Most crawfish farmers also grow rice. But ironically, the best rice varieties for grain production aren't necessarily the best for crawfish, says Dr. Ray McClain, aquaculturist at the Louisiana State University Rice Research Station, Crowley. But crawfish farmers often prefer the older rice varieties for opposite traits. The older varieties, taller than most newer rices, produce more foliage crawfish forage. Older varieties generally mature later, producing forage longer into the winter.
Most crawfish production is in rotation with a commercial rice crop.
But some farmers with permanent ponds plant rice strictly for crawfish forage, and don't harvest the grain. For them, forage, to carry crawfish through the winter, is the most important product. World Collection screened McClain and Linscombe are testing rice varieties strictly for use as a crawfish forage crop. Four half-acre ponds of each variety were grown. Crawfish production on all three rices was higher than on Mars, Linscombe says.