Tag: Rice

USDA OREI Grants: Turning Organic Producer Needs into Research, Extension, and Better Farming Tools

USDA’s Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative connects researchers, Extension specialists, farmers, and industry to solve real organic production problems. Three proposed major OREI projects involving Texas A&M AgriLife could bring new research in organic wheat, cowpea, and specialty rice to Texas producers.

Organic agriculture needs research that is conducted in organic systems, with organic farmers, and for problems that organic farmers actually face. One of the most important federal programs supporting that work is the USDA Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative, commonly called OREI.

Over the next several years, Texas organic producers will possibly benefit from three major OREI project grant applications involving Texas A&M AgriLife researchers, Extension specialists, producers, and collaborators across several states. These projects, if funded, will address three very different crops—wheat, cowpea, and specialty rice—but they share an important idea: research should begin with a producer problem and ultimately return to the producer as something useful.

That connection between research and the farm is exactly what OREI was created to encourage.

Two men inspecting crops in a field with grain plants, silos in the background.

The next phase of OREI research builds on work already underway. Here, Dr. Qingwu Xue and I are evaluating sorghum in our current USDA NIFA Organic Sorghum project, Climate-Smart Organic Sorghum Partnership for Grain and Silage Production, which continues through 2028. Projects like this show how OREI can bring researchers, Extension, and producers together around real organic production challenges, and that same approach could continue through the proposed wheat, cowpea, and specialty rice projects if they are funded.

What is OREI?

An assortment of fresh vegetables, including carrots, radishes, and tomatoes, displayed on soil, alongside gardening tools, representing organic agriculture.

OREI is a competitive grant program administered by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, or NIFA. USDA describes its purpose as funding high-priority integrated projects that improve the ability of organic producers and processors to grow and market high-quality organic agricultural products while increasing the resilience of American farming systems.

The word integrated is important.

OREI is not simply a research grant program. Projects typically bring together researchers, Extension specialists, economists, educators, farmers, seed companies, processors, buyers, and other agricultural stakeholders. USDA specifically emphasizes research, education, and outreach that provide farmers and ranchers with practical, research-based information. Organic field research conducted under OREI must be conducted on USDA-certified organic land.

NIFA describes the advantage of integrated programs very well: connecting research, education, and Extension helps speed the movement of new knowledge and technology into practical applications that producers can actually adopt.

That is the part of OREI that I especially appreciate.

A researcher may discover something important, but until that knowledge reaches a farmer and works under farm conditions, the job is not finished.

How does an OREI project get started?

The process usually begins long before a proposal is submitted.

Someone recognizes a problem. It may come from a farmer, a researcher, an Extension specialist, a processor, a seed company, or an entire industry. Researchers and Extension personnel begin talking with people who are dealing with that problem and determining whether research could provide a solution.

That stakeholder involvement is not an afterthought. It is increasingly built into good organic research from the beginning.

The three project ideas are beginning to illustrate that idea particularly well.

For the cowpea project application, annual surveys of Texas organic farmers identified a lack of summer rotational crops adapted to our climate and soils. Farmers expressed strong interest in cowpea both as a nitrogen-fixing cover crop and as a cash crop. Seed companies also identified needs for dual-purpose cowpeas and short-season, high-protein varieties.

For the wheat project, organic farmers, dairy producers, millers, seed businesses, and food companies have been consulted to prepare the application. Producers repeatedly identified two problems: maintaining yield and grain protein when organic nitrogen sources are limited and finding wheat varieties actually evaluated and adapted for organic production.

The specialty rice project application likewise incorporated producer and industry engagement, with research priorities being refined through growers, millers, buyers, on-farm trials, field days, and participatory evaluations.

This is an important principle of good organic research:

We should not first conduct research and then go looking for somebody who needs it. We should first identify the need and then design the research to help solve it.

From an idea to a USDA grant

Once a problem has been identified, a project team has to be assembled.

For a major OREI proposal, that team can become quite large. A plant breeder may need a soil scientist. The soil scientist may need an agronomist. The agronomist may need an economist. Everyone needs organic producers willing to host research or evaluate treatments. And eventually someone has to translate all of that scientific information into recommendations farmers can understand and use.

NIFA then publishes a Notice of Funding Opportunity, or NOFO, describing the program requirements, priorities, eligibility, deadlines, and application instructions. Eligible OREI applicants include universities, agricultural experiment stations, research institutions, federal agencies, private organizations, corporations, individuals, and collaborations among eligible entities.

A competitive proposal must explain the problem, stakeholder need, scientific rationale, objectives, experimental methods, expected outcomes, Extension and education activities, project management, evaluation, budget, and the qualifications and responsibilities of the collaborators. Organic fieldwork must also meet USDA organic certification requirements. Applications then go through USDA’s competitive review process before projects are selected for funding.

It is a substantial undertaking. Successful proposals often represent months—and sometimes years—of conversations, preliminary research, producer relationships, data collection, and collaboration.

Three OREI grant applications addressing Texas organic agriculture

We have been involved in three major OREI grant applications that, if funded, could provide new research and Extension opportunities for Texas organic agriculture.

1. Nitrogen-Smart Organic Wheat

The wheat project is titled “Nitrogen-Smart Organic Wheat Using Biological Nitrification Inhibition for Grain, Silage, Dual-Purpose, and Cover Crop Production Systems.”

This is a particularly interesting project because it is trying to improve nitrogen efficiency through the plant itself.

Biological Nitrification Inhibition, or BNI, is a genetically inherited root trait in which plants release natural compounds that suppress nitrification in the soil.1 The goal is to develop wheat that uses nitrogen more efficiently and retains more nitrogen within the plant-soil system.

If funded, the proposed project would bring together Texas A&M, the University of Minnesota, Montana State University, organic farmers, wheat breeders, agronomists, microbiologists, economists, livestock specialists, and Extension personnel.

View of a green rice field with rows of young rice plants growing in neat lines.

For Texas, if funded, the proposed project will look at wheat not simply as a grain crop but as a crop that may be used for grain, grazing, silage, dual-purpose production, and cover cropping. The overall project is 50% research, 40% Extension, and 10% education.

My role would be to help lead Extension activities and communicate the findings to organic producers and other stakeholders.

