Registration of 'CL261' Rice

'CL261' (Reg. No. CV-143; PI 658539), a Clearfield (BASF, Ludwigshafen, Germany) medium-grain rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivar, was developed by the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center at the Rice Research Station (RRS) near Crowley, LA, and approved for release by the director of the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station in 2011. CL261 was derived from the cross 'Bengal'/'CL161' that was made in 2002 at the RRS and advanced in 2006 as an F-2:5-bulked selection based on agronomic characteristics. Testing in the Clearfield preliminary yield trials in 2007 indicated high yield potential and favorable agronomic characteristics. In 2010 and 2011, CL261 was evaluated in 44 statewide yield performance trials, along with two high-yielding Clearfield check cultivars, 'CL111' and 'CL151'. Grain yield of CL261 was 8.6 Mg ha(-1) compared with 8.7 and 9.3 Mg ha(-1) for CL111 and CL151, respectively. Plant height for CL261 was 97 cm compared with 99 cm for both CL111 and CL151. CL261 reached 50% heading in 79 d while CL111 reached 50% heading in 76 d and CL151 in 80 d. CL261 has a semi-erect 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. CL261 is susceptible to sheath blight (Rhizoctonia solani) and blast disease (Magnaporthe grisea) and moderately susceptible to straighthead disorder.