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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stuttgart, Arkansas » Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #410329
Research Project: Gene Discovery and Crop Design for Current and New Rice Management Practices and Market Opportunities

Location: Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center

Title: Field evaluation of salinity tolerance and weed competitiveness of lowland rice genotypes in organic production

Author
item SINGH, GURSEWAK - Clemson University
item WARD, BRIAN - Clemson University
item KARTHIKEYAN, RAGHUPATHY - Clemson University
item Rohila, Jai
item VASSALOS, MICHAEL - Clemson University
item CUTULLE, MATTHEW - Clemson University

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/20/2023
Publication Date: 10/30/2023
Citation: Singh, G., Ward, B., Karthikeyan, R., Rohila, J.S., Vassalos, M., Cutulle, M. 2023. Field evaluation of salinity tolerance and weed competitiveness of lowland rice genotypes in organic production. Meeting Abstract. 2023 ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting. St. Louis, Missouri. October 29 - November 1, 2023.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Rice cultivation in South Carolina (SC) enabled the state to develop an agricultural economy in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The rice industry collapsed more than a century ago due to a series of political, economic, and natural events, but traditional rice cultivation continued on a smaller scale. Rice production has seen a surge in popularity in recent years, both as a food and as a cultural artifact in South Carolina. Rice cultivation has begun to expand in both acreage and value, but the newly revitalized industry faces significant challenges such as saltwater intrusion and weed infestation in rice fields. Rice is prone to salinity stress as a result of crop irrigation and flooding weed control practices. Weed management in saline conditions is complicated due to environmental selection of troublesome saline-tolerant weed species. In the United States, little research has been conducted to identify salt-tolerant genetic resources or to breed and select for salt tolerance and weed competitiveness. Furthermore, there has been little research into the potential of saltwater as an alternative to herbicides in organic weed management. This study prioritizes field screening salt-tolerant rice cultivars with superior weed-competitive traits for organic production in South Carolina. Growing rice in a partially saltwater agroecosystem may reduce weed pressure and weed control labor requirements. The findings of this study are critical to successfully increasing rice production in South Carolina in a saltwater agroecosystem.