For me, this potential project addresses one of the recurring problems I hear from organic farmers: How do we supply enough nitrogen to a high-demand crop without becoming increasingly dependent on expensive purchased organic nitrogen fertilizers?

Plant genetics may become part of that solution.

2. Breeding Better Organic Cowpeas

The second grant project idea is titled “ORGANIC: Operationalizing Research and Extension on the Genetics of Atmospheric Nitrogen Fixation through Innovative Organic Cowpea Breeding.”

A group of people, including farmers and agricultural professionals, gathered in a field to discuss and observe crops, with rows of plants and corn in the background.

This proposed four-year project will place even greater emphasis on plant breeding.

Its goals include developing dual-purpose cowpeas capable of producing both seed and biomass and developing short-season, high-yielding, high-protein cowpeas. In both cases, researchers want to improve biological nitrogen fixation.

Cowpea is especially attractive in Texas organic rotations because it is a warm-season legume adapted to heat and drought. It can provide a cash crop, cover crop biomass, and biologically fixed nitrogen.2

Researchers have already identified genetic differences in biological nitrogen fixation and are developing molecular markers that may allow breeders to select plants with greater nitrogen-fixing ability much more efficiently.

The proposal allocates approximately 70% research and 30% Extension, including on-farm evaluation, farmer training, field days, publications, videos, online outreach, and work with organic seed companies.

For this potential project I would lead the Extension and outreach component, working with producers, seed companies, processors, Extension personnel, and our AgriLifeOrganic.org audience.

This is the kind of project where breeding and Extension should work hand in hand. A breeder can tell us which line has the strongest nitrogen-fixation genetics. A farmer may tell us that another line establishes faster, suppresses weeds better, matures at the right time, or produces seed more reliably.

Both observations matter.

3. Organic-Adapted Specialty Rice

The third project idea is “Accelerated Development of Organic-Adapted Specialty Rice through Integrated Breeding and AI-Enabled Phenotyping for Stronger US Food Systems.”

The application focuses on organic-adapted jasmine, basmati, and high-amylose rice and combines plant breeding, agronomy, weed science, entomology, economics, artificial-intelligence-assisted field phenotyping, and Extension.

A man in a blue shirt stands speaking in front of a field of rice plants, while another man in a blue shirt stands next to him holding a paper. A sign nearby reads 'Brazos River Eagle Lake Project.' There is a body of water in the foreground.

Researchers will look for traits particularly useful in organic rice systems, including early vigor, weed competitiveness, nutrient-use efficiency, pest resistance, root characteristics, and grain quality.

Again, the important distinction is that these plants will be evaluated for the conditions organic farmers actually face rather than simply assuming that the best conventional rice variety will automatically be the best organic variety.3

Extension represents approximately 30% of the proposed project effort, with field demonstrations, producer meetings, stakeholder training, publications, and digital communication built into the project.

The Texas organic rice industry has faced serious contraction in recent years, and lack of dependable markets and contracts remains a major limitation. That makes the economics and market side of this project every bit as important to me as improved genetics or production practices. Better rice production alone does not help a farmer very much if there is no profitable market for the crop.

What do organic farmers gain from these possible grants?

If these grants are funded the immediate benefit is research capacity.

Plant breeding, molecular genetics, replicated field trials, laboratory analyses, economic studies, graduate students, equipment, multi-state trials, and several years of data collection are expensive. Individual organic farms generally could not reasonably conduct this level of research on their own.

OREI grants can allow us to bring substantial scientific resources to questions specifically important to organic agriculture.

But there is another benefit that may be even more important.

Organic producers become part of the research process.

The proposed wheat project includes certified organic producer fields in Texas, Minnesota, and Montana. Also the proposed cowpea project includes organic farmers and seed companies in on-farm evaluation and even calls for their input to become part of the variety-release process. The rice project we propose will bring together producers and industry stakeholders for rice demonstrations, evaluations, and continuing feedback.

That creates a two-way flow of information:

Research → Extension → Producer

but also

Producer → Extension → Research.

That second arrow is extremely important.

Organic research strengthens the entire organic program

One of the benefits I see from these potential projects goes beyond wheat, cowpea, or rice. Every good research project expands what we know about organic production as a system.

A cowpea nitrogen-fixation project teaches us about rotations and soil fertility. A wheat nitrogen-efficiency project may change how we think about plant breeding and nitrogen management. Organic rice research teaches us about weed competition, variety selection, nutrient management, biological pest management, markets, and the economics of organic production.

Those lessons begin connecting.

And because Extension would be involved, the results do not have to remain in scientific journals. We can turn them into field days, demonstrations, production guides, newsletter articles, videos, blog posts, producer meetings, and conversations across the tailgate of a pickup.

That is one of the roles I see for AgriLifeOrganic.org over the next several years. I want this website to become one place where Texas organic producers can follow these projects as they develop—not just when the final report is published.

There will be failures. Some varieties will not work. Some ideas that look good in a laboratory may disappoint us in a field. Other results may surprise us completely.

That is research.

The important thing is that organic farmers are now helping ask the questions.

This is an important time for Texas organic research

The opportunity to compete for three major OREI projects in wheat, cowpea, and rice represents the kind of investment in organic research that could substantially benefit Texas producers if these proposals are funded.

These projects cover plant breeding, genetics, nitrogen management, crop rotations, weeds, insects, economics, markets, artificial intelligence, on-farm testing, and Extension education.

I think that diversity is valuable because there isn’t a single problem called “organic agriculture.”

Organic agriculture is a production system. Farmers have to make genetics, fertility, weeds, insects, diseases, rotations, economics, certification, and markets work together on the same farm.

Our research needs to work the same way.

And ultimately, I think that is where OREI is most valuable: bringing farmers, researchers, Extension personnel, and agricultural businesses together to solve real organic production problems—and then putting what we learn back into the hands of farmers.

Learn more about USDA OREI

USDA Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative
Information about OREI priorities, eligibility, funding opportunities, and previously funded projects. USDA Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative.

How to Apply for a NIFA Grant
USDA NIFA’s overview of the competitive grant application process. How to Apply for a NIFA Grant.

