MEMPHIS, Tenn. – With the approach of its 20-year anniversary of offering Clearfield® pure-line varieties to Southern rice farmers, Horizon Ag is excited to announce that two new top-performing Clearfield varieties from the University of Arkansas will be broadly available in its lineup for 2020.

“The University of Arkansas has agreed to release a Clearfield long grain and a Clearfield medium grain rice variety and, after reviewing the multi-year data package, we are excited to inform the industry that Horizon Ag varieties CLL15 and CLM04 will be in seed production in 2019 for 2020 certified sales,” said Dr. Tim Walker, Horizon Ag General Manager. “These Clearfield varieties will provide farmers with outstanding yield and grain quality combined with the agronomic characteristics rice farmers need to manage their crops for maximum profitability.”

Dr. Walker noted that the two new varieties are the first Clearfield varieties developed by Dr. Xueyan Sha at the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart, Arkansas. Dr. Sha joined the University of Arkansas breeding program in 2013 after working for a number of years with Dr. Steve Linscombe at the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station of Louisiana State University.

“Dr. Sha is one of the hardest-working individuals I’ve had the chance to work with,” said Dr. Walker. “We believe these two new varieties will be a testament to his knowledge and understanding of the current state of the Southern USA rice industry.”

Variety CLL15 is a high-yielding cultivar with excellent milling characteristics, including good grain length and low chalk. In addition, this variety has broad-spectrum blast resistance similar to Horizon Ag varieties CL153 and CL172.

CLL15 measures approximately 38 inches tall and stands extremely well. In the 2018 Arkansas Rice Performance Trials (ARPT), CLL15 yielded 192 bushels per acre compared to 190 bushels per acre for competitive hybrid CLXL745. In the trials conducted from 2016 –2018, CLL15 averaged 191 bushels per acre compared to 197 bushels per acre for CLXL745.

Variety CLM04 promises outstanding yield potential rivaling that of conventional medium grain counterparts Jupiter and Titan. In 43 trials conducted in Arkansas and throughout the Southern United States, CLM04 yielded 198 bushels per acre compared to 195 bushels per acre for Jupiter and 200 bushels per acre for Titan. Amylose content and gelatinization temperatures are almost identical for CLM04 and Kellogg’s-approved Jupiter. CLM04, like Jupiter, contains the Pi-k^s gene; however, CLM04 also contains the Pi-z gene.

“Both of these new varieties will fill current needs for Southern rice farmers today and will be valuable additions to the Horizon Ag rice variety lineup,” said Dr. Walker. “Since 2001, Horizon Ag has brought forward rice varieties that have enabled farmers to meet the challenges they face while producing a product that returns more to their bottom line. CLL15 and CLM04 will continue that 20-year legacy.”

For more information about these new varieties that will be in seed production in 2019, go to www.horizonseed.com.

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