The UC Rice IPM Workgroup is holding a grower meeting on February 16th to provide research updates and exhibit a new decision-support tool under development. The meeting is relevant to rice growers and other rice industry experts throughout California. This event will primarily focus on the economics of crop rotations and the decision-support tool. There will also be a short segment on the Rice IPM Workgroup (updates and next steps).  

The presenters will be Sara Rosenberg, UC Davis Ph.D. student in Horticulture and Agronomy, and Whitney Brim-DeForest, UCCE Rice Advisor.

Rosenberg will present on crop rotation economics and on the web-based cost calculator developed for rice growers to explore the costs and benefits of switching over to selected rotation crops. There will be an opportunity for attendees to ask questions and provide feedback on this decision support tool and for individuals to test it on their own. All are welcome.

“We are looking for grower and industry input for further developing this economics of crop rotations calculator”, Brim-DeForest says. “We hope to have lots of participation”. For those unable to make it in person, the tool itself will be posted on the rice.ucanr.edu website, as well as the soon-to-be-launched UC Rice IPM Workgroup website.

This in-person meeting will take place on Wednesday, February 16th, at the UCCE Sutter-Yuba office, 142A Garden Hwy, Yuba City, from 8:30 AM-12 PM.  Registration will begin at 8:30. (2 CCA credits have been granted). This local event is FREE. For more details, visit http://rice.ucanr.edu. If you have questions, contact Whitney Brim-DeForest [wbrimdeforest@ucanr.edu or call the UCCE Sutter-Yuba office at (530) 822-7515].