UA rice field day moved to virtual session Aug. 20 

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture rice field day, originally scheduled as an in-person event on Aug. 6, will be presented online on Aug. 20. Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station researchers and Cooperative Extension specialists will present their programs in recorded sessions that will go live that day.

“Out of an abundance of caution, given the rise in COVID-19 cases brought on by the rapid spread of the Delta variant, our scientists are moving their presentations to an online format for this year’s rice field day,” said Jean-Francois Meullenet, director of the Agricultural Experiment Station and senior associate vice president for the Division of Agriculture. “Our goal is to provide as close as possible the experience of attending an in-person field day. It will be just like being on the wagon, but without the heat and humidity.

“Arkansas growers are among the most well-informed in the nation, and they expect and deserve to be kept up to date with ongoing research, verifications and technology,” Meullenet said. “Even when we can’t meet face-to-face, we are pleased to be able to present what we are doing to help keep their farms productive, profitable and sustainable.”

Bob Scott, director of the Cooperative Extension Service and senior associate vice president for the division, said, “We were looking forward to seeing our farmers, growers, producers and consultants in person, but with the surge in COVID-19 cases, we thought it best for everyone’s safety to move to an online format. Fortunately, we have the experience and ability to pivot quickly back to digital format, and our faculty, agronomists and other experts will be providing the most recent research-based information for our clients to use in their field operations.”

Jarrod Hardke, professor and extension rice agronomist, said the presentation videos would be available Aug. 20 on the Rice Field Day website: https://aaes.uada.edu/rice-field-day.

Registration is not required to view the videos, Hardke said, and the website will be live throughout 2021 so that people can view the presentations at their convenience.

Continuing Education Units will be available for the online field day, Hardke said. Registration will be required to receive CEU credit, and instructions will be posted on the field day website once available.

Field day video presentations will include:

• Introduction and Rice Update — Jarrod Hardke, professor and extension rice agronomist
• Integrated Rice Disease Management with a Major Focus on False Smut — Yeshi Wamishe, associate professor, plant pathology
• Using Rice Tissue Testing Effectively — Trent Roberts, associate professor and holder of the Endowed Chair in Soil Fertility Research
• Weed Management in Rice Update and Sedge Identification and Control — Jason Norsworthy, Distinguished Professor, and holder of the Elms Farming Chair of Weed Science and Tommy Butts, extension weed scientist
• Management of Rice Water Weevil, Rice Stink Bug, Armyworms and Billbugs in Rice — Nick Bateman, assistant professor and extension entomologist
• Fertigating Furrow Irrigated Rice and Irrigation Water Management for Rice Growers — Chris Henry, associate professor, irrigation and water management
• Rice Breeding Program Updates — Xueyan Sha, professor, rice breeding and genetics; and Christian de Guzman, assistant professor, rice breeding and genetics