmers this season, as shown in this field in North Central Arkansas.

Robyn Chlapecka, Horizon Ag District Field Representative for the Missouri Bootheel and Northeast Arkansas, joined a recent photo shoot near Bernie, Missouri where new PVL06 was being planted for seed production. She says the variety, which is expected to have a limited launch next season, has a strong pedigree and should be a great fit in the region.

Chlapecka is experiencing her first planting season as a Horizon Ag District Field Representative and says it is exciting to see planting gaining momentum in the Bootheel of Missouri and Northeast Arkansas.

She says there has been a lot of farmer interest in planting high-yield potential Clearfield and Provisia varieties this spring.

Regardless of where you grow rice in the South, we have a Horizon Ag <a href="https://www.horizonseed.com/contact">District Field Representative</a> on the ground and ready to provide you with the information and support you need to manage our varieties for top-end yield potential.&nbsp;

Northeast Arkansas/Missouri Robyn Chlapecka District Field Representative <a href="mailto:rchlapecka@horizonseed.com">rchlapecka@horizonseed.com</a> <a href="tel:(870) 672-1291">(870) 672-1291</a>

North Central Arkansas Chase Kagen District Field Representative <a href="mailto:ckagen@horizonseed.com">ckagen@horizonseed.com</a> <a href="tel:(870) 273-9283">(870) 273-9283</a>

Grand Prairie Arkansas William "Hutch" Hutchens District Field Representative <a href="mailto:whutchens@horizonseed.com">whutchens@horizonseed.com</a> <a href="tel:(870) 273-9291">(870) 273-9291</a>

Mississippi/North Louisiana Garland Melton District Field Representative <a href="mailto:gmelton@horizonseed.com">gmelton@horizonseed.com</a> <a href="tel:(662) 671-2465">(662) 671-2465</a>

South Central Louisiana Corey Conner District Field Representative <a href="mailto:cconner@horizonseed.com">cconner@horizonseed.com</a> <a href="tel:(337) 249-9523">(337) 249-9523</a>

Texas Hunter Brown District Field Representative <a href="mailto:hbrown@horizonseed.com">hbrown@horizonseed.com</a> <a href="tel:(337) 546-7288">(337) 546-7288</a>

The <a href="https://onelink.to/zrpbkn" target="_blank">Horizon Ag Productivity app</a> provides easy access to critical management recommendations and tools, including seeding rates, fertilizer recommendations and other suggested management practices to help you get the most out of our varieties. Updated for 2025, the app is available in the App Store and on Google Play.

Whether you are a long-time Horizon Ag customer or growing our Clearfield and Provisia varieties for the first time, the Horizon Ag Productivity App can be a valuable tool. Available in the <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/horizon-ag/id1614880264" target="_blank">App&nbsp;Store</a> or <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.horizonag.app" target="_blank">Google&nbsp;Play</a>.

Check out the Horizon Ag <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/HorizonAgSeeds?utm_source=HorizonAg&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=regional-report&utm_id=06272024&utm_content=facebook-hypertext">Facebook</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/horizonagrice?utm_source=HorizonAg&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=regional-report&utm_id=06272024&utm_content=instagram-hypertext">Instagram</a> pages for industry news, product updates and good conversations about rice and the industry. We’d like you to join our “community” as we share the latest from rice country.

Dry Weather Aids Planting, But Showers Expected In Some Areas

<h1>Dry Weather Aids Planting, But Showers Expected In Some Areas</h1>

Tremendous progress has been made with planting this spring thanks to good weather.

On the west side of Texas, we're about 80% finished with planting, while on the east side, we're around 60% planted. According to the latest crop report from the USDA for March 17&ndash;23, planting has reached 36%, which is up 16 points from last year and 23 points from the average.&nbsp;

We've been able to progress efficiently due to favorable weather conditions over the last couple of weeks in March. Farmers have been actively planting, flushing, and spraying fields. However, we started to see some areas on the west side lose moisture, and we could have used a good rain before the most recent showers we received. Overall, we've experienced good seed emergence, and I'm very satisfied with our 2025 crop so&nbsp;far.

