Texas Rice - Texas A&M AgriLIFE Research Center at Beaumont ...

Grower continued...
6
Saving money and increasing profits becomes even
more difficult with a red rice problem. Bill has not
ratooned in the past because the red rice problem is so
bad on his farm, even following the strict ‘one year in,
two years out’ rotation. Other cultural practices have
helped some, like keeping the soil moist so it doesn’t
form large cracks where the air and light can get down
to dormant seeds. But more drastic measures were
called for, and when the CLEARFIELD technology
became available, Bill decided it was worth the extra
investment to try and clean up his farm. He attended
the training meeting in Winnie last year, where growers
learned about the stewardship program required to
maintain this technology. In signing the ‘grower agreement’
with Horizon and BASF, he consented to following
the guidelines they provided designed to
prevent outcrossing of the red rice with conventional
varieties. Says Bill, “The CLEARFIELD /Newpath
system costs around $25 per acre more than conventional,
mostly due to the higher cost of the seed. It will
be worth it, though, if we can get the red rice under
control.” For the broadleaf weeds that Newpath doesn’t
control, Bill uses the herbicide Grandstand, and finds
this combination keeps the fields relatively clean.
In addition to farming, Bill also does contract laser
leveling for growers in his area. He purchased the
equipment in the late ‘80s for use on his own land,
and found that the extra income through contract work
really helped out. He charges by the hour, and says it
costs the farmers about $65 an acre to get the land
leveled. But once done, you only have to go back about
every 5 years to touch it up. Bill believes it is well
worth the money, as it saves water and labor in maintaining
consistent flood levels. His water comes from
LNVA and runs $50 - $60 per acre, compared to the
Devers canal system, which can go as high as $80.
Again, any way that a farmer can reduce production
costs over the long term is worth the investment.
Speaking of reducing production costs, this is an
area where Bill believes researchers can do even more
to help the farmers. Bill’s opinion is that “breeding
programs have achieved enough in the way of yields,”
and that, “what we need now is lower production
costs.” Granted, the most recent releases such as Saber
have achieved higher levels of disease resistance,
and their use may reduce the need for at least some of
the costly fungicide applications. But Bill believes fertilizer
costs are still the biggest obstacle in increasing
grower profits. Bill asked, “Can’t we get a variety like
Jasmine that competes vigorously with weeds, requires
half the nitrogen of conventional varieties, but without
the aroma and pubescence?” He suggested that
maybe breeding programs should be making selections
in fields where 100 units/acre of nitrogen is the standard,
rather than 200. This might result in varieties
with good disease resistance, adequate yield, and much
lower fertilizer requirements. Bill added, “We won’t
find it if we’re not looking for it.”
With all the challenges facing farmers, Bill will
advise his children as his father did, “Get your degree
first, then decide what you want to do with your life”.
Bill and Donna have 3 children, Allison who is 19,
Kyle is 17 and the youngest, Alan is 13. When I asked
Donna how it has been for her as the wife of a farmer
she replied, “It can be a risky business, but I’ve always
had faith in Bill to make the right decisions. Everything
he does is very carefully thought out. When
he decided to leave his career in chemical engineering
to come back home and farm with his dad, I knew that
he had considered all the pros and cons.” Donna emphasized
that, in spite of the hard times the industry
has seen lately, she is very proud of her husband and
happy with the life they have chosen.
*
Farmer Resources
The Rice Growth and Development CD produced
by Dr. Jim Stansel and funded by the Texas Rice
Research Foundation is available free to all
producers. It provides valuable information on rice
physiology, fertility management, disease and
insect control. Call Tammy Tindel at
409-752-2741 ext. 2227 to get your copy.
If you have not received the
2002 Rice Production Guidelines call your county
Extension agent for a free copy.
Extension agents also have information about the
DD50 Program for rice producers. You can either
provide your agent with the required information
to get your advisory read-out, or you can
request a copy of the program and run the
report on your home computer.