Arkansas Rice Update Jarrod Hardke, Trent Roberts, Chase Floyd, Nick Bateman, Gus Lorenz, Ben Thrash, & Scott Stiles June 19, 2020 No. 2020-14 www.uaex.edu/rice
Visit our website at http://www.uaex.edu University of Arkansas, United States Department of Agriculture, and County Governments Cooperating
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability,
marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
Pag
e 1
No Season Like Midseason
“That’s the way that the world goes ‘round,
you’re up one day and the next you’re down, it’s half
an inch of water and you think you’re gonna drown,
that’s the way that the world goes ‘round.”
It’s been a whirlwind the past week. Optimal
weather conditions with heat and sunshine.
Spraying, fertilizing, flooding, some last gasp rice
planting, and a big soybean planting push have kept
the days plenty busy.
Now we seem to be potentially staring at a
week’s worth of rain starting Sunday. Depending on
whether you’re in the northern or southern area of the
state the timing of your forecast differs slightly.
Either way, we’re looking at 1-2 inches of rain over
the next 7 days (Fig. 1).
For those fields that have been flooded, this will
hopefully allow us to turn some pumps off. For those
just trying to get fields to flood, this can provide a
big help in getting there. For those with rice ready to
flood but not quite where you can make it happen,
we may get pushed a while until we find dry ground
again. There’s definitely more rice out there that has
long been ready to flood, and not, than I like to see
this time of year. But again, we’ve had to try and do
everything at the same time here lately.
There are plenty of fields out there beginning to
show herbicide flash and injury post-flood. We
wrote about Delayed Phytotoxicity Syndrome (DPS)
last week and those calls continue to come in, some
severe. Others are more typical ALS flash (Fig. 2).
In many situations, plants will grow out of the injury,
but if severe and persistent, lower the flood.
Complete draining will be the last option if rice
begins to die.
Fig. 1. 7-day precipitation forecast, NOAA.
Fig. 2. Herbicide flash after flooding.
Arkansas Rice Update Jarrod Hardke, Trent Roberts, Chase Floyd, Nick Bateman, Gus Lorenz, Ben Thrash, & Scott Stiles June 19, 2020 No. 2020-14 www.uaex.edu/rice
Visit our website at http://www.uaex.edu University of Arkansas, United States Department of Agriculture, and County Governments Cooperating
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability,
marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
Pag
e 2
Midseason Nitrogen (N) Timing
The majority of rice acres in Arkansas currently
enrolled in the DD50 Rice Management Program are
starting to enter reproductive growth. Table 1 shows
acres reaching ½” internode elongation (IE) which
occurs approximately one week after the onset of
reproductive growth (beginning internode elongation
– BIE; green ring).
Table 1. Percent of acres reaching ½” internode
elongation (IE) by week (based on fields in DD50).
Week Percent of Acres
June 15 to June 21 9.1%
June 22 to June 28 30.2%
June 29 to July 5 39.3%
July 6 to July 12 14.4%
July 13 to July 19 4.2%
July 20 to July 26 1.7%
It’s important to note that our recommendations
for midseason N timing have changed in recent
years. Data from 2012-2018 has shown how we can
improve the timing of our midseason N applications
compared to previous recommendations.
The current recommendation is to apply
midseason N after beginning internode elongation
AND at least 4 weeks after preflood N was
incorporated by the flood. You must meet both
conditions before applying midseason N to
maximize your benefit!
Fig. 3 shows the percent of optimum yield based
on timing of midseason N after the flood was
established and indicates that 4-5 weeks after
preflood N is incorporated is the optimum time to
apply midseason N. Fig. 4 is another way of looking
at the same data, but based on days after BIE. In Fig.
4, ½” IE corresponds with 7 days after BIE.
Again, the absolute earliest to ever apply
midseason N is BIE, but only if it’s been at least 4
weeks since the flood was established to incorporate
the preflood N.
Fig. 3. Percent of optimum yield for midseason
nitrogen (N) timing based on days after preflood
N incorporated (flood establishment date).
