News - March 2019

Prospective Plantings Report: Corn, cotton to see Arkansas acres jump; soybeans, rice, peanuts decline

JONESBORO, Ark. – The expected large increases in corn and cotton acres in Arkansas in Friday’s Prospective Plantings report are the bright spots overlaying the uncertainty surrounding trade talks between the U.S. and China, and the long shadow the trade dispute has cast over American soybeans.

Division of Agriculture to begin breeding new lines of BASF rice with Provisia^®traits

LITTLE ROCK – The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture will begin breeding new lines of Provisia rice varieties, which uses non-GMO herbicide-resistant traits developed by BASF.

Division of Agriculture takes action to address mental health, suicide in rural communities

LITTLE ROCK – Statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have shown that American workers in the farming, fishing and forestry industries have some of the highest suicide rates of any professional group. The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is taking steps to address mental health in rural communities.

April 29 Moms on the Farm Tour will offer insight, education for mothers

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – From feeding dairy calves to meeting full grown beef cattle, Arkansas moms will get the complete farm life experience at this year’s Moms on the Farm tour.

Cooperative Extension Service offers tips for ‘Living Well’ every month of the year

LITTLE ROCK – Raising kids, eating right, spending smart, living well – these are all things we want for ourselves and our families. The Living Well campaign, a product of the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, is designed to encourage Americans throughout the country to pursue those goals through education and action.

With first week of blue skies, fieldwork begins in earnest

PIGGOTT, Ark. – Throughout the Arkansas Delta, growers have eyed the first relatively dry week of weather since last September with cautious optimism.

ASMSA senior takes Soybean Science Challenge Award award at West Central Science Fair

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – A high school senior attending the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts has won the Soybean Science Challenge at the 2019 West Central Science Fair, held at ASMSA on February 21.

Cooperative Extension Service’s obesity reduction efforts help put Lake Village in the running for national prize

LAKE VILLAGE, Ark. – A national health foundation has named an obesity reduction and health program supported by the Chicot County Cooperative Extension as one of 12 finalists for national recognition.

Division of Ag researchers plan to expand tick study in effort to provide clearer image of disease prevalence in state

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Researchers with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture plan to expand a state-wide tick collection effort that began in 2017.

Division of Agriculture, Adisseo expand animal nutrition research collaboration

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and Adisseo, a France-based animal nutrition company, have entered into an agreement to expand collaborative research in poultry health and nutrition that began last fall.

St. Francis County ready for next step in Arkansas Delta Region Obesity Project

FORREST CITY, Ark. – Setting and prioritizing goals are the next steps as St. Francis County moves forward in its participation in the Arkansas Delta Region Obesity Project, or ArDROP.

Producers, extension agents brace for possible return of buffalo gnat outbreaks in Arkansas County

DEWITT, Ark. — Livestock producers and Cooperative Extension Service agents in Arkansas County are bracing for another possible outbreak of southern buffalo gnats. In 2018, such an outbreak, which lasted from about March 15 to about April 15, caused the death of about 100 domesticated animals and at least 280 deer in the area.

Kellogg’s plans to contract Titan rice for some of its grain source

STUTTGART, Ark. — Kellogg Company announced in December that it will accept contracts of Titan rice for a portion of its 2019 volume of rice for cereal, said Bob Scott, director of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Rice Research and Extension Center.

‘GoGreen’, Division of Agriculture’s preconditioned calf program, helps cattle producers earn top dollar at sale barns

LITTLE ROCK –  The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is helping cattle producers in the state gain a leg up in their marketing efforts through education on the industry’s best management practices for cow-calf operations.

Free, voluntary platform designed to aid applicator stewardship and producer protection now available; may help reduce impacts of off-target pesticide movement

LITTLE ROCK – As spring rolls toward Arkansas and growers begin to approach their planting dates, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is encouraging growers throughout the state to make use a new program designed to help them identify herbicide-sensitive crops, and adjust their spraying accordingly.

Property rights of landowners explained in March 20 webinar

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Right of way agreements and eminent domain could allow for powerline or pipeline companies to enter, or even seize, privately owned land. When a company is seeking such agreements, it’s important for landowners to know their rights. 

Controlling broomsedge on pastures

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Those pesky brown broomsedge stems — the things that crop up in abandoned and ill-managed pastures — can cause years of strife for any farmer. But there are many preventative measures that growers can take.

Over-seeding old pastures

LITTLE ROCK — Perennial pastures usually take a lot of money and hard work to establish, but years of use can lead to various problems including overgrazing and weed infestations. But there are ways to freshen up your “out of shape” pastures.

Forecast rains likely to further delay field work, spring planting

STUTTGART, Ark. – For many Arkansas farms, whether row crop or livestock, the view is the same: water, mud and more water.

Matt Fryer new Division of Agriculture soil instructor

LITTLE ROCK— Matt Fryer made the trek from Little Rock to Marianna, Arkansas, on Feb. 21 to attend the county soybean production meeting to introduce himself and offer his services to county agents as the new University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture soil instructor.

Food animal wellbeing forum set for March 28 at Russellville

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – For ranchers and other animal food producers, the wellbeing of their herds and stock is at the core of every choice they make. The upcoming Current issues and Advances in Food Animal Wellbeing Forum, scheduled for March 28 in Russellville, Arkansas, is designed to address many of the day-to-day decisions that play into achieving a desirable outcome.

Vines Center takes home five Best of Biz awards

LITTLE ROCK — With 228 acres of meadow and forestland, a six-acre lake, a pool and ropes course, the Vines Center isn’t your typical workplace. Even so, voters in the 2018 Arkansas Business best of Biz Awards named it as the Best Place for a Business Conference/Meeting, as well as four other first place honors. 

Division of Agriculture agronomists named researchers of the year at conservation conference

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.— Two University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture agronomists were recognized for their efforts in cotton and rice research at the National Conservation Systems Cotton and Rice Conference.

Registration for Spring Walk Across Arkansas opens March 11; start walking March 25

LITTLE ROCK – Can eight weeks change your life and improve your health? Taking part in Walk Across Arkansas might just do that, say organizers of the statewide public health initiative.