Rice Field Day Offers Latest Guidance for Arkansas, Mid-South Growers

RICE FIELD DAY— The 2026 Rice Field Day will be held on Aug. 6 at the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart. Walk-up registration will be available on the day of the free event. (UADA photo)

STUTTGART, Ark. — Rice breeding updates and the latest research-based recommendations for Arkansas and Mid-South rice production will be presented during the Rice Field Day at the Rice Research and Extension Center on Aug. 6.

Two field tours will be offered at 7:30 and 9:30 a.m. to provide attendees an opportunity to take in all eight sessions highlighting rice variety development, disease management, production practices and emerging technologies impacting Arkansas rice farming. Each tour lasts two hours.

Walk-up registration will be available on the day of the free event, which takes place at 2900 Highway 130 East, in Stuttgart. The field day event is co-sponsored by the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center.

“The field day provides an opportunity to share our cutting-edge rice research with the public,” said Alton Johnson, director of the Rice Research and Extension Center. “Participants can visit research plots that demonstrate variety advancement, rice cultivar performance, integrated pest management, crop-specific nutrient management recommendations and much more. As we say, ‘Arkansas is our classroom.’ We invite everyone to come and learn from our experts.”

An 11:30 a.m. luncheon will feature a rice crop overview with Jarrod Hardke, professor and rice extension agronomist, an update from Deacue Fields, head of the Division of Agriculture and remarks by Keith Glover, Producers Rice Mill president and CEO, and Kevin McGilton, Riceland Foods, Inc. CEO.

Tour One

• Rice Breeding Updates — Xueyan Sha, senior rice breeder and professor, and Christian De Guzman, assistant professor of rice breeding and genetics — Long-grain, medium-grain and aromatic breeding for Arkansas and Mid-South growers.

• Agronomy — Jarrod Hardke — Arkansas rice production recommendations, new variety development, agronomic and cultural practices, fertility management and integrated pest management with seed treatments and cultivar tolerance.

• Entomology — Nick Bateman, associate professor and extension entomologist — Experiments on rice water weevil threshold using a sweep net, defoliation thresholds for pure line and hybrid rice, development of best management practices for pyrethroid-resistant rice stink bugs, and a collaboration with the Rice Pathology Team to evaluate insect and disease interactions.

• Developed Germplasm Lines — USDA Agricultural Research Service — Enhancement of rice tolerance under high-nighttime temperature stress and 16 germplasm lines and varieties that contribute to yield stability, grain quality, or improved resistance, including Sallah, developed in partnership with the Division of Agriculture’s Foundation Seed Program to demonstrate how aromatic quality and strong regional adaptation can be paired with modern breeding objectives.

Tour Two

• Improved Long-Grain Germplasm for Irrigation, Heat and Salt Tolerance — USDA Agricultural Research Service — Integrated experiments in developing rice lines capable of thriving under reduced irrigation, higher temperatures, salinity exposure and evolving disease pressure.

• Fertility — Trent Roberts, professor of soil fertility — Crop-specific nutrient management recommendations using soil tests to correlate and calibrate fertilizer rates and tissue testing with active and passive sensors to diagnose plant nutritional status; impact of short- and long-term soil and crop management practices on soil health; and crop and fertilizer management strategies to mitigate nutrient loss.

• Weed Control — Jason Norsworthy, Distinguished Professor of weed science, and Bob Scott, professor and extension weed scientist — Updates on research conducted by the Weed Science Team at multiple sites across Arkansas, including barnyardgrass.

• Irrigation — Christopher Henry, professor and water management engineer — Improving irrigation efficiency and management with existing technology like soil moisture sensors, computerized hole selection and surge irrigation, and new technology such as the pit-less pump for furrow-irrigated rice.

Rice genetics presentations

The Rice Field Day will also host sessions on rice genetics by researchers with the USDA-ARS Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center.

The full sequencing of the rice genome has provided a critical foundation for modern genetic improvement. USDA‑ARS scientists at the Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center use the genomic resources to develop genetic markers that accelerate breeding of improved U.S. commercial varieties. The scientists explain their process in a poster titled “Development of Genetic Markers and Pre-Breeding Rice Germplasm for Enhancement of Yield, Grain Quality, and Stress Tolerance.”

USDA researchers will also highlight the USDA-ARS National Small Grains Collection, home to about 19,000 rice accessions from more than 100 countries. This genetic diversity helps address emerging production challenges, including disease resistance, stress tolerance and enhanced grain quality.

For additional information and the complete program schedule, visit the 2026 Rice Research and Extension Center Field Day page.