Farm Progress

2011 Arkansas Rice Expo set for Aug. 4 at RREC.Expo includes research, equipment demos.4-H sports, cooking activities on tap.

June 30, 2011

1 Min Read

Feed your brain, tempt your tongue and fire up your competitive spirit at the 2011 Arkansas Rice Expo on August 4 at the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart, Ark.

“The Arkansas Rice Expo includes all of the educational events that made up our traditional rice field day, plus new activities for the whole family,” said Chuck Wilson, interim director for the Rice Research and Extension Center.

This year’s research tours include a look at the latest University of Arkansas-bred hybrid rice, results of N-ST*R, or Nitrogen Soil Test for Rice, and equipment demonstrations.

Youth activities will include 4-H skeet shooting and archery, plus a rice cooking and tasting event. There will also be insect and seed ID contests for youth.

If rice isn’t the only thing growing, homeowners can visit with Janet Carson, Extension horticulture specialist and author, will be on hand to talk about Arkansas gardening.

Another new twist for 2011 is the calibration contest for pesticide sprayers.

“Sprayer calibration is an essential skill for row crop producers and they’ll have a chance to test that in a friendly competition,” Wilson said.

Producers should also like the change in the start time.

“This year, we won’t start our outdoor programs until 10 a.m.,” Wilson said. “We listened when our producers said the old 7:30 a.m. start time didn’t allow them to get their crews going and other management chores started.”

Registration opens at 9:30 a.m. and research tours run from 10 a.m. until noon.

For more information and directions, visit www.uaex.edu, or call the Rice Research and Extension Center at (870) 673-2661.

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