Arkansas Rice Field Day Returns To In-Person Format Aug. 6

STUTTGART, ARK.

   After COVID forced a virtual version last year, the in-person Arkansas Rice Field Day will be back Aug. 6 at the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart.

   “We’re glad to be back to a face-to-face format,” said Jarrod Hardke, extension rice agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “This is usually one of the most well- attended field days of the year and producers and others have told me they’re ready to come back.”

   On-site registration opens at 7 a.m. There is no cost to attend. The traditional field day lunch of catfish will be served.

   This year’s field day will feature two rounds of tours, one beginning at 7:30 a.m. and the other at 9:30 a.m.

   “As in 2019, each tour will cover only half of the stops so attendees wishing to see all tour stops will need to go on both the 7:30 and 9:30 tours,” Hardke said.

   The details are still being sorted, but attendees can expect to hear from research and extension faculty of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture:

   • Rice breeding with Xueyan Sha, professor of plant rice and genetics, and Christian de Guzman, assistant professor of rice breeding and genetics.

   • Pathology update with Yeshi Wamishe, extension plant pathologist.

   • Agronomy with Jarrod Hardke, extension rice agronomist.

   • Soil fertility with Trent Roberts, associate professor – soil fertility and soil testing.

   • Weed management with Jason Norsworthy, professor and weed scientist.

   • Insect management with Nick Bateman, Gus Lorenz, and Ben Thrash, all extension entomologists.

   • Irrigation with Chris Henry, associate professor and water management engineer. ∆

 Visitors toured test plots and heard presentations about Division of Agriculture research during a field day Aug. 3, 2018 at the Rice Research and Extension Center.

 Division of Agriculture photo by Fred Miller