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Faulkner County Agriculture Update

September 13, 2024

General Conditions

Weather


We finally got the rain we have been waiting on. It was a slow rain that lasted all day so there was no runoff. I have heard amounts around the county from right under an inch to 1.7 inches. Luckily we didn't get much wind with the rain so it was best case scenario for us.

Temperatures continue to be mild this week with some rain in the forecast. I enjoyed this last rain, but honestly we still could use some more.

Arkansas and Mississippi River

The Mississippi River looks like it is forecasted to rise later in the week but then back down to low threshold. We need more rain in the Ohio Valley to get the river back up. The Arkansas River is still low and steady for the next few days.

Drought Monitor
US Drought Monitor

Row Crop

Rice


Rice harvest ramped up in front of the hurricane. We weren't scrambling as much as eastern Arkansas, but there was a lot of rice cut in a short amount of time. Yields coming in continue to be pretty good.


We should be over halfway harvested, so with a little good weather in the coming up weeks we should get done soon.


Below is the link for last Friday's Rice Update from Dr. Jarrod Hardke.

Arkansas Rice Update 9/6/24

Soybeans


Velvetbean Caterpillars are starting to do damage on some of our soybeans. We are getting close to spraying a few fields as I start to get worried about the damage they are doing. The recommendation is to spray when you reach 25% defoliation. Comparing the defoliation guide with the picture I took this week (picture below) you can tell we are probably at that 25% level. Remember that is from top to bottom on the plant, not just on top leaves. Recommendation is lambda cy. You can apply 4 ounces of 1 pound material or 2 ounces of 2 pound material.


I also picked up a pretty good load of green clover worms in another field. The tops of the plants were a little ragged but there was not near the defoliation like I have with the velvetbeans. Green clover worms don't eat near as much and usually aren't a problem. Just be aware when you are scouting the look similar to a velvetbean. They both wiggle like crazy when you touch them, but the green clover worm only has three prolegs where the velvetbean will have four.

Corn


The Faulkner County corn hybrid test was harvested Wednesday. The data on the plots is listed below. The field where the plot was planted is uneven and the middle part of this plot was in more of a lower area. Usually, this is a higher yielding part of the field, but this year all of the early rains accumulated here and had some effect on yield.


The hybrids are listed in the order they were planted. The first and last hybrid were on a little higher ground but the hybrids in the middle of the plot were in a lower area and should be compared with other hybrid demonstrations from around the River Valley and State. This variability was also noticed in the whole field.

Corn Earworm Moth Traps


Earworm moth counts were the lowest in all three traps that they have been all year long. Worm numbers continue to be low in soybean fields.

2024 County Trap Catches

Yield and Production Projections


USDA released their latest projections for yield and production. Corn and rice yield projections remained the same but soybeans was lowered 2 bushels per acre. The complete report is available in the link button below.

Arkansas Crop Production
Arkansas Crop Progress and Condition

Beef, Small Ruminants, & Forages

AFGC Fall Forage Conference "Forages, Financials, and Feeds" November 1, 2024 Conway Cowboy Church

Kenny Simon, UADA Forages Instructor


The end of the growing season is a time to reflect on forage supply, animal demand, and the economics of running a profitable operation. However, the end of the growing season does not have to mean that the grazing season ends as well. Preparation for winter grazing starts in the fall. “Forages, Financials, and Feeds” is the theme of the 2024 AFGC Fall Forage Conference with presentations on financial outlooks as well as strategic hay feeding for the soil, plant, and animal. The afternoon will include field demonstrations and discussions on stockpiling bahiagrass, planting cool-season annuals, and identifying nutritional needs beyond the growing season. Anyone wanting to strengthen their off-season forage program should attend this conference. Registration starts at 8:30 am and the conference kicks off at 9 am. Registration can be paid at the door by cash, credit or debit card, or check. The conference fee is $35 per person and $15 for students. Pre-registration is encouraged to help with conference and lunch planning. To pre-register, scan the QR code or contact Jake Cartwright 501-912-1602 or jake.cartwright@arfb.com.


The Conway Cowboy Church is located at 12 AR-36, Conway, AR 72032. To reach the church take Hwy 64 from Conway or Beebe and turn north on Hwy 36 across from the Eight Mile Store.

Winter Annuals - Drill Calibration


When we talk about planting winter annuals, one of the best ways to plant is with a drill. Faulkner County is fortunate to have drills available to rent from the Faulkner County Conservation District. I would recommend getting with them as soon as you can and get yours reserved.


Once you are ready to plant, make sure you calibrate the drill before you start planting. Calibrating the drill allows you to go through the drill and make sure everything is planting correctly and let's you set it to a setting that gives you the correct amount of seed per acre. I have included a link below to our drill calibration fact sheet. It is easy to do and only takes a little bit of extra time.


We also have a web app that can help you with the calculations for calibrating a drill called Forage Advisor. If you use this app all you have to do is input the amount of seed you catch and it gives you the pounds per acre you are planting. I added that link below also.

Calibrating Drills and Broadcast Planters for Small Seeded Forages FSA3111
Arkansas Forage Advisor
General Traits of Forage Grasses Grown in Arkansas FSA2139
Using Cool Season Annual Grasses for Grazing Livestock

September Forage Fertility Notes

Bronc Finch, PhD- UADA Soil Fertility Extension Specialist


Hay Production


No Nitrogen after September 1

Warm season grass growth will begin to slow with cool temperatures and excessive nitrogen may be wasted. Additionally, excessive elongation of leaf and stems may be more susceptible to winter injury.


