Extension to host ARegenerate Conference on regenerative agriculture

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FORT SMITH, Ark. — For Arkansas farmers and producers interested in learning more about regenerative farming methods, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture will host the inaugural ARegenerate Conference Nov. 8-9 at the Expo Center at Kay Rogers Park in Fort Smith.

REGENERATIVE FARMING — The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture will host the inaugural ARegenerative Conference Nov. 8-9 at the Expo Center at Kay Rogers Park in Fort Smith. The conference will feature a variety of information sessions about the principles of regenerative farming. (Division of Agriculture graphic.) 

The conference will feature a variety of speakers leading sessions on the principles of regenerative farming. Attendees will learn about building soil health, water conservation and climate change mitigation on farms and ranches. Topics will also include cover cropping, intensive rotational grazing, native forages and more.

The conference will take place 9 a.m.-5 p.m. each day. There is also a pre-conference farm tour in Hackett, Arkansas, from 8 a.m.-10:30 a.m. on Nov. 7. Tickets are $75 and include breakfast for two days and lunch on the second day. Register at uada.formstack.com/forms/aregenerate.

Amanda Spradlin, Sebastian County extension horticulture agent, said the conference is the first of its kind hosted by the Division of Agriculture.

“The conference will encompass the regenerative agriculture methodology for crop and livestock producers,” Spradlin said. “I have received a lot of interest from University of Arkansas extension, out-of-state universities, private businesses, government organizations and non-profits.”

Spradlin said regenerative agriculture incorporates crucial methods of improving water conservation, soil health and ecosystem resilience to climate change.

“Regenerative agriculture differs from conventional methods because it encourages diversity and discourages soil disturbances like tillage, synthetic chemical sprays and fertilizers, continuous grazing and monoculture systems with little to no crop rotation,” Spradlin said. “Those practices compromise the soil microbiome and are associated with soil degradation over time.”

Another benefit of regenerative agriculture is that it emphasizes low input — such as water, fertilizer and fuel — helping farmers and producers increase their profit margins. Spradlin said that although access to capital is a significant stressor for farmers who want to improve their operations, more funding is becoming increasingly available.

“The good news is that the Natural Resources Conservation Service has excellent programs, such as the Conservation Stewardship Program and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, to make the transition easier,” Spradlin said. “Our regional NRCS office is full of wonderful, helpful people who are receiving more funding for these programs every year.”

Changing methods in a changing world

In the era of climate change, regenerative farming offers methods that help mitigate the effects and adapt to farmers’ changing needs.

“Climate change, an effect of rising global average temperatures, will increasingly become an issue for farmers in the coming years,” Spradlin said. “Extreme weather events and increased pest and disease pressure make it difficult for farmers to make ends meet, as it increases their chances of losing crops, forages and livestock.

“The United Nations has estimated only 60 harvests left before arable soils are depleted,” she said. “This will exacerbate global food insecurity. One of the significant benefits of regenerative agriculture — specifically intensive rotational grazing — is that it builds organic soil matter. For every one percent increase in organic matter, you can expect an increase of about 20,000 gallons of water per acre that soils can hold. This increases forage drought resilience.”

Spradlin said she is seeking more vendor and speaker applicants for the conference. Applicants whose research or experience aligns with regenerative methods should submit an abstract or brief overview of their topic to Spradlin. The deadline to apply as a speaker is Oct. 28. To sign up to be a vendor or inquire about speaking, contact Spradlin at aspradlin@uada.edu.

“This conference is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to learn and network with experienced professionals, including those from the University of Arkansas,” Spradlin said. “I hope to inspire people all over Arkansas to change our relationship with the land we love.

“Whether you are a livestock producer, crop grower, homesteader, gardener, researcher, student or a lifelong learner, I want you to be there,” she said. “I hope this is the first of many conferences to come.”

For more information, contact Spradlin at aspradlin@uada.edu or 479-484-7737.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. 

Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame inducts new honorees; Three of five inductees have extension connections

By Tracy Courage
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — Jessie “J.D.” Vaught of Horatio, Arkansas, a pioneer in contract livestock production in the state, was thrilled to learn a few months ago that he would be inducted into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame. He passed away in late 2022, but not without knowing that he and his life’s work would be celebrated.

INDUCTEES — Five new Arkansans have been inducted into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame. Image courtesy Arkansas Farm Bureau.

On March 3, he was posthumously inducted into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Little Rock Convention Center. His daughter Carla Vaught, a longtime extension agent with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, accepted the award on his behalf.

“He was an agricultural risk taker, as all the good ones are,” Carla Vaught said of her father.

Four people were inducted, including two other honorees with connections to the Division of Agriculture through the Cooperative Extension Service and Arkansas Discovery Farms.

The other inductees are:

• Ellis Bell of Forrest City, a fourth-generation farmer who owns and operates an Arkansas Century Farm.

• Bert Greenwalt of Jonesboro, Arkansas State University professor of agricultural economics. He co-founded and directs the college’s Agribusiness Conference, sponsors the Agribusiness Club and manages the Greenwalt Company farm.

• Rice farmer Chris Isbell of Humnoke, the first to grow Koshihikari rice outside of Japan. He sells rice to sake breweries around the world.

• Steve Stevens of Tillar, a longtime cotton farmer who was an early adopter of computerized-hole selection for irrigation and the Cotton Management program.

The Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame began in 1987 to promote awareness of agriculture’s role in the state’s culture and economy and honor those who helped local communities and the state prosper. This year’s five inductees increase the organization’s number of honorees to 181.

“Our state wouldn’t be as great and our agricultural industry wouldn’t be as successful without these individuals,” Arkansas Secretary of State Wes Ward said.

Gov. Sarah Sanders couldn’t attend but delivered comments via recorded video played for the group of more than 350.

“Agriculture is the backbone of our state’s economy and the largest industry,” she said. “You can’t go anywhere without seeing the impact of agriculture in our state. I’m committed to keeping it strong and dynamic.”

Early celebration for Vaught family

When J.D. Vaught’s health began declining, the family decided to share news of his award with him at Thanksgiving last year.

“All of us were there – all 18 of us — and we clapped for him and told him how proud we were of him,” Carla Vaught recalled. “He was really, really tickled. He wanted to make it here. That was his goal.”

Carla Vaught, who retired from the Division of Agriculture after working 33 years as an agent with the Cooperative Extension Service, accepted the award with J.D. Vaught’s youngest grandson, Ryan Vaught. Also present were the elder Vaught’s three sons and their spouses: Joey Vaught and wife Lori; Jon Vaught and Rep. DeAnn Vaught; Jason and Emilee Vaught; and grandchildren and a great-grandson.

In the late 1960s, Vaught built chicken houses and secured a contract with a poultry company to raise their chickens. The style of operation would become the standard that continues today.

“He was one of the first to do integrated poultry,” Carla Vaught said. “Then he saw an opportunity to do the same thing with hogs with the Cargill Company, so we raised hogs from 1974 until early 2022. “That was our livelihood. My father never worked at an hourly wage job. It was always farming.”

Vaught used innovations such as performance records and artificial insemination to improve purebred Charolais in the early 1970s and Angus cattle in the 1980s.

Vaught was a member of the Arkansas Farm Bureau state board of directors from 1991-99, a Sevier County Cattlemen’s Association officer and served on the Farm Credit Association board for many years.

The 400-acre family farm that Vaught owned and operated from 1963 until his death was a family operation. Extension, too, played a role in the farm’s success by providing research-based information to the Vaught family.

“Former Sevier County agents Thurman Ray and Ralph Tyler were very influential in helping Daddy,” Carla Vaught said.

Extension Connections 

Ellis Bell of Forrest City operates an Arkansas Century Farm established in 1878. His great-great-grandfather purchased the land after his return from the Civil War. He also founded Bell’s Ag Tech and Bell Community Services to advance interest in agriculture among minority youth. He developed programs to teach young people about where food comes from and who grows it.

