Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center - Beaumont & Eagle Lake

08/28/2026

"Great work is being done at our center to help the rice industry with this invasive pest!" ~Mithila Jugulam, Center Director

08/14/2026

08/11/2026

PhD Student Spotlight

Jonalyn Yabes, a PhD student in Plant Breeding at Texas A&M University Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, is helping shape the future of healthier, more climate-resilient rice. Using whole-genome sequencing data, she studies the genetic structure of a diverse panel of specialty rice and stress-tolerant (SRS) accessions to accelerate the development of high-value rice varieties, including high-amylose, aromatic jasmine- and basmati-type, high-anthocyanin, and high-protein rice. Her work also supports the development of breeding lines with stronger tolerance to drought, cold, salinity, and anaerobic germination, contributing to rice varieties that can better meet consumer nutrition needs while withstanding increasingly extreme climate conditions.

Jonalyn is being supervised by Dr. Stanley Omar PB. Samonte, PI of the Specialty Rice Breeding Program of Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center - Beaumont & Eagle Lake. For more information on the Specialty Rice Breeding Program, please visit this link: https://beaumont.tamu.edu/specialty-rice-breeding-program/



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Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

08/01/2026

Dr. Rustom, housed at the Eagle Lake Station, is an Assistant Professor and Extension Agronomist for TAMU AgriLife. His extension program focuses on stakeholder support and education across the Texas rice belt, while his research program is focused on solving the major challenges faced by the Texas rice industry. Currently, Dr. Rustom’s program is mainly focused on herbicide-resistant barnyardgrass and rice delphacid management; however, his program also evaluates commercial rice varietal performance, variety by planting date interactions, alternate wetting and drying, and stress mitigation products.

For more information on Dr. Rustom's program, please visit: https://beaumont.tamu.edu/rice-extension-agronomy/

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Texas A&M AgriLife
Texas A&M AgriLife Research
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Texas A&M University Department of Soil and Crop Sciences
Texas A&M Entomology

07/21/2026

Join us for the 41st Rice Technical Working Group Meeting on
February 23–26, 2027 in Galveston, Texas!

The Rice Technical Working Group (RTWG) brings together researchers, extension specialists, industry partners, and stakeholders from across rice-growing regions to exchange knowledge, strengthen collaboration, and shape the future of rice science and innovation.

Hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center - Beaumont & Eagle Lake, the 2027 meeting will take place at the Galveston Island Convention Center and the San Luis Resort, Spa & Conference Center.

Register now: Key deadlines, registration, and hotel details are available online at the RTWG website https://etools.beaumont.tamu.edu/rtwg/ or scan the QR code below.

We look forward to welcoming the rice research community to Galveston for four days of scientific exchange, professional networking, and collaborative planning.

For more inquiries, contact [email protected]

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07/20/2026

The Specialty Rice Breeding Team, in collaboration with the Plant Pathology Research Team, is pleased to present the first report on a putative marker for kernel s**t resistance and its application in rice genotyping, with accompanying phenotypic validation. This functional marker effectively distinguished resistant from susceptible rice cultivars, as confirmed by artificial inoculation and phenotypic scoring.

Read the open-access paper here: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2026.1809531/full.

The Specialty Rice Breeding Program, headed by Omar Samonte, gratefully acknowledges funding support from the Texas Rice Research Foundation (TRRF) and Texas A&M AgriLife Research

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Texas A&M AgriLife
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Texas A&M University Department of Soil and Crop Sciences
Texas A&M University Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology

07/06/2026

Coming up this Thursday, July, 9!

Field Tours begin at 8:00 AM.

Come join us! 🌾🌾🌾

https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/event-advance/beaumont-field-day-2026/

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Texas A&M AgriLife
Texas A&M AgriLife Research
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Texas A&M University Department of Soil and Crop Sciences
Texas A&M Entomology

The Beaumont Rice Field Day on July 9 will feature field tours, expert presentations and research updates supporting Texas rice production.

07/01/2026

Yesterday's Rice Field Day in Eagle Lake, Texas, brought together growers, industry partners, researchers, and stakeholders to learn about the latest advances in rice research. The day began with field tours, where our faculty showcased research focused on improving rice productivity and addressing key challenges facing Texas rice production.

During the evening program, we were pleased to have Dr. Cliff Lamb, Director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, recognize the board members of the Texas Rice Research Foundation for their long-standing support of rice research at the Beaumont Center and honor Joe Crane on behalf of BU Growers for their generous sponsorship of Rice Field Day meals over many decades.
The program also featured invited presentations by Dr. Natalie Graff on agricultural policy and Dr. David Kerns on rice delphacid management.

BIG thank you to our faculty, staff, students, sponsors, growers, and the Colorado County Rice Committee for making this year's Rice Field Day a success. ~Dr. Mithila Jugulam, Professor and Center Director

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Texas A&M AgriLife Research
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Texas A&M University Department of Soil and Crop Sciences
Texas A&M Entomology

07/01/2026

Dr. Lina Bernaola joined Texas A&M AgriLife as an Assistant Professor in Entomology at the Beaumont Center. Originally from Lima, Peru, she studied multiple crops and now leads her research program on insect-plant interactions within rice agroecosystems, with a focus on integrated pest management and sustainable control strategies for key rice pests. Dr. Bernaola is passionate about mentoring the next generation of scientists and is involved in the Entomological Society of America, serving as the 2025 President.

For more information on Dr. Bernaola's research: https://beaumont.tamu.edu/entomology/

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Texas A&M AgriLife
Texas A&M AgriLife Research
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Texas A&M Entomology