POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- In response to concerns that Missouri's rice crop will mature early and all at once, an afternoon workshop on proper on-farm rice drying and storage techniques has been added to the traditional morning wagon tours of research plots at the 14th annual Missouri Rice Research Farm Field Day, Aug. 24.

Events begin at 8:30 a.m., said Bruce Beck, University of Missouri Extension agronomist in Butler County and field day organizer. The Missouri Rice Research and Demonstration Farm is near Glennonville in Dunklin County on Route J, about 8 miles west of Malden, Mo.

Beck cautions that when it comes time to harvest Missouri's rice crop, there could be a strain on local elevators. "Since rice is all together different from other grains when it comes to drying and storage, we wanted to give producers a chance to learn how to do it correctly at home."

Dennis Gardisser, an agricultural engineer with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, will lead the rice drying and storage workshop. There will be a $5 charge to cover the costs of printed materials and the workshop, which will be after lunch at the Bootheel Education Center in Malden.

Morning tours, presentations and demonstrations will be on the north side of the highway near the shop. Presenters will offer topics including an outlook on the rice market and an update on farm policy, a report on continuing research on flood-tolerant soybean varieties, rice variety development, rice weed control, and fertilization of rice.

Other tour topics will include rice pest and disease updates. Sonny Martin from the Missouri Rice Research and Merchandising Council will talk about the council's most recent activities. Shaded wagons will be available for seating during the presentations.

Industry representatives also will be on hand to demonstrate new equipment and machinery.

Field day sponsors include MU Extension, the Missouri Rice Research and Merchandising Council, and Southeast Missouri State University. About 20 commercial sponsors will provide a free lunch. Preregistration is not required. For more information, contact Beck at (573) 686-8064 or BeckB@missouri.edu.