BUTTE®, a rice herbicide, has received federal registration in the USA as well as state registration in California. It will be available to California rice growers for the upcoming 2017 season. Gowan Company, along with SDS Biotech and Nissan have collaborated to bring this product to California rice growers. 

Early BUTTE® trials at the Rice Experiment Station, 2012

BUTTE® is a granular into-the-water herbicide that combines two modes of action: an HPPD-inhibitor (benzobicyclon), and an ALS-inhibitor (halosulfuron). It is the first HPPD-inhibitor available to California rice growers. Since weeds in CA rice have widespread herbicide resistance, BUTTE® offers a new option for resistance management for affected growers, particularly those with herbicide resistant sedges. 

BUTTE® offers excellent control of many sedges, broadleaves and grasses. For a complete list of weeds controlled and suppressed, please refer to the herbicide label. BUTTE® is applied early in the season, and requires a 20-day water hold period. As always, growers and applicators should follow all label requirements, to ensure the best weed control, and to prevent the development of resistance. 

There will only be enough product available for 2017 to treat approximately 50,000 acres, so growers interested in purchasing BUTTE® this season should talk to their Pest Control Adviser and the retail location where they normally purchase rice pesticides. 

The University of California Davis Weed Science Program has been working with Gowan to research BUTTE® over the last several years. Studies on the weed control spectrum and timing began with Dr. Albert Fischer's program, and research on rates and formulations have continued under Dr. Kassim Al-Khatib. The UC Weed Program will continue to look at herbicide combinations that best compliment BUTTE® this year. The trials will be available for viewing at the 2017 Rice Field Day. 

Extension entomologist Larry Godfrey, 1956-2017 (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Dr. Godfrey was internationally acclaimed for his research on rice and cotton. He was heavily involved in developing IPM to maintain the sustainability of California agriculture, seeking “to reduce the ‘footprint' of agriculture on the environment and society, and to advance the science of entomology and applied insect ecology.”

At UC Davis, he taught arthropod pest management and agricultural entomology. He developed IPM strategies for not only rice and cotton but for such field and vegetable crops as alfalfa, dry beans, timothy grass, melons, mint and onions.

A member of the entomology department since April 1991, Dr. Godfrey served as its vice chair in 2008, and also that year, as president of the Pacific Branch, Entomological Society of America.

“Larry was an outstanding contributor to the department, not only as a researcher and teacher, but also in the effective ways that he connected with clientele through outreach,” said Steve Nadler, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. “He was a member of our department's Executive Committee and I could always count on Larry for sound advice.”

“Being the two Davis faculty with agricultural entomology extension duties, Larry and I shared a lot over the last 25 years and he was my closest colleague in our department when he passed today,” said Extension entomologist and distinguished professor Frank Zalom, an IPM specialist and a past president of the Entomological Society of America. “I've always respected him for being quiet and humble despite his many accomplishments. He filled the shoes of several faculty members who retired before he came to Davis and he did his job exceptionally well. It's hard for me to imagine not having him nearby as the go-to entomologist for field crops, although his research, extension, and, most importantly his graduate students, will serve as his legacy for years to come.” 

Said professor Jay Rosenheim: “Larry was a researcher who always placed the farmer's needs first.  This is why he was so highly valued by California's growers of rice, alfalfa, cotton, and vegetable crops, and why his research program grew and grew over his years at Davis.  He was also an excellent communicator, and epitomized the role of researcher/educator in the Land-Grant system.  Despite his illness, he continued to work tirelessly on his pest management research, refusing to compromise on his commitments.  His dedication to our profession was truly remarkable.”

Yolo County Farm Advisor Rachael Long, who collaborated with Dr. Godfrey on dry bean research, said: “He was an incredibly dedicated field crop entomologist and terrific colleague with team spirit, and his loss leaves a big hole in our lives and I'll miss him.”

“What I admired about Larry was his stoicism,” said former graduate student Mohammad-Amir Aghaee, now a postdoctoral fellow at North Carolina State University. “Nothing seemed to wear down his resolve.”

Dr. Godfrey, born July 7, 1956, grew up on an Indiana farm. He received two entomology degrees from Purdue University, West Layfayette: his bachelor's degree in 1978 and his master's degree in 1980. He earned his doctorate in entomology in 1984 from the University of Kentucky, Lexington, studying with major professor Kenneth Yeargan. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Xi and Gamma Sigma Delta.