“I’m overwhelmed to be standing here where so many people have stood before me and will stand here after me,” he said. “It’s been a long journey for me.”

He credited extension personnel for helping him through the years.

Steve Stevens works closely with researchers from the Division of Agriculture to improve farming practices.

“My dad always said, ‘Leave the land better than when you found it’,” he said during his acceptance speech. That advice has shaped much of his work.

One of the more significant seedbed-preparation innovations was first implemented in Arkansas on Stevens’ farm in the early 1990s. He was an early adopter of computerized-hole selection for irrigation and the cotton management program. Arkansas Discovery Farms selected Stevens’ fields for cotton research in 2013. In 10 years, more data on water use, water quality and nutrient loss has been collected on his farm than any other farm in America.

Stevens credited several Division of Agriculture faculty and staff who assisted with the research, including retired extension entomologist Gus Lorenz; Mike Daniels, who oversees collection of data; and retired extension cotton agronomist Bill Robertson, who recommended cover crops, which led to improved yield.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

Researchers receive $1 million grant to develop robotic system to assist poultry processing

By Brittaney Mann
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The COVID-19 pandemic strained many poultry processing plants as employees became ill. With the help of a $1 million grant, Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station researchers will soon begin designing robotics to help alleviate that potential strain.

ROBOTICS — Dongyi Wang is the principal investigator in a robotics project for the poultry industry. The project is funded by a $1 million grant provided jointly by the National Science Foundation and the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. (U of A System Division of Agriculture Photo by Fred Miller)

The project will be funded through a joint proposal between the National Science Foundation’s National Robotics Initiative 3.0 and the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Dongyi Wang, assistant professor of biological and agricultural engineering, is the principal investigator on the project. Wang conducts research for the experiment station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. He also has a research appointment with the food science department and a teaching appointment with the University of Arkansas’ College of Engineering.

A major focus in Wang’s lab is to understand what jobs robotic and automated systems can accomplish.

“We are trying to explore the opportunities and to see how automation can help the agriculture industry and the food industry,” Wang said.

This four-year project will lead to the development of a robotic system that can hang raw chicken as human workers do to meet the long-term needs of the poultry industry.

Poultry processing plants

In 2021, the U.S. produced 59.2 billion pounds of broiler chickens, according to the USDA. Arkansas ranked No. 3 in the nation, producing 1 billion broilers — 7.46 billion pounds of meat worth $3.97 billion — in 2021, according to the 2022 Arkansas Agriculture Profile.

Many of the steps to process chicken are already automated in processing plants, Wang said. Slaughtering and evisceration do not really rely on people. Rehanging the raw chicken is one of the major steps that relies on human work. Workers on the processing line hang the birds on conveyor lines that continue to the deboning, wing-cutting and packing steps.

Lending a hand

Besides Wang, the team includes Co-PIs, Wan Shou, assistant professor in the mechanical engineering department at the University of Arkansas, and Yu She, assistant professor in the industrial engineering department at Purdue University. Casey Owens, Novus International professor of poultry science and Philip Crandall, professor of food science, both with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, will also be involved with the research.

To create the automation system, the researchers will customize tactile sensory grippers and develop a high-resolution and high-speed 3D imaging system, Wang said. The 3D imaging system will allow the robotic arms to differentiate between the topmost chicken and the rest of the pile and will indicate the predetermined key points for chicken grasping. A key challenge is developing a gripper that reliably grasps the chicken without damaging the meat quality.

Shou will design the tactile sensors and She will design the robotic hand. By integrating these developments, robots will be enabled to adjust their grip based on how slick the surface is to ensure the bird is secure.

“Rather than buying an expensive robotic hand, we are going to design and fabricate a robotic hand with lower cost with the assistance of 3D printing,” Shou said.

Wang’s focus for this project is programming the two robots to work as human hands and complete the task of hanging the chicken without issues like the arms hitting one another.

They will test the robotics in the experiment station’s pilot chicken processing plant, with Owens overseeing the quality of meat handled by the robotic arms. The team will also use this project for opportunities in education and, with the help of Crandall, extension activities that target poultry and broader food industries.

