Update on Valley rice projects

With the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States not much has happened this past week.

In Brazil the rains have continued so no irrigation with the center pivots though the tradional fields continue to require flooding. The next application of fertilizer is being done as the rain allows and weed development is being watched closely.

No update was received from Pakistan this past week.

For those of you attending the USA Rice Conference in New Orleans next week please stop and see Michelle Stolte at the Valmont Irrigation booth for the latest information on rice production under center pivots and linears. This week Jake LaRue is at the Irrigation Association Irrigation Show 2009 in San Antonio - stop by the Valmont Irrigation booth and see the latest from the Valley line.

What's happened this past week with Valley pivots and linears on rice?

Rice continues to develop well in Brazil as all fields received good rains again this week.  Most of the fields are in V3 to V4 growth stage and no irrigation was required this past week.  Need to keep an eye on the development of weeds and prepare for the next application of nitrogen.  The one cooperator who usually plants some rice under flood irrigation did not plant any rice to be flooded this year due to a shortage of water.  Flooding of other rice fields in the area began two weeks ago.   Embrapa is keeping a close watch on the variety and herbicide trials under one of the cooperator's pivots. 

In Pakistan the crop is reaching maturity and all are anticipating the harvest and how it will compare with the adjacent traditional flooded fields.  All indications are the rice under the center pivot used 60% less water than the flood fields.

In the United States the Valley Rice Team continues to review potential cooperators and develop the plans for the 2010 crop.

Please stop by and visit Michelle Stolte, a team leader of the Circles for Rice project, at the Valmont Irrigation booth during the USA Rice Outlook Conference in New Orleans December 9th through 11th.

Best wishes for a happy Thanksgiving!

World roundup - Rice under mechanized irrigation

In the U.S., the last plots should be harvested this week in Missouri.

Last week members of the rice team reviewed and soil sampled potential fields in Arkansas and Missouri to be included in the 2010 Valley field trials.

Farid Noon sent in a short report from Pakistan indicated the crop is looking okay. Still not sure how much yield loss has been caused by blast in transplanted area. Anticipate harvest starting soon.

In Brazil, Germani Concenco says the crop continues to develop and first applications of fertilizer are being applied. Rain has continued helping minimize irrigation requirements and the soil moisture sensors are indicating soil moisture depletions of 10% or less. Some fields are showing some light damage from clomazone. Germani expects the crop should rapidly recover from this.

And lastly planting started last week in the rice fields in Tanzania. We hope to be able to provide more detail on these in the coming weeks.

Have a great week!  We welcome all comments!

Update on mechanized irrigation rice projects

Let's start with Pakistan this week - Farid Noon had a field day near Lahore last week with a great turnout of farmers and government officials.  To date, the center pivot has used 65% less water than the adjoining traditional irrigated field.  This really gets people's attention when they can see the fields side by side and the rice under the center pivot looks as good as the traditional irrigated field!  We are anxiously waiting for the harvest which should begin in a week or two for the transplanted rice and several weeks later for the direct seeded rice.

In the U.S., the data keeps coming in and we are still waiting for one field and some plots to be harvested, though with the dry weather this week should be about done.  Some members of the Valley Rice Team will be in Arkansas and Missouri next week measuring wheel tracks in some of the harvested fields and collecting soil samples from fields we anticipate will have rice in 2010 under center pivots and linears.

Our cooperators in Brazil did receive several days of rain this week and the soil profile is full.  Currently soil moisture monitoring equipment is showing about 0% depletion at the different depths being monitored.  This rain will help push the crop along.  The primarly used seeds by the cooperators are Querencia, IRGA 417, IRGA 423, IRGA 424 and Ricetec Ecco.

Have a great week!