Experimentation paid off for Arkansas producers who competed in the “Most Crop Per Drop” contest — in knowledge gained about irrigation management and in cash prizes for the top winners. Contest winners were announced recently during the 34th annual Arkansas Water and Soil Education Conference, held virtually this year. The top winners in three categories — corn, rice and soybean ... Read More »
• By Lydia Holmes • Dr. Michele Reba, a research hydrologist with the U.S. Department of Agricultural Agriculture Research Service, is the 2020 recipient of the USA Rice Sustainability Award. Reba was chosen for her leadership and innovative research around sustainable rice production. Her specialties in civil engineering and hydrology make her unique in the rice research world. But what ... Read More »
UArk’s ‘Most Crop Per Drop’ contest encourages growers to try water-saving technology with prizes. • By Vicky Boyd, Editor • For the past two years, the University of Arkansas has prodded growers of rice, corn and soybeans to try new irrigation technologies they might not otherwise use and to reduce water use smartly through its “Most Crop Per Drop” Contest. ... Read More »
Every two years, rice researchers from around the nation and even internationally attend the Rice Technical Working Group meeting to share results and craft plans about future research directions. Mississippi State University will host the 38th RTWG, Feb. 24-27, 2020, at the Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach, Alabama. The agenda is chocked full of research topics as well as ... Read More »
The 2019 Arkansas irrigation yield contest, “Most Crop per Drop,” is open for entries. “We are conducting a conservation yield competition measuring yield and water use for rice, soybeans and corn,” says Chris Henry, University of Arkansas associate professor. The contest is meant to encourage irrigation best management practices, such as computerized hole selection, sensor based irrigation scheduling and surge ... Read More »
To say you’re sustainable is one thing. But to put numbers to that statement — and numbers that show substantial improvement in using resources more efficiently — is quite another. USA Rice recently released the executive summary of its “2018 U.S. Rice Industry Sustainability Report” that cataloged the industry’s improvements during the past 36 years. We’re not talking small gains, ... Read More »
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, fourth- and fifth-generation descendants, respectively, have embraced water-saving technology during the past several years to steward finite ... Read More »
Arkansas crop producers who want to get a better handle on water use in 2019 will have several opportunities through a series of irrigation/water management schools. “The schools are small groups with short instruction and include practical exercises,” says Chris Henry, associate professor and water management engineer for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. Surge/soil moisture sensor schools ... Read More »
Dustin Harrell, Louisiana State University AgCenter agronomist and Extension rice specialist, has released a detailed compilation of the varieties and hybrids planted and grown in the state during the 2018 season. New to this year’s data are water management practices, including furrow-irrigated race and alternate wetting and drying. Harrell was helped in this monumental effort by Extension agents in rice-producing ... Read More »
According to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, all of our Southeast Missouri delta has a huge replenishing aquifer. So if your well is not pumping to capacity, it’s not a lack of water in your aquifer — it’s your well. Read More »
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