References

  1. Whitney, B. 2026. BNI Wheat: Can the Crop Help Manage Its Own Nitrogen? Texas A&M AgriLife Organic. May 19, 2026. ↩︎
  2. Whitney, B. 2026. Organic Cowpea Production in Texas. Texas A&M AgriLife Organic. September 8, 2026. ↩︎
  3. Whitney, B. 2024. Enhancing Organic Rice Yields: Texas Researchers Lead the Way in Ratoon Crop Production. Texas A&M AgriLife Organic. October 18, 2024. ↩︎
Text promoting the USDA's Transition to Organic Partnership Program, featuring the USDA Organic logo.

Texas Organic Rice Update: Insights for Producers and Researchers

Great picture by USA Rice at the recent Western Rice Conference, January 15th in El Campo.

Organic rice production in Texas continues to evolve, with advancements in weed control, fertility management, and ratoon cropping showing promising results. This update covers the latest developments, challenges, and resources available to organic rice growers, with implications for both organic and conventional production systems.

Advancements in Organic Rice Production

1. Enhancing Yields with Ratoon Crop Production
Texas researchers are leading efforts to improve ratoon crop yields in organic rice. This practice of harvesting a second crop from the stubble of the first offers a sustainable way to maximize productivity without replanting, making it an attractive option for organic farmers. Paragraph from study below:

“To enhance nitrogen availability, the researchers utilized organic-approved inputs such as compost and cover crops, finding that an equivalent of 90 pounds of nitrogen per acre was optimal for achieving the greatest yields, with greater rates offering no additional advantage. This insight helps farmers optimize nitrogen inputs using sustainable sources, saving costs while promoting organic practices.”

2. Organic Variety Trials – 2023
Organic variety trials conducted in Garwood, Texas, showed promising results. These trials not only help identify suitable varieties for organic systems but also aid in improving overall seed supply for future seasons.

Variety AverageDry (lbs./ac.)Dry (Bu./ac.)Dry (barrels/ac.)
XP7537233160.744.6
RT74017091157.643.8
RT73016716149.241.5
RT73027263161.444.8
XL7236760150.241.7

Overcoming Challenges in Organic Rice Production

1. Weed Control Innovations
Weeds remain a major challenge for organic rice farmers. Here are some key tools and practices being used:

  • Northern Jointvetch Control: The bioherbicide LockDown (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides f. sp. Aeschynomene) has shown great effectiveness. This live organism must be applied with a surfactant, offering a cost-effective solution.
  • Hemp Sesbania Management: USDA-approved use of Albifimbria verrucaria (formerly Myrothecium verrucaria) has demonstrated success against hemp sesbania and other weeds like sicklepod and pigweed.
  • Water-Seeding Method: The pinpoint flood system effectively suppresses weedy rice by creating anaerobic conditions that inhibit germination.

2. Organic Fertility Programs
Organic rice growers are adopting long-term fertility strategies, including the use of compost and biostimulants. Research highlights the importance of repeated compost applications to boost soil biological activity and improve yields.

  • Biostimulants in Focus: Biostimulants such as humic acids, seaweed extracts, and microbial inoculants can enhance plant growth. However, product quality remains inconsistent, necessitating thorough testing and careful application.

Market Trends and Opportunities

The organic rice market faces challenges related to supply chains, international competition, and fraud. Key issues include:

  • GMO concerns, especially in Mexico and China.
  • Limited seed supply due to adverse weather conditions in 2024, which impacted production in Texas.

Picture of an article in an Indian News Post showing “GMO” rice sent to Europe!

Despite these hurdles, Texas continues to work to expand organic rice production. Programs like the Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) are equipping farmers with mentorship, community-building opportunities, and technical training to support successful transitions to organic farming.

Resources for Organic Farmers

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Organic Program provides a range of resources to support organic rice growers:

  • Podcasts: On TOPP of Organic offers insights into organic production practices.
  • Newsletters: Subscribe to bimonthly and monthly newsletters for the latest updates.
  • Workshops and Field Days: Covering topics such as certification, conservation planning, and marketing.

The Future of Organic Rice in Texas

Organic rice production has been a rapidly growing industry with vast potential but there are plenty of struggles right now. By addressing challenges like weed control and fertility management, and leveraging mentorship and research programs, Texas farmers can lead the way in sustainable and organic agriculture.

Lastly, this information is from Cognitive Market Research off their website. I took a picture of this graph showing that Organic Rice sales are growing tremendously and will continue to grow. I have rice growers say to me that people have quit buying organic rice and they believe this because our organic rice farmers can’t get contracts to grow organic rice. The problem is not that our US consumers don’t buy organic rice it is that organic rice imports are filling that demand – NOT Texas organic rice producers! So, I ask the question, “Where is this organic rice coming from?”

Other Rice Resources (just click a link!)

Enhancing Organic Rice Yields: Texas Researchers Lead the Way in Ratoon Crop Production

Dr. Tanumoy Bera is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center in Beaumont. In 2022 he was awarded a grant by Southern SARE with a project called, “Development of Sustainable Organic Rice Ratoon Production Systems in the Southern US,” and he has some excellent results so far with more to come. Here is a progress report from Dr. Bera and I think organic rice growers can benefit from his observations.

by Dr. Tanumoy Bera, Rice Researcher

While organic rice consumption in the U.S. has grown substantially in recent years, demand for domestically grown organic rice hasn’t kept pace. Instead, cheaper imports have dominated the market, creating challenges for U.S. producers trying to meet the increasing appetite for organic rice while maintaining profitability. To address these challenges, researchers at Texas A&M AgriLife in Beaumont are focusing on improving organic ratoon rice production—a method that allows rice to be harvested from the regrowth of previously harvested stubble. This technique is especially valuable because it enables a second harvest without the need to replant, which helps farmers reduce costs, increase productivity, and compete with lower-priced imports while still maintaining a viable net income per acre.

This ongoing study, initiated in 2022, aims to evaluate how rice cultivars, crop rotation practices, and nitrogen application rates affect the yield and quality of organic ratoon rice. The team tested two cultivars—Presidio and RiceTec XP753—alongside two management approaches: winter fallow and cover cropping. Their goal is to determine how these factors influence yield, milling quality, nitrogen content, and nitrogen removal in an organic ratoon system.

