OLD AND NEW RICE VARIETIES COMPARED AT BEACTMONT. Scientists compared performance of the 26 rice varieties released by the Beaumont Agricultural Research and Extension Center since Texas Patna in 1941 and Bluebonnet in 1944, using the same inputs and farming practices. Jefferson, the Center's newest variety, yielded 30% higher than Bluebonnet, and matured 3 weeks earlier. Describing the research to 200 rice farmers and industry leaders at the Beaumont Center's 50th field day on 17 July is Dr. Anna McClung, Research Geneticist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service.

PANAMANIAN PRESIDENT AT BEAUMONT FIELD DAY. The President of Panama Emesto Perez Balladares (2d from left), visited the Beaumont Agricultural Research and Extension Center during its 50th annual field day on 17 July. Here, the President inspects a field of Jefferson, a new, early maturing and disease-resistant rice variety released by the Beaumont Center. From left to right are: Dr.Jim Stansel, Center Resident Director; the President; a Panamanian security specialist; and Dr. Anna McClung, Research Geneticist, U. S. Department of Agricultwe/Agricultural Research Service.

Contact: Dr. Jim Stansel (409 752-3045)

BEAUMONT—More than 200 rice farmers and industry leaders saw new rice varieties and technologies that were tailored for Texas on 17 July during the 50th annual field tour at the Texas A&M Agricultul Research and Extension Center at Beaumont. The President of Panama, Ernesto Perez Balladares, visited the Beaumont Center later that morning.

"The slogan 'A Half Century of Progress' reminds us that this is the 50th annual field day at the Beaumont Center," said Dr. Jim Stansel, Center Resident Director. "But the focus on reducing rice production costs and increasing the rice industry's competitiveness emphasizes the realities of 1997."

A tour of the research farm was followed by lectures on current rice research by Dr. Ed Hiler, TAMU Vice Chancellor for Agriculture; and on pesticide regulations by Mark Trostle, Director, Pesticide Registration, Texas Department of Agriculture.

Farmers sometimes ask why new rice varieties are needed, said Dr. Anna McClung, Research Geneticist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service during the tour.

To determine what rice farming would be like today, using the older technology, Beaumont scientists grew and compared performance of the 26 rice varieties that the Center had released—from Texas Patna in 1942 and Bluebonnet in 1944 through the varieties grown today. The same inputs and cultural practices were used for all varieties at the Beaumont and Eagle Lake research sites over 3 years.

Bluebonnet, once the South's most popular variety, yielded 5,500 pounds per acre, but Jefferson, a 1996 variety, yielded 7,400 lbs—30% higher, McClung said. Jefferson yielded 62% head rice, or unbroken grains, and Bluebonnet, 55%.

"Jefferson also matures extremely early, in about 120 days—that's 3 weeks ahead of Bluebonnet. And Jefferson is resistant to blast and sheath blight diseases, while Bluebonnet is very susceptible." Jefferson carries three major genes for blast resistance, so it may be the most stable of the Beaumont varieties.

Jacko Garrett is growing 220 acres of Jefferson as foundation seed on Garrett Farms near Danbury.

"It looks like we'll harvest Jefferson at least a week earlier than the variety Cypress," the seed rice producer said. "That can help farmers by 'splitting' the harvest—beginning to harvest part of the crop earlier."

Jefferson also has good potential as a ratoon or second crop grown from stubble after the main harvest, Garrett noted.

Participants saw TX4166, a later-maturing counterpart to Jefferson, that has similar levels of high disease resistance.

Dixiebelle, another new variety, parboils well. The firmer grain of parboiled rice makes it good for canning. Also, cafeterias and restaurants that display food often prefer parboiled rice.

"We designed these new varieties for the Texas rice industry," McClung said. "It took about 10 years."

Beaumont's genetic pipeline includes specialty rices for "niche markets"--such as aromatic, waxy, basmati (mainly Indian), arborio (Italian), and jasmine (Thai) rices.

The aromatic TX2126, now in testing for possible release, is from a traditional basmati variety crossed with a high-yielding Texas semidwarf.

"TX2126 has that special basmati aroma, and its grains elongate when cooked. But unlike the Indian basmatis, ours grows well in Texas," McClung said.

"We hope TX2126 will give imported basmatis some Texas competition."

McClung showed the farmers TX5072, a waxy rice with another special niche: rice flour for soups, gravies, crackers, and cookies.

"Rice starch makes better packaged gravies than other cereals because it doesn't retrograde or separate," McClung explained.

The President of Panama, Ernesto Perez Balladares, visited and toured the Beaumont research fields right after the main field tour. He was part of a group that included Vice President Tomas Altamirano Duque, Minister of Agriculture Carlos Souza Lennox, and two dozen Panamanian rice farmers and industry leaders.

"The rice industry in Panama is small, and faces some of the same problems as the Texas rice industry—mainly competition from foreign imports," Stansel said. Panama grows rice for domestic consumption and, with low world market prices, doesn't anticipate exporting.

The new Beaumont rice variety Jefferson was named to honor both Thomas Jefferson, the third U.S. President and an early supporter of the U.S. rice industry, and Jefferson County, the Beaumont Center's home. In 1782, Jefferson served as Minister to Europe, based in France. Promoting U.S. products abroad was a key duty.

Jefferson saw that the French preferred Italian Piedmont rice over U.S. Carolina rice because it had fewer broken grains. Wanting to ship Piedmont seed to rice growers in South Carolina and Georgia, Jefferson crossed the Alps on a 3-week journey to Lombardy, Italy, where Piedmont was grown.

There, he learned that taking Piedmont seeds out of Italy was a serious crime--punishable by death.

Undaunted, the future President smuggled unhusked Italian rice seeds, hidden deep in his coat pockets, back to France, then sent them to the United States. Jefferson also had dryland rice seeds shipped from Africa and Vietnam to America.