Shou and She are excited to work on this project because of the advances they aim to make in artificial intelligence and multimodal sensing capabilities for intelligent robotic systems.

“With the new robotic system, we will generate new knowledge on mechanics and control,” She said.

Shou expressed confidence in the team to accomplish these advances.

“We have a great team to tackle the proposed project,” Shou said, highlighting the multiple disciplines the research involves, including manufacturing, sensors, robotics, mechanics, and computer vision and machine learning. “It has very promising applications for society,” he said.

Wang visualizes this project benefitting the scientific areas of tactile sensing, 3D imaging, dual robotic control and algorithms. He also sees it benefitting the poultry industry itself.

“It is very, very exciting that this kind of technology, even maybe not right now, but potentially, can help the local economic development and the local industry,” Wang said.

To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

Five slated to enter Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

The Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame is slated to add five new members to its ranks this year. Class XXXV induction ceremonies are set for 11:30 a.m. March 3 at the Little Rock Convention Center.

Inductees include Arkansas Century Farm owner/operator and philanthropist Ellis Bell of Forrest City; Arkansas State University professor of agricultural economics Bert Greenwalt of Jonesboro; innovative rice farmer Chris Isbell of Humnoke; veteran cotton farmer and industry leader Steve Stevens of Tillar; and the late Jessie (J.D.) Vaught of Horatio, a pioneer in contract livestock production.

“It’s an outstanding class of inductees reflecting the broad and diverse impact of agriculture across Arkansas,” said Hall of Fame’s committee chair Debbie Moreland of Roland. “These five include many different areas of agriculture. Agriculture is one of the great success stories of our state and that is sometimes overlooked. We’re pleased to bring recognition to these individuals who have impacted our state’s largest industry in such a positive way.”

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/01/five-slated-to-enter-arkansas-agriculture-hall-of-fame/

Arkansas governor celebrates beef, egg industry

KUAR | By Daniel Breen

May is officially Beef and Egg Month in the State of Arkansas.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson met with industry officials at the state Capitol Friday to discuss some of the challenges being faced by producers. Hutchinson said the agriculture industry continues to benefit from Arkansas’ positive economic position, with the state recently announcing a surplus of over $1 billion.

“We’re going to get [the surplus] back to you as quick as we can. So that’s, I think, a pretty good consensus among the legislature that we want to return that. We’ve lowered taxes and its really helped us grow our economy, but we’ve got to be able to return some of that surplus because it just keeps building,” Hutchinson said.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2022-04-29/arkansas-governor-celebrates-beef-egg-industry

Daniel Breen/KUAR News

Gov. Asa Hutchinson joined members of Arkansas' beef industry at the state Capitol on Friday.

States mull restrictions of foreign purchases of agriculture and forest lands

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Foreigners and foreign-based companies have owned agriculture and forestry land in the U.S. since before it was founded as a country, and in recent years that trend has been on the rise. As foreign ownership of U.S. farmlands increases, will more states consider restrictions on these land buys?

According to a 2020 USDA report, foreign persons hold an interest in nearly 37.6 million acres of private U.S. agricultural land, an increase of 2.4 million acres from 2019. Since 2015, foreign investments have increased an average of 2.2 million acres per year. Foreign investors from Canada, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom represent 63% of all foreign agricultural landholdings in the U.S.

The foreign investments have raised concerns. Over the past year, Missouri, Indiana, Texas, and Alabama have considered legislation that would restrict foreign investments and ownership of agricultural land within the boundaries of their states.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/04/states-mull-restrictions-of-foreign-purchases-of-agriculture-and-forest-lands/

Six inducted into Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

The Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame inducted six new members Friday (March 25) at a ceremony at the Little Rock Embassy Suites.

