News - March 2026

Explore ag careers, network with industry leaders through Arkansas Future Ag Leaders Tour

LITTLE ROCK — For Arkansas college juniors and seniors pursuing agriculture-related majors, the upcoming Arkansas Future Ag Leaders Tour provides a unique opportunity to explore careers in the state’s top industry and network with potential employers.

BBQ and CLEs at the 2026 Mid-South Ag and Environmental Law Conference

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Stephen Alexander Vaden, the United States deputy secretary of agriculture, will keynote the 2026 Mid-South Ag and Environmental Law Conference set for June in Memphis, Tennessee.

UADA's Taunya Ernst recognized for contributions to high tunnel production in Arkansas 

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Arkansas has recognized Taunya Ernst, a University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture educator, for her work promoting high tunnel agriculture in Arkansas.  

Lawsuit filed to halt dicamba use; Roundup settlement appears ahead of SCOTUS case 

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Chances are low, but not zero, that a lawsuit to vacate 2026 registrations allowing use of over-the-top dicamba products in cotton and soybeans might keep farmers from using the herbicide, said Brigit Rollins, staff attorney for the National Agricultural Law Center.  

Robotics and automation research in poultry processing featured April 9

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — To help meet the rising national and global demand for poultry products, the Center for Scalable and Intelligent Automation in Poultry Processing will hold its first field day on April 9 from 12:30-5 p.m. at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences.

Organic grain field day set for April 7 at Kibler Vegetable Research Station

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Organic Field Crop Production and Marketing Meeting will be hosted at the Vegetable Research Station near Kibler on April 7 to connect grain farmers with organic market opportunities and to showcase ongoing organic research in the state.

UADA rice farmer survey targets crop insurance participation 

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas rice farmers are being asked about their participation in crop insurance programs by a researcher who expects their input could help shape future crop insurance programs. 

Not your usual Saturday as Arkansas youth gather for hands-on waterfowl learning experience

SARATOGA, Ark. — For youth who love the outdoors, Wonders of Waterfowl was more than just a regular Saturday.

Master Gardeners to host plant sales around Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK — Throughout the state, Arkansas Master Gardeners are preparing a variety of annuals, perennials, berry bushes, succulents and vegetables to sell at more than 20 plant sales for home gardeners between March and June.

Extension staff chair receives Lifetime Achievement Award for impact in Drew County

MONTICELLO, Ark. — Hazelene McCray, Drew County Extension staff chair and family and consumer sciences agent for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, was recently recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Monticello-Drew County Chamber of Commerce.

Polk, Sevier county extension offers Beef Cattle Workshop with freeze branding demo

LITTLE ROCK — Cattle identification is essential for today’s ranchers and producers, and freeze branding is becoming a preferred method.

Buffalo River Watershed cleanup efforts collect 1,250 pounds of garbage 

NEWTON COUNTY, Ark. — Cooperative Extension Service personnel and volunteers collected more than half a ton of garbage, including an actual hot tub, during a recent cleanup effort in the Buffalo River Watershed. 

Iranian war strands global timber shipments, but Arkansas impacts minimal

MONTICELLO, Ark. — The conflict in the Strait of Hormuz is muting imports to the rapidly growing timber markets in the Middle East and northern Africa, according to an industry outlet, but impacts to Arkansas timber industry will likely be minimal, said Matthew Pelkki.

Extension offers webinar series on poultry management, disease prevention

LITTLE ROCK — A series of six webinars will be available this spring for poultry owners to learn more about diseases, parasites and other issues that can affect flocks.

What does ‘GLP-1 friendly’ mean? 

LITTLE ROCK — Broad use of a hormone prescribed for weight loss has spawned a flurry of menu items touted as “GLP-1 friendly,” but it’s phrase that has no strict definition, said nutrition expert Lida Araghi. 

Poultry processing robotics advances with ChicGrasp

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — What started out as a response to labor shortages in poultry processing plants during the COVID-19 pandemic has turned into a robotics system that can learn by imitating human movements to handle chickens.

