News - January 2020

Cattle conference to focus on value added marketing, young calf health and more

OZARK, Ark. — The 2020 River Valley Beef Cattle Conference will offer attendees an opportunity to brush up on several key aspects of successful beef ranching, as well as get expert insight into the new year’s market.

Anti-obesity effort brings enhancements to Forrest City farmers market

FORREST CITY, Ark. – A project to help area residents gain access to healthy, fresh food is giving the farmers market here a boost.

Volunteers sought for invasive plant removal

LITTLE ROCK – The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is seeking volunteers to assist in removing Chinese privet, an exotic invasive species plant, as part of the Arkansas Watershed Stewards Program on Feb. 15.

Keeping resolutions means more than changing wants, but changing how we view ourselves

LITTLE ROCK – The difference between success and failure in our pursuit of keeping resolutions and goals may have more to do with self image than it does with our day-to-day choices or even willpower. The concept is at the heart of a presentation from a nutrition expert with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Healthy soils, cover crops, irrigation on agenda for Feb. 25 meeting in McGehee

McGEHEE, Ark. – Better cotton starts with better soil. Growers can learn how to improve what’s underfoot at a joint meeting with Healthy Soils for Sustainable Cotton and the Arkansas Soil Health Alliance on Feb. 25 in McGehee.

Landscape Expo set for Feb. 20

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Pesticide recertification, integrated pest management and basic landscape design are all on the lineup for the Landscape Expo Feb. 20 at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences.

Crop insurance audits: How to prepare outlined in NALC bulletin

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Excessive rain paired with less than ideal market conditions can lead to many farmers relying on the Federal Crop Insurance Program to soften the blow of a rough growing season. However, producers relying on this program should be prepared for a potential crop insurance audit.

U of A System Division of Ag partners with Ag-Analytics to collect precision ag data

 A new partnership between the Cooperative Extension Service and Ag-Analytics®, will collect and analyze large volumes of ag data with an eye to creating better decision making tools for farmers, that will in turn, help farmers improve their yields. 

With ‘Phase One’ signed, but no word on third MFP payment, growers return to insurance, planting decisions

LAKE CITY, Ark. — Farming has always been a contest of wills between farmers and forces largely beyond their control — weather, the economy and the glacial pace of legislation. In 2020, all three are in play as growers in Arkansas and elsewhere spend their winter making decisions on crops, acreage and insurance programs.

Fruit pruning workshop set for Feb. 27 in Clarksville

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Growers can sharpen their pruning skills during a hands-on workshop Feb. 27 at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Fruit Research Station in Clarksville.

Grad student awarded for explanation of scientific research

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — If you think complex research at the interface between entomology and plant pathology, as well as cell and molecular biology sounds like a mouthful, try sharing the details in a two-minute video that summarizes your whole effort.

4-H camp to spark youthful entrepreneurial spirit

LITTLE ROCK – For youth interested in owning their own business one day, a weekend camp may be just the inspiration they need to develop a startup mindset.

Save the date: Arkansas Flower and Garden Show returns Feb. 28, 29 and March 1

LITTLE ROCK — In just six weeks, the state’s largest and longest-lived celebration of horticulture and landscaping will return to the Arkansas State Fairgrounds as the Arkansas Flower and Garden Show celebrates its 29^th year.

Better days ahead in 2020 for Arkansas rice

LITTLE ROCK — While 2019 was doom and gloom for rice producers, 2020 may be the year of the rebound for the state’s largest agricultural export, with total rice acreage expected to increase 25 percent to nearly 1.5 million acres.

Arkansas ginning season goes into extra innings

MANILA, Ark. – For the second straight year, Arkansas’ “ginning season” may go into extra innings.

Hornsby retires after 42 years guiding animal science research facilities

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — When Pete Hornsby accepted the position to manage a beef research facility at Monticello for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, he figured it would be about a five-year gig.

Division of Agriculture releases new long-grain Clearfield rice variety

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — CLL16, a new high-yield, long-grain Clearfield^® rice variety developed by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture will be available to rice growers from Horizon Ag in 2021.

Start the 2020 growing season right with latest editions of Division of Ag weed, pest, disease management publications

LITTLE ROCK — The 2020 versions of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture publications on managing insects, weeds and plant diseases are now available online, through Cooperative Extension Service offices across the state, and, in one case, as a mobile-friendly website.

Division of Ag bestows highest honors on faculty, staff

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Faculty and staff from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture were honored Friday for work that included battling hunger, mentoring some of the Fayetteville campus’s most outstanding students and going above and beyond to support Arkansas’ land grant extension, research and teaching mission.

Cooperative Extension Service workshops teach growers best practices to safeguard food supply

LITTLE ROCK – The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service will offer produce safety training workshops, designed to help Arkansas producers comply with new federal training requirements designed to safeguard the U.S. food supply.

2020 Vision: Webinar offers clarity on agricultural labor

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Labor and employment laws in the United States can be difficult to navigate under the best of circumstances. With exemptions and exceptions for agricultural labor, however, these laws become even more complicated for employers.

Greek Diaspora Fellowship selects Division of Agriculture professor for research project

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Ioannis E. Tzanetakis, professor of plant pathology for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, has received a fellowship from the Greek Diaspora Fellowship Program to work with the Agricultural University of Athens, Greece, on research to identify and describe viruses and viroids that affect fig crops.

Tri-State Soybean Forum takes stock of a tough year, looks ahead

DUMAS, Ark. — About 200 farmers, consultants and other agriculture industry professionals attended the 64^th annual Tri-State Soybean Forum on Jan. 3, taking stock of both the good and bad in soybean production in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.