The newest inductees include:

• Retired Cooperative Extension Service Director Rick Cartwright of Fayetteville;

• Long-time ag educator Joe Don Greenwood of Hermitage;

• The late Russell Roy Reynolds, the director of the U.S. Forest Service Crossett Experimental Forest for 34 years;

• Former Arkansas Farm Bureau President Randy Veach of Manila;

• Mark Waldrip of Moro, founder of Armor Seed Company; and

• Andrew Wargo III of Watson, farm manager for the 15,000-acre Baxter Land Company for more than 50 years.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/03/six-inducted-into-arkansas-agriculture-hall-of-fame/

Arkansas study shows soybeans yield 10.5% more with cover crop

KUAR | By John Lovett/ UA Division of Agriculture

A three-year study conducted by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station shows that cover crops can improve yields in soybean fields. The study also answers a lingering question about wheat-double-crop systems.

The cost of a cover crop system is comparable to a traditional system with tilling and no cover crop because tilling is taken out of the equation, according to Trent Roberts, associate professor of soil fertility and testing for the experiment station and a soil specialist for the Cooperative Extension Service.

Roberts is holder of the Endowed Chair in Soil Fertility Research for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and gave a presentation on the cover crops and soil health study in soybean rotations as part of the 2021 Arkansas Rice and Soybean Field Day Online.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2021-10-31/arkansas-study-shows-soybeans-yield-10-5-more-with-cover-crop

Trent Roberts, holder of the Division of Agriculture's Endowed Chair in Soil Fertility Research, records a session on managing soil fertility in soybeans for the 2021 online soybean field day.

Arkansas researchers to join efforts to tackle herbicide resistant weed problem

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Herbicide resistant weeds are a significant threat to the Arkansas agriculture sector and scientists with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station are about to study new methods for dealing with this problem. Catching weed seeds before they start a new generation of herbicide-resistant plants is the tactic behind a relatively new method in the U.S. that weed scientists in Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri have partnered to investigate.

“When you take a look at weed management in general, it’s all really centered around soil seed bank management,” said Jason Norsworthy, Distinguished Professor of weed science with the experiment station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “If we can drive those soil seedbanks down it’s going to benefit us in terms of the future populations or densities we have in those fields as well as lessening the risk of herbicide resistance evolution and spread.”

The seeds can be caught in the chaff and crushed by a seed mill or laid down in a “chaff line” to consolidate and create a mulching effect, Norsworthy said.

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/10/arkansas-researchers-to-join-efforts-to-tackle-herbicide-resistant-weed-problem/

Arkansas researchers receive part of $10 million federal agriculture grant

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Two Arkansas researchers will be gauging consumer sentiment as well as evaluating any health and economic benefits of meat products from livestock raised on perennial forage systems. The goal is to significantly increase food production in the coming decades.

The $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, will focus on studying and promoting perennial forage systems. The grant is part of USDA’s efforts to increase U.S. farm production by 50% while reducing the environmental footprint for production by 40% by 2050. Arkansas was awarded just over $500,000 of the grant for its work.

The project is led by the University of Wisconsin–Madison and involves a team of more than 50 researchers and stakeholders from 23 universities, two USDA-Agricultural Research Service centers, as well as 12 farmer organizations, industry groups, non-governmental organizations, and government agencies.

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/10/arkansas-researchers-receive-part-of-10-million-federal-agriculture-grant/

Arkansas Department of Agriculture Links Farms to Schools

By JACQUELINE FROELICH & KYLE KELLAMS

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture has launched a new multiplatform website connecting schools engaged in gardening and agriculture to local farmers and growers. Sarah Lane who serves as Farm to School and Early Childhood Education Program Coordinator with the Arkansas Department of Agriculture says the new portal features interactive maps of school gardens, local procurement activities, participating farms and producers – which number around 800 statewide.

https://www.kuaf.com/post/arkansas-department-agriculture-links-farms-schools

Sarah Lane is Farm to School and Early Childhood Education Program Coordinator with the Arkansas Department of Agriculture.

COURTESY / SARAH LANE

Solar a Viable Option to Power Arkansas Poultry Farms

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Springdale native Millard Berry had an idea that would transform the agriculture industry in the Natural State. In 1893, he bought an incubator to raise chicks. Four years later, he was a founding member of the Arkansas Poultry Association and started the poultry industry in Arkansas, one that pumps billions of dollars into the state’s economy and produces thousands of jobs each year, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.

