growing rice dry

[indamarsh]

just before last season, sprayed (2,4 d) about 2 acres of perennial smartweed that never seemed to attract birds. during the season, it turned brown as did all of the smartweed in the area. This spring the area I sprayed did not grow as did the other areas. I broadcast rice on the dead smartweed in the sprayed 2 acres. Checked it today and it seems to be doing real well. in fact it looks much better then the areas of mud flats that I also broad cast

if I spray more of the smartweed now, will it die in time to get more rice growing?

I don't foresee getting much water on the rice that is growing, does it stand a chance growing without standing water?

When flooded, how much depth will rice tolerate?

thanks for any info

[Wingman]

I see some newly landformed fields about a mile from my house being flooded now, so I assume they are being planted in rice. It is getting late, but not too late for ducks.

Just try to give yourself about 110 days before frost. Last year mine was mature at 100 days and I planted on June 1. The later and hotter it gets, the less yield you will get I think, but for ducks you should be fine.

No, it doesn't have to grow in standing water, but it can. And because it can, the farmers flood it for weed control. Once you get it up to about 6 inches tall, you can flood it. By that time the farmer has sprayed for any weeds that came through the pre-emerge herbicide and he has more than likely applied one shot of fertilizer. The flood keeps the other weeds from sprouting. As long as it has enough moisture to grow, it will grow on dry land just like any other crop or grass. I know some farmers that grew some in this area last year in a dry field and they watered it with a pivot. But I heard it was really grown up in weeds, despite the chemical they used to try to control the weeds. The water is just a weed control.

The Delta Ag Digest says the depth of flood should be maintained between 1 and 4 inches.

Barnyardgrass will grow in it just like rice will. For this reason, barnyardgrass is one of the most problematic weeds in rice farming. I flood ny rice plots just to keep it growing good. I want the barnyard, sprangletop, smartweeds and sedges in mine, so keeping it flooded constantly is not my goal. The only thing I try to control is coffeeweed and morning glory. I'm fixing to hit mine with a dose of 2,4-D because I got an awesome stand of those 2 weeds when I flushed my ponds to get the rice to sprout.

Now if I were trying to grow coffeeweed or morning glory, it would all die automatically and I would be trying to figure out how to keep it alive.