Services for Carl Johnson
Carl Johnson’s memorial service will be held at Faith Lutheran Church on June 25th. It will begin with a church service at 9:40 a.m. followed by a memorial and luncheon. The church is located at 667 East 1st Ave, Chico, CA.
Recent News
2023 Water Quality Monitoring Start
Surface Water Monitoring Programs Begin Next Week on May 9th
The Rice Pesticide Program (RPP) will begin next week on May 9th. The RPP monitors for thiobencarb for 10 consecutive weeks at 4 agricultural drain sites (2 east and 2 west of the Sacramento River), and one site in the Sacramento River near downtown Sacramento and upstream of the drinking water intake facilities.
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Remembering Dr. Carl W. Johnson
The CRC and rice industry was saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. Carl Johnson last week. It’s safe to say, the California rice industry would not be what it is today were it not for Dr. Johnson who devoted his entire professional career to developing improved rice cultivars for the industry.Carl earned his bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Kansas State University, his master’s degree in agronomy from North Dakota State, and went on to receive his Ph.D. in agronomy and plant genetics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He came to work at the Rice Experiment Station (RES) for the California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation (CCRRF) in 1974 and retired in 2008.
During his tenure RES released 38 rice varieties to California growers. Of the 14 Calrose type medium-grain varieties, his primary responsibility, several have been particularly successful. Industry standard M-202 was released in 1985, and M-205 and M-206, which combine high yield potential and improved milling, and M-208, with resistance to the race of rice blast disease found in California, mark additional accomplishments for Dr. Johnson.
Carl played a major role in the release of 10 premium-quality medium grains, short grains, and waxy varieties and was a contributor to 10 long-grain releases from RES, as well as several germplasm releases.
He was instrumental in obtaining Plant Variety Protection for CCRRF varieties and lead inventor for multiple utility patents on rice cultivars. Some 14 Calrose medium grain varieties were released during Carl’s leadership in the medium grain project at RES, in addition to his contribution to an additional 15 releases in 7 other market types.
Dr. Johnson was a member of many honorary societies and has received well-deserved recognition for his professional accomplishments, including for Distinguished Service in Agriculture from Kansas State University, the Genetics and Plant Breeding Award for Industry from the Crop Science Society of America, the California Rice Industry Award in 2004, and the Distinguished Service Award from the Rice Technical Working Group in 2008.
“For all of us who knew Dr. Carl Johnson he was a big man in stature, personality, heart, and dedication to the California rice industry,” said Dr. Kent McKenzie, the recently retired Rice Breeder and Director of the RES who worked alongside Johnson for years. “Contributions he made to the California rice variety improvement program to yield and grain quality over his long career were even bigger and will not be forgotten.”
Carl is survived by his wife of 54 years, Faye, and daughters Cathy and Brenda. A memorial service is being planned for June, and his family is organizing a memorial to donate to causes Carl was passionate about, including the Faith Lutheran Church in Chico, California, Lutheran World Relief, advocacy for young women hunters, and any cause that promotes female plant geneticists and scientists.
Key Links and Updates for Rice Pesticides
The following links include select pesticide updates as an effort to provide you with easy access to the information. Please remember the pesticide label is the ultimate level of enforcement and the county permit conditions can supersede the label with more restrictive requirements. You will find permit conditions and the water hold table for thiobencarb. County permit conditions have been changed to active ingredient rather than trade or product name. The products with combination formulations could have permit conditions apply to one, and not both, of the active ingredients. In this situation, the most stringent requirements must be followed. The EPA Reg. No. provides additional identification of the individual pesticide products on the Rice Pesticide Update Table.
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CA Small Ag Business Drought Relief Grant Program – Application Update
The Governor’s Office of Business now reports that applications for the grant program will be available in early June. The delay is a result of GOBiz’s slow start on the program and the significant administrative hurdles when implementing any new program.
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RCPP Final Application Reminder
The application deadline for practices through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) is fast approaching. To be eligible for participating in any practices this spring or fall, producers must sign up by May 1, 2023. Applications must be submitted through Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offices. Below is a summary of the practices that are currently open for enrollment.
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Latest UCCE Rice Notes Highlights Tips for a Late Planted Year
The University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) has released the April 2023 Rice Notes newsletter, with a number of tips and points to potentially consider during a late planted rice season.
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Open Enrollment for Nesting Habitat on Private Lands
California Waterfowl Association is currently soliciting landowner applications for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Nesting Bird Habitat Incentive Program. The program is designed to enhance waterfowl nesting habitat this spring and summer.
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Intrepid® 2F is registered!
The Department of Pesticide Regulation finalized the Intrepid® 2F registration earlier this month. The label must include ‘rice’ and ‘armyworm’ for legal usage, or you must have an approved supplemental label (from Corteva) in your possession. Usage was previously available as a Section 18 Emergency Exemption dating back to 2015. As in years past, Corteva will have product available for the use season. Please remember the registration is by the trade name Intrepid® 2F and not per active ingredient.
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NCWA Releases Updated Water Year Outlook
The Northern California Water Association (NCWA) has released the March 2023 Water Year Update and Outlook, which includes the latest on what inflows into Lake Shasta could mean for water supplies and timing of expected projections. Also included are some helpful resources for long-term weather forecasting.
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