The Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board has worked since its inception to invest available funds in effective and efficient research and promotion programs. The Board voted at their meeting on March 2, 2011, to approve a domestic and international promotion program conducted by the USA Rice Council. The Board also allocated $25,000 to the Arkansas Foundation for Agriculture and $5,000 to the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program.
The research program is conducted by the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. The following projects were funded for the 2011 crop year.
| White River Ecosystem |
$345,000 |
| Mississippi Delta Ecosystem |
$407,000 |
| Grand Prairie Ecosystem |
$454,000 |
| |
|
| Subtotal |
$1,206,000 |
BREEDING AND PHYSIOLOGY
| Breeding and Evaluation for Improved Rice Varieties |
$58,000 |
| Hybrid Breeding and Evaluation for Improved Rice Varieties |
$100,000 |
|
Development of Aromatic Rice Varieties |
$20,000 |
|
Examination of Resistance Stability to Rice Blast
Disease |
$47,000 |
|
Quality Analysis for Rice Breeding and Genetics |
$151,000 |
|
Arkansas Rice Performance Trials |
$76,000 |
| Race Identification, Genetic Characterization, and Screening for Resistance |
$31,000 |
Determining Fundamental Causes of Rice Grain Quality and Head Rice Yields in
Response to Increased Nighttime Air Temperatures |
$30,000 |
| Discovery, Definition, and Utilization of Resistance Genes for Arkansas Rice Disease Control |
$100,000 |
Maintenance and Enhancement of Medium Grain Rice Genetics for Arkansas and the Mid-South |
$438,000 |
| Subtotal |
$1,351,000 |
VERIFICATION
| Rice Research and Verification
Program |
$156,000 |
| |
|
| Subtotal |
$156,000 |
ENVIRONMENT
| Environmental Implication of Pesticides in Rice Production |
$37,000 |
| |
|
| Assessment of the Methane Production Potential and Carbon Footprint of Rice |
$38,000 |
|
|
| Subtotal |
$75,000 |
POST HARVEST
| Rapid Quality Assessment Tools for Rice Cultivars and Hybrids |
$40,000 |
| |
|
| Subtotal |
$40,000 |
INFORMATIONAL PROGRAMS
| Editing and Pubilshing the B.R. Wells Rice Research Studies |
$8,000 |
| |
|
| Subtotal |
$8,000 |
ECONOMICS
| Analysis for the Next Farm Bill, Changes to the 2008 Food, Conservation and Energy Act |
$17,000 |
| |
|
| Subtotal |
$17,000 |
DISCOVERY FARMS
| Discovery Farms |
$17,000 |
| |
|
| Subtotal |
$17,000 |
| Total funds allocated |
$2,870,000 |
| | |
|
|
|
