by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)
A severe drought this summer has left at least half of Arkansas’ pasturelands in poor or very poor condition, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This will likely lead to a drop in hay production, which means livestock producers will have to find alternate food sources.
One possible solution would be to collect the crop residues that are left once the harvest is completed. That may help livestock producers, but it could have unintended consequences for row crop fields. Burning fields, a common money-saving practice by many in the Arkansas Delta to clear crop refuse, could also have an impact on field quality and next year’s profitability.
With uncertainty in the market for fertilizer prices over the next year, a University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture soil health expert advised producers at the 2022 Rice Field Day earlier in August to consider the cost of replacing nutrients that will leave their field if they burn crop residue, or sell it for animal forage, after the harvest.
