Our Mission

To conduct research to help the US rice industry remain competitive in the global marketplace. Major emphases are on the genetic improvement of rice and the biology of pest interactions.

Our Deliverables

1. Improved rice germplasm possessing high yield, superior grain quality, pest resistance and stress tolerance that can be used for the development of new cultivars grown by farmers.

2. Trait information on the diverse collection of rice accessions maintained by the National Germplasm Small Grains Collection useful to breeders and geneticists.

3. Seedstocks of genetic resources useful in genomic mapping studies and forward and reverse genetics research.

4. New knowledge in the areas of genomics, breeding, genetics, pathology, cereal chemistry, weed physiology, abiotic stress, and molecular biology.

Our Customers

Rice researchers, the US rice industry (farmers, millers, and processors), and ultimately, US rice consumers.

Facilities

The Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center (DB NRRC) is a $12.4 million, state-of-the-art facility that includes offices, research laboratories, seed storage, and greenhouses. The DB NRRC houses a multi-disciplinary research program described in futher detail under the Research Link. Laboratory space, greenhouses, and field testing areas are shared with University of Arkansas research colleagues.