Sustainability With Smart Rice
STEWART RUNSICK
JONESBORO, ARK.
Sustainability in agriculture is gaining momentum, particularly among the production and processing sectors. The rice industry is no exception. Sustainability to the rice grower simply means maximizing profits through high yields, sound cultural practices and technology while being good stewards of the land. Sustainability to the general public or consumer means providing a high quality affordable product with minimal environmental consequence. In order to meet the demands of the time, advancements in technology and farming methods must be realized to address an ever-growing population and shrinking land availability. Planting Smart Rice, or hybrid rice, is the first step toward improving sustainability for rice growers and consumers alike.
For people throughout all levels of the rice industry, Smart Rice is becoming the rice seed and grain of choice. Smart Rice, yields an average of 15-20 percent more per unit area than the leading commercial inbred varieties. This also equates to 15-20 percent less land needed to grow Smart Rice for the same output as commercial varieties. Smart Rice requires fewer pesticides due to natural resistance to pests and disease. It is resistant to blast and is proven as a viable alternative crop choice under a alternative irrigation systems, such as sprinkler and furrow irrigation, using up to 30 percent less water than the delayed flood approach. Some Smart Rice hybrids can be milled to white rice more quickly than other rice, reducing energy expenditures and increasing throughput.
Hybrids yield more grain per unit of water than varieties by utilizing heterosis or hybrid vigor to produce a plant with a more robust root system and above ground biomass. The hybrid’s more robust root system also endows each plant with a greater capacity to mine macro & micro nutrients from the soil. This capacity in turn allows the plant to produce more grain per unit of nitrogen applied. Smart Rice has the highest nitrogen use efficiency of all long grain varieties, producing 15 percent more yield per unit of nitrogen applied.
Hybrid rice has a smaller carbon footprint than inbred varieties. Smart Rice emits less methane and net carbon emissions per acre. Replacing one acre of conventional rice with one acre of Smart Rice reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 82 lb. of carbon equivalents. These savings may someday benefit growers directly as emissions and carbon credit trading become more important.
The combination of several factors makes Smart Rice the most sustainable rice seed choice. For more information on Smart Rice visit www.smartrice.com . ∆
STEWART RUNSICK: Technical Services, RiceTec, Inc.