Overall, the Texas rice crop is experiencing good emergence.

With the recent rain, farmers on the west side of Texas received about 3–5 inches, while the east side received less and experienced more spotty rain showers. This is beneficial as it allows them to get back to planting by the middle of the week, and the acres that were planted received enough rainfall to get the rice going. That said, we need to pray for consistently good weather conditions, and I'm looking forward to seeing how our varieties perform as we progress through the season. Contact me with any questions or concerns.

<h3>Hunter Brown District Field Representative (337) 546-7288</h3>

Planting season started in full swing the past couple of weeks across central and south Arkansas. March has been one of the driest we can remember, and some growers have already planted nearly half of their rice crop. I think my region is averaging around 10–15% planted so far.

Although planting in the Grand Prairie has made good progress, like this rice being planted in Roe, Arkansas, wet weather is expected to slow things down.

There has been a ton of ground preparation happening, with many getting last season&rsquo;s rice straw worked up and smoothed off. Those who chose to keep working on ground preparation made considerable strides and have most all their ground ready for any crop they choose to plant.

The forecast for April 2&ndash;5 has everyone slowing down their planting and preparing for the expected heavy rainfall. It looks like we will switch from a very dry stretch to a very wet one. If you have rice in the ground, now would be a good time to get a residual herbicide out and get it activated.

<h3>William “Hutch” Hutchens District Field Representative (870) 273-9291</h3>

<h2>New Provisia® Varieties On The Way</h2>

The rate at which university rice breeders have steadily brought varietal improvements to market has been nothing short of phenomenal.&nbsp;

The 2025 season has two top-performing Horizon Ag Provisia&reg; varieties &ndash; <a href="https://www.horizonseed.com/variety/pvl03" target="_blank">PVL03</a> and <a href="https://www.horizonseed.com/variety/pvl04" target="_blank">PVL04</a> &ndash;being planted on a considerable number of acres throughout the region, with both offering farmers the potential for competitive yields, excellent milling quality and outstanding control of weedy rice and grasses.&nbsp;

In addition, farmers will have the opportunity to see two new Provisia varieties &ndash; PVL05 and PVL06 &ndash; in university trials, field days and seed production plots this season, ahead of limited launches in 2026. Both varieties are expected to provide a step up in yield potential and could drive even greater adoption of the Provisia Rice System in the&nbsp;South.

This parent seed field is being planted with new PVL05 at the LSU AgCenter station in Crowley, Louisiana.

&ldquo;You have to take your hat off to the rice breeders and the work they&rsquo;ve done to bring high-yielding Provisia varieties to market so quickly,&rdquo; says Dr. Tim Walker, Horizon Ag CEO. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re just 12 years from the original Provisia cross in Louisiana, and new PVL05 will be the LSU AgCenter&rsquo;s fourth release in that&nbsp;time.&rdquo;

PVL05 and PVL06 will be planted in strips alongside PVL03 and PVL04 on the farm of Christian Richard in Kaplan, Louisiana, which will be the site of the 2025 Horizon Ag Louisiana Field Day on&nbsp;June&nbsp;23.

&ldquo;We hope to see a lot of our Louisiana friends at the field day and share more news about the exciting developments that are helping Louisiana rice farmers be more productive and profitable,&rdquo; says Walker. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll be providing more details about the field day closer to the date. In addition, farmers wanting more information about our current and new Provisia varieties can contact their <a href="https://www.horizonseed.com/contact" target="_blank">District Field Representative</a>.&rdquo;

<h2>The Horizon Ag Productivity App, Developed For Rice Country</h2>

If you&rsquo;re planting Horizon Ag varieties, we strongly encourage you to download the <a href="https://onelink.to/zrpbkn" target="_blank">Horizon Ag Productivity app</a>. It&rsquo;s loaded with detailed information about everything from variety characteristics and suggested management practices, to seeding calibration and fertilizer&nbsp;rates.