Early findings have been promising. The hybrid XP753 showed a remarkable performance, increasing the main crop yield by 75% and ratoon yield by 97% compared to Presidio. This is partly due to hybrid varieties like XP753 being bred to combine the best traits from parent plants, resulting in higher yields and greater resilience—key attributes for organic farming.

However, establishing cover crops in southeast Texas has been challenging, mainly due to wet winters and poor drainage in heavy clay soils. Despite these difficulties, cover crops, when successfully established, have provided significant benefits. To enhance nitrogen availability, the researchers utilized organic-approved inputs such as compost and cover crops, finding that an equivalent of 90 pounds of nitrogen per acre was optimal for achieving the greatest yields, with greater rates offering no additional advantage. This insight helps farmers optimize nitrogen inputs using sustainable sources, saving costs while promoting organic practices.

Looking ahead, the research will continue into the 2025 season, aiming to refine these findings and explore their long-term impacts. This work is crucial as demand for organic products continues to rise, providing farmers with improved productivity while supporting sustainable agricultural practices. With initiatives like this, Texas A&M AgriLife is helping pave the way for a more resilient and environmentally friendly future in agriculture.

Other Rice Resources (just click a link!)

Understanding the Three-Line CMS System in Hybrid Rice Breeding

As rice breeding continues to advance, hybrid rice varieties have emerged as a powerful tool for increasing yields, improving disease resistance, and enhancing grain quality. A key innovation behind hybrid rice production is the Cytoplasmic Male Sterility (CMS) system, which enables breeders to produce hybrid seeds efficiently. This blog post explains how the three-line CMS system works and why it’s so valuable for breeders and farmers alike.

What is Cytoplasmic Male Sterility (CMS)?

Cytoplasmic Male Sterility (CMS) is a genetic trait that prevents a plant from producing functional pollen. This characteristic is particularly useful in hybrid seed production because it ensures the plant cannot self-pollinate. Instead, the male-sterile plant must be pollinated by another plant, allowing breeders to control the parentage of hybrid seeds.

The Three-Line System in Hybrid Rice Production

The three-line system involves three types of rice lines:

  • A-Line (CMS Female): A male-sterile line that cannot produce viable pollen, used as the female parent in hybrid seed production.
  • B-Line (Maintainer Line): Genetically identical to the A-line but fertile. It is used to maintain the CMS trait in the A-line.
  • R-Line (Restorer Line): A fertile line that carries restorer genes to restore pollen fertility in the F1 hybrid generation.

Each of these lines plays a critical role in ensuring the successful production of hybrid rice seeds, and together they contribute to the final hybrid variety’s vigor and performance.

How the Crosses Work in the Three-Line System

1. Maintaining the CMS Line

The A-line (CMS female) is male-sterile, meaning it cannot produce seeds on its own because it lacks viable pollen. To maintain this line, breeders must cross the A-line with the B-line (maintainer), which has the same genetics but does not have the male-sterile trait.

  • Cross: A-Line (CMS female) × B-Line (Maintainer male)
  • Result: More A-line seeds, all of which remain male-sterile. The B-line helps propagate the A-line without restoring fertility, ensuring that male sterility is preserved.

2. Producing Hybrid Seeds

Once enough CMS A-line plants are produced, they are crossed with the R-line (restorer) to create hybrid seeds. The R-line carries genes that restore pollen fertility in the hybrid offspring, allowing the hybrid plants to reproduce normally.

  • Cross: A-Line (CMS female) × R-Line (Restorer male)
  • Result: F1 hybrid seeds that combine the best traits from both the A-line and the R-line. These seeds exhibit hybrid vigor (heterosis), meaning the plants will grow faster, yield more, and be more resilient to stresses like pests and diseases.

Visual Representation of the Three-Line System

Below is a flowchart that visually represents the three-line CMS system:

    A-Line (CMS female) × B-Line (Maintainer male)
              ↓
     Male-Sterile Seeds (A-Line)
              ↓
A-Line (CMS female) × R-Line (Restorer male)
              ↓
     F1 Hybrid Seeds (Fertile)

This flowchart provides a simplified view of how the A-line, B-line, and R-line interact to produce hybrid seeds. It helps to visualize the sequential process of maintaining the CMS line and producing vigorous hybrid seeds.

Distribution of Beneficial Traits in the Three Lines

In the three-line system, both the A-line and R-line contribute valuable traits to the hybrid, while the B-line helps maintain the CMS line. Here’s a breakdown of what each line brings to the table:

Line TypeRoleTraits Contributed to Hybrid
A-Line (CMS)Female parent; male-sterileCarries key agronomic traits (yield, quality, resistance)
B-Line (Maintainer)Maintain A-line; not used in hybridGenetically identical to A-line; used for maintenance
R-Line (Restorer)Male parent; restores fertilityProvides restorer genes and complementary traits to enhance hybrid vigor

Why Use the Three-Line System?

The three-line CMS system has been a game-changer in hybrid rice breeding for several reasons:

  • Efficient Hybrid Seed Production: CMS ensures the A-line plants cannot self-pollinate, making it easier for breeders to control the crossing and ensure that hybrid seeds are produced with the desired genetic combinations.
  • Hybrid Vigor: The cross between the A-line and R-line produces F1 hybrid plants that often outperform both parent lines due to heterosis (hybrid vigor). These plants grow faster, produce higher yields, and are more adaptable to varying environmental conditions.
  • Consistent Performance: By carefully selecting A-line and R-line parents, breeders can develop hybrids that consistently deliver high yields and other desirable traits, such as disease resistance or drought tolerance.

Real-World Example in Rice

For example, let’s say a breeder selects an A-line that has high grain quality and yield potential but lacks disease resistance. They could pair this A-line with an R-line that has strong disease resistance and good stress tolerance. The resulting hybrid will combine these traits, offering farmers a variety that not only yields well but also stands up to diseases and environmental stressors.