Said Yeargan: "As I stated in my letter of recommendation for Larry many years ago when he applied for the position at UC Davis, Larry was an outstanding 'synthesizer' of information. He had a knack for looking at a problem, thinking through all the ramifications, and coming up with logical, practical ways to approach the problem – and usually finding a solution.  He will be missed by many." It was at the University of Kentucky where Larry met his wife-to-be, Kris, then a postdoctoral scholar.

Dr. Godfrey began his career as a product development specialist for Union Carbide Agricultural Products Co., Inc., Research Triangle, N.C., before joining the University of Nebraska's Department of Entomology from July 1987 to March 1991 as a research associate.

“Growing up on a farm in Indiana, I saw first-hand the ‘battles' that farmers and homeowners face trying to produce crops and grow landscape plants in competition with insects,” Dr. Godfrey recalled in an earlier interview. “I became fascinated with insects through the typical ‘bug-in-a-jar' hobby. A county Natural Resources Field Day cultivated my interest in entomology and this led to enrollment in the 4-H entomology project. By the time I was several years into the 4-H project, I was transporting a dozen wooden collection boxes full of pinned insects to the county fair.”

“My first summer job involved surveying for Japanese beetles as they progressed across Indiana. This was an invasive insect in the Midwest in the mid-1970s; this same insect is of serious concern now in California an invasive pest that could damage many crops—such as grapes—and ornamentals—such as roses.”

Dr. Godfrey was one of 24 founding members of the California Invasive Species Advisory Committee, appointed by then Secretary A.G. Kawamura of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, to recommend “ways to mitigate non-native species' effects on resources throughout the state.” The goal: to protect California's environment, food systems, human health and economy from invasive and destructive pests, plants and diseases.

At UC Davis, Dr. Godfrey zeroed in on invasive insect and mite pests such as silverleaf whitefly, panicle rice mite, and rice water weevil. In addition, he targeted scores of pests, including alfalfa weevils, blue alfalfa aphids, spotted cucumber beetles, and two-spotted spider mites. He researched plant response to insect injury, refining economic thresholds.He also researched various pest management tactics, including biological control, reduced risk insecticides, mating disruption, cultural control, and host plant resistance.  

Highly respected by his peers, Dr. Godfrey received the Excellence in IPM Award in 2005 from the Pacific Branch, Entomological Society of America (PBESA), followed by the PBESA Distinguished Achievement Award in Extension in 2010. Nationally, he was elected chair of ESA's Section F (crop protection) in 2002.

For many years, he served as the advisor to the UC Davis Linnaean Games teams, which won regional (PBESA) and national (ESA) championships in college-bowl type competitions involving insect questions. He himself was on the championship 1983 University of Kentucky team, the second annual Linnaean Games in the North Central Branch of ESA “where it all started,” he said. “It was a few years before the other branches started this competition and several years before they did it at the national meeting.” 

As part of his Extension work, Dr. Godfrey wrote publications, regularly met with growers, and delivered scientific talks at workshops. He addressed the annual California Rice Field Day for 25 years and also spoke at alfalfa IPM workshops, among others. He was a subject editor for the Journal of Cotton Science and the Journal of Integrated Pest Management. In addition, Dr. Godfrey served on many departmental, college and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources committees.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 29 in Salem, Ind.  In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to pet rescue groups or groups that support young people interested in entomology or agriculture. A memorial and celebration of his life will take place at UC Davis in the near future. 

Extension entomologist Larry Godfrey speaking at the 2016 California Rice Field Day in Biggs. He presented a program at the annual Rice Field Day for 25 years. (Photo by Evett Kilmartin, UC ANR)

Whitney Brim-DeForest, UCCE Rice Advisor

We talk about herbicide resistance all of the time in California rice. But how does it evolve in a field? Understanding how herbicide management selects for resistant populations is an important part of preventing the problem from occuring in your fields.

We have many weed species in CA rice that are confirmed to be herbicide resistant. The major herbicide-resistant species are: late watergrass, early watergrass, barnyardgrass, smallflower umbrella sedge, ricefield bulrush (roughseed), sprangletop, and redstem. For this illustration of how herbicide resistance evolves in a field, we use redstem as our example. 

