Practices that protect the environment and benefit wildlife don't always yield economic benefits, but Mississippi State University research has found that what's good for ducks also can boost profits for rice farmers.

Beginning in the winter of 1995-1996, scientists at MSU's Forest and Wildlife Research Center studied 72 rice fields covering more than 3,000 acres in four of Mississippi's Delta rice-producing counties.

In particular, they were looking at the impact of rebuilding levees and flooding rice fields following the fall harvest. The practice--called winter flooding--is currently used on about 10-15 percent of the more than two million acres of rice land in the Delta region of Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi and Louisiana.

What they found, according to professor of wildlife and fisheries Rick Kaminski, is that the practice has economic benefits for farmers, as well as for wildlife and the environment.

"We knew that winter flooding rice fields has tremendous potential for providing wetland habitat for ducks and other waterfowl," he said. "What we needed to determine was how the practice impacts the environment and the management of the land for rice production."

The 4-year research project was conducted by Ph.D. candidate and Ducks Unlimited project biologist Scott Manley under the direction of Kaminski and associate professor of forestry Stephen Schoenholtz. Manley received his doctorate during Dec. 17 graduate ceremonies at MSU.

The study was done in a real-world environment, with rice producers at several Delta locations allowing the scientists to use their fields for the research.

Included in the 4-year project was a comparison of soil loss from winter flooded fields and those where water is allowed to drain freely following winter rains. What the scientists found was that in fields where soil was cutup with a disk following harvest and allowed to drain freely, an average of 1,000 pounds of soil per acre was lost during the winter. In fields where water was impounded, an average of only 31 pounds of soil was eroded.

"The research shows that the reduced erosion helps hold nutrients in the fields and improves the quality of run-off water," Manley said.

An additional benefit is reduced problems with winter-growth of weeds and help with cleaning up rice straw.

"During the winter, farmers must contend with problems such as growth of weeds and disposal of rice straw left after harvest," Manley said. "Our research indicates that winter flooding significantly reduces germination and growth of cool-season grasses and weeds, which can reduce need for herbicide use the following spring."

The MSU scientists estimate the combination of increased decomposition of rice straw promoted by the flooding and the inhibited growth of weeds can save farmers up to $13 an acre in spring field preparation costs.

But what about the ducks? While fall-harvested rice fields provide leftover grain for ducks and other waterfowl with or without winter flooding, Kaminski points out that there are advantages for the birds from flooding fields following harvest.

"Flooded fields were found to support high populations of crawfish and other aquatic invertebrates, which are an important food-source for waterfowl and other birds," he said. "With the decrease of natural wetlands throughout the South, rice fields also can provide critical habitat for migrating waterfowl."

The research confirms the value of programs by government organizations and private conservation groups promoting the use of rice fields for winter waterfowl habitat.

"The study shows that winter flooding is an opportunity to integrate wildlife management into an existing land-use system with significant benefits for landowners and waterfowl," Manley noted.

For further information about the winter-flooding of rice fields, click here