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⋅ BY MIKE HSU ⋅ UC AGRICULTURE & NATURAL RESOURCES Due to severe water shortages, rice acres planted in California plummeted by 37% from 2021 to 2022, according to numbers released recently by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. But...

Scientists at Mississippi State are part of a multi-institutional, $10-million effort to improve the sustainability and profitability of rice farming in the face of climate change. “Because of our interdisciplinary expertise and MSU’s facilities, we are developing genetic mapping tools...

⋅ BY V. TODD MILLER ⋅ Feral hogs are a nuisance in many areas of the United States, causing billions of dollars in damage. They are reported in 35 states with a population of approximately nine million hogs causing billions...

Understanding the ramifications on pesticides across the country ⋅ BY CASSIDY NEMEC ⋅ EDITOR Figuring out how the Endangered Species Act affects the agricultural industry can be both complex and frustrating. The ESA of 1973 was enacted by Congress under President Nixon...

⋅ BY JOHN LOVETT ⋅ Struvite, the same substance that makes up kidney stones and irritates sewage plant operators, could be an effective alternative to using a limited supply of mined phosphate for crop fertilizer. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture,...

The U.S. rice industry has always had a close connection to this nation’s school nutrition programs. As a staple grain that is affordable, nutritious, easy to prepare in large quantities, and (most importantly) appealing to kids, rice and school foodservice go...

I have always believed there are certain things in life that are not worth getting too into the weeds about. Sometimes I will research something so much that I start questioning even the basics of the original topic I...

⋅ BY ROBERT NATHAN GREGORY ⋅ MSU EXTENSION SERVICE If the newest Mississippi planting forecast holds, more corn and rice will be produced in 2023 compared to recent years, while demand will drive down cotton acreage. The National Agricultural Statistics Service, a...

⋅ BY RYAN McGEENEY ⋅ UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS SYSTEM DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE Arkansas growers expect to plant approximately 52,000 more acres of principal crops in 2023 than they did in 2022, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report published March...

⋅ BY JOHN LOVETT ⋅ UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS SYSTEM DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE Farmers and agricultural aviators may be able to reduce herbicide drift by making simple adjustments, according to a recently published study. The study, published in Nature’s “Scientific Reports” journal late...

BASF has donated $20,000 to Feeding America to help those in need following a series of tornadoes that recently devastated communities across the state of Mississippi. In addition, the company is matching employee donations to disaster relief organizations contributing...

Last week, the House Agriculture Committee held a listening session in Waco, Texas, to get stakeholder input as it prepares for the upcoming farm bill. Dr. Thomas Wynn attended on behalf of USRPA and advocated for greater assistance for...

⋅ BY DAVID MITCHELL ⋅ Crop and livestock farms throughout Georgia are in a perpetual exchange of ideas and innovations to solve challenges that have tangible impacts on the state’s—and the country’s—food supply. But these concerns aren’t relegated to the southeast...

The world of drones is growing more each day. Contributing to this growth, Steve Li, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System weed scientist, is holding a virtual drone end-user conference March 18-19 via Zoom. Li said there are many farmers who are...

Arkansan honored with prestigious rice award. ⋅ BY RYAN McGEENEY ⋅ A national body of rice researchers has awarded the Distinguished Service Award to Bob Scott, senior associate vice president – Extension for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. In his...