Clearfield(R) and Provisia(R) Rice Varieties Raise the Bar for 2021

November 5, 2020

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – Two straight years of new variety launches from Horizon Ag featuring the Clearfieldâ Production System for rice and the Provisiaâ Rice System from BASF have raised the bar for varietal performance in the South, providing farmers top-end yield potential, as well as superior agronomic and disease packages.

These latest offerings set the stage for farmers to achieve high-end performance and a higher return on investment with Clearfield and Provisia varieties compared to other rice seed options.

“Farmers have a lot of things to consider when it comes to planting next season,” said Dr. Tim Walker, Horizon Ag general manager. “They need to get the best value for their inputs, in terms of price and performance, and they want to have the confidence that they are using proven technologies, developed by industry leaders and extensively tested, versus ones claiming to be new that are actually just generic-type products.”

New for the 2021 season is CLL16, a long grain Clearfield rice variety developed by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. CLL16 has shown excellent rough rice yields, averaging higher than Diamond in university tests. Its performance consistency, combined with its quality potential and industry-leading blast resistance, makes CLL16 the complete package for many rice farmers considering seed choices for planting next season.

 CLL17, an early-season, semi-dwarf long grain rice developed at the LSU Ag Center H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station, has consistently out-yielded CL153, the top-planted Louisiana variety in recent years, in multi-year trials. It has solid ratoon crop potential and also features outstanding resistance to blast. In addition, it has proven to provide excellent milling yield and very good grain quality. Horizon Ag expects CLL17 to become the leading Clearfield variety planted in Louisiana, surpassing CL153, based on its performance.

These new varieties join other top-performing lines that were released in 2020 — CLL15, a long grain variety from the Arkansas program that was bred for higher yields in the North Delta; CLM04, a medium grain type that has consistently resulted in high yields and quality; and PVL02, the second variety launched featuring the Provisia technology from BASF that gives farmers unmatched ability to control weedy rice and herbicide-resistant red rice.

“BASF and Horizon are committed to bringing the highest yielding varieties to rice growers. We are excited about the launch of these latest varieties, CLL16 and CLL17, that are setting a new standard in performance and are available for 2021  On top of that, growers are seeing the impressive results in PVL02 and CLL15 in this year’s rice harvest,” said Jody Wynia, U.S. Rice Licensing Lead for BASF Agricultural Solutions.

PVL02, which was available in limited supply in 2020, proved to be a significant step change over the first Provisia variety, PVL01, in terms of yield and overall performance, and will replace it in the Horizon Ag lineup for 2021.

Interest in PVL02 in 2020 was high and, with a larger supply of seed available, expectations are for strong demand for Provisia rice in 2021.

Many farmers throughout the region had a chance to see CLL15 in action on their own farms in 2020 and liked what they saw — top-end yield potential, with excellent milling characteristics and broad-spectrum blast resistance.

“Our variety offerings have never been stronger,” said Dr. Walker. “We have Clearfield varieties that can compete with hybrids but with a lower seed cost and input costs, and a selection of maturities with enhanced disease packages designed to meet the needs of our farmer customers throughout the South. And we have an outstanding Provisia variety in the Provisia Rice System that farmers consistently say has resulted in the cleanest rice fields in the region. There is no technology comparable to Provisia rice available for our region today when it comes to effectively controlling weedy rice and herbicide-resistant red rice.”

Just as important, with the Clearfield and Provisia technologies, farmers can rely on proven systems that provide superior weed control and can use them in a rotation to extend these valuable technologies for the years to come.

For more information about how Horizon Ag Clearfield and Provisia rice varieties are raising the bar for performance in the South, please go to  http://www.horizonseed.com/horizon/content/news/SeedVarietiesFor2020.

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