Saving Hybrid Rice Seeds and Trait Loss

It’s important to note that saving seeds from hybrid rice plants is generally not recommended. The F1 hybrid seeds produced through the three-line system exhibit hybrid vigor due to the combination of traits from the A-line and R-line. However, if these hybrid seeds are saved and replanted, the resulting plants (F2 generation) will not retain the same level of performance. This is because the desirable traits that make the F1 hybrids so productive can segregate and diminish in subsequent generations, leading to reduced yields, inconsistency, and loss of hybrid vigor. To read more about organic rice varieties and resources click this link: Organic Rice Resources

Key Takeaways

  • A-line (CMS) contributes key agronomic traits but cannot produce pollen, ensuring controlled cross-pollination.
  • B-line is a maintainer, used to propagate the A-line but not involved in the hybrid seed production.
  • R-line restores fertility and adds complementary traits, leading to a vigorous and productive F1 hybrid generation.

The three-line CMS system enables efficient hybrid seed production, combining the best traits from different lines to create high-performing hybrids that meet farmers’ needs for yield, resilience, and grain quality. The three-line CMS system remains one of the most effective methods for producing hybrid rice seeds, ensuring that breeders can develop varieties that push the limits of productivity and sustainability.

Conclusion

As global demand for rice, especially organic rice, continues to grow, the ability to produce high-yielding, resilient hybrid varieties through the CMS system is more important than ever. This method ensures that breeders can consistently produce hybrids that help farmers achieve better harvests, even in the face of environmental and biological challenges. Hybrid rice breeding holds a promise for amplifying traits important for organic producers.

By understanding the nuances of the A-line, B-line, and R-line, breeders can make informed choices about which traits to focus on in their breeding programs. Ultimately, the three-line system not only enhances hybrid seed production but also contributes to the long-term sustainability of rice farming.

Organic Rice Resources

  1. Variety Selection in Organic Rice Production
  2. Importance of Seedling Vigor
  3. Updated Considerations
  4. Rice Variety Research
  5. More Rice Variety Information
  6. Ratoon Rice?
  7. Seed Rice Varieties
  8. Where to Buy Seed Rice
  9. Companies In the Organic Rice Milling Business
  10. Other Resources

Variety Selection in Organic Rice Production

In organic production systems, the challenges to producing an economically successful crop are quite different than in conventional systems. Research has shown that the choice of cultivar is one of the most important decisions in determining performance under organic management.

There are many different target markets for rice, including:

  • Standard Milled Long or Medium Grain Rice: Commonly used in everyday cooking.
  • Brown Rice: Retains the bran layer and is considered healthier due to higher fiber content.
  • Aromatic Rice: Varieties such as jasmine and basmati that are valued for their distinctive fragrances. These are being developed by TAMU Rice Researchers and should be available soon.
  • Special Purpose Rice: Includes rice for flour production or colored bran rice, which can be marketed for its unique nutritional or aesthetic qualities.

Understanding the preferences of these markets and identifying outlets for specific types of rice may offer added economic opportunities for growers. For example, there is a growing market for aromatic and colored bran rice due to increasing consumer interest in unique and healthful food options.

Importance of Seedling Vigor

In organic production, the use of many conventional seed treatments is prohibited. Therefore, selecting varieties with excellent seedling vigor and seedling quality is crucial. Seedling vigor refers to the ability of seeds to germinate and grow rapidly under field conditions, leading to strong early stand establishment. This is particularly important in organic systems for several reasons:

  • Early Flooding: Strong early growth allows for an early flood, which is a key practice for weed control in rice fields.
  • Weed Competition: Vigorous seedlings can outcompete weeds, reducing the need for mechanical or manual weeding.
  • Disease Resistance: Early and healthy growth can help seedlings better withstand diseases and pest attacks.

Updated Considerations

Recent advancements and trends in organic rice production emphasize several additional factors:

  • Adaptability to Organic Inputs: Varieties should perform well with organic fertilizers and soil amendments, which release nutrients more slowly than synthetic fertilizers. Varieties developed in organic systems develop beneficial relationships with the microbiome.
  • Disease and Pest Resistance: With fewer pest control options available, selecting varieties that are resistant to common diseases and insects in the 2 rice growing regions is more critical.
  • Environmental Resilience: Varieties that can tolerate local environmental stresses such as drought, salinity, or extreme temperatures are preferred.

By focusing on these updated considerations, organic rice growers can better navigate the unique challenges of organic production and tap into diverse market opportunities, ultimately leading to more successful and sustainable farming operations.

Rice Variety Research

Rice varieties have different yield potentials under organic versus commercial production systems. Cultivars such as Tesanai 2, Rondo, and hybrids have
high yield potential, as demonstrated in a research plot trial conducted in Texas (see picture below). Based on a 5-year (2015 through 2019) organic commercial production survey, the average yield of XL723 (a popular hybrid variety in Texas, used in organic production) was 4,094 pounds per acre, while Presidio’s yield (a popular inbred variety) was only 2,452 pounds per acre. The selection of high yielding rice varieties with tolerance to weeds and diseases is the key to successful organic rice production.

This is the yield performance of 19 rice varieties and germplasm lines grown organically in Beaumont, Texas in 2015 and 2016 at the Rice Research Center.

More Rice Variety Information

This rice variety test below was conducted by RiceTec in 2023 on the Chriss Schiurring Farm near Garwood.

The measurements provided (bushels and barrels) are generally for rough rice, which includes the hulls and is the form in which rice is typically harvested and initially processed.

  • Bushel of Rice: A bushel of rough rice typically weighs 45 pounds.
  • Barrel of Rice: A barrel of rough rice is typically defined as weighing 162 pounds.

Ratoon Rice?

Ratoon rice production involves harvesting a primary rice crop and then allowing the stubble left in the field to regrow and produce a second crop, known as the ratoon crop. This method leverages the remaining growth potential of the plant to produce an additional harvest without replanting, thereby saving time, labor, and resources. Ratoon cropping can increase overall yield and efficiency, although it typically produces a lower yield than the primary crop.

The average yield of a ratoon rice crop is typically about 50-70% of the main crop’s yield. This reduced yield is due to the limited growth potential and shorter growing period of the ratoon crop compared to the main crop. However, ratoon cropping can still be economically beneficial due to the reduced input costs and labor requirements. In many organic rice production fields, the ratoon crop is the profit crop and makes or breaks the farms success!

