Growth and development of red rice (strawhull) and ‘Lemont’ and ‘Newbonnet’ rice were compared in 1987 and 1988 under noncompetitive field conditions at Stuttgart, AR. Growth and developmental differences were greater between red rice and rice than between rice cultivars. Compared to rice, red rice was taller, produced more culms m−2 and aboveground dry weight, had higher leaf area indices, and had a greater flag leaf area. Also, it had lower leaf to stem ratios late in the season, had greater crop growth rate early in the season but less late in the season, and produced a lower grain weight than rice. Compared to Newbonnet, Lemont plants were shorter at 60 d after emergence or later, produced more culms m−2, had a greater leaf area index, and produced higher grain weight than Newbonnet. Also, Lemont and Newbonnet produced comparable leaf to stem ratios, crop growth rates, and flag leaf areas.
