Organic rice Organic rice is produced under regulations of the California Health and Safety Code and the California Agricultural Code as enacted by the California Organic Foods Act of 1990, and enforced by the Department of Food and Agriculture and the Department of Health Services. Producers must be registered to use the term "organic." In practice, organic rice is grown and processed without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Management-intensive and long-term, often complex strategies are used to control pests and nourish the crop. These include crop rotation to break pest cycles, the production of leguminous green manures or barnyard manure as fertilizer, deep water to control grass weeds, and high seeding rates to suppress weeds and other pests. Crop residues are highly valued in this system, and stubble is generally incorporated rather than burned. Many variations in rice culture can be found among organic growers. Most organic rice systems require a fallow season in one out of two or three years to break weed cycles by tillage or other means. Organic rice in fallow rotation can sustain fairly high annual yields, but average yields over time are less than for other rice systems because of the fallow year. If continuous organic rice is produced yields generally decline in successive years due to the buildup of pest populations, especially weeds. Organic rice is sold through specialized markets at a higher price compared to conventional rice. Reasons for growing organic rice include the price premium, reduction of off-farm inputs, and a philosophical desire to be in concert with the natural environment.California Comprehensive Rice Research Program In 1969, rice growers organized the California Comprehensive Rice Research Program, which is administered by the Rice Research Board through the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Funded by grower assessment to solve high-priority problems of the rice industry, the program grants research monies to the California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation (known as the Rice Experiment Station), the University of California, the USDA-ARS, and others. The program has led to California-adapted semidwarf varieties; new crop management practices; improved harvesting, drying, and milling procedures; and solutions to problems of environmental quality. The rapid adoption of new technology has made it possible for California rice growers to remain competitive in domestic and international markets, while facing increased costs and complying with rigorous air and water quality standards.Rice Fields as a Wetland Habitat The Sacramento Valley has long been an important habitat for migrating ducks and geese of the Pacific flyway (fig. 34). These birds migrate from their northern breeding grounds in Canada and Alaska, and may stay in the valley for a few weeks or a few months.
Before the valley came to be dominated by agriculture, its vast natural wetland areas served as a wintering ground for millions of waterfowl and as a stopover for millions more en route to Mexico. Agricultural, industrial, and urban development have since reduced California's native marshlands, and the valley's rice fields have become an important habitat and food source for these birds.Rice harvest leaves behind more than 50,000 tons of grain, providing a better food source than the original marshes. Rice fields also provide an excellent habitat for resident birds, including upland game birds such as the ringneck pheasant, as well as waterfowl.
|
Comments to jayoung@ucdavis.edu