A July 29 field day at the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s Rohwer Research Station will feature biofuel and traditional crops, said Kelly Bryant, director of the Southeast Research and Extension Center.

“Five tours will showcase division research and Extension programs that are relevant to today’s production agriculture,” Bryant said. “Visitors will witness discovery taking place right before their eyes in research plots for biofuel crops, rice, cotton, soybeans and corn.”

Bryant said tours depart at 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. and participants can choose two of five available tours:

• The biofuels tour will chronicle research efforts to produce crops for the biofuels market. Test plots containing cottonwood trees, switchgrass, sweet sorghum and giant miscanthus will be on display during presentations.

• The cotton tour will showcase a new conventional variety developed by the Division of Agriculture and the new GlyTol cotton developed by Bayer. Both varieties are expected to be available for cotton producers in 2011.

• The rice tour will discern the value of seed treatments, weed control and variety selection.

• The soybean tour will answer questions related to the LibertyLink production system and reveal the latest findings in insect management.

• Participants on the corn tour will see the effects of planting date, fungicide use, and weed control options on plant characteristics.

Four continuing education units in crop management are available for those individuals who are certified crop advisors or Arkansas crop consultants.

The field day will conclude with a catfish lunch. Division scientists will be around after lunch for anyone with questions or who wants to take a closer look at any of the test plots.

The Rohwer Research Station is located on Arkansas Highway 1 near its intersection with Arkansas Highway 138 about 20 miles southeast of Dumas, Ark.