An LSU AgCenter rice researcher says two new varieties of rice released last year by the AgCenter are receiving good reviews from mills and companies.
Steve Linscombe, rice breeder and director of the LSU AgCenter’s H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station, told farmers and consultants in a rice and soybean field day in Mamou on Thursday that both the CL 153 long-grain Clearfield variety and the medium-grain CL 272 variety will be available for commercial production after a year of seed production, according to an AgCenter news release.
CL 153 has been touted for less chalk and better disease resistance than CL 151, another long-grain rice developed by the AgCenter several years ago.
“Seven mills have looked at it, and all of them have said this would be package rice for them,” Linscombe says of CL 153.
Meanwhile, CL 272 has better yield potential than any other long-grain rice variety, which is a quality favored by Kellogg’s, Linscombe says.
“They have given us a very favorable response,” he adds.
Also at the field day, AgCenter entomologist Mike Stout stressed that the South American rice miner has been much more active this year after only isolated occurrences in past years.
“This year by far, it’s been the most widespread,” Stout said.
