Rice Extension Agronomy Newsletter, June 2026

Sam Rustom, Ph.D. // Lina Bernaola, Ph.D. // Jarrod Hardke, PhD

USDA – WASDE

This June 2026 WASDE report, released June 11, highlights a stable global rice outlook for 2026/27 with slightly lower supplies and consumption, unchanged trade at a record 63 million tons, and minimally higher ending stocks. Global production for 2026/27 remains unchanged at 537.8 million tons; however, the 2025/26 production estimate was raised by 1.9 million tons to 544.7 million. This is primarily because India’s Government Third Advance Estimate is increasing to a record 154 million tons.

For the U.S. the report indicates slightly higher 2026/27 supplies and ending stocks, primarily due to decreased exports in 2025/26. The season-average farm price forecast remains unchanged at $13.50/cwt, well above the revised level of $12.50/cwt in 2025/26. We obviously love to see trends like this in the marketplace; however, we still have a little way to go before rice farming is truly profitable again for a lot of Texas producers.

To read the entire USDA-WASDE report, use this link.

Crop Progress

The USDA Crop Progress Report, released June 15, shows Texas rice at 17% headed. This matches last year’s June Progress Report and is a few percentage points ahead of the 5-year average. Our recent field visits support the USDA estimate overall, but when broken down regionally, that number could be slightly higher for rice west of Houston.

To read the full crop progress report, use this link. 

Some of the earliest planted rice in the state is getting into the hard dough stage, while the bulk of the statewide crop is in the late boot to flowering/milk stages. Unfortunately, the frequent rainfall during pollination is less than ideal and could impact statewide grain quality and disease pressure in the coming weeks. In areas like Eagle Lake and Garwood, it has felt like the rain has barely let up since the first week of April.

Rice Delphacid

Link to Courier Insect Growth Regulator Section 18 Emergency Use Exemption for Texas.  

Update from Dr. Lina Bernaola, rice entomologist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Rice Research and Extension Center at Beaumont:

The rice entomology team continues to monitor for rice delphacid across the Texas Rice Belt throughout the growing season to track their activity. Low numbers of rice delphacids have been detected in one monitored field in Wharton County. Specifically, one male, one short-winged female, and one nymph were observed.

I will note that these detections came not only from sweep-net sampling, but also from careful examination of the lower portion of the canopy just above the water line. These observations highlight the importance of supplementing sweep-net sampling with visual inspection of the lower canopy, as very low rice delphacid populations may not always be detected through sweep-net sampling alone during the early stages of population establishment. To date, rice delphacids have not been detected in monitored fields located in Waller, Liberty, Chambers, or Jefferson counties.

In addition to our team’s work, the monitoring network in Texas has also observed low numbers of rice delphacids in other commercial rice fields in Wharton and Victoria counties by Dr. Sam Rustom, Weldon Nanson, and other crop consultants. While populations remain extremely low, these observations indicate that rice delphacids are beginning to appear in portions of the Texas Rice Belt.

Compared to previous weeks, current observations suggest that rice delphacid activity is increasing, although populations remain limited and at low densities. As Dr. Rustom and I have mentioned, these findings reinforce the importance of regular field scouting for early detection and timely management decisions should populations increase as the season progresses.

Let’s continue being vigilant with our scouting throughout the season as the crop advances into later growth stages. The monitoring network is intended to provide an early assessment of rice delphacid distribution and population development across the Texas Rice Belt, and we will continue to provide periodic updates as additional observations become available.

Draining Rice

Dr. Jarrod Hardke, University of Arkansas Extension Rice Agronomist

It’s that time of year to dust off the comments about drain timing. The hot and dry conditions observed in previous years around and following drain timing make these comments even more relevant. Some yield issues as well as standability issues could be explained by drain timing. It’s worth noting that in previous years, some fields weren’t drained noticeably early, but we need to drain like it’s never going to rain again. In some years, it will never rain again, and we see some of those impacts on fields that may have benefitted from holding the water just a little longer.

When the outlook is for mild and wet conditions, we can dry a little early with no penalty; but when weather is warmer with no rainfall, early draining can lead to early plant death and reductions in yield and milling.

As a general rule, we recommend draining fields 25 days after 50% heading for long-grains and 30 days after heading for medium-grains. However, as temperature, rainfall, and humidity can impact how quickly kernels actually mature, it’s important to do more than just count days and drain.

It’s preferred to look at the number of recommended days as a guide, but then to look at the relative maturity of the crop from a visual standpoint.  Photo 3 shows a general guide for determining relative grain maturity for drain decisions:

• Left, nearly all kernels are straw-colored – safe to drain regardless of soil type.
• Center, 2/3 of kernels are straw-colored – safe to drain on a silt loam soil.
• Right, 1/3 of kernels are straw-colored – safe to drain on a clay soil.

Assume it’s never going to rain again when you’re draining your fields.  If the rice couldn’t make it safely to maturity under those conditions, hit the pause button and wait.  Stay on the side of caution to protect yield and quality.  Use a combination of the days after 50% heading guideline (25-30 days) and the relative grain maturity in the field to make your drain decisions.

Field Days

The information given herein is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service is implied.