You don't have to tell Arkansas farmers about the benefits of flooding rice fields during the winter.
Water attracts waterfowl, which means better hunting.
Better hunting attracts more hunters, which can mean extra dollars in the farmer's pocket. And it doesn't hurt if the migrating birds eat a few weed seeds while they're visiting the Natural State. University of Arkansas Rice Systems Agronomist Merle Anders is looking for answers to the question with funding from the soybean and rice promotion boards. Anders says initial funding for his project came from the Biological Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey. They and the U.S. and Canadian wildlife services have a major goal of increasing winter flooding in the Delta for waterfowl.