In addition to updated calculators for ROI and milling yield premium, the app has a new feature that enables us to send alerts and the latest information on in-season developments that can impact your bottom&nbsp;line.

The Horizon Ag Productivity App is available to download in the <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/horizon-ag/id1614880264" target="_blank">App&nbsp;Store</a> or <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.horizonag.app" target="_blank">Google&nbsp;Play</a>.

Tremendous progress has been made with planting this spring thanks to good weather

Notes from Rice County

HORIZON AG NEWS

Planting is starting to pick up in areas of the Coastal Region after a slow start in South Louisiana and Texas due to wet weather.

Horizon Ag&rsquo;s team of District Field Representatives is here if you need us, for support during planting or at any point in the&nbsp;season.

The photo above are variety strips being planted on Christian Richard&rsquo;s farm in Kaplan, Louisiana. His farm will be the site of the 2025 Horizon Ag Louisiana Field Day on June 23. More details will be provided at a time closer to the&nbsp;event.

<h2>An official Day to Celebrate Agriculture!</h2>

We were proud to celebrate <a title="National Agriculture Day" href="https://www.agday.org" target="_blank">National Agriculture Day</a> earlier this week and to share this year&rsquo;s theme &ldquo;Together We Grow&rdquo; with our friends and family in and outside of agriculture.

The National Ag Day program encourages every American to:

Understand how food, fiber, and fuel products are produced.

Appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant, and affordable products.

Value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy.

Acknowledge and consider career opportunities in the agriculture, food and fiber industry.

It was an honor to stand with farmers and other industry leaders to raise awareness of the importance of agriculture and the U.S. rice industry, on National Ag Day 2025.

<h2>Arkansas Best Management Webinar</h2>

Horizon Ag recently participated in webinars in Arkansas and Louisiana, along with our university partners in both states and BASF. Both webinars focused on recommended Best Management Practices for Clearfield&reg; and Provisia&reg; rice and can be viewed <a href="https://www.horizonseed.com/varieties">on our varieties page</a>.

WEBINAR HIGHLIGHTS

<h3>Dr. Bob Scott, Arkansas weed scientist:</h3>

In a recent rice weed management study at the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center in Harrisburg, Ark., Dr. Scott compared Provisia herbicide in Provisia rice with Highcard&trade; herbicide in Max-Ace&trade; rice. &ldquo;Both products are quizalofop, but Highcard herbicide contains a safener. A safener can be kind of tricky because you safen it to prevent rice injury but, if you're not careful, for certain weeds too. In this case, we saw lower control of barnyard grass, and a little bit also on the weedy rice with Highcard. With bigger weeds, we did see an advantage in this trial for the Provisia system.&rdquo;

&ldquo;In terms of weedy rice, one of the things that has me concerned is that for the last couple of years we had gotten 21 and 22 positive samples but, in 2024, we had 97 samples test positive for weedy rice. That was a significant increase and shows the threat for further development of resistance in our important rice technologies.&rdquo;

&ldquo;Way down the pipeline, there are some new herbicide technologies being evaluated, but they are a long way off, For the time being, we need to continue to protect Provisia and that herbicide tolerant group to get us to the next technology.&rdquo;

PVL05 being harvested in Puerto Rico.

<h3>Dr. Tim Walker, Horizon Ag CEO:</h3>

Agronomically, we're at a point with our varieties where we can take a more serious look at introducing the Provisia technology into more rice fields, especially in fields where the Clearfield system still works. This is a great time to switch to a new technology and begin working on hard to control weedy rice and grasses.&nbsp;

The Provisia System, with <a href="https://www.horizonseed.com/variety/pvl03">PVL03</a> and <a href="https://www.horizonseed.com/variety/pvl04">PVL04</a>, performs at a much higher level than the early launches of the system. PVL04 did extremely well in the Upper Delta, throughout Arkansas and into the bootheel of Missouri in 2024. PVL03 has been the top planted variety in Louisiana the past two seasons and will be planted on a lot of acres in the South again this year.&nbsp;

In addition, we just completed harvesting in Puerto Rico what will be one of our latest Provisia varieties &ndash; PVL05. We are excited about our pipeline and expect that new PVL05 from the LSU AgCenter breeding program and PVL06 from the University of Arkansas breeding program will have soft launches in 2026.

