Research advancements in rice and soybeans, two of the top agricultural commodities in Arkansas, will be the focus of a virtual field day 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7, presented by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. 

The online field day is free, but registration is required to connect. Register online at https://aaes.uada.edu/rice-soybean-field-day up until the event starts. 

The format for the online field day will consist of pre-recorded presentations with a Q&A session that allows viewers to ask Division of Agriculture scientists questions about how the research applies to their crops and operations. 

Jeremy Ross, a professor and soybean extension agronomist for the Division of Agriculture’s Cooperative Extension Service, said farmers may take a particular interest this year in the presentations on insect management. 

year has been a struggle from the beginning on soybeans, because of armyworm and corn earworms,” Ross said. “It was surprising because we had really cold conditions in February that typically pushes insects further south, but that wasn’t the case this year.” 

In addition to presentations on pest and weed management, Jarrod Hardke, professor and rice extension agronomist, said updates on the rice breeding program will also be of interest to rice farmers. 

According to the 2020 Arkansas Agriculture Profile, Arkansas ranks first in the nation in rice production. More than 1.6 million acres are harvested annually in over 40 counties. Commodity value in 2019 for Arkansas rice was more than $985 million. 

Arkansas harvests about 3.5 million acres of soybeans annually and is ranked 11th in the nation for soybean production, according to the 2020 Arkansas Agriculture Profile. Soybeans are the No. 2 agricultural commodity in value for the state with a value of more than $1.1 billion in 2019. 

Presentations

The field days will cover research on new rice and soybean varieties, soil fertility, weed management, and disease and pest control. The following presentations are planned for the rice and soybean field day on Oct. 7. Topics and speakers include:  

Presentations from the online event will be made available on-demand after the event. An online field day for corn and cotton will be held on Oct. 28. 

Source: Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.