PEST MANAGEMENT: DISEASES Efficacy of Fungicide and Insecticide Seed Treatments for Rice Stand Establishment and Growth

Stand establishment problems occur frequently in Arkansas rice fields and are commonly associated with cool soil temperatures (early planting) and saturated soils. There are several factors that affect rice stand establishment including diseases and insects. It is important to understand what pathogens or pests are the cause of stand problems in rice for managing stand establishment problems. In 2012, field trials evaluated a number of fungicide and insecticide seed treatment combinations over several genotypes. Planting into soils that were warmer than normal planting conditions in 2012 rarely showed a seed treatment response, except when fungicides were combined with the insecticide treatment Cruiser. However, controlled environmental tests suggested seedling diseases are a common cause of stand establishment problems in Arkansas. More reliable stand establishment for rice occurs when fungicide seed treatments are applied to control Pythium. This data also suggest that fungicide seed treatments improved the health of the surviving seedlings, improving plant vigor, increasing root development, and decreasing root disease.