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Rice Production

      Rice is a major crop for the Mississippi Delta, which has an abundant supply of good quality water and suitable soil types. The Delta also is well-suited to increased commercial rice production.

Land Selection

      Select fields for rice production on the basis of several factors:
  1. Soil types suited for rice production have slowly permeable subsoils, preferably with clay or plow pan, which reduce infiltration and water loss. Deep, sandy loam and silt loam soils may be less desirable due to the excess water losses by leaching from initial flooding. However, after the permanent flood has been established for 2 to 3 weeks, the water requirement is about the same as for any other soil suited for rice production.
  2. Fields for rice should be relatively level, but gently sloping toward drainage channels. Ideally, land leveling for a uniform grade of 0.1 percent slope or less achieves necessary drainage and reduces the number of levees required. On some fields the use of a land plane to construct the natural slope uniformly may be sufficient.
  3. When selecting fields, keep in mind the previous crops grown on that field. Certain herbicides used on other crops tend to remain in the soil from one year to the next and can injure rice. Label restrictions in other herbicides may prohibit rice production the year following application with that herbicide. Herbicides restricted or that may carry over are Atrazine, Karmex, Zorial, and the double rate of Treflan. For additional information on other herbicide restrictions, refer to Extension Publication 1376, Mississippi Rice Growers Guide.

Water Requirements and Management

      Good quality (low salt), readily available water is basic to successful rice production. Water requirements vary, depending on soil texture, length of flume ditches, seepage through levees and ditches, transpiration by plants, and evaporation from the water surface. Sufficient water is necessary to establish a flood in 4 to 5 days. Generally, a minimum of 15 gallons of water per minute per acre is required to establish a flood on clay soils. Once the flood is established, 8 to 10 gallons per minute per acre are usually satisfactory for maintaining the flood.

      Timely flooding of rice and the depth of flood are also important. Begin flooding when the rice reaches a height of 4 to 6 inches. Floodwaters applied at this time provide a favorable environment for rice growth, help control weeds, and stabilize soil ammonium nitrogen. To aid weed control (both broadleaf and grass) and to reduce nitrogen losses, establish the first flood within 3 to 5 days after propanil and pre-flood nitrogen applications. The flood should be no deeper than 6 inches. Deep water interferes with proper tillering (stooling) of rice. Generally, a flood of 2 inches on the upgrade side of the bay will prevent deep water if the levees were properly surveyed.

      Proper management of the quantities of water pumped onto a rice field is critical. Excessive water flowing across a rice field is not necessary for proper growth and is a waste of water. Many producers are reducing wastewater by decreasing the number of hours per day water is pumped onto fields. Water waste can be controlled by installing time clocks on electric pumps and by idling down or shutting off diesel engines.

Levees

      Levees are generally surveyed and constructed on the contour at vertical intervals of 0.1 to 0.2 foot between levees. A laser is used to survey levees, and a levee disk is used to construct the levees. Levees should be high enough to hold a flood 3 to 6 inches deep. After the levees are constructed, floodgates 3 to 7 feet long are installed to control the water depth. These gates are usually made of metal or plastic. One gate per levee is usually enough unless the levee is long or is enclosing a small area near the water source.

Seedbed Preparation

      A well-prepared seedbed, with no weeds and only a few clods, is important when rice is dry-seeded. If rice is to follow rice or soybeans, the crop residue should be disked well into the soil in the fall to speed decomposition of the stubble. After disking, land planing is beneficial. In the spring, disk or till the soil with a spring tooth harrow to remove winter vegetation. Before surveying and planting, use a spring tooth or section harrow to break clods and to improve seedbed. If the seedbed is smooth, burn-down herbicides may be used instead of tillage to kill existing vegetation before planting.

      When water seeding rice, make certain the soil surface is rough and dry before flooding. A rough soil surface reduces drifting of the seed.

Varieties and Seeding Dates

      Rice varieties adapted for Mississippi may be classified by growing season length and grain size. The length of the growing season is divided into 3 groups: (1) very short season, 110 to 120 days; (2) short season, 120 to 130 days; (3) midseason, 130 to 140 days. The growing season is based on the number of days from effective seeding (ample moisture for germination) to harvest maturity. The varieties are classified in three grain types: short, medium, and long.

      When choosing a variety, consider seed availability, date to be seeded, suitable maturity, resistance to lodging, desirable grain type, disease resistance, processing characteristics, and yield potential.

Seed Treatments

      Rice seed are generally treated with a fungicide by the seed conditioner/dealer for control of seedling diseases. Several fungicides are registered for use as seed treatments.

