An extension agronomist says the heavy saturation that’s been plaguing Arkansas is causing hydrogen sulfide toxicity in rice.

Jarrod Hardke with the University of Arkansas says it can limit oxygen in the crop. “Fields and soils with the right combination of silk content, organic matter, and sulfur, we can get the formation of hydrogen sulfide and actually iron sulfide thing formation on the roots,” he says.  “It will begin to cause the roots to turn black and kind of begin to choke them off from uptake of nutrients.”

He tells Brownfield it isn’t a disease, it’s a chemical reaction in the soil. “We have to actually oxygenate the soil,” he says.  “Drop the flood back and get some oxygen in there to basically reverse the chemical reaction to shut that issue down.”

Hardke says hydrogen sulfide toxicity isn’t typically a big problem for Arkansas producers, but conditions have been right for it to show up more this year.

Published Date: June 26, 2024