Faulkner County Agriculture Update

July 26, 2024

4-H Foundation Fish Fry


Our 4-H Foundation Fish Fry Fund raiser is coming up on August 9th at the Conway Cowboy Church. Come on out for some good food and good fun!

General Conditions

Weather


This week the cooler than normal temperatures continued. Rain was spotty around the county. I don't know of anyone that got any significant amounts of rain but I know there was some showers. I think for the most part producers got hay harvested and baled and we got some field work done.

Rain chances continue this weekend with the cooler temperatures, but the more normal high temperatures make a comeback starting Monday. Looks like summer is back for the last part of July and the first part of August.

Arkansas River and Cadron

Drought Monitor
US Drought Monitor
Row Crop

Rice


Rice fields continue to head across the county. I must say this is the best temperatures we could ask for while the plants flower. Rice stink bug counts on the first headed fields continue to be above threshold (10 stink bugs per 10 sweeps) and we are applying insecticides, but I feel like as the other fields start to head those numbers will spread out and we will eventually get below threshold for spraying. Armyworms are still out there in the grass on the edges of fields and we need to keep an eye out on them in case they get in the rice.


On some of the late planted fields that haven't headed yet, keep watching for disease like sheath blight. This wet weather and temperatures are perfect for disease development.

Rice Field Day


The Aug. 1 field day at the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart will feature presentations on breeding, germplasm, remote sensing and more.


The field day is presented by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, and the Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Research Service.


There is no cost to attend. Participants are asked to RSVP online by July 26. The center is located at 2900 Highway 130 East in Stuttgart.


“Hosting this event in partnership with our neighbors at the Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center enables us to offer a broader picture of the research and other work being done in support of the rice industry in Arkansas and across the United States,” said Alton Johnson, director of the Rice Research and Extension Center.


The field day begins at 7:30 a.m. with field tours and the opening of oral and poster sessions.


There will be two field tours which start at 7:30 a.m. at the Foundation Seed Facility and will repeat at 9:30 so attendees can see all stops.


Tour 1:

  • Stop 1 — Rice Breeding Updates — Xueyan Sha, professor of plant rice and genetics, and Christian De Guzman, assistant professor of plant rice and genetics.
  • Stop 2 — Rice Insect Management — Nick Bateman, associate professor-extension entomologist, and Gage Maris, graduate student. 
  • Stop 3 — Agronomy — Jarrod Hardke, professor, rice extension agronomist.
  • Stop 4 — Pathology — Camila Nicolli, assistant professor, extension pathologist; and Felipe Dalla Lana, assistant professor, rice pathologist, LSU AgCenter.


Tour 2:

  • Stop 1 – Weed Control in Rice  — Jason Norsworthy – professor, weed science and Bob Scott – professor, extension weed scientist.
  • Stop 2 – Germplasm Evaluation and Disease Resistance — Yulin Jia – director, Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center, and Trevis Huggins – USDA-ARS research scientist.
  • Stop 3 – Drones and Remote Sensing — Jason Davis – assistant professor, remote sensing and pesticide application specialist.


The lunch program begins at noon and speakers include Johnson, Hardke, Kevin McGilton, president and CEO of Riceland Foods; Keith Glover, president and CEO of Producers Rice Mill; Wes Ward, Arkansas’ secretary of agriculture; and Deacue Fields, head of the Division of Agriculture.


This year’s field day is sponsored by the Agricultural Council of Arkansas, AgHeritage Farm Credit Services; Arkansas Rice Growers Association; Arkansas Rice; MirTech Harvest Center, US Rice Producers Association, Belchim Crop Protection, Riceland Foods, Producers Rice Mill, USA Rice, Wintersteiger and Valley View Agri-Systems.

Click Here to Register for the Rice Field Day

Soybeans


Soybeans are looking good across the county for the most part. We have had some issues from a few soybeans being underwater too long from the massive two weeks of rains and drowning out. Some fields that had water on them for a little bit then the water went right off still have mud on them and need a shower to wash them off. Fields that are on higher ground really look good from the lower temperatures and rain.


I have left the corn earworm chart in this weeks newsletter as we continue to scout for them. Trap counts were down this week from last week but we still need to be on the look out.

Corn


Corn is pretty much done for the earliest planted fields. The other fields aren't far behind. I don't know of many fields that need more irrigation. Silage fields are being harvested across the county. It comes down to harvest now and see how we did. I am still concerned from all of the early rain, but we had a good second half of the season. We shall soon see.


The low temperatures have slowed down the heat unit accumulation, but we added another 183 heat units this week. That puts us at 2705 for corn planted on April 1st. That means we should hit black layer within the next 7 days.

2024 University of Arkansas Corn College, August 7, 2024


The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture will host a Corn College on August 7, 2024, at the Lon Mann Cotton Research Station at Marianna.