Fig. 4. Percent of optimum yield for midseason
nitrogen (N) timing based on days after beginning
internode elongation (BIE; green ring).
Arkansas Rice Update Jarrod Hardke, Trent Roberts, Chase Floyd, Nick Bateman, Gus Lorenz, Ben Thrash, & Scott Stiles June 19, 2020 No. 2020-14 www.uaex.edu/rice
Visit our website at http://www.uaex.edu University of Arkansas, United States Department of Agriculture, and County Governments Cooperating
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability,
marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
Pag
e 3
Rice Billbug Identification & Scouting
We have observed a large amount of rice billbug
activity in row rice across the state this week. Fields
that have been in continuous row rice are at greater
risk of having billbug infestations. Prior to the
growing season observations of larvae and adults
were found overwintering in the field, approximately
4-6 inches beneath the surface (Fig. 5).
Fig. 5. Adult rice billbug in the field; larval and
pupal stages of rice billbug.
When billbugs emerge, the adults move to a
viable food source, such as bermudagrass, on ditch
banks and turn rows. They will remain there until the
rice crop begins to tiller. Once the rice becomes
desirable, the adults will move into the field and
begin to feed on the crop.
During 2019 and 2020, our peak trap catches
occurred during the first week of June, with a
dramatic increase in trap catches the following
weeks. The rice during this time period was between
3-5 tillers for both years. We believe this is the time
period when rice billbug moves back into rice.
The adults will feed by inverting themselves on
the rice and puncturing the tiller with their rostrum
(snout) (Fig. 6). Greenhouse observations show that
billbug damage can be seen 5-7 days after the adult
feeding has occurred. While scouting row rice, look
for dead tillers. The leaf blade will be brown until it
reaches the joint of the tiller (Fig. 7). Trace the
damaged tiller to the base of the plant near the soil
line and inspect for puncture wounds.
Fig. 6. Inverted rice billbug adult feeding on base
of rice tiller; puncture wounds from feeding.
Female feeding may result in oviposition, and
eggs will be laid within the leaf sheath in the base of
the tiller. Billbug eggs are cream colored and oblong
in shape, and measure approximately 2 mm in length
and 1 mm in width (Fig. 8). After the eggs hatch,
billbug larvae will feed in rice tillers as well as on the
roots and bases of tillers, causing seed heads to abort.
If egg lay and adult activity are observed, a foliar
insecticide application may be warranted. These
applications do not achieve 100% control, but could
help reduce damage. Use a high rate of a pyrethroid
such as Lambda-Cy or Mustang Maxx.
Arkansas Rice Update Jarrod Hardke, Trent Roberts, Chase Floyd, Nick Bateman, Gus Lorenz, Ben Thrash, & Scott Stiles June 19, 2020 No. 2020-14 www.uaex.edu/rice
Visit our website at http://www.uaex.edu University of Arkansas, United States Department of Agriculture, and County Governments Cooperating
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability,
marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
Pag
e 4
Fig. 7. Dead tillers caused by rice billbug adult
feeding.
Fig. 8. Dimensions of rice billbug eggs, and tiller
where egg was extracted.
Rice Market Update
After an almost 90 cent rally that began in the
final week of May, the September futures contract
has retreated to familiar territory. The chart below is
a 3-month daily chart. Until the breakout that started
May 26, the September contract consistently found
solid support at $11.80 and resistance at $12.20.
Today, the September contract sits exactly in the
middle of that trading range—waiting. Perhaps
waiting for the June Acreage report when NASS will
hopefully provide us with better insight on another
challenging spring planting campaign.
September ’20 CME Rice Futures.
Technical traders and chart watchers might argue
that the September daily chart has all the makings of
a bearish pennant formation. Below is a textbook
example:
Bearish Pennant Chart Formation.
