Weather

It was a mild and nice week in Faulkner County. Harvest continued and some producers finished up hay. We are finally getting a little rain this afternoon but not sure how much we will actually get. This rain is much needed so hopefully it will be a good one.

It looks like a mild week with limited rain chances. Wednesday we could get down in the low 50's for a nighttime low.

Arkansas and Mississippi River

Rice

We harvested more rice this week and are slowly moving towards the finish line. The Arkansas Rice Performance Trial was harvested on Monday so I am excited to see what kind of yields we will see from that plot.

Here is the latest Rice Update from Dr. Jarrod Hardke

Soybeans

We are moving towards the end on soybeans. Some more fields were harvested this week. The majority of the fields left have leaves beginning to change color. We can terminate irrigation on soybeans when the beans reach R6 so we should be about done with irrigation.

Wheat

The 2025 Wheat Quick Facts came out this week. I have a link where you can download it yourself. A few things to think about when planting wheat.

• Plant seed between 1 to 1.5 inches deep
• Seeding rate should be 26 seed/ft² with a grain drill under ideal conditions. Increase seeding rate if planting no-till, late, or broadcast.
• 26 seeds/ ft² = 1.13 million seeds/acre

I have included a couple of charts on seed size and how many seed per foot of row you should be looking for. Remember that the pounds per acre you will plant depends on the seeds per pound. If it is 12,000 seed per pound, you will be planting 90 pounds per acre, but if it is a smaller seed and has 18,000 seeds per pound you will only be planting 60 pounds per acre.

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.

Cool Season Grass Planting Fact Sheets

Arkansas Department of Agriculture Law Enforcement

Billy Black is the Chief of Law Enforcement for the Arkansas Department of Agriculture. Billy gave a great presentation at the September meeting of the Faulkner County Cattlemen's Association on Thursday night.

Many people are unaware that we have agriculture law enforcement officers that can assist us if we ever have a crime on our farms. He told us about some of the cases he has been a part of, and there were some amazing ones! He gave out a handout with tips to think about on your farm and I added it to this article. I have attached his contact information. You can also go to the Department of Agriculture website and make a complaint there.

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.

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.

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.

Pesticide Applicator Trainings - Faulkner County Extension Office

November 7 - 6:00 PM

December 6 - 2:00 PM

AFGC Fall Conference - November 1, Conway Cowboy Church