RiceTec continues to demonstrate its commitment to the U.S. rice industry and the success of its customers by introducing a series of product advancements for 2025. These innovations aim to improve yields and simplify farm operations, ensuring long-term growth for rice farmers nationwide.

"Our goal is to support our farmers with the best tools and technology," said Garrison Hardke, US Marketing Manager. "These new updates will make a meaningful difference on the ground by enhancing productivity and reducing potential errors in field management."

A New Seed Treatment to Simplify Herbicide Application

Earlier in 2024, RiceTec introduced SQUAD® premium seed treatments on its products, which will now feature color coordination between bags and seeds to help farmers easily match the correct herbicide to each seed. Seed coating colors now correlate with the seed bag color. This change will simplify herbicide application and minimize the risk of misapplication, thereby safeguarding crop health and improving yield potential.

"It's a simple solution with a big payoff," added Hardke. "By making it easier for farmers to apply the right herbicide, we're protecting crops and helping farmers streamline their operations."

Photo submitted by RiceTec

Leading Hybrids Tailored to Farmers' Needs

RiceTec's high-performance hybrid seeds remain a trusted resource for farmers, with the RT7302 conventional hybrid standing out as a top choice. Billed as the next evolution in long-grain genetics, RT7302 offers a significant yield advantage over previous hybrids like XP753. RT7302 also excels in all growing environments, with enhanced grain characteristics and a strong disease-resistance package.

Also establishing itself as the standard in the Southern medium grain market, RT3202 has a superior yield, excellent disease resistance, improved standability, and earlier maturity than competitor products.

Photo submitted by RiceTec

Expanding Max-Ace® Hybrids for Greater Yield Potential

An increased supply of Max-Ace hybrids is available next year as well. The highly popular RT7331 MA is known for its superior yield potential and the same reliable disease resistance, early maturity, improved milling, and excellent ratoon potential that growers have come to expect.

"Max-Ace hybrids offer a new level of productivity," said Hardke. "Giving rice growers an excellent tool for weed control, higher yields, and a rice rotation alternative to the FullPage® Rice Cropping Solution and conventional offerings."

Overcoming Challenges and Looking Ahead

Photo submitted by RiceTec

Despite these promising developments, 2024 has been challenging. The devastating impact of Hurricane Beryl on the Texas Gulf Coast significantly affected RiceTec's seed production efforts. The hurricane struck during the most critical growth period, damaging flowering rice and lodging mature crops. Over two weeks, the region was inundated with up to 20 inches of rainfall, further exacerbating disease pressure and leading to poor grain fill. This reduced RiceTec's seed supply by nearly 30%.

"Producing hybrid rice is a complex process, and Mother Nature always keeps us on our toes," said Hardke. "While Hurricane Beryl caused some setbacks, we had a solid plan for 2024, and we're proud of the quality seed crop we will produce."

Having recently celebrated 25 years of hybrid rice production in the U.S., RiceTec remains optimistic about the future and continues to learn and evolve to better meet its customers' needs.

"Even with the challenges we've faced this year, our commitment to supporting farmers remains as strong as ever," emphasized Hardke. "We know that with the advancements we've made and the resilience of our team, 2025 will be a year of growth and opportunity."