 

The Corn College will offer 6 stops with hands-on training on various aspects of corn production and will include weed control programs, insect and disease identification and management, irrigation management, nutrient deficient identification and management, and agronomic considerations.


Continuing education credits will be available. Lunch will be provided.


The training will begin with registration from 8:00-8:30 am, and tours will start at 8:30 am and will conclude by 3:30 pm. 


Registration is $100/person and you must be registered by August 2, 2024.

Registration for Corn College

Corn Earworm Moth Traps


Well we hit an uptick then we go right back down. I am not sure what is going on with the corn earworms this year. We had two traps hit over 50 moths this week which is half of what we need to be alarmed, but I still feel like we need to be scouting beans for corn earworms.

2024 County Trap Catches
Herbicide Trainings

Anyone that applies Enlist, Dicamba, or Paraquat are required to go through additional education hours. The Enlist and Dicamba training is done online through the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. Paraquat is done through the National Pesticide Safety Education Center and there is a $25 charge.

For Enlist and Dicamba follow the link to our Pesticide Training Page. On the left side of the screen there is a menu that links you to Enlist and Dicamba training. I have also added the link to the NPSEC website for the Paraquat training.
UADA Pest Education and Training Page
NPSEC Paraquat Training
Beef, Small Ruminants, & Forages

Proper Hay Storage

Mark Z. Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist


Proper hay storage of big round bales is important in order to minimize spoilage until time of feeding. It is worth discussing some simple storage practices that can lead to less spoilage. First, one of the few upsides of drought is that very little precipitation falls on hay stored outside. Precipitation, air temperature and humidity all lead to more spoilage in big bales. Twine wrapped bales are more subject to spoilage than net wrapped. Greater bale density leads to less spoilage. That being said, keep the following in mind when considering how your hay is stored. 


Storage Site and Elevated Storage

Select a site on higher ground that is not shaded and is open to air flow to enhance drying conditions. The site should be well drained to minimize moisture absorption into the bottom of bales. Ground contact leads to more bale spoilage. When practical keep bales off the ground using low cost surplus materials like old pallets, fence posts, railroad ties and tires. Another option is a six inch layer of coarse ground rock. Anything that can be done to maximize drainage and minimize moisture within and around the storage site will be beneficial.


Orientation

Bails should be stored in rows, butted end-to-end, and oriented in a north/south direction. Avoid stacking three rows of hay in a triangle shape. This formation leads to more spoilage, particularly in the two bottom rows. North/south orientation combined with at least three feet between the rows permits good sunlight penetration and airflow, allowing for faster drying. Vegetation between the rows should be mowed.  


Covers and Barns

Large round bales stored outside with plastic or canvas usually sustain much less spoilage compared to unprotected bales. If barn storage is an option, this is the best method. Dry matter losses in round bales stored for up to nine months in an enclosed barn should be less than two percent.  


Summary

All forages packaged in large round bales benefit from protection and proper storage practices. Producers are encouraged to consider the cost to benefit ratio of providing this protection. Factors to consider include the value of hay, projected in-storage losses, local environmental conditions, the cost of providing protection and how long the hay will be in storage before it is fed. At the very least it may be worthwhile to restack or re-orient your hay supply according to the best practices described. Further details for estimating storage losses can be found in the fact sheet referenced below.

Oklahoma State University Fact Sheet: BAE-1716

Armyworms in Faulkner County


Armyworm calls have started back up this week. They are still in hot spots and mostly in crabgrass and signalgrass. They seem to be hot around rice fields, but I have had some pastures sprayed this week. Continue to be on the lookout, after these rains they can start back up.

Performance Testing Bulls on the Farm


Proper bull selection is the most rapid way to make genetic improvements to the cattle herd. Performance testing provides valuable information that can be used in selection of superior breeding animals. Evaluation of performance traits is part of a complete bull evaluation that will help match the needs of the cow herd with the right herd sires. Structural soundness and health should be evaluated along with performance data and Expected Progeny Differences. This information can also be useful in marketing bulls. Data from an on-farm test, combined with breed association record programs, provide prospective buyers with good indications of underlying genetic merit for traits measured.  


On-farm tests evaluate the postweaning performance of beef bulls under uniform conditions. A contemporary group is a group of animals of similar age, sex and breed composition raised under the same management conditions. When used in conjunction with breed association record programs, on-farm test reports can be completed with little additional work beyond completion of breed association records. 


For more information please click on the link below.

Performance Testing Bulls on the Farm
Cattle Market Notes Weekly
Livestock Market Report

The weekly livestock market report is available on the Arkansas Department of Agriculture website.
ADA Livestock Market Report
Upcoming Events

Row Crop Field Day - To be announced soon.

Contact Kevin Lawson, County Extension Agent–Agriculture, Faulkner County | Kevin Lawson
uaex.uada.edu/faulkner