Faulkner County Agriculture Update
December 4, 2020
General Conditions
Weather

A little rain came through this week but the most notable difference this week was the cold temperatures. We got down into the 20's in the middle of the week. This kind of weather has shut all growth down and we are now moving into more hay feeding. This week looks like the cold temperatures will continue with some rain predicted towards the end of the week.
Arkansas River
Row Crop
Harvest

Harvest is finally done in Faulkner County and after talking to some producers here are a few of my takeaways for 2020:
  • Rice did good in the county. It wasn't the best rice crop ever but it sure wasn't the worst. I think the majority of producers are happy with their rice yields.
  • Soybean yields were all over the place. I have heard yields from 60 plus to 20. We didn't have a lot of inputs in this years crop, and I think most producers are content with soybeans.
  • Corn yields did better than I thought. With all the early rain I thought corn looked rough and wasn't going to yield, but as harvest started I heard some pretty decent yields.
Row Crop Production Meetings

We have finally finished up 2020 so now it is time to start planning for 2021. This year will be different for our row crop production meeting. We will not be having a meeting in January in Morrilton like we usually do. This year each commodity will have it's own online webinar starting at 1:00 p.m.

  • January 12 - Corn
  • January 14 - Rice
  • January 21 - Cotton
  • January 26 - Peanuts
  • January 28 - Marketing, New Technologies, & Irrigation
  • February 2 - Soybeans

For more information and to see the agenda for each meeting click the link below.
Soybean Varieties

The 2020 Arkansas Soybean Performance Test Yield Summary is now available on the Arkansas Variety Testing Website. This is just yield data but it is a good start for producers that are wanting to go ahead and book soybeans for next year. There are several good Group 4 Enlist and Enlist/STS soybeans available for next year.
I had two Group 4 Enlist Soybean Variety Demonstrations in the county. We harvested one last week and then the other one Monday. Below are the results averaged together followed by the individual demonstrations with information about moisture, plant stand, lodging and test weight.
Beef & Forage
Trichomoniasis in Cattle

Trichomoniasis is a contagious venereal disease of cattle caused by the protozoal organism, Tritrichomonas foetus. If introduced into the cattle herd by an infected bull or cow, this disease can lead to major economic losses due to infertility, low pregnancy rates, extended calving season and occasional abortions in pregnant cows and heifers. It can be very costly to eradicate from a herd. Trichomoniasis is not a human health issue. The Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission considers trichomoniasis to be a reportable disease in cattle. 

To learn more about Trichomoniasis in Cattle read our fact sheet:
Our new Livestock Economist Dr. James Mitchell has teamed up with Josh Maples at Mississippi State and Kenny Burdine at Kentucky to do a Cattle Market Notes Weekly. I will post the link to this update every week and if you would like to receive the update by email you can subscribe through the link.
Livestock Market Report

The weekly livestock market report is available on the Arkansas Department of Agriculture website.
Upcoming Events
Winter Production Meeting Webinars - Each webinar starts at 1:00, For more information click here.
  • January 12 - Corn
  • January 14 - Rice
  • January 21 - Cotton
  • January 26 - Peanuts
  • January 28 - Marketing, New Technologies, & Irrigation
  • February 2 - Soybeans
Contact Kevin Lawson, County Extension Agent–Staff Chair, Faulkner County | www.uaex.edu/faulkner