ARLINGTON, VA – Unfortunately for rice farmers, humans aren’t the only creatures who love to eat rice. On
Episode 86 of
The Rice Stuff podcast, USA Rice’s Dr. Steve Linscombe sits down with two entomologists to talk about unwanted guests in rice fields—from stink bugs to snails.
Dr. Blake Wilson, of the Louisiana State University Ag Center, and Dr. Lina Bernaola, of Texas A&M Agrilife Research, cover the range of harmful species that damage rice plants in the south, whether invasive or native; the cutting-edge research they and their colleagues are doing in the field of rice entomology; and what tools rice growers have in their arsenal to fight these tiny foes.
“Small pests can do big damage to rice crops, and that affects our farmers’ bottom line,” said Dr. Linscombe. “The work of the scientists at rice research programs around the country keep pest issues under control, and rice plants healthy.”
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, Stitcher, and online at
www.thericestuffpodcast.com.