Rice grower clinic Thursday

The LSU AgCenter is currently conducting a series of rice clinics throughout the rice-growing areas of Louisiana to help farmers help prepare for the upcoming crop year.

This Thursday, Jan. 9, the clinic will be at the LSU AgCenter Acadia Parish Extension Office, located at 157 Cherokee Dr., beginning at 8 a.m. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. with coffee and donuts being served. 

Soybean farmers are encouraged to attend as well as the clinic will discuss their crop as well. 

Steve Linscombe, director of the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station, said farmers will be able to get advice about key decisions they must make early in the year, including variety selection and field preparations.

“Topics to be covered in the clinics will include controlling weeds, insects and diseases,” Linscombe said. “We also will talk about our research to be conducted in 2014 for new variety development and agronomic practices, in addition to an economic outlook for rice.”

The sessions will be held on the following dates:

County Agent Barrett Courville will welcome those in attendance and introduce the guests speakers at the meeting’s outset. That will be followed by a business meeting of the Acadia Rice Growers. 

The events remaining schedule is as follows:

8:30 a.m. - 8:50 a.m.: Dr. Steve Linscombe, rice breeder with the LSU AgCenter Rice Experiment Station will discuss rice variety for 2014. 

8:50 a.m. - 9:10 a.m.: Dr. Johnny Saichuk, a rice specialist with the LSU AgCenter, will discuss rice production practices. 

9:10 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.: Dr. Eric Webster will deliver a rice weed control update. 

9:30 a.m. - 9:50 a.m.: Dr. Don Growth, a pathologist at the Rice Experiment Station, will deliver a rice disease control update.

10 a.m. - 10:20 a.m.: Dr. Dustin Harrell, a agronomist at the Rice Experiment Station, will give the rice fertility update. 

10:20 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.: Dr. Mike Stout, an entomologist with the LSU AgCenter will discuss rice insect control. 

10:40 a.m. - 11 a.m.: Dr. Ron Levy, a soybean specialist with the LSU AgCenter, will discuss soybean production practices. 

11 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.: Dr. Kurt Guidry, a corp economist with the LSU AgCenter, will discuss the rice and soybean market. 

12:30 a.m. - 1:30 a.m.: County Agents Barrett Courville and Francis Guidry will discuss worker protection standard and drift control.

Those who require private pesticide re-certification should know that the price has gone up from $25 to $40.

A lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Those with disabilities should call (337) 788-8821 in advance so that special accommodations may be provided.