Today I drove through the Mississippi Delta through occasional showers and heavy rain at times. There were quite a few fields harvested…. Corn was long gone, sorghum and some soybeans and rice were cut.
Even while driving at highway speeds I could see negative impacts of this untimely rain. So when I got to an area where the rain had stopped, I pulled off the highway to snap a few photos of rice fields.
Following are a couple of shots that show how consistent a rice field should look this time of year. As well as a close of rice heads.
The next few photos show you the tdamage in another field where lodging is an issue. Lodging simply means the plants are laying done before they have been harvested.
There are a few reasons lodging can happen in crops like rice, wheat and corn. Some that farmers have talked to me about are:
– Disease
– Bad weather (esp. wind, rain and hail)
– Genetics for stalk / shaft strength
– Inability to harvest on a timely basis
Hopefully, the weather will turn around before any additional damage is done because harvesting equipment have trouble picking the crops up, which means farmers end up leaving some of their yield on the ground.
Do you have questions about rice or lodging?
Hey I’m still alive, but running around like that proverbial headless chicken!
I really liked your post about rice; I had “Snap! Crackle! Pop!” running through my head the entire time! I haven’t really seen harvest-ready rice before, but it IS a lot like our wheat. How many states grow rice? Does it stay in the US or go out? Is it basically used as a grain or does it have other purposes as well? Gee, I guess this Indiana farm girl is a bit ignorant about rice, but I do love my Rice Crispy Treats!
Thanks Lana! You’ve given me enough food for though to write another blog post or two. And you made me think about some video i’ve shot but never posted! You will see more rice!
Thanks for posting this! I’ve never seen rice being harvested. I know all about it, theoretically, but the pictures are great to see.