The recently-updated <a href="https://onelink.to/zrpbkn" target="_blank">Horizon Ag Productivity app</a> is a handy management tool. It&rsquo;s loaded with detailed information, from variety characteristics and suggested seeding and fertilizer rates to calculators for projecting ROI and milling yield premiums.

The Horizon Ag Productivity App also has a new feature for 2025 that enables Horizon Ag to text alerts and the latest information on in-season developments to help you make the best decisions to protect yield potential and your bottom line.

Planting is starting to pick up in areas of the Coastal Region after a slow start in South Louisiana and Texas due to wet weather.

2025 Planting Brings Challenges, Opportunities

<h1>2025 Planting Brings Challenges, Opportunities</h1>

As planting gets underway in the Coastal Regions of South Louisiana and Texas, and growers in the North Delta finalizing acreage plans, we want to wish each of you a successful, prosperous season in&nbsp;2025.

Farming is never easy. Seed supply issues, lower-end commodity prices and other pressures are already weighing on grower sentiment. And that&rsquo;s before we see what Mother Nature has in store for us this&nbsp;year.

Horizon Ag has done our best to meet seed demand, increasing our seed production for the market for the past two years. However, challenges experienced by other seed suppliers have impacted the amount of high-quality seed available in many&nbsp;areas.

We have new customers who haven&rsquo;t planted Horizon varieties before, or at least in several seasons, who may be unfamiliar with our newer, higher-yield potential varieties. We welcome the opportunity to answer your questions and to work with you to help maximize performance potential.

We have many reasons to be excited about this year:

<a href="https://www.horizonseed.com/variety/pvl04" target="_blank">PVL04</a>, the latest Provisia&reg;&nbsp;variety, proved to be an extremely high yielder in the North Delta in its first year of commercial availability. It gives farmers in the region an important weed management tool to begin incorporating into their rotations without sacrificing high-end potential.

<a href="https://www.horizonseed.com/variety/clm05" target="_blank">CLM05</a>, a new, higher-yielding medium grain variety, is entering the market and should raise the bar for Clearfield&reg;&nbsp;medium grain varieties.

<a href="https://www.horizonseed.com/variety/clha03" target="_blank">CLHA03</a>&nbsp;is being released, providing the market with a new high amylose rice that meets the cooking quality needs of important markets in Central America, along with higher yield potential than earlier high amylose seed.

<a href="https://www.horizonseed.com/variety/cll19" target="_blank">CLL19</a>&nbsp;was a difference maker in its first year, particularly in the Coastal Region, giving farmers a new, early-maturing variety with excellent first and second crop yield potential. All indications are it will go out on a lot of acres in&nbsp;2025.

In addition, the Horizon Ag portfolio today is built to help growers better spread planting time and harvest, which may help address some of the milling quality challenges experienced in recent seasons. Farmers can spread crop maturity by starting with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.horizonseed.com/variety/cll19" target="_blank">CLL19</a>&nbsp;and then following with high-yielding varieties like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.horizonseed.com/variety/cll18" target="_blank">CLL18</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.horizonseed.com/variety/cll16" target="_blank">CLL16</a>, each with a track record of proven performance.&nbsp;

Most importantly, we are excited that it&rsquo;s time again for our customers to show the rest of the world what they do best &mdash; grow a great crop of rice that supports local and state economies while helping feed consumers in the U.S. and around the&nbsp;globe.

We are proud to be there with you. Proud to be part of rice country. Proud to stand with and support U.S.&nbsp;rice.

If you&rsquo;re planting Horizon Ag varieties, we strongly encourage you to download the&nbsp;<a href="https://onelink.to/zrpbkn" target="_blank">Horizon Ag Productivity app</a>. It&rsquo;s loaded with detailed information about everything from variety characteristics and suggested management practices, to seeding calibration and fertilizer&nbsp;rates.

