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Rice Program
Meet Our New Rice Advisor in Sutter, Yuba, Placer and Sacramento Counties
Why do you want to work in Cooperative Extension?
I really enjoy being out and about in the field, talking to growers and PCA's. I prefer doing research that can have an immediate impact, that results in new tools and information that growers' can use in their own fields. I find that I learn a lot from growers' and PCA's , as they are in the fields everyday, and are often the best at identifying the potential implications of a research idea--the risks and benefits to growers.
What is your background?
I am a weed scientist by training,and so far, my research has been primarily focused on weed agroecology: the interaction of weeds with the rice field environment. Since I started at UC Davis, I worked first with Dr. Albert Fischer and then with Dr. Kassim Al-Khatib at the Rice Experiment Station (RES) in Biggs, where I managed the weed science field trials. During my time at the RES, through the herbicide-resistant weed testing program, I met many growers and PCA's and I am looking forward to meeting more of you!
What are you research and outreach plans for the future?
This season, I plan to spend time getting to know Sutter, Yuba, Placer and Sacramento growers and PCA's, and to familiarize myself with the location of your farms, fields, and places of work. I'm looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible, so that I can begin understanding the issues that you identify as the most important.
Some of my future outreach ideas include a rice-specific workshop on weed management and identification and some videos on weed identification and seed collection. With the other farm advisors, I will be involved in research on the emerging weed issues, including red rice and winged primrose willow. Currently, I am involved in research focusing on identifying and managing herbicide resistance, since that is a concern for many rice growers. Over the next 1 to 2 years, this will include surveying and screening for resistant populations in growers' fields.
Contact Information
Feel free to contact me at any time, at the Sutter-Yuba Office, at 530.822.7515, on my cell at 541.292.1553, or by email at wbrimdeforest@ucanr.edu.
University of California Rice Project: http://ucanr.edu/sites/UCRiceProject/
UCCE Sutter-Yuba Rice Notes Newsletter: http://cesutter.ucanr.edu/news_204522/Rice_Notes/
UC Rice Blog
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Stem Rot
Added September 11, 2017
In the past two years, I have received several reports of fields suffering yield loses due to stem rot. Last year I saw several affected fields. This year, I am starting to get reports of fields being affected. I visited one such field last week. After...
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Armyworm vs high temperature blanking
Added August 25, 2017
I was evaluating armyworm injury in plots and noticed there was quite a bit of panicle blanking not caused by armyworms. When armyworms injury panicles, they feed on the rachis of panicle branches, causing those branches to dry out....
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2nd Annual Rice Weed Course 2017
Added August 23, 2017
The 2nd Annual Rice Weed Course will take place: Friday, September 15, 2017 from 8:30AM to 4:25PM (Registration begins at 7:30AM) at the Hamilton Road Field (on West Hamilton Rd. between Hwy. 99...
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Stink bugs on rice
Added August 16, 2017
For two years in a row I have received a report from a PCA in Yuba County of conchuela stink bugs on rice. This is very unusual; I have never seen these stink bugs on rice before, and I'm not very familiar with them. A quick on-line search shows...
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Elongated Upper Internode
Added August 4, 2017
Every year we see some off-types in our public varieties that have a genetic mutation we call elongated upper internode. This mutation causes the internode below the panicle to elongate, resulting in panicles that stick above the canopy. Some have...
