Fungicides Make Commercial Wild Rice Production Possible in Minnesota

Wild rice originated in Minnesota and the surrounding Great Lakes. It is the only cereal native to North America that was domesticated from a wild plant. Before commercial wild rice production began, Native Americans hand harvested it from wild stands. The first commercial field of wild rice was planted in 1950 in Minnesota using seed from natural stands. After one successful season, fungal brown spot destroyed the second crop in this field. Over the next decade, fungal brown spot destroyed many other wild rice crops. Epidemics in 1973 and 1974 resulted in complete crop loss in many Minnesota paddies and contributed to the demise of several large wild rice farms [1].