HORIZON AG NEWS

PVL04 Potential in North Delta Creates More Opportunity for Provisia Rice

Since the launch of the Provisia® technology in rice, farmers across South Louisiana and Texas have been bringing fields infested with IMI-resistant weedy rice back into profitable production.

As a result, and particularly with higher yielding varieties like PVL03, the adoption of Provisia rice has increased rapidly there, with PVL03 planted on about 30% of Louisiana’s rice acres last year.

The shift to Provisia rice has been significantly slower in the North Delta, however, where greater crop rotation options have lessened the threat of IMI-resistance developing.

In its first year of commercial availability in 2024, PVL04, developed in the University of Arkansas rice breeding program, proved its potential for superior performance in the North Delta, yielding at or near 200 bushels per acre in many fields.

That yield potential, along with other new, top-performing Provisia varieties available as soon as the 2026 season, may be a good reason to consider using Provisia as a weed management stewardship tool sooner rather than later.

The performance of PVL04 is a game changer because, instead of planting Provisia rice as a rescue to clean up severe weedy rice fields, you can add it to your rotation as a stewardship tool without giving up yield potential. This way, you can help keep both the Clearfield® and Provisia rice technologies viable management systems, which is important because there are no other solutions to replace them on the immediate horizon. 

This will head off the development of a crisis situation similar to what happened in the Coastal Region, where crop rotation options are more limited. 

We’re not in crisis mode yet in most areas of the North Delta, and planting proven, higher-yielding Provisia varieties like PVL04 can help minimize selection pressure, especially as farmers use it in other crop rotations like soybeans, corn, Clearfield rice and conventional rice. 

On another positive note, two new, high-yield potential Provisia varieties are in production and expected to be available in limited quantities next year. PVL06, from of the University of Arkansas breeding program, has the conventional stature of other Arkansas lines and has performed well in trials, yielding with top Clearfield lines like CLL18. PVL05, from the LSU AgCenter rice breeding program, also is expected to be released next year and will provide another strong variety option for the Coastal Region.

Contact your Horizon Ag District Field Representative or authorized Horizon Ag seed retailer to find out more about PVL04 and how it can be incorporated into your rotation programs.

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Updated and Available

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. Updated for 2025, the app is available in the App Store or Google Play. 

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