To support this expensive industry, scientists are constantly finding ways to reduce costs. Solar energy, net metering and grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have benefited a Cleveland County poultry grower, said Yi Liang, associate professor-biological and agricultural engineering.

“Poultry farming is an energy-intensive business, with gas and electricity as major expenses,” said Liang, who works as part of the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science.

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/07/solar-a-viable-option-to-power-arkansas-poultry-farms/

PANELS — Banks of solar panels set up as part of the Boyd farm installation in Cleveland County, Arkansas. (Image courtesy Stephen Boyd)

Fall Armyworms Appearing in High Numbers in Arkansas pastures

TRUE ARMYWORM - A key characteristic of true armyworm larvae is a brown net-like pattern on the head.

Media contact: Mary Hightower          mhightower@uada.edu               501-671-2006

July 15, 2021

Fall armyworms appearing in high numbers in Arkansas pastures

By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture

Fast facts

• High numbers of armyworms seen

• February’s deep freeze had little impact on populations

• Cattle producers should scout in the field

 FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The fall armyworms surging through Arkansas pastures and lawns apparently don’t understand the concept of a killing freeze.

Like the old saw, this army travels on its stomach, and searches for tender plants to eat. The armyworms can often render a lush pasture nearly barren in a day.

“Right now, we’re seeing populations well above treatment thresholds in southern, southwestern and western Arkansas from Mena into Fort Smith and Van Buren,” said Kelly Loftin, extension entomologist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “We’re seeing reports in north-central regions like Cleburne County over into Greene County.”

Numbers have been increasing each week for the last 2 1/2-3 weeks. Fall armyworm catches have been highest in the following:

• heavily fertilized Bermudagrass hay fields

• irrigated Bermudagrass hay fields

• hay fields where Signalgrass is present

• newly planted bermudagrass and crabgrass fields

“It’s a pretty intense year,” he said. “It’s a shocker.”

The deep freeze that took over much of Arkansas, Texas and other parts of the South back in February should’ve put the kibosh on fall armyworms.

“Armyworms overwinter as adults in south Texas,” Loftin said. “If we look at the temperatures we had in February, we would’ve expected more winter mortality.”

"Because of the extended rains during the spring, many ranchers had both quantity and quality issues in their first cutting of hay, making it all the more imperative to protect what’s left in meadows and pastures, for future grazing or cutting,” he said.

Scout pastures

John Jennings, professor and extension forage specialist for the Division of Agriculture, said lots of infestations are being reported.

“Often the armyworm moths are attracted to the most tender growing forage, so new growth on recently cut hay fields, well-managed pastures and newly planted summer forages like millet, sorghum/sudan, and crabgrass are at greatest risk,” he said.

Damage from small armyworms often shows up as light-colored grass tips similar to frost or as small patches of green tissue missing from the leaf surface called windowpane feeding. Damage from larger worms is more obvious with leaves and young stems being eaten.

“Producers should scout all fields closely with in-field observations and not from the pickup windshield,” Jennings said.

Find additional information at the extension armyworm page; https://www.uaex.edu/farm-ranch/pest-management/insect/armyworms.aspx

Download the fact sheets: “Managing Armyworms in Pastures and Fields,” https://www.uaex.edu/publications/pdf/FSA-7083.pdf and “Fall Armyworm Recognition and Management” at https://bit.ly/3wFGKen.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uark.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

About the Division of Agriculture

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.

The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

USDA Confirms Box Tree Moth and Takes Action to Contain and Eradicate the Pest

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/newsroom/stakeholder-info/sa_by_date/sa-2021/sa-05/box-tree-moth

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of box tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis, in the continental United States and is taking action alongside state partners and industry to contain and eradicate the invasive pest that was imported on nursery plants shipped from Ontario, Canada.

