Science-based solutions for resilient farming highlighted at Rice and Soybean Field Day  

John Lovett
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture

Fast Facts

• New herbicide technology could expand barnyardgrass control in rice

• Soybean program advances drought tolerance, nematode resistance, yield stability

• NERREC Director Tim Burcham shares career insights ahead of upcoming retirement

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Download PHOTOS from the field day

HARRISBURG, Ark. — As tight margins continue to challenge Arkansas farmers, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture researchers are focused on providing recommendations that improve profitability and long-term resilience.

FIELD DAY — Research comparing fungicide applications made by spray drones and conventional ground rigs was a part of the Rice and Soybean Field Day at the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center in Harrisburg on July 30. (UADA photo)

That message was front and center on July 30 as more than 200 people gathered for the 2026 Rice and Soybean Field Day at the Division of Agriculture’s Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center.

“Every penny counts right now,” said Deacue Fields, head of the Division of Agriculture. “Our job is to take the guesswork out of what you do in the field.”

Speaking to farmers, crop consultants, industry representatives and researchers, Fields said the annual field day exemplifies the Division of Agriculture’s land-grant mission by connecting producers directly with scientists who develop practical, research-based recommendations for Arkansas farms.

“The specialists who were on all of the stops today, they’re actually doing what our mission says,” Fields said. “We’re trying to get science-based research adopted and have those best practices put into practice in the real world.”

The field day featured presentations and field demonstrations spanning soybean and rice breeding, precision nutrient management, weed control, irrigation, planting dates and aerial application technologies — all aimed at helping producers make more informed management decisions.

Field day highlights

• A new herbicide technology is under review which could help address the rapid rise of herbicide-resistant barnyardgrass in Arkansas rice. If approved by regulatory agencies, it will represent the first “truly new” mode of action in 40 years, according to Bob Scott, professor and weed extension specialist in the department of crop, soil and environmental sciences. Preliminary work on a seed treatment has also shown promising reductions in herbicide injury, particularly when the treatment is combined with chicken litter applications in field trials.

• The Soybean Breeding Program has made significant progress in developing root-knot nematode-resistant breeding lines, according to Caio Vieira, assistant professor of soybean breeding in the department of crop, soil and environmental sciences. The program is also evaluating hundreds of soybean lines from around the world to identify traits that improve drought tolerance, nutrient composition and overall adaptability to Arkansas environments.

• Jason Davis, remote sensing and pesticide application extension specialist in the department of crop, soil and environmental sciences, and Terry Spurlock, professor and extension plant pathologist in the department of entomology and plant pathology, compared fungicide applications made by spray drones and conventional ground rigs. They found that in one trial, increasing the drone’s speed from 30 to 40 miles per hour reduced spray coverage by roughly 20 percent. The researchers stressed that coverage alone does not determine product performance. Additional disease ratings and efficacy evaluations will help identify the operating speeds and application practices that maximize drone performance while maintaining effective disease control.

Additional field stops featured research on soybean planting dates, furrow-irrigated rice production, nitrogen management and the long-running planting date studies that support Arkansas’ DD50 Rice Management Program.

Indoor sessions focused on postharvest management practices and plant-parasitic nematodes in rice.

The tours were presented by scientists and extension specialists with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the research and outreach arms of the Division of Agriculture. Presenters from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service also shared research updates on water management and measurement techniques.

Honoring Burcham

The field day served as a milestone for Tim Burcham, director of the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center, who is set to retire at the end of the year after helping lead the development of the facility from concept to reality. The center opened in August 2024.

PARTING WORDS — Tim Burcham, director of the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center, announced he was retiring at the end of the year after more than 30 years in research, extension and higher education. (UADA photo)

“We started with a pickup truck, one pair of rubber boots and a shovel, and that is no exaggeration,” Burcham said. “But there was one word that described everyone involved in the early days of this project, and that one word was faith! Staunch and unbridled faith, that guided every decision and shattered every obstacle in our path.”

Burcham went on to say that the opportunity to be a part of establishing the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center has been “the capstone” of his professional career and he expressed gratitude to the Division of Agriculture leadership and members of the Arkansas Rice Research Promotion Board for affording the “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Looking back on more than three decades in agricultural research, extension and higher education, Burcham credited the many people who helped shape his career.

“Whatever recognition I’ve received over my career, it’s never been about me,” he said. “It’s about the people around me that have guided me, sustained me and encouraged me.”

Fields praised Burcham’s leadership in establishing the research center.

“This facility would not be what it is today if it weren’t for Tim Burcham, his vision, his passion and his energy,” Fields said.

Former head of the Division of Agriculture Mark Cochran, who helped launch the project, also reflected on the center’s origins and the collaboration that made it possible.

“We needed to have somebody that could be the boots on the ground and go through that whole process to make it happen,” Cochran said of Burcham’s leadership.

Burcham was also recognized in a letter from Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, read by incoming District 30 state Rep. Josh Longmire, thanking Burcham for his years of service to Arkansas and his contributions to agriculture.

“Throughout your career, you’ve demonstrated a commitment to Arkansas agriculture, developing innovative rice production practices that have yielded maximum returns for the state’s rice industry and helped keep Arkansas the nation’s leading rice-producing state,” Sanders wrote.

To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit aaes.uada.edu. Follow the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station on LinkedIn and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.

About the Division of Agriculture

The University of Arkansas 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 22 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three system campuses.

Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas 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.

John Lovett
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture

Link to Original Article: https://aaes.uada.edu/news/rice-soybean-field-day-recap/