Merced Rice

Rice systems require experience with water management, leveling, and timing. Growers use Agnomy to find providers familiar with rice production near.

Planning ahead is key. Agnomy helps growers connect with providers who understand how closely rice operations are tied to water delivery schedules.

California rice is planted in spring, with most going in during May, seeded by air into flooded fields, and then harvested in fall around late September and October. Growers aim to finish planting by early June so harvest does not run into the rainy season. Nearly all of the state's roughly 500,000 acres of rice grow in the Sacramento Valley.

Rice is grown in flooded fields because standing water suppresses weeds, stabilizes soil temperature, and suits the heavy clay soils of the Sacramento Valley that hold water well. Most California rice is sown by airplane into these shallow flooded basins, and precise water depth is managed all season with leveled ground and weirs. The flooded fields also provide important habitat for migrating waterfowl.