SERA18: Rice Technical Working Group
(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)
Status: Active
SERA18: Rice Technical Working Group
Duration: 10/01/2023 to 09/30/2028
Administrative Advisor(s):
NIFA Reps:
Non-Technical Summary
Statement of Issues and Justification
It is the purpose of this organization to provide a continuing means for the exchange of information, cooperative planning, and periodic review of all phases of rice research and extension being carried on by State Agricultural Experiment Stations, State Agricultural Extension Services, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and participating rice industry groups. It is believed this purpose can best be achieved through a conference held at least once every two years. The agencies represented in this memorandum mutually agree that overall suggestions of cooperative review and planning of rice research and extension in the rice-producing states and the USDA shall be developed by a Rice Technical Working Group (henceforth designated RTWG), composed of all personnel actively engaged in rice investigations and extension in each of the agencies.
Objectives
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To provide opportunities to exchange information on rice marketing and economics, crop physiology, agronomic and pest management, breeding and genetics.
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To promote training of future leaders in the U.S. rice industry by providing opportunities at the meetings for students to learn about the diverse aspects of rice research and extension.
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To prioritize research, extension, and educational areas and topics for efficient and effective program development.
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To publish results and discussions of current rice research and extension project accomplishments.
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To encourage and develop interagency and interdisciplinary cooperation.
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To recognize and award outstanding research and extension accomplishments.
Procedures and Activities
The RTWG functions according to an informal memorandum of agreement among the State Agricultural Experiment Stations and the Agricultural Extension Services of Arkansas, California, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas, and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the Economic Research Service (ERS), the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and other agencies of the USDA. Membership is composed of personnel in these and other cooperating public agencies and participating industry groups who are actively engaged in rice research and extension. Since 1950, research scientists and administrators from the U.S. rice industry and from international agencies have participated in the biennial meetings.
The RTWG meets at least biennially to provide for continuous exchange of information, cooperative planning, and periodic review of all phases of rice research and extension being carried on by the states, federal government, and other members. The current disciplines or Panels represented are: i) Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics; ii) Economics and Marketing; iii) Plant Protection; iv) Postharvest Quality, Utilization, and Nutrition; v) Rice Culture; and vi) Rice Weed Control and Growth Regulation. Each Panel has a Chair who, along with the Secretary/Program Chair, solicits and receives titles, interpretive summaries, and abstracts of papers to be presented at the biennial meeting. The papers are presented orally in concurrent technical sessions or via poster. Each Panel over the course of the meeting develops proposals for future work, which are suggested to the participating members for implementation, biennially at the worker level of those currently engaged in rice research and extension. Details of the cooperation in several States are provided in formal Memoranda of Understanding and/or appropriate Supplements executed for the respective state.
Standing committees include: i) Executive, ii) Nominations, iii) Rice Crop Germplasm, iv) Rice Variety Acreage, v) Industry, vi) Awards, and vii) Location and Time.
A Panel Chair or Panel Chair and Co-Chair, at least one of whom will be an active rice worker in state or federal agencies, shall be suggested by the Program Chair for the next meeting, and approved by each of the active subject matter panels. Such election shall take place by the end of each biennial meeting and Panel Chairs will serve as members of the Program Committee for the next biennial meeting. Each Panel Chair will be responsible for developing the panel program in close cooperation with the Secretary-Program Chair and for seeing that the Panel Recommendations are updated at each biennial meeting and approved by the participants in the respective panel sessions. Participation in the panel discussions, including presentation of rice research findings by rice industry representatives and by representatives from National or International Institutes, is encouraged.
At the end of each biennial meeting, a proceedings of papers and talks is published by the proceeding editors’ institution (See Literature Cited for examples) and are posted on the RTWG web page www.rtwg.net.
Expected Outcomes and Impacts
- Increase cooperation among scientists from different universities, agencies and countries.
- Exchange of research and extension information between scientists in various disciplines of rice research and extension.
- Provide format for rice research and extension education.
- Improve productivity and economic viability of U.S. and world rice production.
- Improve environmental stewardship of U.S. and world rice production.
- Increase grant funding opportunities of rice research and extension scientists.
Projected Participation
View Appendix E: ParticipationEducational Plan
Organization/Governance
The RTWG Executive Committee consists of a general Chair who has served the previous term as Secretary, a Secretary-Program Chair, a representative from each of the seven major rice-growing states (Arkansas, California, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas), the immediate Past Chair, an industry representative, and the publications coordinator. The Chair, Secretary-Program Chair, and Geographic Representatives are elected on a biennial basis. The rice industry participants elect an Executive Committee member from the following areas: (1) chemical, (2) seed, (3) milling, (4) processing, (5) producers, (6) consultants, and (7) manufacturers. Geographic Representatives are nominated from each state’s membership. Also on the Executive Committee are Administrative Advisors representing (1) the State Agricultural Experiment Stations and (2) the Agricultural Extension Services of Arkansas, California, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas, and (3) the USDA-ARS.
Literature Cited
Proceedings Thirty-Eighth Rice Technical Working Group. Orange Beach, Alabama. February 24-27, 2020. M.E. Salassi, J. A. Bond, and B. Linquist, Editors. 224 pp.
Proceedings Thirty-Seventh Rice Technical Working Group. Long Beach, California. February 19-22, 2018. M.E. Salassi, B. Linquist, and L. Tarpley, Editors. 211 pp.
Proceedings Thirty-Sixth Rice Technical Working Group. Galveston, Texas. March 1-4, 2016. M.E. Salassi, L. Tarpley, and E. P. Webster, Editors. 230 pp.
Proceedings Thirty-Fifth Rice Technical Working Group. New Orleans, Louisiana. February 18-21, 2014. M. E. Salassi, E. P. Webster, and C. E. Wilson, Jr., Editors. 220 pp.
Proceedings Thirty-Fourth Rice Technical Working Group. Hot Springs, Arkansas. February 27- March 1, 2012. M.E. Salassi, C.E. Wilson, Jr., and T.W. Walker, Editors. 224 pp.
Proceedings Thirty-Third Rice Technical Working Group. Biloxi, Mississippi. February 22-25, 2010. M.E. Salassi, T.W. Walker, and R.G. Mutters, Editors. 207 pp.
Proceedings Thirty-Second Rice Technical Working Group. San Diego, California: February 18-21, 2008. D. Groth and M. Salassi, Editors. 199 pp.