Alvin, Texas, USA
November 11, 2009
As part of its commitment to working closely with rice millers and processors, RiceTec Inc., the world's leading producer of hybrid rice seed, recently hosted a rice milling and processing seminar at its headquarters in Alvin.
Leaders in the Texas and Louisiana rice milling and drying industry attended the seminar conducted by Dr. Terry Siebenmorgen, director of the University of Arkansas Rice Processing Program. Siebenmorgen and post-doctoral researcher Dr. Mohammed Saleh discussed their findings from post-harvest research of RiceTec hybrid rice and conventional varieties.
Their findings show that RiceTec hybrids can be milled to equivalent levels in roughly half the time as conventional varieties, thereby increasing mill throughput and saving energy. Their research also shows that residual breakage occurs across wide gradients of temperature and humidity and is not necessarily linked to certain rice varieties. The seminar concluded with a discussion on the effect nighttime air temperature has on the incidence of chalk.
RiceTec has also created a new position that the company believes will benefit the entire rice industry. RiceTec's industry support manager will work more closely with the rice milling and processing industry. Dr. Brian Ottis of Sikeston, Mo., has been selected from within RiceTec's ranks for this important new position. Previously, Ottis was the company's technical services representative for southeast Missouri, where he helped area rice growers maximize the advantages of growing RiceTec Hybrid Rice.
Prior to joining RiceTec, Ottis was a rice agronomist with the University of Missouri at Portageville. A Bay City, Texas, native, Ottis earned a bachelor's degree in plant and environmental soil science and a master's degree in agronomy from Texas A&M University. Ottis also worked in coordination with Dr. Ron Talbert (weed science) at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he earned a doctorate in agronomy.
Headquartered in Alvin, Texas, RiceTec Inc. has been developing hybrid rice seed since 1988, offering the first commercial hybrid rice seed product in 1999. RiceTec was founded on the premise that modern, technology-based breeding techniques - combined with a broad, diverse germplasm collection - allow for efficient development and economical production of superior hybrid seed products, as well as specialty rice for consumer markets. RiceTec also has research centers in Harrisburg, Ark., and at off-season locations in Puerto Rico, which allows the company to grow and test rice year-round.
RiceTec is the only rice seed company with a technical service team on-call throughout the growing season to answer questions and make recommendations to help growers maximize the performance of their hybrid rice crops.
Topics
Species
