Production

For the second straight year, Arkansas’ “ginning season” may go into extra innings. Despite the wet weather delays, growers had good reason to be optimistic about their 2019 crop, said Bill Robertson, Extension cotton agronomist, and Scott Stiles, Extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The optimism is palpable, taking the form of a bale backlog ... Read More »

Kochia, a kind of tumbleweed, has long been associated with the Texas High Plains, but its abundance is starting to alarm Texas A&M AgriLife officials as regional producers are experiencing challenges controlling the weed as herbicide resistance is mounting. Dr. Muthu Bagavathiannan, Texas A&M AgriLife Research weed scientist in the Texas A&M Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, College Station, ... Read More »

Farmers are aware of the benefits of soil health. However, the difficulty in quantifying soil health, diminishing availability of land that results in higher land prices, the time necessary to improve soil health, and the need to turn a profit often discourage farmers from adopting soil health promoting practices. Dr. Erin Kiella, an assistant research economist with the Real Estate ... Read More »

Arkansas cotton growers may remember 2019 as one of their better years, despite a downward revision of expected yields, said Bill Robertson, extension cotton agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. In October, the National Agricultural Statistics Service forecast Arkansas’ average yield at 1157 pounds per acre, but in November revised that downward to 1,102 pounds per ... Read More »

• By Anders Huseth • In late August 2019, cotton leafroll dwarf virus awas confirmed in a cotton sample submitted to Auburn University’s CLRDV working group. The sample was collected from a variety trial located at the Sandhills Research Station in Montgomery County, North Carolina. This is the first detection of this insect-transmitted plant virus in NC. Earlier in the ... Read More »

Whether you call them wild pigs or feral hogs, they are no longer just a rural problem, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Wild pigs cause more than $52 million in agricultural damage in Texas annually, said Dr. John Tomecek, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist, Thrall. But it’s their encroachment into increasingly urbanized areas that is becoming a ... Read More »

 • By Jason Bond and Ben Lawrence • The Environmental Protection Agency mandated manufacturers to update their paraquat labels by Nov. 14 with new safety, handling and training requirements. Key Points to Remember: • Purchasers, applicators, mixers, loaders, or tank cleaners of herbicide products containing paraquat must be certified applicators. • Purchasers, applicators, mixers, loaders, or tank cleaners must complete ... Read More »