HORIZON AG REGIONAL REPORTS
The PVL03 in this field is making good progress in Louisiana.
The growing season in south Louisiana is moving along as we begin to enter the later stages. Many of the earlier planted fields will begin heading out within the next couple of weeks and fungicide treatments will begin going out on many of the acres.
Last year, we had a serious issue with Cercospora, and research is still being conducted to determine the best way to handle Cercospora net-blotch and panicle-blight. Propiconazole is the most effective fungicide that we have available to control this disease. As with all fungicide treatments, timing is very important to get the maximum efficacy of the product.
Research has shown that Cercospora infects the plant about thirty days before you see any symptoms. Adverse weather conditions promote severe symptomology. The LSU AgCenter 2025 Rice Varieties and Management Tips handbook says an application of Propiconazole at 6-10 oz/acre at boot to heading, more specifically 2-inch to 4 inch-panicle in the boot, is needed for Cercospora control. Additionally, as you advance to later planted rice, application needs to be earlier.
I would also like to give you a friendly reminder to mark your calendars for our Annual Horizon Ag Field Day on June 23, 2025 located at Richard Farms.
Thank you all for your support of Horizon Ag.
PVL05 and PVL06 are two new Provisia varieties in seed production this season, ahead of a limited launch in 2026.
CLL18 in Tunica, Mississippi.
It has been a wet spring here in Mississippi. As soon as the ground starts to dry up it starts to rain again.
Farmers are having trouble finishing planting and it has delayed getting levees pulled, as well as post herbicide and fertilizer applications. There have been some farmers spoon feeding rice to keep it going until they can establish a permanent flood.
Residual herbicides have been crucial this year to help keep the rice clean, but I am starting to see some weed pressure. According to USDA, Mississippi rice was 85% planted on May 18 with 76% of it emerged. With a majority of the rice in the state ready to go to permanent flood, I recommend a two-way split for your standard levee/paddy scenario rice with 75% of total nitrogen at preflood and the remaining 25% at midseason.
North Louisiana is in the same boat as Mississippi when it comes to this wet weather. However, rice planting has progressed well with a majority of the crop out of the ground and in good condition. Good weather the week of May 19 made it possible for growers to get back to the fields to try and wrap up planting this year.
The forecast till the end of May looks wet, but it looks like we will get a good stretch of dry weather in the beginning of June to finish getting levees pulled and getting the rice to permanent flood.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call or email me at any time.
Horizon Ag and USA Rice need your help to identify candidates worthy of being honored as recipients of the prestigious 2025 Rice Industry Awards at the Rice Outlook Conference in December.
The awards for Rice Farmer of the Year, Rice Industry Award and Rice Lifetime Achievement Award recognize those rice leaders who have demonstrated dedication, determination and innovation to the industry.
More information about each award, nomination forms and instructions can be found at www.ricefarming.com/ra/. The deadline for submitting nominations is July 15.
The 2025 Horizon Ag Field Day, scheduled for June 23 at Richard Farms in Kaplan, is the place to be for updates on the top rice varieties planted in Louisiana this season as well as new Provisia® lines expected to be available in 2026.
PVL03, one of the leading varieties planted in Louisiana, can be compared with new PVL05 and PVL06 in side-by-side strips at the field day location in Kaplan.
Farmers can hear from industry and university specialists how high-yielding Clearfield® and Provisia varieties, like CLL19, PVL03 and CLL16, are faring this year and best practices for maximizing yield potential the last weeks of the season. In addition, it’s a chance to see promising new PVL05, from the LSU rice breeding program, and PVL06, from University of Arkansas breeders, planted in strips on the farm beside current Provisia varieties PVL03 and PVL04. Both PVL05 and PVL06 are expected to have a limited launch in 2026.
“This annual event always draws a good crowd, because of the great information shared by our speakers, and the opportunity it gives attendees to talk to each other about what they are seeing in fields across Louisiana,” says Dr. Tim Walker, Horizon Ag CEO. “I think there is also a lot of interest in the new Provisia varieties and how that technology is helping more and more farmers in the region get control of herbicide resistant weedy rice and grasses.”
Registration for the field day starts at 4:30 p.m., and will be followed by presentations from Horizon Ag, LSU AgCenter and industry specialists. The event will end with a fantastic dinner and time to visit with friends — the best way to conclude a field day in rice country.
The Horizon Ag Productivity app provides easy access to critical management recommendations and tools, including seeding rates, fertilizer recommendations and other suggested management practices to help you get the most out of our varieties. It’s available in the App Store and on Google Play.
Check out the Horizon Ag Facebook and Instagram pages for industry news, product updates and good conversations about rice and the industry. We’d like you to join our “community” as we share the latest from rice country.