UC Rice Blog

While checking traps recently, I noticed a lot of activity in the water in several recently flooded fields. A quick glance into the water might make you believe that tadpole shrimp is present in large numbers, or even perhaps that a treatment did not work.

Following my blog post about a week ago about using urea or aqua-ammonia (aqua), a number of people have been asking to see the data. The study was conducted in 2017 at the Rice Experiment Station. Aqua and liquid urea were applied at three rates (50, 100 and 150 lb N/ac).

This morning I was out with several members of our research team on the northwest side of the valley planting a variety trial. The grower we were working with had just finished planting all of his rice acreage (1200 ac) yesterday (April 30). Pretty amazing how fast the rice is getting in this year.

I have heard that there may be a shortage of aqua-ammonia (aqua) fertilizer for the start of this year's rice season. This begs the question as to what are the options. In previous studies, we have compared aqua to urea fertilizer.

While most Californians are staying home to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, California farmers, farmworkers and other agricultural professionals are out in the fields and packing houses working to produce food.