Horizon Ag: Good PVL01 Yields, Weather Delays and Drift Damage Reported in Southern Rice

South Louisiana and Texas

Very little has changed in my area since our last report. We are still dealing with rain, and rice is still slow moving to the mill. The mood in south Louisiana right now is very gloomy as a lot of farmers are losing many acres of soybeans. The challenge now is going to become how to manage the soybean stubble for next year. Many farmers are really getting behind on field preparation for next year, and I am not sure when it is going to dry up. Things usually work out in the end, and I am sure it will again this time, but it is tough right now.
 
The ratoon crop is moving along just fine, although we are starting to see signs of disease with all the rain we have had lately. Good luck to everyone, and let me know if you need anything from me.

Michael Fruge 
District Field Representative
(832) 260-6193

Mississippi and North Louisiana

Harvest has been stalled in my area for the last week due to the weather. Yields I’ve been hearing about have been variable. One part of the yield variability equation is the amount of paraquat symptoms being observed on rice. Late-season paraquat drift can cause substantial yield loss. 
 
Farmers have returned to the field this week as we are finally seeing dry, sunny days again. Harvest progress is somewhere around 85 percent in Mississippi and a little behind that in North Louisiana, from what I’ve seen. Some of that is due to weather and chasing soybeans. There’s also a portion of the crop that was planted much later.

Tim Jett 
District Field Representative
(901) 687-6362