A soon-to-be completed study by Mississippi State University's (MSU) scientists recommends that farmers who leave standing stubble in rice fields after harvest may increase "waste" rice by 44 percent for wintering waterfowl.

The five-year university investigation into various post-harvest field practices also concluded that the "waste rice" – grain escaping collection by combines – method actually can save farmers money in production costs.

"Waste rice is a valuable nutritional commodity for wintering ducks and geese," said Rick Kaminski, waterfowl biologist in MSU's Forest and Wildlife Research Center. “Of critical concern, however, is the amount of waste rice remaining in early winter when waterfowl typically arrive to the region in significant numbers,” he added.

"Waste rice is disappearing during autumn before waterfowl arrive due to decomposition, germination and consumption by birds and rodents," Kaminski said.

To research the issue, former wildlife and fisheries graduate student Joshua Stafford and current graduate student Jennifer Kross collected 7,000 samples.

"We evaluated the effects of disking, rolling, burning, mowing and doing nothing to rice stubble after harvest," Kross said. "These practices were chosen because earlier research revealed most rice producers used one or more of these strategies after harvest." On average, Kross said more waste rice – 93 pounds per acre – was found in late fall in standing stubble fields than in burned, mowed, rolled and disked fields, which produced 65, 60, 45 and 43 pounds per acre, respectively.

In fact, only standing stubble, burned and mowed fields contained more than 45 pounds of rice per acre, which is considered the threshold for sustained rice-field feeding by mallard ducks. “Below 45 pounds of rice per acre, mallards 'give up' feeding and abandon rice fields,” Kaminski explained. “Leaving stubble during winter is environmentally and agriculturally beneficial,” he added.

Furthermore, rice producers may realize about a $30 per acre savings in production costs at spring planting because fewer weeds grew in standing stubble fields winter-flooded.

Considering all of the potential benefits, Kaminski said the report recommends leaving standing stubble in rice fields during winter as a “preliminary best management practice.” The practice of leaving stubble in fields is an economical method to maximize waste rice, because tractor and other implement costs are eliminated.

James L. Cummins is Executive Director of Wildlife Mississippi, a non-profit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore and enhance fish, wildlife and plant resources throughout Mississippi. Their web site is www.wildlifemiss.org.