Seed Rice Varieties

Hybrid Rice Varieties

Hybrid rice is produced by crossbreeding two distinct rice plants with the goal of: higher yields, better disease resistance, and greater environmental stress tolerance compared to conventional varieties. Unlike conventional rice, hybrid rice seeds need to be purchased each planting season, as the hybrid traits do not persist in subsequent generations. Additionally, hybrid rice typically requires a lower planting rate (13-22 lbs. per acre or sometimes more in organic systems) due to its vigorous growth and higher productivity. To read more about how hybrid rice is produced click this link: Hybrid Rice Breeding

RiceTec XL723

For a decade now, XL723 has delivered unsurpassed value through its combination of high yield and outstanding milling yields. Long grain rice. XL723 should be harvested at 18%-20% moisture at first drydown to help maximize grain quality and grain retention.

  • Superior milling yield
  • Ideal for straighthead-prone soils
  • Excellent ratoon potential
  • Great fit for organic cultivation

RiceTec XP753

Up until 2023, XP753 was the highest-yielding long-grain rice available, providing the greatest net income potential of any competitive rice product. XP753 should be harvested at 18%-20% moisture at first drydown to help maximize grain quality and grain retention.

  • Protected by RiceTec’s superior disease package
  • Improved grain retention
  • Excellent ratoon potential

RiceTec RT7301

Introduced in 2020, RT7301 represents an evolution of RiceTec traditional rice products, capturing the best attributes of XP753 a long grain rice. RT7301 should be harvested at 18%-20% moisture at first drydown to help maximize grain quality and grain retention.

  • Very high yield potential
  • Protected by RiceTec’s superior disease package
  • Improved grain retention

RiceTec RT7302

New in 2023, RT7302 represents the next breeding evolution of RiceTec traditional rice products, capturing the best in yield and grain quality. RT7302 will raise the bar for yield among the RiceTec portfolio of long grain rice. RT7302 be harvested at 18%-20% moisture at first drydown to help maximize grain quality and grain retention.

  • high yield potential
  • Protected by RiceTec’s superior disease package
  • high grain quality
  • 25% amylose content* for a more separate cooked product

*Amylose content in rice refers to the amount of amylose, a type of starch, present in the grains. Rice with intermediate amylose content (typically 20-25%) tends to have a balanced texture—neither too sticky nor too dry. This makes it versatile for a variety of culinary uses, providing a satisfactory chewiness without being overly firm or sticky.

RiceTec RT3202

RT3202 is a medium grain rice.

  • Early maturity (110 days)
  • High yield hybrid potential
  • Average ratoon potential

Conventional and/or Inbred Rice Varieties (non-hybrid)

Conventional rice varieties are traditional types of rice that are open-pollinated and can be replanted each season from harvested seeds (there are laws regulating saving some seed varieties, click to read more). They are important for maintaining genetic diversity, which helps ensure crop resilience against diseases and pests. Additionally, they often have unique flavors and qualities prized in local cuisines and cultural practices. Planting rates are in the range of 60-80 or even to 120 lbs. per acre. Check with your sales representative or agronomist. Organic seeding rates can be up to 1.5 times more.

You may see the term “inbred.” Inbred rice varieties are those developed through self-pollination over multiple generations to achieve a stable, uniform genetic makeup. Unlike hybrid varieties, which are produced by crossbreeding different parent lines, inbred varieties maintain consistent traits across generations when their seeds are replanted. They are often valued for their stability, specific traits, and adaptability to local growing conditions.

Dyna-Gro DG245L

Semi-dwarf, early maturing, long-grain variety with exceptional milling yields and grain quality. Medium plant height of 36 inches and great stalk strength for lodging resistance and storm tolerance. Very stable yields in five years of research with excellent ratoon crop potential. Intermediate gel temperature* and intermediate amylose content.

*Gel temperature refers to the temperature at which the rice starch granules gelatinize or become sticky during cooking. Rice varieties with intermediate gel temperature generally produce grains that are soft but not mushy when cooked, offering a desirable texture that balances between firmness and tenderness.

Dyna-Gro DG263L

High yielding long grain variety with excellent quality with excellent disease package including blast and smuts. Plant height and stalk strength for lodging resistance and storm tolerance with a proven field performance. Uniform grain size and very good miller (58/69). Lower seeding rates than most varieties (45-65 lbs. per acre).

Dyna-Gro DG353M

High yielding medium grain variety with excellent quality with uniform grain size and a very good miller (60/70). Great standability and favorable plant height (36 inches). Very stable yields in four years of research. Lower seeding rate (50-75 lbs. per acre) than other conventional medium grain inbreds.

Horizon Ag CL153

CL153 is an early, semi-dwarf, long-grain Clearfield rice variety developed by the LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station. Known for its excellent yield potential and high head rice yields with minimal chalkiness, CL153 offers several agronomic advantages. It has a yield potential comparable to or slightly below that of CL151 but with better lodging resistance. The variety also features excellent grain length, translucency, and whole milled rice output, meeting industry standards.

In terms of disease resistance, CL153 is moderately susceptible to blast, Cercospora, bacterial panicle blight, and straighthead, but it is susceptible to sheath blight. It carries the Pita gene, providing broad-spectrum resistance to common blast races in the southern USA. This makes it a robust choice for growers seeking a variety with good disease management traits.

Horizon Ag CLL16

CLL16 is a long-grain, conventional height, Clearfield rice variety developed by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. It boasts excellent yield potential and stability, maintaining strong yields even with later planting dates. The variety has excellent seedling vigor and is a few inches taller than typical Louisiana Clearfield varieties, but it is moderately resistant to lodging.

CLL16 features the Pita gene (not a GMO), providing strong resistance to blast, and the CRSP2.1 gene (not a GMO), offering resistance to narrow brown leaf spot. It is moderately susceptible to Cercospora infection on the stem, sheath blight, and bacterial panicle blight. However, milling yields and ratoon potential are observed to be lower than other some other varieties.

Organic rice farmers looking for a reliable variety will find CLL16 to be a strong contender due to its consistent performance, high milling quality, and industry-leading blast resistance. In university tests, CLL16 has shown good rough rice yields, averaging higher than the Diamond variety, making it a comprehensive choice for rice farmers.

Horizon Ag CLL18

CLL18 is a long-grain, conventional height Clearfield rice variety developed by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. It boasts excellent yield potential and stability, maintaining strong yields even with later planting dates. With excellent seedling vigor, CLL18 is slightly taller than typical Louisiana Clearfield varieties but is moderately resistant to lodging. However, its milling yields are observed to be lower than other Clearfield varieties.

