Crops: Rice
About 240,000 acres of rice is planted in Mississippi annually. The acreage can vary depending on the market as well as other commodity markets. The average yield over the past several years has been around 6500 lbs/A (144 bushels/A).
Rice
variety selection has improved. In years past, Mississippi growers would
typically plant a majority of their acres in one variety, but now, several
are available. Cocodrie, Cheniere, and CL 161 are the most popular varieties
planted within the state. And varieties such as Priscilla, Wells, Francis
and different RiceTec Hybrids are planted on a small percentage of the
acres.
Ideal planting dates are from April 1 to May 15 in the lower Delta and April 15 to May 15 in the upper Delta. Most of the rice is grown in a dry seeded culture, where the permanent flood is not established until the five-leaf stage.
In our current production system, the two biggest inputs are herbicides for weed control and nitrogen fertilizer. Weeds can be very costly if left uncontrolled. They compete for sunlight, water, and soil nutrients. Eliminating early season weeds, such as barnyardgrass, are necessary for maximizing yields.
Common weeds found in Mississippi production fields are barnyardgrass, red rice, Amazon sprangletop, hemp sesbania (coffeebean), and various morningglory species. With the recent development of Clearfield, producers now have a viable option to control red rice.
Rice is responsive to nitrogen fertilizer. Our current recommendations for nitrogen are 150 lbs of total N/Acre on silt loam to sandy soils and 180 lbs of total N/Acre on clay soils. Also, yield responses have been observed from a phosphorus application at a few locations within the state. While this is not a wide spread problem, it indicates that maintenance levels of phosphorus will have to be added in the near future. Nutrients are most efficiently used when applied prior to permanent flood.
Publications
IB0432-Rice
Variety Trial 2006
P1532rice-Rice Weed Control
P2338-Multiple Inlet Irrigation
P2255-Mississippi Rice Growers
Guide
IS1342-Economic Analysis of Selected
Rice VarietiesReturn
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Other Rice Information
Permit
receives label for use in rice
DD50 Rice Program
Priscilla rice
Icon approved for rice water weevil control
1999 Mississippi rice acreage (long grain
varieties)
2000 Mississippi rice acreage (long grain varieties)
Mississippi Rice Promotion Board
Policy for
Head Row Rice Seed Production in Mississippi
Supplemental
Policy for Foundation Rice Seed Production in Mississippi
