EVALUATION OF RICE VARIETIES FOR PERFORMANCE AND DISEASE REACTION ON FARMS
S. Runsick*, C.E. Wilson, Jr., R.D. Cartwright, J.W. Gibbons, A.L. Richards, D.L. Frizzell, J.W. Branson, and C.E. Parsons
The Arkansas Rice Disease Monitoring Program was developed to obtain better information on rice (Oryza sativa, L.) cultivar performance across a number of environments and to develop tolerance traits to diseases not commonly encountered on experiment station farms. The on-farm rice cultivar performance and disease monitoring program is conducted on 14 -20 farms annually across the rice production region of Arkansas and includes approximately 25 commercially available cultivars and late-generation experimental lines. During the past two years, the program has been conducted on 33 cooperator farms in 31 counties. Statewide, rice blast (Pyricularia grisea) has been more widespread than normal due to frequent rainfall in May and June and the large acreage planted in susceptible cultivars. Overall, sheath blight (Rhizoctonia solani AG1-1A) was moderate, particularly in June and early July during both 2003 and 2004. Kernel smut (Neovossia horrida) was moderate both years but significant in some late-planted fields of rice. Hybrid rice cultivars, Wells, and Francis had the highest numerical yields across all harvested locations in the Disease Monitoring Program during 2003 and 2004. ‘Drew' and ‘Clearfield 161', had the lowest numerical yields. Yields of the new medium grain cultivar, ‘Medark', were similar to ‘Bengal' while ‘Cybonnet' was similar to ‘Cocodrie'. Clearfield 161 and Cybonnet were the most susceptible cultivars to sheath blight while Francis, Banks, Cocodrie and Cheniere were most susceptible to kernel smut. This program has become a significant educational tool throughout the rice producing region of Arkansas in addition to providing valuable cultivar performance and disease reaction data.
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