News - April 2018

U of A siblings take top honors in agri division in state-wide business plan competition

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A brother-sister team of University of Arkansas students took the top prize in the agricultural division of a state-wide business plan competition this month with the “Roveround,” a device designed to help injured and aged animals regain their mobility.

Congressional Awards holds Arkansas kickoff at Governor’s Mansion

LITTLE ROCK – Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he hoped entry of Arkansas youth into the Congressional Awards program would signal the “start of a lifetime of service.” ­­

Li inducted as Institute of Biological Engineering Fellow

FAYETTEVILLE — Yanbin Li, Distinguished Professor of Biological and Agricultural Engineering was inducted as a Fellow of the Institute of Biological Engineering at its 2018 Annual Meeting in Norfolk, Virginia, April 7.

Monsanto donates research farm equipment to Arkansas soybean breeding program

FAYETTEVILLE — Monsanto donated two pieces of research farm equipment to the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture soybean breeding program in April.

Sculpture contests designed to bring attention to litter in Northwest Arkansas

BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Residents of Benton and Washington counties are invited to submit sculptures created from found litter to TOSSED!, an art event designed to draw attention to the problem of public littering.

Division of Agriculture intern receives scholarship

FAYETTEVILLE – University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Communication Services Intern Emily Thompson is the 2018 recipient of the Elizabeth Messner Barnes ’38 Scholarship. The scholarship is given out by the University of Arkansas School of Journalism and Strategic Media and covers full tuition, fees and books for one year. 

MyPi program to engage teens in disaster preparedness

LITTLE ROCK— Arkansas is the latest state to join a national initiative to teach teens disaster preparedness skills.

New Division of Agriculture Cargill Poultry Research Center to focus on antibiotic alternatives

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Scientists looking for alternatives to antibiotics to keep poultry healthy will have a state-of-the-art facility for their work, thanks to a $150,000 donation from Cargill, as part of the company’s focus on safely, responsibly and sustainably producing food.

Cargill Poultry Research Center FAQs

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Frequently asked questions about the Cargill Poultry Research Center at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture:

Division of Ag asking public’s help to assess damage from buffalo gnat outbreak

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Insect experts with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture are asking the public for help as it works to assess the scope of losses due to the black fly/southern buffalo gnat outbreak in late March and early April.

Division of Ag, FieldWatch offer pilot CropCheck platform to enhance applicator stewardship

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas pesticide applicators working row and field crops will be able to identify herbicide-sensitive crops and adjust their spraying accordingly thanks to a unique online platform called CropCheck^TM  -- a pilot program being offered in partnership between FieldWatch® and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Produce safety rule training sessions set for Johnson, Marion counties in May

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas fruit and vegetable growers will have two opportunities in May to attend training to comply with the new produce safety rule under Food Safety Modernization Act.

Two Arkansas 4-H teams to head to national SeaPerch Challenge in June

FERNDALE, Ark. — After 15 teams of Arkansas 4-H members from six counties across the state battled it out on sea, land and classroom at the 2018 Arkansas SeaPerch Challenge, two teams are headed to the international competition in Dartmouth, Massachusetts on June 1-3.

Pine Bluff teen takes Soybean Science Challenge state championship

CONWAY, Ark. – The Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board recently named a 15-year-old high school sophomore the winner of the 2018 State Soybean Science Challenge.

Select suitable grazing method to assure success

FAYETTEVILLE — Selecting a grazing method early in the season and managing it properly can help beef producers succeed in achieving their summer production goals, said Dirk Philipp, associate professor of animal science and forage researcher for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Division of Agriculture hosts high tunnel workshop May 3

FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture will host a one-day high-tunnel workshop May 3 at the Lonoke County Cooperative Extension Office.

Arkansas fruit growers assess damage from weekend freeze, brace for second round of cold

CLARKSVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas fruit growers are enduring a nervous week, sandwiched between two periods of freezing weather at a critical time for their crops.

Pecan growers annual meeting/farm tour set for May 5 at Lonoke; kicks off season-long pecan school

LONOKE, Ark. – Orchard owners interested in pecan cultivation will have an opportunity to learn staring with the May 5 Arkansas Pecan Growers Association annual education meeting and farm tour being presented by the APGA and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Division of Agriculture program works to spur economic development in rural communities

LITTLE ROCK --  Giving rural communities in Arkansas a helpful hand toward improving their economic future is a key goal of a collaborative effort involving the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Updated Vines Center website puts out the welcome mat for new visitors

FERNDALE, Ark. – Surrounded by the Ouachita Mountains on a 6.3-acre lake, the Vines Center is miles away from the clamor of the city, but booking your business, team or church group there to refresh and refocus is as close as your laptop or smartphone. 

Biopesticide offers new form of control for bollworm and budworm crop pests

LONOKE, Ark. – A host-specific virus is being used to control bollworms and budworms in Arkansas crops. Helicoverpa nucleopolyhedrovirus, or just NPV, does not affect humans, plants or other insects, including those that are beneficial.

Community development conference to feature Iowa Great Places director

LITTLE ROCK – Liesl Voges, Community Development Manager at the Iowa Arts Council and director of the Iowa Great Places Program, will be the keynote speaker at the 2018 Breakthrough Solutions Conference, scheduled for June 7 at the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service headquarters in Little Rock.

Strategies can make efficient use of stormwater in landscapes and on pastures

FAYETTEVILLE — Spring rains are bringing relief from a dry winter and the right management strategy can help landowners take advantage of  rainwater on their pastures.

Awareness to Accomplishment for Health and Financial Stability

LITTLE ROCK— We all have financial and health goals we want to achieve, whether it’s paying off debt or losing that last ten pounds. Sometimes these goals seem so big that it’s hard to know where to start. This can lead to putting off making strides to achieve our goals and sometimes hinder the chances of achieving that goal at all.

Have you checked your credit report lately?

LITTLE ROCK— Credit reports are used by lenders to determine interest rates, by insurance companies to determine premiums and sometimes by potential employers as an indicator of financial responsibility.

Just in time for spring: Video summarizes much-needed earthworm management research for turfgrass industry

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Earthworms are an important part of soil health, but their habit of pooping on the soil surface, commonly called casting, has made them a difficult-to-manage nemesis to golf course superintendents charged with keeping greens and fairways smooth and playable.

Overnight freeze threatens fruit crops in Northwest Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Freezing temperatures moved into Northwest Arkansas early this morning, posing a threat to many fruit crops now in their vulnerable flowering stages in the area, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture horticulture experts said this week.

Check ash trees for borer symptoms; report to county extension agent

HOPE, Ark. – April is the time to be checking your ash trees for signs of the emerald ash borer, the tiny metallic green beetle blamed for the deaths of millions of ash trees in the United States, said Jon Barry, extension forester for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Rust infection can weaken, kill Arkansas native pine trees

HOPE, Ark. – It’s that time of year where pines and other flowering plants are dusting the world with tons of yellow pollen, but if you see orange dust on a pine tree, that could be the sign of a damaging infection, said Jon Barry, extension forester with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Black fly populations boom in Arkansas delta, kill livestock, deer; force nature center closure

STUTTGART, Ark. – Livestock producers in the Arkansas delta are working to protect their animals after a population explosion of bloodsucking black flies that is being blamed for the deaths of a bull and cow in Arkansas County and the closure last week of a nature center.

2018 Division of Ag contest to find rice, row crop producer who can get the ‘most crop per drop’

STUTTGART, Ark. – Are you the Arkansas rice, soy or corn producer who can get the most crop per drop? Find out by entering the 2018 Arkansas Rice and Row Crop Irrigation Yield Contest, presented by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.