CLL18 does not contain the Pita blast resistance gene and is moderately susceptible to blast, making it less suitable for areas prone to this disease. It does contain the CRSP2.1 gene, providing resistance to narrow brown leaf spot, but is moderately susceptible to Cercospora infection on the stem, sheath blight, and bacterial panicle blight. Despite these susceptibilities, CLL18 has consistently outyielded CLL16 by about 5% in Arkansas trials. Its earlier maturity makes it a good planting partner with CLL16, allowing farmers to stagger their harvests effectively.

Stratton Jupiter

A short-season, semi-dwarf, medium grain with excellent yield potential and milling quality. It is a small grain size but has moderate resistance to bacterial panicle blight.

Stratton Titan

Titan is a very early, short-stature, medium-grain rice variety known for its excellent yield potential, often comparable to or better than Jupiter. It matures about a week earlier than Jupiter and is similar in height. Titan has a preferred large grain size but is moderately susceptible to blast and bacterial panicle blight. It is important to harvest Titan at the correct moisture level, as milling yields drop off significantly when harvested at lower moisture. This short-season variety is valued for its robust performance and high yield potential.

Stratton Cheniere

A short-season, semi-dwarf long grain with excellent yield potential and milling quality comparable to Cypress. An early, high-yielding, high-quality, rice variety with, good lodging resistance and moderate resistance to straighthead. It is moderately susceptible to blast and bacterial panicle blight and susceptible to sheath blight and Cercospora. The variety displays excellent grain quality characteristics, has a higher amylose content and cooks less sticky than typical U.S. long grains.

Stratton Jewel

A mid-season long grain variety with good yield potential and milling yield. Susceptible to straighthead. Moderately susceptible to sheath blight, blast, Cercospora, false smut and lodging. Moderately resistant to bacterial panicle blight.

Stratton Diamond

A mid-season, long-grain variety with excellent yield potential and good milling quality. Very good straw strength. Susceptible to blast and sheath blight, moderately susceptible to bacterial panicle blight. Very susceptible to false smut

Where to Buy Seed Rice

RiceTec Seed

  • https://www.ricetec.com/
  • PO Box 1305, Alvin, TX 77512
  • Office: 281.756.3300
  • Fax: 281.393.3532
  • Email: CustomerService@ricetec.com
  • Joe Pankey, Regional Business Innovation Agronomist
  • Cell: 318.381.3280
  • Email: jpankey@ricetec.com
  • Derrol Grymes, Region 15 Sales
  • Cell: 281.381.9371
  • Email: dgrymes@ricetec.com
  • Craig Hamm, Region 14 Sales
  • Cell: 281.387.7247
  • Jeff Mosley, Regional Sales
  • Cell: 662.719.1034

Dyna-Gro Seed

  • https://dynagroseed.com/
  • Nutrien Ag Solutions, El Campo
  • 676 Country Road 324, El Campo
  • Dr. Qiming Shao, Rice Breeder
  • Office: 979.541.3912
  • Nutrien Ag Solutions, Wharton
  • 1015 Nelson Lane, Wharton
  • Office: 979.532.2371

Horizon Ag Seed

  • https://www.horizonseed.com/
  • 8275 Tournament Dr., Suite 255, Memphis, TN 38125
  • Office: (866) 237-6167
  • Office: (901) 818-3070
  • Fax: (901) 818-3117
  • Email: info@horizonseed.com
  • Hunter Brown, District Field Representative
  • Email: hbrown@horizonseed.com
  • Cell: 337.546.7288

Stratton Seed

  • https://gostrattonseed.com/
  • 1530 HWY 79 South, Stuttgart, AR 72160
  • Office: 800.264.4433
  • Keith Hammer, Sales Manager – Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma
  • Cell: 501-326-3845
  • Email: khammer@strattonseed.com

Companies In the Organic Rice Milling Business

Doguet’s Rice Milling

  • https://www.doguets.com/
  • 795 S. Major Drive, Beaumont, Texas 77707
  • Email: doguets@doguets.com
  • Office: 409.866.2297
  • Fax: 409.866.1646

Gulf Pacific Rice Milling

  • http://gulfpac.com/
  • 12010 Taylor Road, Houston, Texas 77041
  • Office: 713.464.0606
  • Fax: 713.467.0325
  • Email: gpsales@gulfpac.com

McKaskle Family Farm

Harvest Grain Mills

Other Resources

Water-Seeded Rice: Using Water to Control Weeds in Organic Production

Can water be one of the best weed management tools in organic rice? Explore how water-seeding, flooding, and drainage suppress weeds, with lessons from Texas rice fields and Lundberg Family Farms.

Originally published March 26, 2024. Updated November 2026 with additional information on water management and organic weed control from Lundberg Family Farms.

Dr. Ronnie Levy, Retired Extension Rice Specialist at LSU wrote this article for the April 2022 issue of Rice Farming Magazine. I clipped it out and thought, “this will come in handy someday!”1 I am putting this out there again because our organic rice producers are facing some real problems with weeds in rice including weedy rice, hemp sesbania, jointvetch and certainly weedy grasses.

In 2023, I was at Joe Broussard’s farm near Nome, looking at a rice field that was headed out and looking great. On the other side of the levy was a field choked with weeds – what was the difference? One was water-seeded rice, and the other was not. Joe had used water seeding and his flood to control weeds “the old-fashioned way!” So, read this article by Dr. Levy and think about it……

“Most rice is drill-seeded in Louisiana — about 80% — but there is a renewed interest in water-seeding rice for weedy rice suppression (or many other weeds in organic systems).” Rice Farming, April 2022. Dr. Ron Levy.

A yellow agricultural airplane flying low over a body of water, with green fields and trees in the background under a cloudy sky.

The most common water-seeding method in Louisiana is the pinpoint flood system. After seeding, the field is drained briefly. The initial drain period is only long enough to allow the radicle to penetrate the soil (peg down) and anchor the seedling. A three- to five-day drain period is sufficient under normal conditions.