Fall is a great time to plan for and manage soil pH in warm season forages.

Lime applications take time and incorporation to begin neutralization. Sampling and applying lime in the fall can allow for winter precipitation to incorporate lime and increase the time for neutralization to occur before the start of the next season. Additionally, this can spread the cost over more of the season.  


Cool Season Hay and Planning for next season

Plan the number of expected hay harvests, divide Nitrogen (N) and Potassium (K) requirement by the number of hay harvests.

Apply N and K at green up and following each cutting.

Need Phosphorus(P)? Apply it in the first or first and second application


Grazing Systems


Annuals

Apply P and K at or before planting according to soil test recommendations. Excluding Legumes, applying nitrogen at planting can allow for incorporation but could promote weed growth. Delaying N to 10-14 days post planting allows you to ensure stand establishment.


Cool Season Grasses

Apply P and K according to soil test along with 60 lbs N/ac at green up.

Planning to rotate pastures? Apply N after rotating out of a pasture to promote regrowth.


Hay Feeding

Hay feeding can serve as an amendment for soils by:

§ Incorporating organic matter

§ Increasing nutrients, structure, and water holding capacity.

Move the hay feeding area as much as possible is a good strategy to:

§ Reduce muddy areas that can turn to compact soils

§ Reduce trampling of a single area

§ Spread nutrients and organic matter across the field.


Fertilizer Prices

Weighing Options on Winter Feeding

Maggie Justice, PhD- UADA Extension Beef Cattle Specialist


With temperatures still ranging in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s it is hard to think about your winter-feeding plan, but the days will go by quickly and now is the time to plan ahead. It is important for us to get prepared for the upcoming winter months by making sure your herd is in good shape, knowing what their status will be over the winter months, and if you have the resources you need to get to spring.


The first step is knowing what condition your cattle are in leading into the winter and what their nutrient requirements will be in the following months. Body condition scoring cattle is one of the most cost-effective management tools we can use. Ideally cattle need to be at a BCS of 5-6 going into calving and also maintain good condition through rebreeding. Knowing if your cows need to gain, maintain, or even lose body condition is a key factor in building your winter nutrition plan. You also need to be prepared as nutritional requirements increase for cows at the time of calving and peak lactation. With the cold, wet weather our winter months often bring us, it is important not to forget to provide our animals with the extra help if it is needed. Energy requirements of beef cattle can increase almost 2% for each degree that the wind chill is below 59◦F.  

The second step is evaluating your forage supply whether that be grazed forage or conserved forage. Knowing and understanding the quality of your forage supply is needed to accurately determine its nutritional value and help make the decision of whether additional supplementation is needed for your herd. This is also a good time to begin to estimate the number of hay feeding days you may have this year and the quantity of hay you will need to carry your herd through the winter. Don’t forget to account for storage and feeding loss as well.


Once the forage supply has been evaluated the next step is matching the quality of that hay or grazed forage with the herd’s nutrient requirements for your nutrition plan. If the quality of that forage is less than the daily nutritional requirement of the animal, additional supplementation will be needed. If that supplemental feed is needed, make sure to take a step back and evaluate all of the options available to you. Evaluate the feed on a cost per pound of nutrient basis, not just solely on cost per ton of feed and make sure to consider the storage you have available for that feed and your ability to effectively feed it.


Winter feeding does not have to be complicated, but it is important to weigh out all of your options and to be prepared before it starts. Make sure to know where your herd is at and what their needs will be throughout the season, evaluate your forage supply and then match the supplementation to enhance your program. 

FAMACHA Certification


There will be a free, hands-on training on the FAMACHA© system—an essential tool for sustainable control of gastrointestinal parasites in small ruminants. September 21 (Saturday), from 9:00am to 12:00pm, at the Heifer Ranch, 55 Heifer Rd, Perryville, AR.

Limited seats. Registration and more information at www.uada.edu/famacha

Cattle Market Notes Weekly
Livestock Market Report

The weekly livestock market report is available on the Arkansas Department of Agriculture website.
ADA Livestock Market Report

Pesticide Applicator Training


Please call or email and register for the class. You can call and talk to Mindy Beard at the office at 501-329-8344 or email at rbeard@uada.edu


All of these will be held at the Faulkner County Extension Office at 844 Faulkner St, Conway.


September 26 - 4:00 PM

November 7 - 6:00 PM

December 6 - 2:00 PM


You can still take the training online if you would like. The link is below.

Online Private Pesticide Applicator Training

Sign up for Text Alerts


You can now sign up for text alerts from me throughout the year. I have two areas you can sign up for which includes Faulkner Livestock or Faulkner Ag (Row Crop Updates). To sign up you can follow one of these links or use the QR Codes below.

Faulkner Livestock


Use either the QR Code or this link:

https://slktxt.io/10lLe

Faulkner Ag (Faulkner Row Crops)


Use either the QR Code or this link:

https://slktxt.io/10lLc

Upcoming Events

Pesticide Applicator Trainings - Faulkner County Extension Office

September 26 - 4:00 PM

November 7 - 6:00 PM

December 6 - 2:00 PM


AFGC Fall Conference - November 1, Conway Cowboy Church

Contact Kevin Lawson, County Extension Agent–Agriculture, Faulkner County | Kevin Lawson
uaex.uada.edu/faulkner