The box tree moth can significantly damage and potentially kill boxwood plants if left unchecked. Between August 2020 and April 2021, a nursery in St. Catharines, Ontario shipped boxwood (Buxus species) that may have been infested with box tree moth to locations in six states—25 retail facilities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, and South Carolina—and a distribution center in Tennessee. At this time, the pest has been identified in three facilities in Michigan, one in Connecticut, and one in South Carolina, and APHIS is working with state plant regulatory officials to determine whether other facilities may be impacted.

On May 26, 2021, APHIS issued a Federal Order to halt the importation of host plants from Canada, including boxwood (Buxus species), Euonymus (Euonymus species), and holly (Ilex species). In addition, APHIS is coordinating closely with the affected States to:

• Find and destroy the imported plants in the receiving facilities

• Trace imported plants that were sold to determine additional locations of potentially infected boxwood

• Provide box tree moth traps and lures for surveys in the receiving facilities and other locations that received potentially infected boxwood

• Prepare outreach materials for State agriculture departments, industry, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agriculture Specialists stationed along the Canadian border, and the public.

These immediate measures are focused on protecting the economic viability of the thriving U.S. boxwood industry as well as nurseries and other establishments that sell these plants wholesale and direct to consumers.

The box tree moth is native to East Asia and has become a serious invasive pest in Europe, where it continues to spread. In 2018, it was found in the Toronto area of Canada. The caterpillars feed mostly on boxwood and heavy infestations can defoliate host plants. Once the leaves are gone, larvae consume the bark, leading to girdling and plant death.

Members of the public can prevent the box tree moth from spreading. Please allow State or Federal agricultural officials to inspect your boxwood trees and place an insect trap if they visit your home. If you bought a boxwood plant within the last few months, please inspect it for signs of the box tree moth and report any findings to your local USDA office or State agriculture department.

USDA Disagrees With Court Order Halting Minority Loan Forgiveness Program

By CHRISTINE JONES

Approximately 16,000 socially disadvantaged farmers, otherwise known as minority farmers, were set to begin receiving about $4 billion in federal debt payment relief as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The funds were to help pay off approximately 20,000 farm loans that had been granted by the U.S. Agriculture Department or private firms to Black, Indigenous, Latino, and other minority farmers. However, those payments were placed on hold just days before they were set to begin going out.

In a lawsuit filed by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty representing 12 white farmers from nine states who are ineligible for the program, U.S. District Court Judge William C. Griesbach, ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to cease and desist forgiving loans based solely on the premise of race last on June 10.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/usda-disagrees-court-order-halting-minority-loan-forgiveness-program

A court order this month has halted a loan forgiveness program for minority farmers.

CREDIT CREATIVE COMMONS

Wet Spring Brings Plethora Of Complications For Arkansas' Agriculture

By SARAH KELLOGG

A rainier than average spring in Arkansas brought multiple complications to the state’s agriculture industry, some of which could have longer term implications later in the year.

Data from the National Weather Service’s Precipitation Plot shows that in mid-May, much of Arkansas, particularly western Arkansas, frequently accumulated at least a half inch of rain in a 24-hour period over multiple days. 

According to Amanda McWhirt, an extension specialist working on fruit and vegetable production for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Cooperative Extension, the wet weather could have an impact on the state’s strawberry crop, which growers were in the process of harvesting when the rain begain in earnest.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/wet-spring-brings-plethora-complications-arkansas-agriculture

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Vertical Farming Research to Expand in Arkansas

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

During the next 30 years, the world’s population is expected to increase by more than 3 billion people and feeding this many new people will be a challenge for farmers. One area that has seen rapid development in recent years is vertical farming and several stakeholders in Arkansas are joining forces to expand research into the practice.

Vertical farming business 80 Acres Farms has entered into a collaborative research agreement with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station to advance the science of vertical farming.

Scientists with the experiment station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, will coordinate with 80 Acres Farms researchers to pursue a variety of vertical farming research topics, said Bryan Renk, director of commercialization for the division’s Technology Commercialization Office.

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/04/vertical-farming-research-to-expand-in-arkansas/