ARLINGTON, VA – The latest episode of
The Rice Stuff podcast is available now and features a behind the scenes look at how rice breeders bring new varieties to farmers without the use of GMOs.
Louisiana State University AgCenter Rice Breeder Dr. Adam Famoso joins the podcast for a conversation with Dr. Steve Linscombe, who held the post for more than 35 years and is himself credited with introducing 34 rice varieties to the industry.
“Many people are familiar with the traits of the end product breeders are working toward: disease resistance, milling quality, cooking characteristics, aroma, to name a few,” said Linscombe. “But few realize these researchers are starting the process with tens of thousands of candidates to get down to that one good seed. It’s a long and arduous process and Adam is really good at walking listeners through it.”
The previous episode of the podcast dropped just before Christmas so many may have missed it. That episode, number 12, featured Dr. Michelle Reba, winner of the USA Rice Sustainability Award; the winner of the National Rice Month Video Scholarship, Texas high school senior Molly Ellis; and Chris Crutchfield, president, CEO, and partner at American Commodity Company, the sponsor of the scholarship.
“Episode 12 came together really nicely because not only is ACC the sponsor of the scholarship, but they also won the Sustainability Award themselves a few years ago,” said Lesley Dixon, cohost of the podcast. “It was also really energizing to talk to Molly and Dr. Reba, both of whom have great passion that comes across clearly. Folks should give both episodes a listen.”
New episodes of
The Rice Stuff are published on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month and can be found on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher. All episodes and additional information can be found on the podcast’s dedicated website at
thericestuffpodcast.com. The site includes a “Podcast 101” section on the “About” page for people new to the medium and a means to reach out to the show hosts and guests via the “Talk to Us” button.