The Horizon Ag Productivity App is available in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/horizon-ag/id1614880264" target="_blank">App Store</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.horizonag.app" target="_blank">Google Play</a>.&nbsp;

Farming is never easy. Seed supply issues, lower-end commodity prices and other pressures are already weighing on grower sentiment. And that’s before we see what Mother Nature has in store for us this year.

PVL04 Potential in North Delta Creates More Opportunity for Provisia Rice

<h1>PVL04 Potential in North Delta Creates More Opportunity for Provisia Rice</h1>

<div style="width:560px;">PVL03 and PVL04 in test plots in Crowley, Louisiana.</div>

Since the launch of the Provisia&reg;&nbsp;technology in rice, farmers across South Louisiana and Texas have been bringing fields infested with IMI-resistant weedy rice back into profitable production.

As a result, and particularly with higher yielding varieties like&nbsp;<a href="http://horizonseed.com/variety/pvl03" target="_blank">PVL03</a>, the adoption of Provisia rice has increased rapidly there, with PVL03 planted on about 30% of Louisiana&rsquo;s rice acres last year.

The shift to Provisia rice has been significantly slower in the North Delta, however, where greater crop rotation options have lessened the threat of IMI-resistance developing.

In its first year of commercial availability in 2024,&nbsp;<a href="http://horizonseed.com/variety/pvl04" target="_blank">PVL04</a>,&nbsp;developed in the University of Arkansas rice breeding program, proved its potential for superior performance in the North Delta, yielding at or near 200 bushels per acre in many fields.

That yield potential, along with other new, top-performing Provisia varieties available as soon as the 2026 season, may be a good reason to consider using Provisia as a weed management stewardship tool sooner rather than later.

<div style="width:560px;">PVL04 last season in Lonoke County, Arkansas.</div>

The performance of PVL04 is a game changer because, instead of planting Provisia rice as a rescue to clean up severe weedy rice fields, you can add it to your rotation as a stewardship tool without giving up yield potential. This way, you can help keep both the Clearfield&reg;&nbsp;and Provisia rice technologies viable management systems, which is important because there are no other solutions to replace them on the immediate horizon.&nbsp;

This will head off the development of a crisis situation similar to what happened in the Coastal Region, where crop rotation options are more limited.&nbsp;

We&rsquo;re not in crisis mode yet in most areas of the North Delta, and planting proven, higher-yielding Provisia varieties like PVL04 can help minimize selection pressure, especially as farmers use it in other crop rotations like soybeans, corn, Clearfield rice and conventional rice.&nbsp;

On another positive note, two new, high-yield potential Provisia varieties are in production and expected to be available in limited quantities next year. PVL06, from of the University of Arkansas breeding program, has the conventional stature of other Arkansas lines and has performed well in trials, yielding with top Clearfield lines like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.horizonseed.com/variety/cll18" target="_blank">CLL18</a>. PVL05, from the LSU AgCenter rice breeding program, also is expected to be released next year and will provide another strong variety option for the Coastal Region.

Contact your Horizon Ag District Field Representative or authorized Horizon Ag seed retailer to find out more about PVL04 and how it can be incorporated into your rotation programs.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://onelink.to/zrpbkn" target="_blank">Horizon Ag Productivity app</a>&nbsp;provides easy access to critical management recommendations and tools, including seeding rates, fertilizer recommendations and other suggested management practices to help you get the most out of our varieties. Updated for 2025, the app is available in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/horizon-ag/id1614880264" target="_blank">App Store</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.horizonag.app" target="_blank">Google Play</a>.&nbsp;

Since the launch of the Provisia® technology in rice, farmers across South Louisiana and Texas have been bringing fields infested with IMI-resistant weedy rice back into profitable production.

