arkansas

Continuously wet conditions further delayed field preparation throughout much of Arkansas this week, as intermittent rains continue to saturate soils in the state. At production meetings organized by the University of Arkansas in January and February, both growers and agronomists...

Multi-pronged water conservation efforts help growers score ‘more crop to the drop.’ • By Vicky Boyd, Editor • Founded in 1892 by John and Emma Morris, Morris Farm near Carlisle, Arkansas, is the oldest commercial rice operation in the state. Richard and Matt Morris,...

Even if the fall of 2018 marked the “harvest that never ended,” Arkansas growers managed to pull enough rice from the land to mark a 30 percent increase over 2017’s disastrous numbers, which reflected the severe spring flooding of...

A year of weather extremes — from a hard-frozen winter to a summer of drought to seemingly endless rains in the fall — took its toll on both rice and soybean, two of Arkansas’s top crops. Rice, however, emerged...

Chris and Judy Isbell of Humnoke, Arkansas, were named the 2018 Arkansas Farm Family of the Year at the recent Arkansas Farm Bureau’s annual convention. They will now compete with 10 southeastern state winners in the 2019 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo...

University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture rice research may lead to more sustainable crop production in the state and around the world. The quest for increased sustainability in agriculture and other industries includes examining greenhouse gases and how they’re...

• By Jarrod Hardke • Several low-yielding rice fields recently have been identified as having stem rot. In the past few years, I have not observed much stem rot, but some of the cases this year have been particularly severe. If you...

University of Arkansas researchers have published the first fact sheet in a series about using cover crops. The crops, typically grown in the off season or winter, help save water, manage weeds and improve soil. “While cover cropping is not a...

The Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame is seeking nominations from the public for its next class. The nomination deadline is Nov. 1. The Agriculture Hall of Fame recognizes Arkansans who have contributed significantly to the state’s largest industry, while spotlighting...

Arkansas farmers accelerated harvest operations in the wake of excessive rains from the remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon, and those who are under way are making good crops. The Arkansas rice harvest is about 60 percent complete and seems to...

Billbugs, once an occasional pest of rice that cannot survive in standing water, are increasing pressure as row-rice acreage grows. Billbugs are weevils whose larvae bore into the side of rice tillers, or stems, and deprive developing grain heads of...

Arkansas producers have only to look to California to see what can happen if they don't follow a voluntary smoke management program and get their open-field burning under control. "If we don't make an active attempt to manage this issue,...

A research greenhouse formally opened Aug. 2 further aids University of Arkansas efforts to stem yield loss after milling due to high nighttime temperatures. Jay Coker, chairman of the Rice Research and Promotion Board, says the need for an advanced...

The heat of the day is tough on crops, but it’s the heat of the night that keeps Arkansas rice growers worried. Arkansas has experienced several weeks of hot, dry weather and that’s growing concern among rice producers, says Jarrod...

USDA-ERS agricultural economist Nathan Childs recently provided a glimpse into how the 2018-19 rice marketing year is expected to shape up. • By Vicky Boyd, Editor • The 2017-18 rice marketing year is just a few days shy of ending, but...