Jackson County Extension Center To Host Upcoming UADA Peanut Field Day
RYAN MCGEENEY
NEWPORT, ARKANSAS
Peanut farmers, consultants and other agriculture industry professionals are invited to the 2026 peanut field day on Aug. 5 at the Jackson County Extension Center in Newport, Arkansas.
Registration will begin at 4:00 p.m., and a facility tour will begin at 4:20 p.m. Registration is free, and attendees will be served dinner at 6:30 p.m.
Among the topics slated for discussion are managing a failed inoculation, the use of growth regulators, weed control programs, disease management and insect concerns and control.
Tom Barber, extension Distinguished Professor of crop, soil and environmental sciences for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, is organizing the event. Barber said the informal nature of the meeting is meant to allow growers to ask questions that may not fit neatly into any given box.
“The Jackson County Extension Center is home to the majority of peanut small plot research conducted by the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and we are looking forward to showcasing this work at the field day,” Barber said.
Peanut acres across the country decreased by 22 percent in 2026, falling to about 1.53 million acres, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s June 30 Acreage report. That same report put Arkansas peanut acreage at 31,000 acres, a decline of more than 35 percent from 2025.
Zachary Treadway, extension peanut and cotton agronomist for the Division of Agriculture, said that despite this year’s decline in acreage, peanuts are on the rise over the long term.
"Peanuts are becoming more common in the state of Arkansas,” Treadway said. “This year's acreage decline is not the norm, as acreage has been increasing every year until now. A decrease was to be expected, as national acreage also dropped off, but with two shelling plants in the state, it is a crop I expect to be around for a long time.
“We look forward to hosting those interested in peanut production at the Jackson County Extension Center as we showcase the peanut research we conduct, as well as answer any questions or concerns,” he said. ∆
RYAN MCGEENEY
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS