Research

Cold plasma-treated seeds show potential to protect plants, reduce pesticide use

By Maddie Johnson
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The same substance that paints the sky with the Northern Lights also appears to enhance plant growth and insect defense, according to a new study.

FOURTH STATE OF MATTER — Cold plasma is applied to rice seeds to investigate its effects on plant growth and defense against the fall armyworm. (Image courtesy of Rupesh Kariyat)

Food science and entomology researchers from the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station teamed up to harness plasma and measure its effects on rice seed. The project began after Mahfuzur Rahman, assistant professor of food science, acquired a machine that produces cold plasma.

Known as the fourth state of matter, plasma is an electrically charged gas that has fluid-like behavior. Rahman points to the Northern Lights as the most familiar example of cold plasma, which means it is considered low temperature compared to the much higher temperatures of plasma in stars. Other examples of cold plasma like that generated in Rahman’s lab include fluorescent lights and neon signs.

Rupesh Kariyat, associate professor of crop entomology, became interested in investigating cold plasma’s effects from an insect perspective — an area he said had not been studied adequately.

“I thought it would be a good idea that we expose our seeds to cold plasma and then grow those seeds out into plants and ask the question of whether the plants are doing better,” Kariyat said.

“If this works, then we can come up with a method to expand at a scale where we can add cold plasma to complement existing seed treatments to boost their growth and defense against insect herbivores,” Kariyat said, noting the potential to reduce insecticide use.

One of Kariyat’s graduate students, Deepak Dilip, led the project in collaboration with Nikitha Modupalli, a postdoctoral fellow in food science and member of Rahman’s lab. Their study, "Atmospheric cold plasma alters plant traits and negatively affects the growth and development of fall armyworm in rice," was published in Nature's Scientific Reports in January.

Dilip served as the lead author, with Modupalli, Rahman and Kariyat serving as co-authors. Both Rahman and Kariyat are researchers with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Tracking seed germination and plant growth

The study specifically investigated rice plant defense against fall armyworm. Seeds were treated with cold plasma and then irrigated with cold plasma-activated water, which is water that has been treated with cold plasma and has some antimicrobial properties. The plasma interacts with water molecules to generate highly reactive molecules containing oxygen and nitrogen, which effectively kill bacteria.

The results revealed that rice seeds treated with cold plasma could negatively impact fall armyworms’ growth and development.

MEASURING GROWTH AND DEFENSE — Deepak Dilip, a graduate research assistant pursuing a master's degree in entomology, led the experiments with strong support from Nikitha Modupalli, food science postdoctoral fellow. (Image courtesy of Rupesh Kariyat)

Researchers also observed signs of improved plant growth such as more leaf growth. They also saw a faster germination rate in cold plasma-treated plants, though this was not statistically significant. It has been found that cold plasma can increase germination by eroding a seed’s surface.

Additionally, though germination rates were quicker, control plants eventually caught up with treated ones in terms of growth, making final germination counts similar between untreated and cold plasma-treated seeds. Researchers point out that this suggests cold plasma applications, though they can benefit initial plant growth, would not be as beneficial in later stages of the plant’s growth cycle.

As for the study’s impacts on the future, Kariyat and Rahman hope to apply cold plasma to the field of organic food production.

Rahman explained that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is evaluating cold plasma as an organic technology, potentially paving the way to alternatives for pesticides.

“In the future, if we can optimize this technology for organic production, it will create a very new avenue for organic food growth,” Rahman said.

To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on X at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.

Machine learning maps animal feeding operations to improve sustainability

By Maddie Johnson
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Understanding where farm animals are raised is crucial for managing their environmental impacts and developing technological solutions, but gaps in data often make it challenging to get the full picture.

Becca Muenich, biological and agricultural engineering researcher, set out to fill the gap with a new technique for mapping animal feeding operations.

MAPPING IT OUT — Becca Muenich, associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering and a researcher with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, used machine learning tools to model the locations of animal feeding operations in the U.S. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Paden Johnson)

Without proper control strategies, the waste generated by these operations can pose significant ecological harm, Muenich said, such as surface water contamination with excess phosphorus and nitrogen. Animal feeding operations are defined as facilities that feed animals for at least 45 days per year in a confined area that does not grow grass or forage. For Muenich, a water quality engineer who focuses on how water moves through landscapes and how it can pollute areas by picking up and moving toxic materials, this issue piqued her interest.

“We can’t really address something if we don’t know where the problem is,” said Muenich, an associate professor with the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas and researcher for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

“We don’t have a good nationwide — even at many state levels — understanding of where livestock are in the landscape, which really hinders our ability to do some of the studies that I was interested in,” she said.

Muenich said there has been a rise in these feeding operations in response to increasing population size and global demand for livestock products.

Considering key predictors of feeding operation presence such as surface temperature, phosphorus levels and surrounding vegetation, Muenich’s team built a machine learning model that can predict the location of feeding operation locations without using aerial images. Machine learning models are a type of computer program that can use algorithms to make predictions based on data patterns.

The model was developed using data encompassing 18 U.S. states. The data was broken up into individual parcels based on ownership. Testing against a dataset of known animal feeding operations, the model predicted their location with 87 percent accuracy.

The study, “Machine learning-based identification of animal feeding operations in the United States on a parcel-scale,” was published in Science of the Total Environment in January.

Filling in the gaps

Previous attempts at identifying animal feeding operations have often relied on aerial images, Muenich said, but livestock facilities often look different between states and by animal, so she and her team aimed to employ further strategies.

MACHINE LEARNING — Muenich and her collaborators published their study in the Total Environment journal, outlining the development and results of their machine learning-based modeling. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Paden Johnson)

She explained the lack of understanding surrounding livestock locations often comes from differences in how states interpret the Clean Water Act, which requires farms classified as “concentrated animal feeding operations” to get permits through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. These facilities are a type of animal feeding operation with more than 1,000 animal units.

Despite the national regulation, states administer this permitting differently, leading to differences in available data.

For example, Muenich built a watershed model in an area with of Michigan and Ohio that included multiple feeding operations. Data was readily available through the pollutant elimination system for Michigan due to the state’s permitting requirements. The same data, however, wasn’t available for the same operations in Ohio, which set Muenich down this path of investigation.

Advancing towards a better accounting of livestock can help with developing strategies that can improve environmental outcomes of livestock management while creating economic opportunities for farmers through the scaling up of technologies aimed at combating animal waste, Muenich said. Scaling these technologies in economically feasible ways requires knowledge of where livestock are most prevalent and spatially connected, she explained.

Co-authors of the study included Arghajeet Saha, formerly a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Arkansas and currently an assistant scientist with the Kansas Geological Survey; Barira Rashid, Ph.D. student at the University of Arkansas; Ting Liu, a research associate with the University of Arkansas biological and agricultural engineering department; and Lorrayne Miralha, an assistant professor with The Ohio State University’s department of food, agricultural and biological engineering.

The research was supported by the Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability Center under National Science Foundation award number CBET-2019435. The Data with Purpose program from Regrid, a source for nationwide land parcel data, provided data used in the research.

​To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on X at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.

Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention Highlighted at Research Showcase

By Kev' Moye

The Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention took center stage in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Division of Research and Innovation’s latest Showcase of Medical Discoveries.

The center in the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health aims to understand the causes of birth defects and to reduce the number of babies born with birth defects. Conducting extensive research and developing community partnerships is key to the center fulfilling its mission.

The Feb. 5 showcase spotlighted 16 of the center’s research projects.

Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention Highlighted at Research Showcase

Chicken ‘woody breast’ detection improved with advanced machine learning model

By John Lovett
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It’s called “woody breast” and for consumers it can mean a chewier chicken sandwich, but for the industry it can mean up to $200 million annual yield loss.

IMPROVED METHOD — Chaitanya Pallerla, a food science graduate student, has worked to improve the accuracy of detecting the "woody breast" defect on chicken by developing a new machine learning model and hyperspectral imaging. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

Work done by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station is not only making woody breast easier to detect in chicken meat but is accurate up to 95 percent of the time.

The development could help improve quality assurance and customer confidence in one of the state’s most economically important agricultural products. What allows researchers to see inside the meat is a combination of a hyperspectral camera, which examines the meat through various energy wavelengths, and machine learning to interpret what the camera sees.

“We’ve been able to improve accuracy of detection of woody breast by utilizing machine learning to analyze complex data from images with a hyperspectral camera,” said Dongyi Wang, an assistant professor in the biological and agricultural engineering department for the experiment station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

“The next step will be trying to integrate the system online and make this beneficial for stakeholders,” Wang said, noting this specific application of image analysis had not been done before.

Loss in premium meat

“Woody breast” meat is harder and chewier than normal chicken breast, but it is still safe to eat, according to Casey Owens, professor of poultry processing and products for the experiment station and a co-author of the study. When detected by processers, either by humans or computer-assisted imaging technology, she said the meat is diverted from whole-breast packaging for further processing into products including chicken nuggets and patties.

The loss in premium as a whole-muscle product accounts for yield loss as high as $200 million in Arkansas and over $1 billion in direct and indirect costs annually across the United States poultry industry, Owens added. Up to 20 percent of chicken breast meat can have the defect, which is more common in larger birds of 8 to 9 pounds versus 6- to 7-pound birds.

Hyperspectral imaging

Hyperspectral imaging is a rapid, non-invasive way to capture detailed data about objects and their composition. This data can be used to classify food products according to food quality, consumer preferences and other product requirements.

But hyperspectral images come with tons of data. That’s where machine learning comes in.

Chaitanya Pallerla, a food science graduate student who has been working on the project for the past two years with Wang as his adviser, said the new machine learning model is called NAS-WD. When correlated with known data about the “woodiness” of chicken breasts, the model allows for deeper and wider analysis of hyperspectral images to identify the defect.

“In hyperspectral imaging, there are common machine learning models being used, but we were able to develop a new model that could be well-suited for correlating more than two variables,” Pallerla said. “We kind of took two different models, made a few changes, and put them together to detect patterns better and correlate the hyperspectral data with hardness of the chicken meat.”

The results of their research were published in the journal Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture under the title “Neural network architecture search enabled wide-deep learning (NAS-WD) for spatially heterogenous property awared chicken woody breast classification and hardness regression.”

The results showed that NAS-WD can classify three woody breast defect levels with an overall accuracy of 95 percent, outperforming the traditional models like the Support Vector Machine and Multi-Layer Perception, which offered 80 percent and about 73 percent accuracy, respectively.

HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGING — Dongyi Wang is an assistant professor in the biological and agricultural engineering department. (U of A System Division of Agriculture)

Wang said the study offers an example of how to use new algorithms to mine data and dig into key information. The form of hyperspectral imaging used in the research is called “push broom,” which takes an image of several objects once every 40 seconds, compared to a more common industry method of a “snapshot,” which takes an image of individual objects as fast as every 30 milliseconds. The “snapshots” have a lower resolution than the “push broom” method, but software upgrades may one day provide higher resolution for “snapshot” images, Pallerla said.

Wang said his team is working on deploying this technology in the real-time system.

The study was supported in part by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, project award nos. 2023-70442-39232 and 2024-67022-42882, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture.

To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on X at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.

UAMS Study Finds Mothers Living in Rural Areas or Covered by Medicaid Less Likely to Receive Prenatal Care

By David Wise

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas mothers who live in rural areas and/or who have a Medicaid-covered birth are less likely to receive early prenatal care or receive an adequate number of prenatal care visits, according to a study published recently by researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Institute for Community Health Innovation.

The study, “Sociodemographic factors associated with prenatal care utilization in Arkansas, United States,” analyzed prenatal care utilization among women in Arkansas. Researchers found that mothers with a Medicaid-covered birth were more likely to have fewer than the recommended number of prenatal care visits, more likely to initiate prenatal care late, and more likely to have no prenatal visits at all.

Researchers also found that some minority groups — specifically Black and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander populations — were more likely to experience late or less than the recommended number of prenatal care visits compared to white mothers.

UAMS Study Finds Mothers Living in Rural Areas or Covered by Medicaid Less Likely to Receive Prenatal Care

Worthington wins a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture horticulture professor and researcher was recently bestowed the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

Margaret Worthington, associate professor of fruit breeding and genetics for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, received one of the highest honors given by the United States government following a nomination in association with a blackberry breeding project supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

PRESIDENTIAL AWARD — Margaret Worthington, associate professor of fruit breeding and genetics, received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. (U of A System Division of Agriculture)

Worthington’s award comes with $250,000 in additional grant funding that she intends to use in hiring a post-doctoral bioinformatics specialist to help in her research. The money will also come in handy, she said, to support her travels back and forth from Fayetteville to the Fruit Research Station in Clarksville.

In addition to teaching courses in the horticulture department for the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas, she is the director of the Arkansas Fruit Breeding Program for the experiment station.

“It’s very exciting to get it,” Worthington said Jan. 15. “It’s a nice honor, and I’m very thankful.”

Worthington is among nearly 400 new PECASE Award honorees. According to a Jan. 14 Biden Administration White House news release, the PECASE Award is “the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers.” The awards are conferred annually at the White House following recommendations from participating federal agencies.

Worthington joined the experiment station, the research arm of the Division of Agriculture, in 2016. She became director of the Fruit Breeding Program in 2023 and was among the international team of scientists that year to assemble the first complete sequence of the blackberry genome,

She is currently also serving as co-director of the $7 million NIFA-grant-supported national effort called “Through the Grapevine: Developing Vitis x Muscadinia Wide Hybrids for Enhanced Disease Resistance and Quality.”

“This PECASE Award demonstrates the national and international value and excellence provided by Dr. Margaret Worthington to fruit breeding, and we are thrilled for her to receive this,” said Mary Savin, professor and head of the horticulture department. “The nomination and receipt of this award highlights Margaret’s capabilities and contributions to horticultural science and research and reinforces that NIFA recognizes — and has recognized — her value to advance fruit science, production and sustainability.”

To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on X at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.

Discovery Farms Conference set for Feb. 13-14 in Fayetteville

By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — The work of Arkansas Discovery Farms, the program that conducts agriculture research under real-world conditions on working farms, will be showcased during its Climate Smart Agriculture Conference on Feb. 13-14.

The conference will be held at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences in Fayetteville.

Registration is available online and registering by Feb. 10 is appreciated for a meal headcount.

Lunch will be provided both days. There is no cost to register.

Arkansas Extension Irrigation Educator Mike Hamilton speaking at a  joint NRCS/Cooperative Extension Service training conducted at Robby Bevis farm in Lonoke County, Arkansas. Conservation efforts are a key part of the Discovery Farms program. Taken Aug. 2018. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

“If you have an interest in farming, agriculture, conservation, environmental research, carbon research, climate smart research, you should be there,” said Lee Riley, extension program associate for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “If you love sustainable agriculture, what could be better than spending Valentine’s Day learning about Arkansas Discovery Farms' research projects?”

Arkansas Extension Irrigation Educator Mike Hamilton speaking at a joint NRCS/Cooperative Extension Service training conducted at Robby Bevis farm in Lonoke County, Arkansas. Taken Aug. 2018. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

This year’s conference features two keynoters, John Anderson, director of the Cooperative Extension Service, on Feb. 13, and Amanda Mathis, the Arkansas conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Riley said that the first day “is farmer and industry partner focused, highlighting some of our farmers' experience from the research we're conducting with them and audience participation discussion panels — including question and answer sessions — from our Discovery Farmers and industry partners.

“Day two is more research-focused, several of the research team and partners sharing what they are doing and their findings on several of their Climate Smart research projects,” he said.

The conference will also feature a student research poster content with awards held during lunch on the second day. The deadline for contestants to register is Feb. 7.

Additional details on presenters will be available at the conference webpage.

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. 

From pets to pests: Researchers explore new tool to fight disease-carrying insects

By Jenifer Fouch
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas researchers are testing a product commonly used to treat ticks and fleas on pets to target fly and mosquito larvae with the goal of helping reduce the spread of diseases carried by these insects.

FROM PETS TO PESTS — Fly plates in the lab being tested as part of a research project investigating the efficacy of fluralaner as a larvacide. (U of A Division of Agriculture photo by Emily McDermott.)

After switching to fluralaner as a veterinary medication for her dog, Emily McDermott, assistant professor of medical and veterinary entomology and a researcher for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, was curious about exploring other possible applications for it.

“The reason I put my dog on this fluralaner drug is because the spot-on treatments were not working very well,” she said. “Fluralaner is exciting because it has a different mode of action than current insecticides.”

The drug prevents insects’ nerve cells from working properly, disrupting their nervous systems.

McDermott says previous studies had shown promising results when fluralaner was applied as a spray but that it’s much more effective if ingested orally.

McDermott and Ph.D. student Blythe Lawson conducted research to find out if fluralaner would be effective as a larvicide and the best method to feed it to the larvae.

By treating larvae directly, they were able to use less chemicals and target specific areas where larvae are concentrated, reducing the need for widespread spraying and minimizing the risk of contaminating waterways and the environment.

The study “Successful yeast microencapsulation of fluralaner and its potential as a larvicide for vector control,” was published in the Acta Tropica journal in August.

TROJAN HORSE — Blythe Lawson, Ph.D. student in the entomology and plant pathology department, performs tests in the lab as part of research investigating how fluralaner could potentially be used as a larvicide. (U of A Division of Agriculture photo by Emily McDermott.)

“Fluralaner is an up-and-coming synthetic chemical, and there’s a lot of interest in expanding its use,” Lawson said. “There’s a big need for larvicides in the market; there are only a few for mosquitoes.” 

Flies and mosquitoes can carry diseases such as malaria, dengue and Zika virus. McDermott says disease vectors such as mosquitoes and flies have developed resistance to commonly used drugs and traditional methods often target adult insects. But Lawson and McDermott investigated ways to use fluralaner to target these insect’s larvae before they develop into adults, which is when they are most likely to spread diseases or become pests.

“You can knock those populations down before they start causing problems,” McDermott said.

Fluralaner is sold in chewable form for pets under the brand name Bravecto, currently the only labeled form of fluralaner in the United States.

The Trojan horse method  

McDermott and Lawson used a yeast microencapsulation technique to investigate if fluralaner would work. They encapsulated yeast cells with the insecticide and then tested it on larvae of three species:

  • Common house fly— Musca domestica

  • Asian tiger mosquito — Aedes albopictus

  • Biting midge — Culicoides sonorensis, the most common midge in much of eastern U.S.

McDermott and Lawson said the larvae of these species naturally consume microorganisms such as yeast, making the microencapsulation an ideal delivery method.

“It acts like a Trojan horse,” Lawson said.

Their research showed fluralaner is effective and long-lasting as a larvicide. The study found that a single application of microencapsulated fluralaner could control mosquito larvae for five weeks and midge larvae for eight weeks.

BUG OFF — Emily McDermott, assistant professor in the department of entomology and plant pathology, started researching expanded uses for fluralaner after treating her dog with the drug. (UA System Division of Agriculture photo by Fred Miller)

“We compared our product to a couple of commercially available mosquito larvicides, and we found that it was as effective or more effective than the products that are currently on the market,” McDermott said.

The study also found that a higher concentration is needed to kill off housefly larvae compared to mosquitoes or biting midges, which McDermott says was not surprising given that houseflies are larger.

However, McDermott said the midges seemed to be less sensitive to the larvicide than mosquitoes, which was not expected because the midge larvae are much smaller than the mosquito larvae.

“So, we do think there’s a size component to this, but it’s not just size — there’s something about the physiology of the insects as well,” she said.

Future use

McDermott envisions this research will lead to the development of a product that could be used around households and trash collection sites, for example.

“The way our product is formulated is that after we encapsulate the active ingredient in the yeast, we freeze-dry it and get it back down to a powdered yeast form,” she said. “We envision this product could be in a backpack sprayer, and you would spray it like any other kind of insecticide.”

McDermott says her team is engaging with industry partners to move forward with this patent-pending technology.

‘We’re still several steps away from a commercial application,” she said. “With further testing and development, this yeast-based larvicide could provide a new tool for vector-control efforts and public health.”

This study was supported by Deployed Warfighter Protection Program Award No. W911QY2210003. The DWFP is a research program tasked with developing and testing management tools for pest and vector species that transmit diseases to deployed war-fighters. It’s administered by the Armed Forces Pest Management Board and sponsored by the Department of Defense.

To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on X at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.

TRI-Supported Researcher Megha Sharma, M.D., Published in Pediatrics

By David Robinson

A successful effort at UAMS to reduce the amount of blood taken for lab tests from premature infants has been published in the journal Pediatrics.

The project was led by Megha Sharma, M.D., a neonatologist and associate professor in the College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics. Her work was conducted in the UAMS Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) over two years as part of the UAMS Translational Research Institute’s Implementation Science Scholars Program. Her paper, “Reducing Iatrogenic Blood Losses in Premature Infants,” was published in September.

Research has shown that blood loss from repetitive lab testing is a significant contributor to anemia in very low birth weight infants (less than 3.3 pounds). The blood lost from lab tests in the first few weeks of life often equals or exceeds the amount of an infant’s total blood volume, which is only 2-3 ounces. It can lead to a range of poor health outcomes.

TRI-Supported Researcher Megha Sharma, M.D., Published in Pediatrics

Survey assesses Mexican consumers’ opinions on GMO corn import ban

By John Lovett
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A fully implemented ban on genetically modified corn in Mexico could disproportionately affect the nation’s lower-income consumers, according to a recently published study by agricultural economists with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

It would also have a negative impact on American farmers. Over 90 percent of corn grown in the United States is genetically modified, and Mexico is the second-largest importer of U.S. corn after China. Eggs and poultry meat account for about half of protein intake, and tortillas provide 13 to 20 percent of caloric intake for Mexicans, according to articles and studies cited in the Division of Agriculture study titled “Potential response of Mexican consumers to a ban on genetically modified maize imports.”

CORN SURVEY — Agricultural economists with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station conducted a survey of Mexican consumers on their nation's ban of genetically modified corn. (U of A System Division of Agriculture)

“More than half of the people we surveyed in Mexico were not even aware of the ban, and of those who did know about it and supported it, many of them changed their opinion when they saw how much prices could go up and how many jobs could be lost,” said Brandon McFadden, a lead author of the study and a professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the Division of Agriculture.

The study, published in the journal Food Security, was co-authored by Lawton Lanier Nalley, Alvaro Durand-Morat, Katie Loethen, and Wei Yang. Nalley is head of the agricultural economics and agribusiness department. Durand-Morat is an associate professor and the L.C. Carter Endowed Chair in the department. Loethen is an agricultural economics graduate student at the University of Arkansas, and Yang is an agricultural economics graduate student at Texas A&M University.

“While this study primarily focused on the impacts to Mexican maize consumers, there are tangible impacts to the U.S. maize industry from the ban,” Nalley said. “Mexico relies heavily on U.S. maize imports, mainly yellow maize, for livestock production. Since over 90 percent of U.S. maize is genetically modified, the decree would drastically impact bilateral trade should the GM ban be implemented.”

Maize is the Spanish word for what is called corn in the U.S. The industry uses “GM” and “GMO” interchangeably for genetically modified, or genetically modified organism.

McFadden said the study was conducted to fill gaps in understanding what Mexican consumers would be willing to pay for the impacts of Mexican bans on genetically modified corn and the herbicide glyphosate. The research also helps estimate the burden on low-income consumers who could likely not afford the premiums for products made from non-genetically modified corn, he added.

Presidential decrees

On Dec. 31, 2020, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s administration published a decree calling for the nation to phase out the herbicide glyphosate and genetically modified maize, or corn, for animal and human consumption by Jan. 31, 2024. In a follow-up decree on Feb. 13, 2023, the Mexican government exempted genetically modified corn for animal feed.

President Claudia Sheinbaum, who took office Oct. 1, has indicated her administration will continue enforcing the decree.

The consumer perception study, led by McFadden as the Tyson Endowed Chair in Food Policy Economics, was conducted in April 2023 and surveyed 1,301 Mexicans who were age 18 or over. About 5 percent of the sample did not consume all the food products, so 1,238 respondents completed the survey. Durand-Morat, whose native language is Spanish, translated the questions and the results.

What is GM corn?

Most genetically modified corn is created to resist insect pests or tolerate herbicides. Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt, corn is a genetically modified corn that produces proteins that are toxic to certain insects but not to humans, pets, livestock, or other animals, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“These are the same types of proteins that organic farmers use to control insect pests, and they do not harm beneficial insects, such as ladybugs,” the FDA noted. “GMO Bt corn reduces the need for spraying insecticides while still preventing insect damage. While a lot of GMO corn goes into processed foods and drinks, most of it is used to feed livestock, like cows, and poultry, like chickens.”

Most crops fed to animals are genetically modified, but not those directly eaten by humans, according to Michael Kidd, professor of poultry nutrition in the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science for the Division of Agriculture.

Willing to pay?

On average, those surveyed were willing to pay a premium of 73 percent for chicken, 50 percent for eggs, and 50 percent for tortillas produced with non-genetically modified corn. These premium estimates are more significant than the potential price increases of 67 percent for chicken and 30 percent for tortillas, as estimated by a 2022 World Perspectives study that provided estimates on price increases.

Breaking the results down by groups, however, is more of a mixed bag, McFadden said. Out of the entire group of respondents, less than half — 46 percent — were aware of the decrees. The people who were aware of and supported the ban were willing to pay higher than average for non-genetically modified products and animal products that had eaten GM feed. Respondents who supported it were willing to pay 91 percent more for chicken, 71 percent more for eggs, and 66 percent more for tortillas.

In the lowest-income category with an annual income of less than 7,000 pesos — or about $350 — those unaware of the ban were only willing to pay premiums of 46 percent for chicken, 21 percent for eggs, and 25 percent for tortillas.

Human health was the largest reason given by respondents supportive of the GMO ban, representing 85 percent of that group. Other less significant reasons included protecting Mexican heritage, environmental concern and protecting cultural heritage.

Public opinion at odds with FDA

The weighted average of responses indicated that consumers did not feel that genetically modified products of corn were safe to eat in tortillas. However, they felt it was safer than consuming poultry fed genetically modified corn feed. Those surveyed also considered genetically modified corn grown in Mexico as safer than that grown in the U.S.

The consumer perception results clash with the FDA’s position on genetically modified corn for chicken feed and the Mexican government’s exemption on genetically modified corn for animal feed.

The safety perception rankings from survey respondents for tortillas and tamale husks were significantly higher than eggs or chicken. And consumers felt it was safer for eggs than chicken meat. The results for the safety rankings of products align with research in the U.S., McFadden noted, concluding that consumers are generally more averse to fresh products like meat from animals fed with genetically modified corn than processed products using genetically modified corn.

The FDA, basing its statement on independent studies, says there is “no difference in how GMO and non-GMO foods affect the health and safety of animals.” More than 95 percent of animals used for meat and dairy in the United States eat genetically modified crops.

“The DNA in the GMO food does not transfer to the animal that eats it,” the FDA states. “This means that animals that eat GMO food do not turn into GMOs. Similarly, the DNA from GMO animal food does not make it into the meat, eggs, or milk from the animal. Research shows that foods like eggs, dairy products, and meat that come from animals that eat GMO food are equal in nutritional value, safety, and quality to foods made from animals that eat only non-GMO food.”

The FDA also notes that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency “continues to find that there are no risks to public health when glyphosate is used in accordance with its current label.” The International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded that glyphosate may be a carcinogen, while several others, including the European Food Safety Authority and the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Meeting on Pesticide Residues, have determined that it is unlikely to be a carcinogen, the FDA added.

Food security and jobs

About 45 percent of Mexicans live in poverty, and 23 percent are food insecure, the consumer perception study noted. If the estimated price changes reported by World Perspectives in 2022 are correct, the ban will likely exacerbate food insecurity, McFadden said, because lower-income Mexican consumers spend a larger proportion of their relative and absolute income on tortillas than the wealthiest people.

In addition to the increases in corn prices, the World Perspectives study estimated the original decree would result in 56,958 jobs lost in Mexico. Supporters of the ban were asked if they would still support the decree given a potential loss of jobs for 55,000 Mexicans.

The proportion of respondents who were aware and supported the decree decreased from 77 to 46 percent when provided information about the potential jobs lost due to the decree. The decree support dropped to 56 percent when provided information about increases in corn prices.

McFadden said employment reductions could come from a cascading effect of increased food prices, which decreases spending on other goods and in turn a decreased gross domestic product, the measure of a country's economic health.

Previous bans in other countries

Food security risks associated with genetically modified food bans have taken place in other countries, the consumer perception study noted. In 2020, Zimbabwe lifted an import ban on genetically modified foods that had been in place for 12 years after the worst drought in decades resulted in more than half of the population needing food aid. Kenya had also banned genetically modified crops in 2012, then lifted the ban in 2022 after soaring food prices amid the African nation’s worst drought in four decades.

To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on X at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.

Grapes, blackberries, poultry immune system enhancement methods among patents recognized at annual Ag Awards

By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — New fruit varieties and a means to enhance poultry immune systems developed by University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture scientists were among 10 patents recognized Friday during the annual Agriculture Awards.

PATENTS — Jason Norsworthy, Distinguished Professor and Elms Farming Chair of Weed Science in the crop, soil and environmental sciences department, center, accepts a patent award from Parker Cole, left, associate director of technology commercialization, and Jean-François Meullenet, director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and senior associate vice president for agriculture-research for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Mary Hightower)

All of the patents arose from discoveries made by scientists within the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Cooperative Extension Service and some with the help of graduate students within the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.

“I’m always excited about what our innovative researchers are doing,” said Lisa Childs, assistant vice president for technology commercialization for the Division of Agriculture. She is also a patent attorney.

“Once again this year, we have patents that reflect some of the broad range of commercially interesting research in the division,” she said. “We’ve had patents issue from horticulture, the rice research and extension center, entomology and plant pathology, poultry science, and crop soil and environmental science, and they all have in common the desire to make our world a better place to live in.”

Recognized this year were:

  • Burkholderia Cenocepacia and Pseudomonas Fluorescens Compositions and Methods of Using the Same: Alejandro Rojas – department of entomology and plant pathology; and Ruben Morawicki – department of food science

  • Table Grape Named A-1400 ‘Southern Sensation’: John Clark – department of horticulture

  • Herbicide-Resistant Grain Sorghum: Jason Norsworthy and Muthukumar Bagavathiannan – department of crop, soil, and environmental sciences

  • Robust Water Trading and Irrigation Performance Meter Measurement System: Christopher Henry – Rice Research and Extension Center

  • Pseudomonas Protegens and Products Thereof to Control Bacterial Panicle Blight of Rice: Alejandro Rojas – department of entomology and plant pathology

  • Blackberry Plant Named ‘APF-404T’: John Clark – department of horticulture

  • Blackberry Plant Named APF-409T: John Clark – department of horticulture

  • Table Grape Named ‘Compassion’: John Clark – department of horticulture

  • Novel Mucosal Adjuvants and Delivery Systems: Amanda Wolfenden-Bray, Billy Hargis, Guillermo Tellez-Isaias, Marion Morgan, Neil Pumford, and Srichaitanya Shivaramaiah – department of poultry science

  • Compositions and Methods of Enhancing Immune Responses to Eimeria or Limiting Eimeria: Billy Hargis, Lisa Bielke, Olivia Faulkner, and Srichaitanya Shivaramaiah – department of poultry science

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. 

UA professor to study bias with $3.4 million federal grant

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

Anastasia Makhanova, a psychology professor at the University of Arkansas, has been awarded a $3.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. She will use the money to lead a five-year study on how stress and illness may cause bias in healthcare workers.

“Most people tend to focus on individual differences when it comes to looking at bias,” Makhanova said. “There’s been a lot less attention to the fact that the same people can make more biased decisions in particular situations.”

Research shows that, on average, patients from racial and ethnic minority groups receive worse care than white patients. By identifying situations that could cause a medical provider to act with increased bias, Makhanova’s research can show health care workers the more effective times to use existing anti-bias strategies. The results could also lead to systematic changes that reduce burnout and encourage health care providers to not work when they are sick.

UA professor to study bias with $3.4 million federal grant

Study offers improvements to food quality computer predictions

By John Lovett
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Have you ever stood in front of apples on display at the grocery store trying to pick out the best ones and wondered, “Is there an app for this?”

FOOD QUALITY PREDICTION — Dongyi Wang's study showed computer prediction of food quality improved when based on human perceptions under various lighting situations. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Paden Johnson)

Current machine-learning based computer models used for predicting food quality are not as consistent as a human’s ability to adapt to environmental conditions. Still, information compiled in an Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station study may be used someday to develop that app, as well as provide grocery stores with insights on presenting foods in a more appealing manner and optimize software designs for machine vision systems used in processing facilities.

The study led by Dongyi Wang, assistant professor of smart agriculture and food manufacturing in the biological and agricultural engineering department and the food science department, was recently published in the Journal of Food Engineering.

Even though human perception of food quality can be manipulated with illumination, the study showed that computers trained with data from human perceptions of food quality made more consistent food quality predictions under different lighting conditions.

“When studying the reliability of machine-learning models, the first thing you need to do is evaluate the human’s reliability,” Wang said. “But there are differences in human perception. What we are trying to do is train our machine-learning models to be more reliable and consistent.”

The study, supported by the National Science Foundation, showed that computer prediction errors can be decreased by about 20 percent using data from human perceptions of photos under different lighting conditions. It outperforms an established model that trains a computer using pictures without human perception variability taken into consideration.

Even though machine vision techniques have been widely studied and applied in the food engineering field, the study noted that most current algorithms are trained based on “human-labeled ground truths or simple color information.” No studies have considered the effects of illumination variations on human perception, and how the biases can affect the training of machine vision models for food quality evaluations, the authors stated.

The researchers used lettuce to evaluate human perceptions under different lighting conditions, which were in turn used to train the computer model. Sensory evaluations were done at the experiment station’s Sensory Science Center. Han-Seok Seo, professor in the food science department and director of the Sensory Science Center, was a co-author of the study.

Out of 109 participants in a broad age range, 89 completed all nine sensory sessions of the human perceptional reliability phase of the study. None of the participants were color blind or had vision problems. In five consecutive days, the panelists evaluated 75 images of Romaine lettuce each day. They graded freshness of the lettuce on a scale of zero to 100.

The images of lettuce the sensory panel graded were of samples photographed over the course of eight days to provide different levels of browning. They were taken under different lighting brightness and color temperatures, ranging from a blueish “cool” tone to an orangey “warm” tone, to obtain a dataset of 675 images.

Several well-established machine learning models were applied to evaluate the same images as the sensory panel, the study noted. Different neural network models used the sample images as inputs and were trained to predict the corresponding average human grading to better mimic human perception.

As seen in other experiments at the Sensory Science Center, human perception of food quality can be manipulated with illumination. For example, warmer environmental colors can disguise lettuce browning, Wang explained.

Wang said the method to train machine vision-based computers using human perceptions under different lighting conditions could be applied to many things, from foods to jewelry.

Other co-authors of the study from the University of Arkansas included Shengfan Zhang, associate professor of industrial engineering in the College of Engineering; Swarna Sethu, former post-doctoral researcher in biological and agricultural engineering department, and now assistant professor of Computer Information Sciences at Missouri Southern State University; and Victoria J. Hogan, program assistant in the food science department.

The study was supported by the National Science Foundation, grant numbers OIA-1946391 and No. 2300281. The authors also recognized graduate and senior undergraduate students Olivia Torres, Robert Blindauer and Yihong Feng for helping collect, analyze and grade samples.

To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on X at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.

UAMS Researcher to Develop Supervision Strategy for Addiction Treatment Programs

By Kev' Moye

Jure Baloh, Ph.D., MHA, assistant professor in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health’s Department of Health Policy and Management, is leading a study designed to develop and pilot a supervision strategy to support management and staff of addiction treatment programs.

The three-year project launched in August. It’s funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse for nearly $700,000. The study will provide the foundation for a large-scale test of the strategy in the future.

“We’re trying to develop a system for addiction treatment facility supervisors to help support their counselors,” Baloh said. “That way, supervisors and staff can feel empowered and have the tools to help them do their jobs well. We think this approach can also help reduce the rates of burnout. We want to solve those issues.”

UAMS Researcher to Develop Supervision Strategy for Addiction Treatment Programs

UAMS Receives Nearly $2.2 Million Federal Grant to Study Immune Response to Eye Disease

By Benjamin Waldrum

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) received a five-year, nearly $2.2 million federal grant to study how modulating the body’s immune response may potentially benefit patients with certain eye diseases.

The National Eye Institute (NEI) awarded the grant to a laboratory led by Abdel Fouda, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the UAMS College of Medicine. Fouda specializes in studying retinal ischemic diseases, which are common causes of vision impairment caused by a lack of blood flow to the retina. His lab focuses on developing new therapies for ischemic and trauma-induced retinopathy.

The grant allows Fouda’s lab to study the role of a certain type of immune cells, called myeloid cells, in retinopathy. In a process called efferocytosis, myeloid cells engulf, or eat, and remove dead cells as part of the body’s natural immune response. Although efferocytosis is well-documented for various diseases, its impact on retinopathy is largely unknown. Fouda’s initial data shows that efferocytosis could play a beneficial role in treating retinopathy. The project will explore methods of treatment to enhance myeloid cell-mediated efferocytosis, potentially leading to improved injury recovery and better patient outcomes.

UAMS Receives Nearly $2.2 Million Federal Grant to Study Immune Response to Eye Disease

Graduate School Program Gives Undergraduates a Chance to Explore Research

By Nathan Tidwell

For many undergraduate students, research isn’t an area they often get to experience. The Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) at the University of Arkansas of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) offers that opportunity.

SURP is a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-funded effort sponsored by the UAMS Graduate School.

Program co-directors are:

  • Robert E. McGehee Jr., Ph.D., dean emeritus of the Graduate School, distinguished professor in the College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics and executive director of the Arkansas Biosciences Institute

  • Billy Thomas, M.D., professor and neonatologist in the College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics

Eleven students from six different colleges and universities were chosen for this year’s program, which ran from May 20-July 19.

Graduate School Program Gives Undergraduates a Chance to Explore Research

UAMS Researchers Discover Cholesterol Drug’s Potential as Treatment for Alzheimer’s, Other Dementia

By Chris Carmody

Researchers from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) have discovered that an FDA-approved cholesterol drug holds the potential to disrupt the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

The research team published its findings in the journal Aging Biology. Akshatha Ganne, a postdoctoral fellow in the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Geriatrics, is the lead author. Srinivas Ayyadevara, Ph.D., associate professor in the College of Medicine, and Robert J. Shmookler Reis, Ph.D., professor in the College of Medicine, are the corresponding/senior authors of the paper.

Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002, ezetimibe is a prescription medication that reduces the amount of cholesterol absorbed by the intestines.

UAMS Researchers Discover Cholesterol Drug’s Potential as Treatment for Alzheimer’s, Other Dementia

Arkansas Children’s Research Institute receives $3 million to study deadly fungus

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

A pair of infectious disease experts are establishing an emerging research program at Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI) to address a germ considered to be the leading cause of death for patients with weakened immune systems.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have awarded grants worth more than $3 million to ACRI principal investigators Praveen Juvvadi and William Steinbach, who also serves as chief pediatrician at Arkansas Children’s and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine. Juvvadi is also an associate professor of pediatric infectious diseases at UAMS.

Aspergillus fumigatus is a relatively common fungus found in the environment in places like decaying leaf litter. It is a leading cause of death among people with compromised immune systems, a population that includes children with chronic illnesses. The fungus’ mortality rate exceeds 40%. Health care teams have trouble fighting Aspergillus fumigatus because the germ adapts and becomes stronger against currently available treatments.

Arkansas Children’s Research Institute receives $3 million to study deadly fungus

National Institutes of Health Awards $31.7 Million to UAMS Translational Research Institute

By David Robinson

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Translational Research Institute announced today that it will receive $31.7 million to continue its role in a national effort to accelerate discoveries for the toughest health challenges facing Arkansans and people across the United States.

The funding by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) puts UAMS among an elite group of research centers. The highly competitive Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) goes to only about 60 research institutions nationwide.

“This award attests to the unique capabilities of UAMS researchers in advancing discoveries and treatments,” U.S. Sen. John Boozman said in a statement provided by his office. “The institute has helped put UAMS in position to conduct exceptional, innovative science that’s on par with the best research institutions in the country. We can be proud this outstanding work is occurring right here in our state to improve the lives of Arkansans and all Americans.”

National Institutes of Health Awards $31.7 Million to UAMS Translational Research Institute

Corn College offers tours, training for Arkansas corn producers

By Tracy Courage
U of A System Division of Agriculture

MARIANNA, Ark. — Corn producers will have the opportunity to learn about the latest research and get hands-on training in weed control, insect and disease management, nutrient deficiency identification and more at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s inaugural Corn College on Aug. 7.

CORN COLLEGE — The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s first Corn College will be on Aug. 7, 2024, in Marianna, Arkansas. (UADA graphic)

The training will be 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Lon Mann Cotton Research Station at 3121 Highway 1 South, Marianna. Check-in begins at 8 a.m. and tours and training start at 8:30 a.m.

“Unlike a regular field day, this is an opportunity for crop consultants, producers and industry professionals to see first-hand corn production programs and have in-depth discussions and hands-on training on issues facing Arkansas growers,” said Jason Kelley, extension corn agronomist for the Division of Agriculture.

Continuing education units will be available and lunch will be provided.

Registration is $100, and the deadline to register is Aug. 2.

Register Now

No on-site registration will be offered. 

Attendees will tour the research station and receive hands-on training in:

  • weed control programs

  • insect and disease identification and management

  • irrigation management

  • nutrient deficient identification and management

  • agronomic considerations

Tour stops and topics covered include:

Weed Control Discussion and showcase of weed control programs with a focus on yellow nutsedge and morning glory control.
Instructor: Tom Barber, extension weed specialist

Disease Management Common corn disease identification, hybrid susceptibility to foliar diseases, disease management options, and Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
Instructors: Terry Spurlock and Camila Nicolli, extension plant pathologists

Insect Management — Corn borer identification and management, corn earworm (Bt resistance and damage), stored grain insect management, late-season defoliation impacts.Instructors: Glenn Studebaker, Ben Thrash and Nick Bateman, extension entomologists

Irrigation Practices Irrigation scheduling with Watermark sensors and the mobile app, telemetry for sensors, feel method, types of sensors for irrigation, sap flow, and irrigation initiation and termination for corn.Instructor: Chris Henry, irrigation specialist

Agronomics Growth and development, corn DD50 program, short stature corn, pollination issues, use of drones for plant stand evaluation. 
Instructors: Jason Kelley, extension agronomist; Chuck Capps, corn verification coordinator; Jason Davis, remote sensing extension specialist

Fertility Programs — Corn response to potassium; identifying common nutrient deficiencies in corn including potassium and zinc; comprehensive corn nutrient management for optimal yields and profitability. Pre-tassel crop nitrogen status and fertilizer need assessment using drones.

Instructors: Gerson Drescher, Trent Roberts and Aurelie Poncet, soil and precision ag specialists

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.