Rice Field Day
The annual Rice Field Day at the Biggs Rice Experiment Station is scheduled for Wednesday, August 26, 1998. All growers, pest control advisors and other people interested in rice are invited to attend.
The program starts at 7:30 a.m. with registration and poster viewing followed by the general session from 8:30-9:15 and the field tours from 9:30-noon. During the tours you will have an opportunity to see and hear about research on rice varieties, disease resistance, insect control and weed control. Lunch will be served following the field tours.
The Rice Experiment Station is located in Butte County at 955 Butte City Highway (Hwy. 162) about two and one half miles west of Highway 99 near Biggs, CA. For further information about the Rice Field Day please call (530) 868-5481.

Wildrice Field Meeting
This field meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 29, 1998 from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. At the meeting you will have a chance to see and hear about wildrice varieties including the new variety Franklin. The trial is located near the Sutter County/Butte County line. From Hwy 99 travel west about 2 miles on Luckehe Rd. Then turn north on Block Rd. and watch for the meeting signs. Contact Jack Williams at 822-7515 for more information.

Water Management for Blanking Protection
Most rice fields were planted about 2-4 weeks later than normal this year. Because of this, rice growth stages will also be later; how much later will depend on the weather, varietal selection and crop management.
One important crop developmental stage is the pollen meiosis stage (pollen formation). This occurs about 10-15 days prior to 50% heading or about 15-20 days after panicle initiation. As the pollen begins to form it is vulnerable to nighttime temperatures below 60°F. If it gets too cool some of the pollen will be sterile and some grains will fail to fill and will be blank. We normally don’t see too much panicle blanking when lows are in the high 50's but as they dip into the low 50's we can see more. Since most of the rice is later this year, this sensitive stage will also occur later when night temperatures are likely to be cooler.
Growers can help moderate the temperature around the developing panicle and help protect the developing pollen by gradually raising the rice field water to about 8 inches deep after panicle initiation. This deeper water helps to buffer the temperature around the panicle at night and thereby help protect the pollen.
Panicle initiation occurs after the tillering stage. For early varieties (M-202, M-204, etc.) This usually occurs about 60 days after planting, while for late varieties it is usually 70-75 days after planting. These times are likely to be different this year due to the later planting times, so it will be important to check plants for panicle development.

New Publications
Several new publications are available from the Cooperative Extension Office in Colusa. Please call or stop by the office to get your copies.

1. Sample Costs to Produce Rice, Sacramento Valley-Rice Only Rotation. 1998. University of California, Cooperative Extension. 16 p.

2. Sample Costs to Produce Rice, Sacramento Valley-Multiple Crop Rotation. 1998. University of California, Cooperative Extension. 17 p.

3. L-204 Rice: Description and Management Guidelines. 1998. Agronomy Fact Sheet Series 1998-2, Department of Agronomy and Range Science, U.C. Davis.

4. Pesticide Safety-A Reference Manual for Private Applicators. 1998. University of California. Statewide Integrated Pest Management Project. DANR Publication 3383. Cost: $7.00, plus tax.