The field then is permanently flooded until rice nears maturity (an exception is midseason drainage to alleviate straighthead (physiological problem of rice) under certain conditions).

In this system, rice seedlings emerge through the floodwater. Seedlings must be above the water surface by at least the 3 to 4-leaf rice stage. Before this stage, seedlings normally have sufficient stored food and available oxygen to survive. Atmospheric oxygen and other gases are then necessary for the plant to grow and develop.

The pinpoint flood system is an excellent means of suppressing weedy rice emerging from seeds in the soil because oxygen necessary for weedy rice germination is not available as long as the field is maintained in a flooded (or saturated) condition. A continuous flood system, another water-seed system, is limited in Louisiana. Although similar to the pinpoint flood system, the field is never drained after seeding.

Close-up view of muddy ground with small green shoots emerging from the surface.

Regarding the water-seeded systems, a continuous flood system is normally best for red rice suppression, but rice stand establishment is most difficult. Even the most vigorous variety may have problems becoming established under this system. Inadequate stand establishment is a common problem in both systems.

Fertilization timing is the same for both the pinpoint and continuous flood systems. Phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulfur (S) and zinc (Zn) fertilizers are applied preplant incorporated as in the dry-seeded system. Once the field is flooded, the soil should not be allowed to dry.

If the nitrogen requirement of a particular field is known, all nitrogen fertilizer can be incorporated prior to flooding and seeding or applied during the brief drain period in a pinpoint flood system. Additional N fertilizer can be applied at the beginning of reproductive growth between panicle initiation and panicle differentiation (2-millimeter panicle).

Water-seeding has been used in the past for weed control. Will water-seeding make a comeback to help with weedy rice suppression (or possibly for organic rice producers)?”

Dr. Levy’s discussion describes how water-seeding can help suppress weedy rice while presenting challenges for stand establishment. Another approach, developed through decades of organic rice production in California, demonstrates how carefully timed flooding and drainage can help manage different weed populations.

Learning from Lundberg Family Farms: Using Water to Control Weeds in Organic Rice

One of the most interesting examples of water management for organic rice production comes from Lundberg Family Farms in Richvale, California. In a recent article published by Rice Farming2, the Lundberg family’s approach to using flooding and drainage for organic weed management was described in detail. The Lundberg family began growing organic rice in 1969 and has spent decades developing production practices that rely on water management rather than conventional herbicides for weed control.

Their experience provides some useful lessons for our Texas organic rice producers.

The Lundbergs have learned that water depth and timing can make an enormous difference in controlling weeds. By maintaining relatively deep floodwater during early rice development, they can suppress certain grass weeds while allowing the rice crop to continue growing. Once those weeds have been suppressed, they drain their fields to create conditions unfavorable for aquatic weeds that thrive in standing water.

Flooding suppresses some weeds, while draining can suppress others. The challenge is knowing when to change water levels without injuring the rice.

Aerial view of a vast green agricultural field with intersecting dirt paths and a small farmhouse in the foreground, set against a clear blue sky.

Aerial view of rice fields in California’s Sacramento Valley. Photo credit: Lundberg Family Farms.3

Making this system work requires precisely leveled fields, reliable irrigation and drainage systems, vigorous rice seedlings, and careful observation of weed and crop development. It also requires an understanding of the weeds present because not all weeds respond to flooding in the same way.

What Does This Mean for Texas Organic Rice?

Our organic rice growers face some serious weed challenges, particularly weedy rice, grasses, hemp sesbania, and jointvetch. Water-seeding and flood management offer opportunities to suppress some of these weeds, but no single water management practice will control all of them.

I believe the most important lesson from Lundberg Family Farms is that we should consider water management as part of a complete organic weed control program rather than simply as irrigation. Variety selection, seedling vigor, field preparation, leveling, fertility, and water management all work together.

I also believe there are opportunities for additional research in Texas to evaluate water-seeding methods, rice varieties, and flood management strategies under our growing conditions.

The experience I had visiting Joe Broussard’s farm near Nome several years ago demonstrated that water-seeding can make a tremendous difference in weed management. The Lundberg family’s experience reinforces what I saw in that field.

Further Reading: How Is Rice Grown at Lundberg Family Farms? — Rice Farming, October 29, 2026

A Challenge with Water-Seeding: Rice Seed Midges

Although water-seeding offers important opportunities for weed suppression, it also creates conditions favorable for certain aquatic insects. Rice seed midges are one example, particularly during the vulnerable period between germination and early seedling establishment.

Rice Seed Midges – The larvae of these insects (Order Diptera, Family Chironomidae, Genera Tanytarsus and Chironomus) are aquatic and can be very abundant in rice fields. The adults are small, gnat-like flies that typically form inverted pyramidal mating swarms in the spring over stagnant or slow-moving water. Female flies lay eggs in ribbons on the water surface. The larvae hatch and move downward to the flooded substrate where they build protective “tubes” of silk, detritus, and mud. These brown; wavy “tubes” are easily observed on the mud surface of rice paddies. Occasionally, the larvae will exit the tubes and swim to the surface in a whiplike fashion, similar to that of mosquito larvae. Midge larvae can damage water-seeded (pinpoint or continuous flood) rice by feeding on the sprouts of submerged germinating rice seeds. Damage can retard seedling growth or kill seedlings; however, the window of vulnerability to midge attack is rather narrow (from seeding to when seedlings are about 3 inches long).

Control rice seed midge problems by dry seeding, then employing a delayed flood, or by draining water-seeded paddies soon after planting. Thus, a pinpoint flood should reduce the potential for rice seed midge damage relative to a continuous flood. For water-seeded rice, reduce rice seed midge problems by increasing the seeding rate and planting sprouted seed immediately after flooding.

The following California research article evaluates several treatments for rice seed midge management. Organic rice producers should verify the current registration and organic production status of any material before considering its use.

Management of Rice Seed Midge – Insecticide Trial Results

References

  1. Levy, R. (2022). The Art of Irrigation Begins Now. Rice Farming, April 2022. See section titled “Water-seeded rice.” ↩︎
  2. Rance, H. (2026). How Is Rice Grown at Lundberg Family Farms?. Rice Farming, October 29, 2026. ↩︎
  3. Lundberg Family Farms. Our Story. Company history and organic rice production practices. ↩︎