Does waste grain provide sufficient food for waterfowl, eliminating the need for food production on refuges?
A11: Extensive research has recently been done on waste grain in harvested rice fields. At harvest, about 250 pounds per acre is lost. Due to increased efficiency of harvesting equipment and to rice variety improvements, harvest continues to be earlier and a large amount of the waste rice will germinate or deteriorate. By November 1, only 100 pounds per acre is left for waterfowl. Waterfowl will quit feeding in a field when the amount of waste grain falls to about 50 pounds per acre, as it takes more energy to find rice than they get from it. The conclusion: There is only about one bushel of rice per acre left for waterfowl arriving in November in a harvested rice field.
