Project Leader and Principal UC
Investigators
Improvement of Agronomic Practices for Rice Production
D.E. Seaman ,
UC Davis
B.W.
Brandon
T.R.
Woolsey
H.P.
Wright
C.E.
Turner
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Cooperative Extension Improved Rice Production Systems
D.
Marlin Brandon, UC Davis
L.A.
Post
K.
Mueller
T.
Pritchard
G.J.
St. Andre
C.M.
Wick
J.F.
Williams
J.P.
Guerard
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Fertilization research helped solve the problem of crop rotation following
rice, adding at least $18 million to $20 million to rice farm income in the
Sacramento Valley in the past 6 years. This work has been of special value
when the drought or market situation compelled us to grow other crops on
some rice lands.
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The productivity of rotational crops on old rice
soils can be increased by placing phosphorus fertilizer near the seed at
planting time. Note the difference between the phosphorus fertilized
sorghum on the left and the control planting. Yield increases of more
than 1, 000 pounds per acre have been recorded in Colusa County field
experiments with crops such as barley, wheat, safflower, and grain
sorghum. |
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Safflower immediately following
rice is especially responsive to phosphorus placed close to the seed, as
shown in the UC Cooperative Extension experiment. Banded phosphorus
gives early vigorous growth of safflower (left) on old rice land,
compared with poor growth where phosphorus is not provided. both plots
received the same amount of nitrogen fertilizer. |
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Research showed that, usually
zinc, not iron, was needed to correct adverse conditions in alkali rice
soils. The "alkali" problem, cause by a zinc deficiency, appears in rice
as chlorosis in seedling plants and partial loss of stand. Where zinc is
needed, it was shown that relatively low rates of zinc fertilizer could
be used, at a third of less the cost of commonly used zinc-contaminated
commercial iron sources such as ferric sulfate and iron oxide. The
savings to California rice growers since 1969 in reduced costs to
control "alkli disease" are estimated at more than $2 million. |
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Field tests like this one in Colusa County have
been used to establish critical nutrient values in soils and in rice
plant tissue. UC rice
fertilization research also has been directed partly toward the development
of analytical tools to estimate fertilizer needs and to develop better
methods of correcting deficiencies in rice plant nutrition. Two of these
methods - preplant soil analysis and growing season rice tissue analysis -
are now widely used to determine fertilizer programs for each rice crop. A
rapid tissue test that growers can use in the field on growing rice plants
should be available soon. |
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In this Sutter County experiment on the Tennis
Ranch, CS-M3 in the foreground lodged at 150 pounds of nitrogen per
acre. Short-statured Calrose
76 (background) and M7 (3rd label back) did not lodge. Better management of
nitrogen fertilizer can produce higher yields in all new rice varieties. The
new short-stature varieties Calrose 76, M7 and M9 are more responsive to
nitrogen fertilizer. They lodge less and usually require higher nitrogen
rates than the tall varieties for maximum yield. Limited experimental
results indicate that the critical level of tissue nitrogen in short-stature
varieties is similar to that of the tall varieties. Nitrogen fertilizer is
utilized more efficiently by the short-stature varieties because of their
superior genetic makeup. These rices will increase grain yields about 15
percent and decrease straw yields by 15 percent when fertilized with optimum
rates of nitrogen. |
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Because of the importance of water in the
production of rice, we have sponsored far ranging rice irrigation studies by UCD water scientists
and engineers, Dr. D. W. Henderson, Dr. K.K. Tanji and Dr. W.O. Pruitt.
Shallow water culture increases rice yield and should be used in growing the
short rice varieties. Management techniques have been developed to ensure
that the quality of the water we use and return to public streams is
preserved. Water consumptive use by rice is only 3.5 percent greater than
for a field of fescue grass. Any water over that actually required for
growth of the rice crop is returned to the public waterways and underground
storage for a variety of other public uses. The funding of water quality
research has served as "seed money," subsequently bringing in sizeable
federal grants for this purpose. UCD irrigation researchers have just begun
a study of the turbidity problem in the Colusa Drain based on an
Environmental Protection Agency grant. |
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Members of the Rice Research Board make it a point
to personally visit on-going rice research projects. Here (1. to r.) Dr. L.D.
Whittig, UCD; Mel Androus, manager, Rice Research Board; and Board member
Francis B. DuBois tour Dr. K. K. Tanji's water quality research project in
the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys. |
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The Board has funded research to discover more efficient, energy
conserving rice drying methods. UCD's agricultural engineer Dr. R. Paul
Singh uses a new computerized dryer in his research. He is working on ways
to recycle the warm air discharged from commercial dryers. |
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Obtaining nitrogen from the air in the style of
legumes has been explored for Riceland use by UCD's Drs. D. W. Rains and S. N. Talley. A
water fern, Azolla, reacts with a blue-green algae to fix nitrogen from the
air. Research shows that it grows well in rice fields, suppresses weeds
if started at the right time, dies before rice emergence, and releases
nitrogen as it decays. It has potential to produce about half the nitrogen a
rice crop needs, but its use would require new crop management techniques.
The Board's support of this exploratory work has led to major support from
other sources for its continuation. |
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