CALIFORNIA
Field Crops A SPECIAL GROWERS’ REPORT OF AG ALERT ®
TM
A field of M-105 rice is harvested in Colusa County. At right, rice breeder Teresa De Leon, who spoke during Rice Field Day last month, is examining potential replacements for the 15-year-old variety, which is prone to lodging and susceptible to blast disease.
New Calrose rice variety has better milling quality By Vicky Boyd
Released in 2020, M-211 quickly became popular because of its high yield potential. But the variety frequently had lower milling yields caused by fissuring or cracking, especially if growers harvested it below 18% moisture. Milling yield refers to the ratio of whole kernels to the total amount of rice obtained from 100 pounds of rough rice straight out of the field. Whole kernels, which can go into consumer packaged rice, bring mills the most revenue. The less-valuable broken kernels typically go to other uses, such as pet food, rice flour or beer brewing. M-211 also has had problems with chalk, a harmless but undesirable white kernel dis- coloration caused by high nighttime temperatures. Alex Struckmeyer, who grows field crops in Colusa County, acknowledged he will miss M-211 because of its high yield potential. But he said he understood the industry’s need for a variety with more stable milling quality. “211 is great, but it doesn’t help the other half of the industry if you can’t mill it and keep the quality up, so it affects everybody,” Struckmeyer said. “If it’s a variety that’s finicky and particular, you need to have it move along. You always have to keep trying to improve.” Eric Willson, farm manager of a Yolo County family operation, said he was upset to hear the foundation was retiring M-206, which he described as “the best commercial” variety. Harrell has heard similar comments since announcing the variety’s retirement, but he
The California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation released the better-milling M-212 Calrose medium-grain rice variety this season to replace M-211, which has some agronomic challenges. At the same time, the foundation plans to retire the 23-year-old M-206 Calrose variety. The goal is to limit the number of Calrose varieties grown in the state to five to minimize variability at mills, where medium-grain loads are frequently commingled, said Dustin Harrell, director of the Rice Experiment Station in Biggs. Calrose is the most widely grown type in the state and occupies more than 95% of rice acres this season. While all Calrose must meet a definition that includes grain length, kernel shape, starch content and cooking quality, each variety differs slightly. Having too many varieties with variations may complicate milling and processing, Harrell said. “We don’t want to introduce a lot of variability into the end product,” he said. “We’re very focused on the quality of our Calrose market because we’ve earned notoriety around the world for our good product.” M-212 joins M-209, M-210, M-105 and M-521 as approved Calrose varieties. With M-206 and M-211 slated for retirement, 2026 is the last season that Harrell is growing foundation seed of the two at the Rice Experiment Station. Seeds for M-206 and M-211 will not be available after the 2029 season.
See RICE, Page 15
14 Ag Alert October 21, 2026
Powered by FlippingBook