It is time again for the Rice Diseases Survey. The objective of the Survey is to document the incidence of rice diseases in Sacramento Valley rice fields so that the Air Resources Board agrees to continue to allow the rice industry to burn up to 25% of the acreage. Every five years, the Board has to re-approve the straw burning program. One of the reasons for letting growers still burn is disease control. Therefore, it is important to show that diseases are still present in rice fields. This is the third Rice Diseases Survey Cooperative Extension is conducting. The first was in 2014 and the second in 2019.
A crew of four to five will be stopping in random fields in the major rice producing counties and inspecting for the presence of diseases in 30 sites in each field. We will look for stem rot, aggregate sheath spot, kernel smut, and blast. The precise location of each inspected field won't be disclosed, only the general location and County.
If you have any questions or concerns, contact me at laespino@ucanr.edu or 530-635-6234.
