Registration of 'Mermentau' Rice

'Mermentau' (Reg. No. CV-144, PI 665688), a conventional long-grain rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivar, developed by the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center at the Rice Research Station near Crowley, LA, and approved for release by the director of the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station in 2012. Mermentau was derived from the cross AR 1188/Cocodrie//9502008/LaGrue, made in 2001 at the Rice Research Station. Mermentau originated in 2005 as an F-2:4 selected line based on height, maturity, grain yield, and gain quality. In 2010, 2011, and 2012, Mermentau was evaluated in 27 statewide yield performance trials, along with two, high-yielding conventional check cultivars, 'Catahoula' and 'Cheniere'. Grain yield of Mermentau was 7.4 Mg ha(-1) compared with 7.7 Mg ha(-1) for both Catahoula and Cheniere. Plant height for Mermentau, Catahoula, and Cheniere was 94.0 cm. Mermentau reached 50% heading in 82 d while Catahoula reached 50% heading in 83 d and Cheniere in 82 d. Mermentau has a semierect flag leaf, and the leaves are dark green and display an intermediate leaf angle. The lemma and palea are straw colored and glabrous, and the apiculus, light purple at heading, is colorless as the grain approaches harvest maturity. Mermentau is susceptible to rice sheath blight [caused by Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn AG1-1A; teleomorph: Thanatephorus cucumeris (A. B. Frank) Donk.] and bacterial panicle blight (caused by Burkholderia spp.) and moderately susceptible to straighthead disorder and blast [caused by Magnaporthe grisea (T.T. Hebert)].