Some Louisiana farmers are growing 'row' rice and helping the LSU AgCenter with research

Jason Waller has been farming in northeast Louisiana his entire life. He’s been farming rice in Morehouse parish for over 20 years. He’s now experimenting with a relatively new way to grow the grain.

“There was a 26 percent water savings on the row rice as opposed to the paddy rice,” said Jason Waller.

Waller is partnering with the LSU AgCenter and helping them with research on the non-traditional growing method.

"It's really become a money saver for us and that's why we're doing this. Farmers really look for different ways to save money. Also, conservation is a big part. We're conserving water. We're really. It's a really good practice," said Jason Waller.

“Now it’s not going to replace paddy rice, regular rice. It’s not going to replace that. It’s just going to be an alternative for us,” said Dennis Burns Extension Agent with the LSU Ag Center.

Dennis Burns with the LSU AgCenter says ‘row’ rice farming started several years ago in Missouri and Arkansas. It’s just recently caught on in Louisiana.

“It’s a good alternative crop for us. It rotates well on our heavier clays that are irrigated. Works really well. You have to rotate it because of weed problems,” said Burns.

Waller is just one of a handful of growers in the Louisiana delta region helping the LSU AgCenter with their research.

(:56) “Yields are almost the same if not maybe a little bit of yield decrease in some cases,” said Burns.

(3:26) “Normally in a Paddy rice field, we got about 7% in levees so we’re adding yield there. So we’re adding 7% pack to the field there but I’m not seeing a difference in yields at all,” said Waller.

Burns says there are probably around 5,000 acres of row rice in the state and the bulk of that in northeast Louisiana. And he says as research continues there could be more converts to this system because of its water savings and flexibility to rotate with other crops like soybeans and corn.