Louisiana

Rice Delphacid Expands Across Mid-South

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:22:00 GMT

First documented in Texas in 2015, the rice delphacid has gradually expanded its footprint. In 2025, it appeared in Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi, putting the Mid-South region’s rice industry on alert. While Texas growers have nearly a decade of experience managing the pest, other states are still learning how it behaves in local conditions.

Comparison of two rice plants: (Left) plant exhibiting split-stem traits; (Right) healthy, normal plant.

(Mississippi)

Texas: Managing an Evolving Threat

In Texas, rice delphacid is no longer a new threat; it’s an evolving one.

“In the three years I’ve been in this role, they’ve shown up earlier every year,” says Sam Rustom, Texas Extension rice specialist.

Once considered primarily a ratoon crop pest, delphacids are now appearing in main crop rice earlier in the season. In 2024, populations emerged in July. By 2025, they were detected as early as June.

“The most severe damage occurs from panicle differentiation to soft dough,” Rustom says. “This is when hoppers feed on the sugars and stored carbohydrates that are supposed to fill the grain, resulting in both yield and quality loss.”

Rustom recommends scouting as soon as rice transitions from vegetative to reproductive stages, especially in aromatic varieties, which appear particularly attractive to delphacids.

“Our recommendation has been to spray on first detection,” Rustom says. “When we let populations get out of control, they will stay out of control.”

Courier, an IGR available through a Section 18 exemption, is currently the primary management tool. While it targets nymphs and provides residual protection, long-term solutions like resistant varieties and improved insecticides for adults are still in development.

“It’s going to help bridge the gap – until we get long-term solutions,” Rustom says.

Rice delphacid observed on a rice plant.

(Mississippi)

Louisiana: Monitoring Migration and the Importance of Timing

In Louisiana, efforts are focused on early detection and understanding how the pest behaves under local conditions.

“We are doing a statewide monitoring survey for the delphacid,” says Tyler Musgrove, Louisiana Extension rice specialist.

He says the program was scheduled to begin on April 1. Researchers are using sweep nets, sticky cards and even a DVAC to track populations.

Louisiana’s rice-crawfish rotation system might also influence the pest’s survival.

“Rice and crawfish are grown in rotation – which means food resources and habitat may persist longer into the winter,” Musgrove says.

That extended availability of habitat ties into a larger question researchers are still working to answer. Does the pest survive locally, or must it reestablish each season?

“There’s a theory that rice delphacids don’t overwinter locally, but instead migrate in each year,” Musgrove says.

Based on 2024 observations, that migration could lead to peak pressure later in the season, with significant populations expected around July.

Even so, last year’s outbreaks pointed to one factor growers can control – timing.

“Our current recommendation to producers is to plant as early as possible within the recommended window,” Musgrove explains. “The rice that was hit the hardest was the rice that was planted the latest.”

He emphasizes planting date isn’t just important for rice, but across agriculture as a whole.

That trend held across multiple states in 2024, with later-planted fields in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas consistently experiencing the greatest pressure.

Rice delphacid observed on a rice plant.

(Arkansas)

Arkansas: Facing a Major Unknown

For Arkansas, 2026 might be the first true test.

“Time will tell,” says Nick Bateman, Arkansas crop entomologist. “We’ve had about six weeks’ worth of experience with it, so it’s a major unknown.”

Unlike Texas, Arkansas has little historical presence of the pest. Surveys conducted decades ago failed to detect either the insect or the virus it can carry.

Recent winter weather may have reduced early populations this year.

“That cold front – it looks like the weather should have been cold enough to knock them out,” Bateman says.

Still, migration from Texas remains a concern.

“There’s no telling if it will happen again this year,” Bateman says. “It wouldn’t surprise me if we deal with it on a yearly basis.”

As in Louisiana, planting dates could play a critical role.

“If we can get rice planted in April, I think we’ll outrun a lot of the major issues,” Bateman says.

Rice delphacid observed on a rice plant.

(Arkansas)

Proactive Scouting and Management Tips

Across all three states, one message is clear – scouting must start earlier and be more aggressive.

“They need to be sweeping it with a sweep net, particularly where vegetation is thick,” Bateman says.

Producers should watch for early signs of damage, including hopper burn, which is characterized by small, irregular patches of browning.

In Louisiana, Musgrove also recommends checking grassy areas around fields early in the season, where populations might establish before moving into rice.

Management options remain limited. Courier, the Section 18-approved insecticide, is currently the primary tool available across the region.

However, improper insecticide use might worsen the issue.

“When we treated for rice stink bug, the rice delphacid immediately followed,” Musgrove says, referencing pest resurgence.