Past Lessons Set Stage For Future Success

<h1>Past Lessons Set Stage For Future Success</h1>

A good crowd attended the&nbsp;Past Lessons Set the Stage for Future Success with Provisia&reg;&nbsp;rice breakout sessions at the Conservation Systems Cotton and Rice Conferences and the recent Louisiana Best Management Practices webinar presented by Horizon Ag, BASF and LSU AgCenter rice experts.&nbsp;

Dr. Tim Walker, Horizon Ag CEO, says the rapid adoption of the Provisia Rice System in some areas has provided several key learnings farmers can implement today, including how to best manage the newer varieties, weed control practices, potential weather impacts and stewardship requirements.&nbsp;

&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve learned a lot about producing Provisia rice,&rdquo; says Dr. Walker. &ldquo;And that&rsquo;s a good thing, because we are going to need the Provisia System to be around for a while. There&rsquo;s no replacement technology on the immediate horizon. Fortunately, it is a very effective weed control system.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Plant Early &ndash;&nbsp;Varieties like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.horizonseed.com/variety/pvl03" target="_blank">PVL03</a>, developed by LSU AgCenter breeders, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.horizonseed.com/variety/pvl04" target="_blank">PVL04</a>&nbsp;from the University of Arkansas breeding program, have significantly raised the bar for yield potential in Provisia rice. PVL03 is the top choice for the Coastal Region of Louisiana and Texas, providing both first and second crop potential, while PVL04 has shown significantly higher yield potential in the north Delta.&nbsp;

Both varieties should be planted early in the planting window to maximize yield potential and mitigate disease risk. The recommended seeding rate for both PVL03 and PVL04 is 55-60 lbs. per acre.

Start Clean, Stay Clean &ndash;&nbsp;Provisia herbicide is very effective on grasses, and farmers throughout Louisiana and the region often say their Provisia rice fields are the cleanest on their farms. That said, Dr. Walker says it is a mistake to take a &ldquo;Roundup Ready&reg;&rdquo; mentality when it comes to Provisia rice.&nbsp;

&ldquo;I once heard a weed scientist say that Provisia was such a good grass control material that it could kill a fence post, and a lot of farmers took that sentiment to heart early on with the system,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;Instead, we need to use Provisia herbicide with the intent to control only weedy rice.&rdquo;

Weed control best management practices include:

Starting with a clean field, using tillage in the fall and limiting early competition by applying a residual burndown grass herbicide.

Overlapping residual herbicides, applied at planting and with each Provisia application before flooding.

Holding off on the first application of Provisia until the temperature is 60 degrees or above for three consecutive days, and rice is beyond the 2-leaf stage.

Making three applications of Provisia herbicide at the 10-11 oz. application rate versus two at the higher labeled rate.

Paying attention to spray volume, ideally using at least 7 gallons per acre by air and 10-15 gallons per acre by ground.

Watch the Weather &ndash;&nbsp;Farmers can minimize the risk of adverse crop response to Provisia herbicide by only applying it when the rice is actively growing, and air temperature is at or above 60 degrees F for three days prior to and after application.&nbsp;

Dr. Connor Webster, LSU AgCenter weed scientist, says it&rsquo;s not unusual for rice to experience some initial flashing from a Provisia herbicide application during periods of cool, cloudy weather, and the crop can recover quickly. Higher rate applications during those weather conditions, however, can result in more adverse, longer-lasting crop response.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Every call that I've ever been to regarding herbicide injury and weather conditions have been at the 13 oz. to 15 &frac12; oz. rate,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not seeing any issues with those 10 oz. applications. When you're in a period of cloudy weather or low temperatures, think about backing down and using the three 10 oz. application program.&rdquo;

Plant Health &ndash;&nbsp;Emphasizing plant health minimizes the risk of adverse impacts from the environment or herbicide antagonism in Provisia rice. Critical practices include using a recommended seed treatment, making timely fertilizer applications, and monitoring for disease to keep plants healthy from the start.&nbsp;

Stewardship &ndash;&nbsp;From following proven crop rotation and weed management practices to preventing weedy rice escapes, awareness has grown regarding the importance of emphasizing good stewardship in the Provisia Rice System.&nbsp;

Recommendations include cleaning up fields late-season and taking out any weedy rice present. This may mean using late-season herbicide applications, roguing or spot spraying.&nbsp;

Also, do not plant Provisia rice in the year following Clearfield&reg;&nbsp;rice or where an imidazolinone herbicide was used the previous year due to the risk of carryover damage from the herbicide. And don&rsquo;t plant Provisia rice after Provisia rice in the same field.

