HORIZON AG REGIONAL REPORTS

Weather Issues Hampering Rice in Many Areas

South Central Louisiana

Planting in South Louisiana is approximately 90% complete. There were some fields that were planted in late February, but most of the planting really kicked off around March 10. The majority of the crop was planted from that time until the end of the month. PVL03 and CLL19 are the two most popular Horizon Ag varieties that have been planted in my region. 

We had a few rounds of severe weather and higher than normal winds in certain areas during the first week of April. This came just after the majority of the region received 5 inches of rain and some areas up to 13 inches. Excess water and high winds are not a good combination for newly-seeded rice. Areas of fields that could not drain, or where the wind had the water stacked up, really took a beating. It is taking a little time for this rice to recover but we are seeing progress and are hopeful this will be our worst weather event of the year.

Herbicide applications began this week and will continue as long as weather conditions are favorable. I expect to see permanent flood established on some of the fields within the next two weeks.

Please mark your calendars – our Annual Louisiana Field Day is scheduled for Monday, June 23, 2025 in Kaplan. We look forward to seeing you there!

Thank you for your continued support of Horizon Ag.

Corey Conner
District Field Representative
(337) 249-9523

---

North Central Arkansas

What a spring it has been for the Upper Delta rice region. Depending on the location, there have been major challenges establishing stands of rice, whether conditions were too dry, flooded out, fields crusted over or destroyed by blackbirds.

Coupled with these adversities and the lack of replant seed, growers have endured additional financial stresses in 2025. Farmers here started the year off with a less than desirable economic outlook and the compounding floods have made it even more challenging at this point.

Most of the river bottom acres in the Delta have spent 7-plus days underwater, and it appears water will stay up for at least 10 more days. For these particular fields, it will be the end of April or the first week of May before growers are able to get back into them. This has expedited talk around the potential of PP acres in these low-lying areas.

Some of the rice where flooding is not an issue still faces challenges, such as the ground crusting over before the rice emerges or blackbirds moving in and damaging the seed. Some farmers also need a shower within the next 7 days to avoid having to flush the rice to establish a stand.

There are some bright spots in the Upper Delta, however. Although it appears we are behind on planting, data shows we are on par with our normal progress to date. Much of the early-planted rice has emerged, and if the forecast holds true, more rice will get planted this week.

The rice that has emerged seems to have a good stand and will soon be ready for the first application of NewPath^® herbicide or Provisia^® herbicide. The forecast for this rice is favorable as the highs are expected in the 80s for the next week and this will help give the rice a much-needed kickstart, as much of it has endured water and chemical stress.

Some early-planted CLM05 has been slow to emerge, and I have talked with a few growers concerning the increased time it has taken. There are a few outside factors that have influenced emergence, including cool temperatures and lack of moisture until the recent 10-inches of rain. With warm weather this week and moisture, I am optimistic this rice will emerge soon.

As always, thank you for your partnership with Horizon Ag, and thank you to our growers who trust us with their rice seed demands. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Chase Kagen
District Field Representative
(870) 273-9283

---

PVL06 Production

Robyn Chlapecka, Horizon Ag District Field Representative for the Missouri Bootheel and Northeast Arkansas, joined a recent photo shoot near Bernie, Missouri where new PVL06 was being planted for seed production. She says the variety, which is expected to have a limited launch next season, has a strong pedigree and should be a great fit in the region.

Chlapecka is experiencing her first planting season as a Horizon Ag District Field Representative and says it is exciting to see planting gaining momentum in the Bootheel of Missouri and Northeast Arkansas.

She says there has been a lot of farmer interest in planting high-yield potential Clearfield and Provisia varieties this spring.

---

We’re Here When Needed

Regardless of where you grow rice in the South, we have a Horizon Ag District Field Representative on the ground and ready to provide you with the information and support you need to manage our varieties for top-end yield potential. 

Northeast Arkansas/Missouri
Robyn Chlapecka
District Field Representative
rchlapecka@horizonseed.com
(870) 672-1291

North Central Arkansas
Chase Kagen
District Field Representative
ckagen@horizonseed.com
(870) 273-9283

Grand Prairie Arkansas
William "Hutch" Hutchens
District Field Representative
whutchens@horizonseed.com
(870) 273-9291

Mississippi/North Louisiana
Garland Melton
District Field Representative
gmelton@horizonseed.com
(662) 671-2465

South Central Louisiana
Corey Conner
District Field Representative
cconner@horizonseed.com
(337) 249-9523

Texas
Hunter Brown
District Field Representative
hbrown@horizonseed.com
(337) 546-7288

---

There’s An App For That!

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 and on Google Play.

Whether you are a long-time Horizon Ag customer or growing our Clearfield and Provisia varieties for the first time, the Horizon Ag Productivity App can be a valuable tool. Available in the App Store or Google Play.

---

Let's Be Social

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.