Once again we may be facing a difficult planting season. Stand establishment, weed control, and nitrogen management are particularly problematic in wet springs. Below are a few points that you might want to keep in mind. As always, if I can be of assistance don't hesitate to give me call.
In past newsletters and extension meetings the topics of N and P fertility have been covered recurrently. This year, Bruce Linquist, UC Davis Research Scientist, will begin a project to evaluate the status of K in rice soils in several locations across the Valley.
Large RWW flight at RES (Biggs, CA) night of April 30. We got over 2100 RWW which exceeds the total number captured the entire season in 2011 (a record low with only 415) and rivals the seasonal total for any year of the last 10 (except 2009 which was over 6000).
The rice season has started. If you drive around the valley you will see tractors working the ground, fields being flooded and airplanes flying seed. The UC Rice Project staked its first variety trial of the season today. It was the Glenn County variety trial. This trial has 104 10x20 feet plots.
By Randall G Mutters, Christopher A Greer, Luis A Espino
Every year variety trials are established throughout Californias rice production areas. The trials are a cooperative effort between UCCE and the Rice Experiment Station (RES).
