HORIZON AG E-NEWS

South Louisiana and Texas 

As we move into April, the pace of planting in south Louisiana and Texas is beginning to slow down. I estimate that, to date, approximately 75 to 80 percent of the crop is planted in south Louisiana, and Texas is somewhere around 50 to 60 percent statewide.

The rice crop in both regions is beginning to develop at a normal pace – starting to grow after being slowed by some cooler temperatures from mid-March through last week. I fully expect herbicide applications to start ramping up within the next week.

If you would like me to look at your fields or have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Corey Conner
District Field Representative
337-249-9523

RICE STEWARDSHIP WEBINAR

Horizon Ag general manager Tim Walker recently participated in the Rice in 2023: Resistance, Best Management Practices and Stewardship webinar, along with representatives from the University of Arkansas and BASF Agricultural Solutions. The goal of the presentation was to help rice farmers preserve the Provisia®  Rice System as an effective tool for controlling weedy rice and resistant red rice. The webinar can be viewed in its entirety at https://youtu.be/INNeKNOUFeU.

Coming off a strong performance year in 2022, PVL03 in the Provisia Rice System clearly stood apart from the other ACCase-inhibitor herbicide system available, showing better herbicide tolerance without a safener, better weedy rice control, and, overall, better performance.

PVL03 has good tolerance of Provisia herbicide, and the herbicide doesn’t need a safener like the competitive product. The Provisia Rice System is widely considered the best system available today for resistant weedy rice and red rice. It’s the right choice since, with the need to manage resistance, rice farmers can’t afford to be safe on weeds.

To date, only one location in Arkansas has had a confirmed instance of ACCase-inhibitor-resistant weedy rice. That said, more weedy rice resistance has been confirmed in Louisiana, and the potential exists for the problem to become more severe unless managed.

Dr. Jason Norsworthy, weed scientist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture who presented during the webinar, said numerous factors contributed to the confirmed instance of resistance in Arkansas, including:

• The field was planted in continuous rice
• It was in continuous Clearfield® rice from the early 2000s through 2018
• It has been planted in continuous Provisia rice since 2019 after the Clearfield system failed there

“The good news is that this field will be planted in soybeans in 2023,” said Dr. Norsworthy, adding that he believes soybeans are a vital component to rotate with to protect technologies like Provisia and Clearfield rice.

Both Norsworthy and Dr. Tommy Butts, a University of Arkansas Extension weed scientist, told webinar viewers that while farmers with zero-grade fields are often reluctant to plant soybeans, many have achieved good yields despite their concerns. “Zero-grade fields may be more challenging, but with today’s soybean varieties, farmers can be successful,” said Dr. Butts.

Norsworthy added that some landlords may push back against growers rotating to soybeans. “If so, I’d be happy to talk to them,” he said. “To manage resistance, we must bring soybeans into that rotation.”

Best management practices recommended for Provisia herbicide include:

• Use only Provisia herbicide over the top of Provisia rice.
• Start clean, with burndown and/or tillage.
• Let the size and population of weedy rice dictate follow-up applications.
• Use residuals like grass and broadleaf herbicides for broad-spectrum control.
• Do not mix Provisia herbicide with herbicides that have the potential to be antagonistic.
• Apply Provisia herbicide to actively growing grasses, red rice and volunteer rice.
• Make at least two (but no more than three) Provisia herbicide applications no later than panicle initiation.
• Use proper carrier volumes of 10-15 GPA by ground and by air.
• Clean equipment/combines.
• Harvest fields with weedy rice last.

Switching from Provisia rice to Max-Ace®  rice is not a rotation option since both are ACCase-inhibitor herbicides with the same active ingredient — Quizalofop. At the same time, the two systems are not equal.

One big advantage Provisia herbicide has over Highcard®  herbicide is that Provisia does not require a safener for use with PVL03 in the Provisia Rice System. Dr. Norsworthy said that in addition to safening the crop, an herbicide with a safener also “provides a degree of safety for weedy rice and barnyardgrass. It is not going to have the same level of effectiveness as Provisia herbicide.”

Dr. Butts told webinar participants that an herbicide with a safener, while effective, is also at more risk when challenges like adverse weather or a bad herbicide application occur. “Add in that the herbicide is little less effective because of a safener, and it’s just another strike against you — one possibility that might go wrong.”

Provisia herbicide does not need a safener when used with Provisia rice and Horizon Ag PVL03. 

A second Resistance, Best Management Practices and
Stewardship Webinar, this one more focused on the
Coastal Region, is scheduled for April 13, from 9 a.m.
to 10 a.m., Central. Click here to register.

REGISTER HERE

Horizon Ag Variety Update

We get a lot of questions this time of year about Horizon Ag varieties and availability. There has been a strong demand for PVL03 in South Louisiana and Texas, and we expect good demand to continue as planting gains momentum in the rest of the southern rice production region. In 2024, we expect to have PVL04, a new Arkansas-bred Provisia variety, available.

There is also considerable interest in CLL16 and CLL17  in South Louisiana and Texas, and we expect CLL16 to also go out on a lot more acres in the rest of the southern rice region, due to its ability to consistently achieve high yields from Texas to the Missouri Bootheel.

New CLL18, available for a limited launch, was in very high demand. This is one to watch for potential planting in 2024, along with new CLL19, a semi-dwarf, early maturing variety from Louisiana which is in seed production and will be available commercially next season.

CLM04, a Clearfield medium grain rice, sold out even after we doubled seed production for the year. We also have seen very strong interest in the aromatic variety CLJ01 and CLHA02, a high-amylose rice in demand by our Central and South American customers.

Finally, legacy varieties like CL111 and CL151 are available for farmers who’ve had success with these solid performers over the years.

Horizon Ag Productivity App Available

Horizon Ag has created a mobile app that will be a valuable resource for rice farmers as you begin planning for variety selection and planting. 

The Horizon Ag Productivity App provides easy access to seeding rate information, a drill calibration tool and other decision-making features for 2023 Horizon Ag Clearfield and Provisia varieties. This app also makes it easy to connect with retailers in your area who sell top-performing Horizon Ag varieties.

The app is available by searching “Horizon Ag” in the App Store or Google Play.

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