News - April 2016

Five bad money habits that can cost you dearly

LITTLE ROCK – There are five bad money habits that could prove costly to consumers, costing, said Laura Hendrix, an extension personal finance expert for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Planting hectic as weekend rains loom

LITTLE ROCK — As afternoon rains began to fall over Newport and elsewhere in northern Arkansas on Wednesday, Jeremy Ross, extension soybean agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, was working as fast as he could to finish the last of three test plots. 

Arkansas glyphosate tolerant soybean offers higher yields

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The second University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture soybean variety based on Roundup Ready^® technology offers higher yields and a more upright plant than its predecessor, said soybean breeder Pengyin Chen. 

Kudzu bugs detected in multiple Arkansas counties, soybean damage a concern for first time in state

LITTLE ROCK — Kudzu bugs, silently building their numbers since 2014, are now poised to be a threat to the state’s soybean crop.

A walk in the woods with some edible plants on the side

ROGERS, Ark.  – Some days, extension forester Tamara Walkingstick heads into the woods with a helmet and chainsaw. On May 7, her toolkit will consist of a recipe book and a toaster oven.  

As heavy rains continue periodically, corn growers replant as needed

LITTLE ROCK — As Arkansas growers continue through the planting season, heavy and intermittent rainfall is forcing a number of corn growers throughout the state to take a half-step backwards and replant portions of their acreage. 

Ranchers need to take up fencing to prevent wandering livestock

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. --- With age comes sagging – at least when it comes to wire pasture fences, and the advent of grazing season means it’s time to check those fences to keep livestock from wandering, said Dirk Philipp, associate professor-Animal Science for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. 

Workshop will teach how to start a food processing business

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Turning a favorite recipe into a marketable product requires more than simply scaling up. “Starting a Food Processing Business,” a workshop presented by the Arkansas Food Innovation Center, will train participants in the process of taking a product from concept to commercial market. The AFIC is a service of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. 

Rice field mosquitoes not Zika virus vectors

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – If Zika-carrying insects were in the United States, the mosquitoes that are associated with the virus don’t breed in rice fields, swamps or flood waters. They breed closer to home, preferring bird baths, tires and other containers associated with people and their dwellings, said Kelly Loftin, extension entomologist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.  

Alfalfa fertilization program necessary to maintain high yields and healthy stands

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Alfalfa producers should plan to use commercial fertilizer to supply nutrients on a consistent basis, according to advice from Dirk Philipp, a forages faculty member at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. It’s needed for high yields and to promote plant health, even though native soil reserves supply some macro- and micronutrients.

Division of Agriculture research to zoom in on tiny mites

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Mites, the small creatures that are sometimes felt more than seen, are about to get a closer look so scientists can get a better idea of their role in the environment. A $775,765 grant from the National Science Foundation will support three years of research led by entomologists at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Despite isolated rains, Arkansas growers have strong planting streak for rice and corn

LITTLE ROCK —  For a brief moment a few weeks ago, it looked as though Arkansas rice growers might be looking at 2015, all over again. But then, around April 4, a miraculous thing happened: The clouds broke; the sun appeared.

Big Creek Research and Extension Team releases 2016 Q1 report

LITTLE ROCK – The latest quarterly report by the Big Creek Research and Extension Team is online as the group continues its third year of monitoring the water quality in the area near C&H Hog Farms near Mount Judea. 

Cuba ready to import Arkansas rice but embargo must go, diplomat says

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas-produced rice would be popular in Cuba and the nation wants to buy it if the U.S. trade embargo is lifted, a Cuban diplomat said Wednesday during a visit with University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture officials.

Soil testing lab helps keep Arkansas productive

MARIANNA, Ark. — It’s after dark and the lights are still on in the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Soil Testing and Research Lab.

Livestock “Breeding & Feeding” field day coming soon

BATESVILLE, Ark. – One of the state’s most informative field days for Arkansas cattle producers is just around the corner: The livestock field day, which will focus on management of “Breeding & Feeding,” by be held Tuesday, April 19 at the the Livestock and Forestry Station in Batesville.

 Foodborne illness outbreaks rarely traced to source, OFPA conference told

SPRINGDALE, Ark. – There’s usually no good news when a foodborne illness outbreak is reported, but one food scientist sees some silver lining: “Outbreaks are rare events, and by the time they happen everything that could go wrong has already gone wrong.”  

Betty Oliver remembered as Arkansas Extension Service icon

LITTLE ROCK – Betty Oliver, former Pulaski County extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and extension volunteer coordinator, is being remembered as an icon of extension work and a giant in Arkansas agriculture who touched thousands of lives.

Emerald Ash Borer emerging at Louisiana border, expected soon in Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK — Forestry experts this week detected the emergence of adult emerald ash borer beetles, an invasive pest first detected in Arkansas in July 2014, near the Arkansas-Louisiana border.

Arkansas 4-H students see Oklahoma vet school in action

STILLWATER, Okla. – For Arkansas teens considering veterinary careers, a 4-H program is giving them insights into how an injured eagle might learn to soar again or how rehab techniques for equine athletes sometimes isn’t that different from their human counterparts. 

Millennials at Greatest Risk for Financial Insecurity

LITTLE ROCK -- Millennials face the greatest risk for future financial woes over all generations. At least that’s the case according to recent findings released by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College that looked at the increasing rate of student loan debt and its impact on retirement preparedness. In 2013 alone, the study found 55 percent of households in their twenties had student debt, with an average amount of $31,000. 

Frozen dessert ready to promote a healthy market

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – I scream, you scream, we all scream for … soybeans? A frozen dessert made with soybeans and sometimes colored with spinach has gained enthusiastic reviews from taste testers and could become a favorite for parents locked in the eternal struggle to get finicky kids to eat their vegetables.

Wetlands litigation, nutrient management, ag bankruptcies part of April 22 ag, environmental law conference

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Handling agricultural bankruptcies, federal wetland regulations and a keynote about ag trade with Cuba are all part of the third annual Mid-South Ag and Environmental Law Conference on April 22 in Memphis, Tennessee. 

Vetter: Trans-Pacific Partnership to open access to expanding Asian middle class

LITTLE ROCK — The Trans-Pacific Partnership, a proposed trade agreement that would link the United States and 11 other Pacific rim countries, would provide access to Asia’s rising middle class for U.S. exports, the nation’s chief agricultural negotiator said this week. 

Division of Ag researchers move ahead determining prevalence, distribution of Chronic Wasting Disease in state deer, elk

LITTLE ROCK — Researchers with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture said this week that 18 out of 48 white-tailed deer tested in Newton County in March were found to have Chronic Wasting Disease, also known as CWD. 

Storms drop record rain, funnel clouds; NW Arkansas anticipates freeze

LITTLE ROCK — It may be Monday or Tuesday before some row crop farmers are able to resume planting in the wake of strong storms that raked the state with large hail, funnel clouds and record rainfall.