Avoiding broad-spectrum pyrethroids might help reduce that risk.

A Looming Viral Threat

Beyond feeding damage, the rice delphacid presents an even greater concern – its ability to transmit Hoja Blanca virus. There is no cure once the infection occurs.

“You’ve got to control the insect in order to control the virus,” Musgrove says.

Although the virus has only been confirmed in Texas so far, researchers expect it to spread.

“It’s a matter of when, not if,” Musgrove says.

With limited research and increasing pressure, specialists agree vigilance will be critical moving forward.

Fallout from Francine: Hurricane Wreaks Havoc on Barge Traffic and Shutters Key Ports

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 20:03:08 GMT

Farmers in the southern U.S. rushed to harvest key crops like cotton and rice ahead of Hurricane Francine’s arrival.

Francine made landfall Wednesday as a Category 2 hurricane about 60 miles southwest of New Orleans, before weakening to Category 1. A state of emergency is in effect for Louisiana and Mississippi. New Orleans is under a shelter-in-place order after evacuation windows closed.

Impacts:
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) said that as of Sept. 11, personnel were evacuated from 171 production platforms in the Gulf, 46% of the 371 manned platforms in operation there. People have been evacuated from three non-dynamically positioned (DP) rigs, equivalent to 60% of the five rigs of that type operating, with a total of four DP rigs have been moved out of the path of the storm, 20% of the 20 DP rigs operating in the Gulf. BSEE estimates that approximately 38.56% of the current oil production and 48.77% of the current natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut-in.

Barge traffic has also been interrupted, with Mike Steenhoek of the Soy Transportation Coalition noting that barge companies are not sending barge flotillas into the region until the storm has moved on.

USDA reported that as of Sept. 8, 72% of cotton bolls were open in Louisiana, 69% in Mississippi, 83% in Arkansas, 46% in Alabama, and 44% in Georgia, leaving those fields susceptible to damage from heavy rains and wind.

The toughest harvest rush for a rice 🌾 farmer, is going full throttle before a hurricane. Overwhelming emotional, fueled with adrenaline rushes, pushing the limits, and trying to be perfect at an unsustainable pace. I hope all is safe, 🙏
— Scott Matthews (@SMatthewsfarms) September 12, 2024

Several port locations have also been shuttered with Port Fourchon, Louisiana, closed to vessel traffic along with ports of New Orleans, Plaquemines, Cameron, Lake Charles and Houma.

Flood Warnings and Destructive Winds

As the storm’s center moved north through Louisiana, officials warned of potential tornadoes and dangerous storm surge. Francine is expected to continue into Mississippi Thursday, with flood warnings extending to Florida. Francine brought hurricane-force winds, heavy rainfall, and storm surge to coastal Louisiana.

New Orleans reported wind gusts of 78 mph as the eyewall passed through. This marks Louisiana’s first hurricane landfall since the devastating Hurricane Ida in 2021.

Louisiana Corn Sees Record Corn Yields As Harvest Nears the End

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 03:05:21 GMT

Farmers throughout the south have seen big gains in statewide average yields. Most of the states in the region planted fewer corn acres, lowering total production.

From Kentucky to Georgia and North Carolina to Louisiana, farmers are seeing impressive yield bumps due to timely rains. In Louisiana, a state not known for corn production, yields are 27 bushels per acre higher.

For producer Kyle Lemione, the 2017 corn crop could be the best he’s ever had. Favorable conditions throughout the early growing season got the crop off to a quick start, and he and other growers in Louisiana are reaping the benefits of early planting.

“You have a chance to catch some of the better rainfall that still happens in the early spring, and the cooler temperatures give you a better pollination on the corn crop—you kind of beat the insect pressure,” said Lemione.

Timely and ample rainfall have also contributed to higher yields and reduced the costs of producing the crop, according to Dan Fromme, corn specialist with the Louisiana State University AgCenter.

“You don’t have to roll that pipe out—you don’t have to pump that water,” he said. “That’s always a good feeling when you don’t have to spend that money on water.”

Not all of the state’s corn crop is irrigated, but Fromme does not believe there will be a significant difference between the yields of irrigated and nonirrigated fields.

“Central Louisiana south doesn’t have much irrigation, and when that yield monitor is well over 200 bushels and not being irrigated, you get excited pretty quick,” said Fromme.

High yields will help offset the low prices farmers are receiving from their corn. Some farmers are storing their corn in hopes of higher prices in the future.

“I’m going to sit on my corn awhile to see if we can get a better price on it as the season progresses,” said Lemione.

Growers are expected to wrap up harvest the end of August.