Three to four weeks ago I sent out a blog on the potential for blanking due to cool nighttime temperatures during booting. Low nighttime temperatures are a concern because blanking (floret sterility) can occur during meiosis (pollen formation) when they drop below 58 oF. Blanking can cause reduced yields…
By Sarah Marsh Janish, Vanessa Varela, Whitney B Brim-Deforest
Floating mats of dark green leaves and bright yellow flowers is a common sight in most irrigation canals and waterways around our rice fields. For the most part, these mats are comprised of creeping waterprimrose (Ludwigia peploides) and Uruguay waterprimrose (Ludwigia hexapetala), which are prolific…
We have posted about potassium deficiency before, but we have gotten a couple of calls and messages about this recently. When potassium is deficient, leaves start showing reddish spots on the tips. These spots can be somewhat elongated and give the impression of a narrow lesion. The lesions appear late…
I have seen several issues with arthropods and diseases so far this year. Here’s a quick rundown: Bakanae: Like in previous years, there have been several fields with heavy Bakanae infections. While the number of plants infected is high, I don’t think any of those fields are going to experience a…
Recently, I have been getting questions about possible bird damage in early-heading rice fields. Blackbirds, primarily red-winged blackbirds, can damage rice from planting season, seedling stage, and the ripening period; however, in California, where the majority of our rice is water-seeded, typically…