National Agricultural Law Center hosts webinar on H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Program

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The National Agricultural Law Center will host an upcoming webinar, “Homing in on H-2A: An Overview of the Temporary Agricultural Worker Program,” on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, from noon-1 p.m. EDT or 11 a.m. to noon CDT.

War-spiked urea prices may prompt increase in soybean acres

LITTLE ROCK — As war pinches shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and drives up the cost of urea, growers are pivoting to soybeans — a crop that's not hungry for the widely used nitrogen fertilizer.

Winter storm damage to Arkansas poultry industry estimated at more than $200 million 

LITTLE ROCK — The winter storm that covered Arkansas and surrounding states in late January is estimated to have done hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to the state’s poultry industry, according to a preliminary report from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. 

Extension spring break camps to focus on meat science, STEM, cooking and more

LITTLE ROCK — Whether touring local meat processing facilities, attending livestock sales, foraging for edible plants or sharpening their culinary skills, Arkansas youth will have the chance to engage in hands-on learning this spring break.

Federal agency sued for lack of timely rule on monarch butterfly designation 

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Plaintiffs that asked for protections for the monarch butterfly more than a decade ago have sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, saying the agency missed the deadline to issue a rule protecting the insect. 

Rice husks for biodegradable materials focus of free webinar March 18

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — You may not be able to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, but you can make biodegradable materials out of rice husks, an abundant agricultural byproduct of rice milling.

Janet B. Carson scholarship open to future plant science majors 

LITTLE ROCK — High school seniors who plan to study plant science in college can apply for the Janet B. Carson scholarship.

Amid high obesity rates, Arkansas extension experts highlight critical nutrition education

LITTLE ROCK — Throughout Arkansas, which has one of the highest obesity rates in the nation, nutrition professionals with the Cooperative Extension Service provide trusted, evidence-based education to help individuals and families live healthier lives.

Closure of the Strait of Hormuz causes urea, diesel prices to spike as planting season begins in Arkansas 

JONESBORO, Ark. — As war shuts down shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, farmers are seeing spikes in urea and diesel prices just as planting season has begun in Arkansas.  

Extension’s Little Red River Beef and Forage Conference offers new format, opportunity for BQA certification

HEBER SPRINGS, Ark. — The Little Red River Beef and Forage Conference kicks off March 6 with a new format and an opportunity for beef producers to gain Beef Quality Assurance certification.

Researchers find that landowner trust, experience influence feral hog management 

MONTICELLO, Ark. — Trust in others and prior experience with feral hogs were significant factors inwhether landowners would commit effort and dollars to controlling the destructive animals, two studies have found. 

Arkansas 4-H Yoga program adopted by several states; youth learn balance, strength 

LITTLE ROCK — Whether through kneeling in Twisting Dragon pose or practicing balance in Shooting Star, 4-H Yoga has been helping participants develop a mind-body connection since the program was created in Arkansas in 2013.

Rice-based cheese? Study points to possibility for new rice markets

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — For vegans and people who are allergic to dairy, nuts or gluten, rice is a surprising source to make a hypoallergenic alternative cheese.

Private pesticide applicator training in full swing statewide

LITTLE ROCK — Farmers, ranchers and other agricultural professionals are working to get their private pesticide applicator training completed before planting season kicks off — and extension offices across the state are making sure there are ample opportunities.

Making water work in a drier Delta: UADA seminar to build on water risk assessment study 

MARIANNA, Ark. — Researchers and extension specialists with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture are seeking public input to assess water use among farmers and ranchers on March 6 at the Lonn Mann Cotton Research Station in Marianna. 

Arkansas 4-H Foundation’s Day of Giving set for March 17 

LITTLE ROCK — This St. Patrick’s Day, the Arkansas 4-H Foundation is encouraging Arkansans to set a bit of gold aside to support youth development in the Natural State.