<h2>Arkansas Best Practices Webinar</h2>

Join us for the&nbsp;Arkansas Rice in 2025: Resistance, Best Management Practices &amp; Stewardship&nbsp;webinar on&nbsp;March 4. Horizon Ag, BASF and University of Arkansas rice specialists will share the latest management recommendation for Provisia and Clearfield rice ahead of the 2025 planting season. Attendees will receive CCA credit and gift for participating.

Click the image above or visit&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/4gwAT2i?r=qr" target="_blank">bit.ly/4gwAT2i</a>&nbsp;to register.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://onelink.to/zrpbkn" target="_blank">Horizon Ag Productivity app</a>&nbsp;provides easy access to critical management recommendations and tools, including seeding rates, fertilizer recommendations and other suggested management practices to help you get the most out of our varieties. Updated for 2025, the app is available in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/horizon-ag/id1614880264" target="_blank">App Store</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.horizonag.app" target="_blank">Google Play</a>.&nbsp;

Dr. Tim Walker, Horizon Ag CEO, says the rapid adoption of the Provisia Rice System in some areas has provided several key learnings farmers can implement today.

Free Webinars in Louisiana and Arkansas

<h1>Free Webinars in Louisiana and Arkansas</h1>

Horizon Ag together with industry partners will be hosting free webinars in the coming weeks focused on rice weed control, resistance management and stewardship.

The first webinar in cooperation with LSU is set for Wednesday, January 29, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 CST and is entitled&nbsp;Louisiana Rice in 2025: Resistance, Best Management Practices, and Stewardship.

Participants can earn 1 CCA Credit for attending and will receive a&nbsp;gift.

To register, click/tap the image above, or visit&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/4feydp6" target="_blank">bit.ly/4feydp6</a>.&nbsp;

We hope to see you in Memphis, Tennessee on Jan. 27 for the Conservation System Cotton &amp; Rice Conference at the Hilton Hotel East Memphis.&nbsp;

Dr. Tim Walker, Horizon Ag CEO, will be leading two conference breakout sessions with the topic Provisia&reg;&nbsp;Rice: Past Lessons Set Stage for Future Success, sharing key learnings from recent seasons that can help rice farmers best&nbsp;manage Provisia varieties and the&nbsp;Provisia Rice System for the 2025&nbsp;season.

The breakout sessions are scheduled for Monday, Jan. 27, with the first at 11:12 a.m. in Meeting Room #6, and the second at 4:51 p.m. in Meeting Room #9.&nbsp;

In 2018, Horizon Ag launched Provisia varieties, the first ACCase-tolerant rice, over 15 years after it introduced Clearfield&reg; varieties to help farmers control red rice.&nbsp;

There has been considerable adoption of the technology in&nbsp;areas like southwest Louisiana and parts of Southeast Arkansas and Northeast Arkansas, where a second technology was needed due to the severe threat to yields posed by weedy rice and resistant red rice.

Growers in other regions, where better rotation options are available, have been slower to try Provisia rice but that may be changing with the considerably higher yield potential and benefits of new varieties like PVL04.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Horizon Ag has worked closely with growers and university partners on how to best manage Provisia varieties, making great strides since the launch of Provisia rice,&rdquo; says Dr. Walker. &ldquo;The goal of this session is to review best management practices so farmers can successfully integrate this technology into herbicide rotation systems. By doing so successfully, we can extend the lives of both the Clearfield and Provisia technologies while improving on-farm productivity.&rdquo;

Horizon Ag is proud to help rice growers meet their 2025 planting needs with top-performing varieties like Clearfield&reg;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.horizonseed.com/variety/cll19" target="_blank">CLL19</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.horizonseed.com/variety/cll18" target="_blank">CLL18</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.horizonseed.com/variety/cll16" target="_blank">CLL16</a>, and Provisia&reg;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.horizonseed.com/variety/pvl03" target="_blank">PVL03</a>.

If you are new to our varieties and to working with Horizon Ag, we want you to know the entire Horizon team values your business and is committed to your success with our rice seed. We can provide best management practices proven to help maximize variety potential, and are ready to quickly respond to your in-season production questions or concerns.

A great way to start is by downloading the Horizon Ag Productivity App in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/horizon-ag/id1614880264" target="_blank">App Store</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.horizonag.app" target="_blank">Google Play</a>.&nbsp;

The <a href="https://onelink.to/zrpbkn" target="_blank">Horizon Ag Productivity app</a>&nbsp;provides easy access to critical management recommendations and tools, including seeding rates, fertilizer recommendations and other suggested management practices to help you get the most out of our varieties. The app also has been updated with an ROI calculator and other tools for the 2025 season.

More information on all of our varieties can also be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.horizonseed.com/" target="_blank">www.horizonseed.com</a>, along with the latest rice news, technical information, details regarding retail partners in your area and contact information for your local Horizon Ag District Field Representative, such as: Northeast Arkansas &amp; Missouri&nbsp; Robyn Chlapecka <a href="mailto:rchlapecka@horizonseed.com?subject=contact%20from%20Horizon%20News" target="_blank">rchlapecka@horizonseed.com</a> North Central Arkansas Chase Kagen <a href="mailto:ckagen@horizonseed.com?subject=contact%20from%20Horizon%20News" target="_blank">ckagen@horizonseed.com</a> Arkansas Grand Prairie William &ldquo;Hutch&rdquo; Hutchens <a href="mailto:whutchens@horizonseed.com?subject=contact%20from%20Horizon%20News" target="_blank">whutchens@horizonseed.com</a> Mississippi/North Louisiana Garland Melton <a href="mailto:gmelton@horizonseed.com?subject=contact%20from%20Horizon%20News" target="_blank">gmelton@horizonseed.com</a> South Central Louisiana Corey Conner <a href="mailto:cconner@horizonseed.com?subject=Contact%20from%20Horizon%20Ag%20News" target="_blank">cconner@horizonseed.com</a> Texas Hunter Brown <a href="mailto:hbrown@horizonseed.com?subject=contact%20from%20Horizon%20News" target="_blank">hbrown@horizonseed.com</a>

Horizon Ag together with industry partners will be hosting free webinars in the coming weeks focused on rice weed control, resistance management and stewardship.

IN THE NEWS

IN THE NEWS

Articles »

Welcome Robyn Chlapecka, upcoming Rice Conference, and free Webinar

Happy Holidays from Horizon Ag!

See You in Little Rock!

Industry »

Rice seed availability tightens even more for 2025

Horizon Ag launches new varieties, brings together grower advisory board

Horizon Ag: Ready To Meet Seed Demand

Newsletters »

Weather Issues Hampering Rice in Many Areas

Dry Weather Aids Planting, But Showers Expected In Some Areas

Notes from Rice County

Videos »

New PVL04 | Aiming for Zero Weeds Even on Tough Acres

CLL18 | High Yields and High Value

New CLL19 | Short Stature and Early Emergence Make a Great Fit on Any Farm

IN THE NEWS

IN THE NEWS

Articles »

Welcome Robyn Chlapecka, upcoming Rice Conference, and free Webinar

Happy Holidays from Horizon Ag!

See You in Little Rock!

Industry »

Rice seed availability tightens even more for 2025

Horizon Ag launches new varieties, brings together grower advisory board

Horizon Ag: Ready To Meet Seed Demand

Newsletters »

Weather Issues Hampering Rice in Many Areas

Dry Weather Aids Planting, But Showers Expected In Some Areas

Notes from Rice County

Videos »

New PVL04 | Aiming for Zero Weeds Even on Tough Acres

CLL18 | High Yields and High Value

New CLL19 | Short Stature and Early Emergence Make a Great Fit on Any Farm

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