Year 1, Beginning of season: A population of redstem is found in a field and are emerging at the beginning of the season. In this illustration, the plants with the blue background are naturally susceptible to an herbicide (Granite SC). The plants with the yellow background are naturally herbicide resistant to Granite SC. There is nothing that the grower has done at thispoint to select for  resistance. The genes that make the plant resistant are naturally found in the redstem population in the field.

Year 1, Mid-season: The grower applies Granite SC.

Year 1, End of season: One herbicide resistant plant survives. This plant goes on to produce seed, and the seeds are deposited onto the soil surface, where they are tilled into the soil seedbank at the end of the season.

Year 2, Beginning of season: The redstem population emerges from the soil at the beginning of the season. Because there are more seeds in the soil seedbank from the resistant plants, more of the emerged plants are resistant to Granite SC this year (yellow background = herbicide resistant).

Year 2, Mid-season: The grower again applies Granite SC or another herbicide with the same mode of action (Regiment, Halomax/Sandea or Londax).

Year 2, End of season: All of the herbicide resistant plants again survive the herbicide application. Again, they go on to produce seed, and the seeds are deposited onto the soil surface, where they are tilled into the soil seedbank.

Year 3, Beginning of season: The redstem population emerges from the soil at the beginning of the season. There are even more herbicide resistant plants than the previous 2 years, as the proportion of herbicide resistant seed in the soil has increased.

Year 3, Mid-season: For the third year,the grower applies Granite SC or another herbicide with the same mode of action (Regiment, Halomax/Sandea or Londax).

Year 3, End of season: All of the herbicide resistant plants again survive the herbicide application. Again, they go on to produce seed, and the seeds are deposited onto the soil surface, where they are tilled into the soil seedbank.

Year 4, Beginning of season: The redstem population emerges from the soil at the beginning of the season. This year, all of the plants are herbicide resistant, as the soil seedbank contains mostly herbicide resistant redstem seed.

The illustrations above are an example of how herbicide resistance evolves and is selected for in a field. A grower may not notice during the first year or two, as there are just a few plants that survive the herbicide applications. However, if the grower continues to use the same herbicide year after year, or the same herbicide mode of action, eventually, the population of redstem (or another weed species) will shift to become composed of only plants that are herbicide resistant.

The best way to prevent the development of herbicide resistance is to rotate herbicide modes of action, both between seasons and within seasons. Refer to the UC Herbicide Susceptibility Chart for CA rice when planning an herbicide program.

Optimizing Insect Control and Grain Quality

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

9:00AM - 3:00PM

Lundberg Family Farms

5311 Midway

Richvale, CA 95974

We would like to invite you to attend an exciting and informative workshop on insect pest management at rice mills and rice storage facilities. The workshop is organized by the research team of the Post-Harvest Grain Management Project, which was funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (Methyl Bromide Transition) Grants Program. The team consists of several scientists with many years experience in the subject of pest management of stored grains in storage and milling facilities.

Major topics covered will include:

1) Current status and challenges of rice grain insect pest management

2) Storage insect pests: identification and monitoring

3) Integrated pest management programs for rice mills and rice storage facilities

4) Structural treatments, residual insecticides, and aeration

5) Economics of rice insect control

6) Decision support systems for pest management

Organizers and Presenters:

Brian Adam, Oklahoma State University

Frank Arthur, USDA-ARS Center for Grain and Animal Health Research

James Campbell, USDA-ARS Center for Grain and Animal Health Research

Luis Espino, University of California Cooperative Extension

Tanja McKay, Arkansas State University

Jim Stewart, Lundberg Family Farms

Mike Stout, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center

Ted Wilson, Texas A&M AgriLife Research

Yubin Yang, Texas A&M AgriLife Research

Register on-line at http://ucanr.edu/2017ricemillworkshop

Registration is free. Please register before April 1st to ensure participation. Seats will be filled on a first-come basis. Lunch will be provided.

****Applied for DPR CE credits****

For more information, contact Luis Espino, University of California Cooperative Extension (530-635-6234, laespino@ucanr.edu) or Jim Stewart, Lundberg Family Farms (530-538-3500).