USA
December 5, 2019

“Necessity is the mother of invention.” The problem of red rice in the Southern USA was so severe just a few decades ago that the LSU AgCenter sought a remedy. The results of inaction were not sustainable. The subsequent development of the Clearfield® Production System for rice greatly impacted rice production throughout the South, but it was revolutionary in South Louisiana and other areas where a rotational crop is not economical. For those in South Louisiana especially, it not only protected yield potential from costly red rice competition but also allowed for the transition to drill-seeding, delayed-flood management, which improved agronomic efficiency and is more environmentally friendly than “working in the water” to control red rice.
 
Historical yield data by state can be interpreted to back up the yield gains due to improved agronomics. First launched in 2002, the Clearfield Production System grew to over 50% market share by 2010 (69% in Louisiana). The table below indicates that average rice yield in Louisiana in the decade of 2001-2010 gained 79 pounds per year, compared to 30 and 40 pounds per year in Arkansas and Mississippi, respectively. The percentage of acreage planted to a Clearfield variety or hybrid in 2010 in Arkansas and Mississippi was slightly over 50%.
 

We currently find ourselves at another critical junction in rice production. 

In South Louisiana, the weedy rice complex is threatening to take us back to pre-Clearfield days. Concentrated areas in South Arkansas and Northeast Arkansas have similar issues where mono-crop rice production has occurred for several years. Furthermore, barnyardgrass is resistant to ALS and other mode-of-action herbicides throughout the upper Delta rice production area. There has even been talk that the situation is causing some Louisiana farmers to consider going back to water-seeded rice, despite the previous yield gains and environmental benefits attributed to drill-seeding.

The Provisia® Rice System, developed by BASF and the LSU AgCenter, with varieties PVL01 and new PVL02 marketed by Horizon Ag, is the only herbicide system that will control weedy rice and other resistant grasses. Provisia varieties were planted on about 50,000 acres in 2019, with farmers reporting outstanding control of grass and weedy rice. Many have said the Provisia Rice System resulted in their cleanest fields last season.

The Provisia Rice System is not a stand-alone system. When used in combination with rotational crops like soybeans and rotational herbicide systems (conventional and Clearfield), this technology offers the opportunity to extend the life of both herbicide systems, bringing back the Clearfield system where it has been rendered ineffective. 

Finally, the Provisia Rice System, because it works in the drill-seeded, delayed-flood system, allows South Louisiana farmers to maintain the agronomic yield and environmental gains that were realized in the first decade of herbicide-tolerant rice production.
 
Rather than taking a step backwards, it’s technology that can continue to propel the industry forward, improving profitability for farmers. 

Website: http://www.horizonseed.com

Published: December 5, 2019