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Arkansas corn harvest accelerating, rice finding its stride

“Corn harvest has really picked up over the last 10 days, spurred by warm temperatures and overall lack of rainfall.” — Jason Kelley

By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

Aug. 21, 2025

Fast facts:

  • Harvest is underway, pace varies by crop, weather
  • Corn harvest expected to accelerate

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JONESBORO, Ark. — Harvest has begun in Arkansas and corn growers are moving ahead of last year’s pace, while rice growers are starting to find their stride, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Corn Harvest-2025
Corn harvest has started in Arkansas. Here, harvest is happening in Faulkner County. Taken Aug. 14, 2025. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Kevin Lawson)

This week’s report showed corn was 17 percent harvested compared to 15 percent at this time last year and the 7 percent five-year average.

“Corn harvest has really picked up over the last 10 days, spurred by warm temperatures and overall lack of rainfall,” said Jason Kelley, extension agronomist-wheat and feed grains for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “The greatest harvested acres are in the southern half of the state, but harvest has started statewide. 

“Harvest should steadily increase over the next two weeks as grain moisture drops to levels that grain can be directly shipped to grain terminals or stored in bins without drying,” Kelley said. “Overall yields have been good so far, with some variability from field to field, based on the timeliness of inputs and overall field drainage during the wet spring.”

Rice was 4 percent harvested compared to 8 percent last year, but ahead of the 3 percent five-year average.

“Harvest continues to pick up speed south of I-40, while north of I-40 is at the very beginning,” said Jarrod Hardke, extension rice agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “Next week we'll begin to see a larger jump in progress with much more rice ready for harvest. 

“Results so far are variable, matching the overall appearance of the crop throughout the year,” he said.

Cotton was 100 percent squared — meaning they have buds that will eventually become bolls. That’s on par with last year’s rate.

Ninety-four percent of the crop is setting bolls, slightly behind last year’s 96 percent and the five-year average of 97 percent.

Zachary Treadway, extension cotton and peanut agronomist, said there’s not much going on at the moment with either of those crops.

“The majority of the cotton and peanut crops were late getting planted, so we expect a later harvest,” Treadway said. “I will say, we need a long, late summer and a kind hurricane season to finish the crop. We need to continue to accumulate heat units into October and dodge any major storms.” 

The Atlantic hurricane season peaks in September.

NASS said 96 percent of soybeans had set pods, compared to 95 percent last year and the 92 percent five-year average.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.

About the Division of Agriculture

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system. 

The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.  

Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.

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Media contact: Mary Hightower
mhightower@uada.edu

 

 

 

 

 

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