Arkansas Rice Update Jarrod Hardke, Trent Roberts, Chase Floyd, Nick Bateman, Gus Lorenz, Ben Thrash, & Scott Stiles June 19, 2020 No. 2020-14 www.uaex.edu/rice
Visit our website at http://www.uaex.edu University of Arkansas, United States Department of Agriculture, and County Governments Cooperating
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability,
marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
Pag
e 5
Surprisingly high acreage in the upcoming June
30 NASS report could certainly be the catalyst for a
downward move in new crop rice futures. Applying
the bearish pennant diagram to the September futures
chart, would point to eventual new contract lows
around $11.21. Not a prediction, but a break lower
out of the current consolidation / trading range
should be closely watched.
Calendar:
June 25 – Federal Crop Insurance Final Planting
Date for Soybeans - Following another crop.
June 30 – USDA-NASS Acreage, Grain Stocks,
Rice Stocks, Agricultural Prices.
June 30 – Deadline to complete enrollment in
ARC/PLC for the 2020 crop year.
Note: Although program elections (ARC or
PLC) for the 2020 crop year remain the same as
elections made for 2019, all producers need to
contact their local USDA Farm Service Agency
(FSA) office to sign a 2020 enrollment contract.
FSA will send reminder postcards to producers
who have not yet submitted signed contracts for ARC
or PLC for the 2020 crop year. Producers who do
not complete enrollment by close of business local
time on Tuesday, June 30 will not be enrolled in
ARC or PLC for the 2020 crop year and will be
ineligible to receive a payment should one trigger for
an eligible crop.
Reminder: Signup is underway for the
Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP)
and will extend through August 28, 2020. As of June
15th, almost $48 million in CFAP payments had been
distributed to Arkansas producers. USDA Service
Centers are open for business by phone appointment
only. Please call your office prior to sending
applications electronically. Information on how to
apply for CFAP can be found at this link:
Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
Text & Email Alerts Now Available for
Fields Enrolled in DD50 Rice Management
Program
See more information in the article here:
http://www.arkansas-
crops.com/2020/06/17/available-enrolled-
management/.
Arkansas Rice Update Jarrod Hardke, Trent Roberts, Chase Floyd, Nick Bateman, Gus Lorenz, Ben Thrash, & Scott Stiles June 19, 2020 No. 2020-14 www.uaex.edu/rice
Visit our website at http://www.uaex.edu University of Arkansas, United States Department of Agriculture, and County Governments Cooperating
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability,
marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
Pag
e 6
DD50 Program is Live
The DD50 Rice Management Program is live and
ready for fields to be enrolled for the 2020 season.
All log-in and producer information has been
retained from the 2019 season, so if you used the
program last year you can log-in just as you did last
year. Only field data from 2019 has been removed.
Log-in and enroll fields here: https://dd50.uaex.edu/.
Here’s an article on the DD50 program: Use the
DD50 Rice Management Program to Say Ahead in
2020.
Additional Information
Arkansas Rice Updates are published
periodically to provide timely information and
recommendations for rice production in Arkansas. If
you would like to be added to this email list, please
send your request to [email protected].
This information will also be posted to the
Arkansas Row Crops blog (http://www.arkansas-
crops.com/) where additional information from
Extension specialists can be found.
More information on rice production, including
access to all publications and reports, can be found at
http://www.uaex.edu/rice.
Acknowledgements
We sincerely appreciate the support for this
publication provided by the rice farmers of Arkansas
and administered by the Arkansas Rice Research and
Promotion Board.
The authors greatly appreciate the feedback and
contributions of all growers, county agents,
consultants, and rice industry stakeholders.
Specialist Area Phone Number Email
Jarrod Hardke Rice Extension Agronomist 501-772-1714 [email protected]
Tom Barber Extension Weed Scientist 501-944-0549 [email protected]
Nick Bateman Extension Entomologist 870-456-8486 [email protected]
Tommy Butts Extension Weed Scientist 501-804-7314 [email protected]
Gus Lorenz Extension Entomologist 501-944-0942 [email protected]
Ralph Mazzanti Rice Verification Coordinator 870-659-5507 [email protected]
Trent Roberts Extension Soil Fertility 479-935-6546 [email protected]
Scott Stiles Extension Economist 870-219-8608 [email protected]
Yeshi Wamishe Extension Rice Pathologist 870-659-6864 [email protected]