Fertilization

      Most soils in the Delta do not require lime, phosphorus, or potassium for maximum rice yields. Soil test to be certain of nutrient requirements.

      Nitrogen is recommended at the rate of 120 to 180 pounds per acre, depending on past yields and cropping history. Apply one-half of the total amount of nitrogen that will be used for the growing season on a dry soil surface just before flooding, and apply one-half at midseason. Recently cleared land or catfish ponds may require less nitrogen the first year of production.

      The source of nitrogen is important for maximum yields. Ammonium forms such as ammonium sulfate and urea are recommended over the other forms of nitrogen. However, at midseason the use of ammonium nitrate is as effective as all ammonium sources. Ammonium nitrogen is relatively stable in a flooded environment and is more usable to young rice seedlings.

      The timing of the phenoxy herbicide and midseason nitrogen applications can be keyed by the DD50 program or by checking for internode movement. The correct time to apply a phenoxy herbicide at midseason is from the time the internode just begins to move (green ring stage) until the internode reaches half an inch. DO NOT apply a phenoxy herbicide after the internode length is more than half an inch.

Weed Control

      Control weeds in rice by using good cultural practices and by effectively using herbicides. The use of good cultural practices such as weed-free planting seed, crop rotations, seedbed preparation, land leveling, levee construction, and water management can help the overall weed control program.

      Red rice continues to be a major weed problem in Mississippi. Refer to Extension Publication 1376, Mississippi Rice Grower's Guide, for red rice control programs.

      The following table lists weed response to various herbicides. For further recommendations on control of weeds in rice, see Extension Publication 1217, Rice Weed Control. Consult herbicide labels for additional directions and restrictions.

Performance of Rice Varieties at Stoneville
Variety Planting date Days to maturity Average yield (lb/A)
Cypress April 15 - June 10 122 6075
Drew April 15 - June 10 124 6840
Jackson April 15 - June 15 116 6300
Jefferson April 15 - June 20 107 6345
Kaybonnet April 15 - June 15 116 6660
Lemont April 15 - June 10 121 6525
Litton April 15 - June 5 125 6705
Priscilla April 15 - June 10 120 7740


Insect Control

      The major insect problem for rice is the rice water weevil. The larvae stage causes the injury. These larvae can cause severe root pruning, but you can control the larvae with properly timed insecticide applications. Use 17 pounds of carbofuran (Furadan®) 3% granules broadcast per acre. Make this application after flooding and after a larvae infestation level of one per plant has been found through sampling. Carbofuran is scheduled to be removed from the market at the end of 1998.

      Lambda cyhalothrin (Karate®) may be used to control adult rice water weevils. For dry-seeded rice, apply a foliar application of Karate within 5 days after permanent flood when adult weevils are present. Do not exceed 10 days from start of permanent flood until insecticide application.

Disease Control

      Rice diseases are influenced by many factors: fertilization rate, soil type, environmental conditions, and varietal susceptibility. Diseases, depending upon the severity, can cause appreciable losses in yields as well as in quality. You can control certain diseases by using seed treatment, resistant varieties, fungicides, and better cultural and management practices. In Mississippi, the most frequently occurring diseases include seedling blight, brown leaf spot, sheath blight, and stem rot. Diseases that occur less often and in small areas are straightened (a physiological disorder), kernel smut, blast, leaf smut, narrow brown leaf spot, brown bordered leaf, and sheath spot.

Harvesting and Storage

      Timely drainage before harvest is important to rice maturity and harvest efficiency. Generally, rice fields should be drained when the rice heads are turned down and are ripened in the upper half of the heads (approximately 2 to 3 weeks before harvest).

      Rice is usually harvested at 18 to 23 percent moisture. Adjust the combine for minimum field loss and seed damage. Consult your operator's manual for specific adjustments.

      Rice should be dried to a moisture content of 12 to 13 percent. Different methods of drying rice are the multipass, heated-air drier, and bin drying with or without stirring devices.

      Once the rice is dried to the proper moisture content, store in clean, dry, weather-proofed, rodent-proofed storage bins. Before rice storage, treat the bins for stored grain insect pests.

      For additional information on rice production, refer to Extension Publication 1376, Mississippi Rice Grower's Guide. The information given here is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended of other products that may also be suitable.

By Dr. Joe E. Street, Extension Rice Specialist, and Dr. Ted Miller, Retired Extension Agronomist

Mississippi State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran status.

Publication 1427
Extension Service of Mississippi State University, cooperating with U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published in furtherance of Acts of Congress, May 8 and June 30, 1914. Ronald A. Brown, Director

Copyright by Mississippi State University. All rights reserved.

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