Organic Rice Production: Challenges and Opportunities.

The market demand for organically produced rice has grown steadily with the majority of the acreage now being located in Texas and California. A wide range of organic products are marketed including conventional long and medium grain rice, aromatic or scented rice, rice with colored bran, and rice flour. The major constraints facing organic rice production are yield potential and weed control. We have evaluated a number of organic fertility amendments to identify those that are the most effective in increasing rice yield. We have observed that organically produced rice is more vulnerable to infection by foliar pathogens like Bipolaris oryzae causing brown spot and Cercospora janseana causing narrow brown leaf spot than conventionally produced rice. This may be partially due to nitrogen deficiency as a result of using slow release organic fertilizers. Developing organic cropping systems which enhance soil nutrient quality may be a means for improving yield under organic management as well as improving foliar disease control. To this end, we have evaluated several rotational crops and green manure crops including black oats, sorghum-sudangrass, soybeans, clover, ryegrass, cowpeas, and cereal rye, to determine their impact on soil fertility and weed control. In addition we have evaluated a wide range of rice cultivars that differ in agronomic and grain quality traits under both conventional and organic systems. The objective was to determine the genotype by management interaction on yield potential, milling quality, and grain nutrient composition. Results will be presented describing organic production variables that have the greatest potential for enhancing rice crop value.