Rice for beer, Endangered Species Act, economic outlook talks supplement field tours for July 31 field day in NE Arkansas
“We have curated an outstanding program that offers attendees the latest research updates on rice, soybean, and corn row crops.” — Tim Burcham
By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
July 16, 2025
Fast facts
- Field day tours depart at 8 a.m., 10 a.m.
- Seminars start at 8:30 a.m., repeat at 10:30 a.m.
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(Newsrooms: With file art, SUBS 2nd "fast facts" bullet to show seminars starting at 8:30 a.m., not 8 a.m.)
HARRISBURG, Ark. — The July 31 field day at the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center will not only have two field tour circuits covering rice, soybeans and corn, but also indoor seminars on rice in beer, the Endangered Species Act and updates on agricultural policy and economics.
This year’s keynote speaker is Jennifer Hare James, a fourth-generation rice farmer from Jackson County. She manages the family farm and Delta Soy, a specialty soybean business, alongside her father, husband, and son. A graduate of the University of Arkansas, James was recognized as the outstanding alumni of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences in 2024.
The lunch program also includes updates from Deacue Fields, head of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and Peter Bachmann, president and CEO of USA Rice Federation.
“This marks our second annual field day event at the newly opened Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center and I am thrilled about the diverse educational opportunities it will present,” said Tim Burcham, center director. “We have curated an outstanding program that offers attendees the latest research updates on rice, soybean, and corn row crops.”
In addition to the traditional field tours, “we are excited to introduce the NERREC Seminar Series in the Arkansas Farm Bureau Boardroom,” he said. “The series will include presentations from Hunter Biram on farm economics and policy, Brigit Rollins and Emily Stone on Make America Healthy Again and the Endangered Species Act and Scott Lafontaine on new markets for Arkansas rice in the brewing industry.”
The 2025 rice field day opens at 7:30 a.m. with registration. The first round of field tours departs at 8 a.m. and round two departs at 10 a.m. The seminar series starts at 8:30 a.m. and is repeated at 10:30 a.m. in the Arkansas Farm Bureau Boardroom. The lunch program begins at 12:15 p.m., with James’ keynote, “Rooted in Resilience: Navigating the Future of Rice Farming,” at 12:40 p.m.
The center is located at 15327 AR-1 in Harrisburg, part of the Rice Research Mile.
Seminars
The first round of seminars begins at 8:30 a.m. and the talks repeat at 10:30 a.m.
- “Economic and Policy Update for the Arkansas Ag Economy” — Hunter Biram, extension agricultural economist, Division of Agriculture.
- “Ag Law Update: A Look at MAHA and the ESA” — Brigit Rollins, Emily Stone, both staff attorneys with the National Agricultural Law Center.
- “New Markets for Arkansas Rice in the Brewing Industry” — Scott Lafontaine, assistant professor-food chemistry, Division of Agriculture.
Field tours
Rice tour
- Rice Breeding and Variety Development — Xueyan Sha and Christian De Guzman, Division of Agriculture rice breeders.
- Efficacy of Azoxystrobin and Flutolanil Against Rhizoctonia solani in Rice: Lab and Field Insights — Rice diseases with Extension Rice Plant Pathologist Camila Nicolli.
- Rice Weed Control Update and Dodhylex Herbicide Demo — Extension Weed Specialist Bob Scott.
- Water management in alternate wetting and drying — Michele Reba, Joe Massey and Arlene Adviento-Borbe, all of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service.
- Nitrogen Management of Varieties in Furrow-Irrigated Rice — Justin Chlapecka, assistant professor of agronomy.
- Rice Agronomy and Variety Testing — Jarrod Hardke, extension rice agronomist.
Soybean/corn tour
- In-season Management of Potassium in Corn and Soybean —Trent Roberts, Professor of Soil Fertility/Soil Testing.
- Corn Insecticide Seed Treatments and Insect Update — Glenn Studebaker, extension entomologist.
- So, you bought a spray drone. Now what? — Jason Davis, extension specialist, remote sensing and pesticide application, and Terry Spurlock, extension plant pathologist.
- Improving Irrigation Efficiency and Management in Soybeans — Chris Henry, water management engineer for the Division of Agriculture.
- Evaluating Soybean Variety Performance under Flood Stress — John Carlin, director Arkansas Crop Variety Improvement Program.
- Soybean breeding update — Caio Vieira, Division of Agriculture soybean breeder.
Use of trade names does not imply endorsement by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
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.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity
institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials
in another format, please contact Spring Sneed, sneed10@uada.edu, as soon as possible.
Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.
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Media Contact: Mary Hightower
mhightower@uada.edu