Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons^™

Arkansas Cotton Variety Tests 2024, F. Bourland, J. Gann, B. Lovelady, B. Guest Jr., J. Mcalee, L. Martin, Z. Treadway, C. Henderson

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

The primary goal of the Arkansas Cotton Variety Tests is to provide unbiased data regarding the agronomic performance of cotton varieties and advanced breeding lines in the major cotton-growing areas of Arkansas. This information helps seed companies establish marketing strategies and assists producers in choosing varieties to plant. These annual evaluations will then facilitate the inclusion of new, improved genetic material in Arkansas cotton production. Adaptation of varieties is determined by evaluating the lines at five University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture research sites (Manila, Keiser, Judd Hill, Marianna, and Rohwer). The 2024 tests at Keiser were adversely affected …

Pesticide Use In Integrated Pest And Pollinator Management Framework To Protect Pollinator Health, Ngoc B. Phan, David J. Biddinger, Edwin G. Rajotte, Guy Smagghe, Gadi V.P. Reddy, Zong-Xin Ren, Neelendra K. Joshi

Entomology and Plant Pathology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Agricultural pesticides have historically been a critical tool in controlling pests and diseases, preventing widespread suffering and crop losses that led to catastrophes such as the Great Irish Famine (1845–1852) and the Cotton Boll Weevil Infestation (1915–1916). However, their usage has brought challenges, including resistance development, secondary pest outbreaks, harm to non-target organisms like pollinators, and environmental contamination. In response to these concerns, integrated pest management (IPM) has emerged as a comprehensive approach, emphasizing non-chemical pest control methods such as cultural practices, biological control, and crop rotation, with pesticides as the last resort. IPM has evolved, influenced by regulations like …

Use Of Biochar And Industrial Hemp For Remediation Of Heavy-Metal-Contaminated Soil: Root Uptake And Translocations For Cd, Pb, And Zn, Sophie Sward, Kristofor R. Brye, David M. Miller, Dietrich V. Thurston

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Phytoremediation has been reported as a more energy-efficient, and therefore cost-effective, method of environmental restoration compared to traditional remediation methods for heavy-metal-contaminated soils. Biochar has been shown to have variable effects on remediation potential in heavy-metal-contaminated soils. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of soil contamination level (i.e., low, medium, and high), industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) cultivar (i.e., ‘Carmagnola’ and ‘Jinma’), biochar rate (i.e., 0, 2, 5, and 10% by volume), and their interactions on root tissue Cd, Pb, and Zn concentrations and uptakes; whole-plant Cd, Pb, and Zn uptakes; and translocation factors after 90 …

Transferability Of Soil Management Assessment Framework Indices To Detect Best Soil Management Strategies In Tropical Agroecosystems, Helen C.S. Amorium, Amanda Ashworth, Gerson L. Drescher, Mohkam Singh, Marcio R. Nunes

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Soil management assessment framework (SMAF) algorithms have not been validated for tropical soils, which can prevent proper SMAF-based soil health monitoring. This study tested SMAF's ability to detect soil health as affected by soil management practices in the Mid-South United States and Brazil for improving SMAF performance in tropical regions. Eleven SMAF studies published in Brazil (n = 166) and 56 from the Mid-South United States (n = 500) were compiled. Management groups were perennial (PER), no-till (NT), reduced tillage (RT), and conventional tillage (CT) systems. In the United States, SMAF soil quality index decreased as follows: PER >= RT …

Arkansas Soybean Performance Tests 2024, J. F. Carlin, R. D. Bond, T. C. Swanson, J. C. Mccoy

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Soybean variety and strain performance tests are conducted each year in Arkansas by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Arkansas Crop Variety Improvement Program. The tests provide information to companies developing varieties and/ or marketing seed within the state and aid the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in formulating variety recommendations for soybean producers.

Wayne E. Sabbe Arkansas Soil Fertility Studies 2024, Nathan A. Slaton

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Rapid technological changes in crop management and production require that the research efforts be presented in an expeditious manner. The contributions of soil fertility and fertilizers are major production factors in all Arkansas crops. The studies described within will allow producers to compare their practices with the university’s research efforts. Additionally, soil-test data and fertilizer sales are presented to allow comparisons among years, crops, and other areas within Arkansas.

Arkansas Soybean Research Studies 2023, Jeremy Ross

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

The 2023 Arkansas Soybean Research Studies includes research reports on topics pertaining to soybean across several disciplines from breeding to post-harvest processing. Research reports contained in this publication may represent preliminary or only data from a single year or limited results; therefore, these results should not be used as a basis for long-term recommendations.

Several research reports in this publication will appear in other University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station publications. This duplication is the result of the overlap in research coverage between disciplines and our effort to inform Arkansas soybean producers of the research …

Rice Cultivar Tolerance To Preemergence- And Postemergence-Applied Fluridone, Maria Carolina Souza, Jason K. Norsworthy, Pamela Carvalho-Moore, Amar J. Godar, Samuel B. Fernandes, Thomas R. Butts

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Fluridone was registered for use in rice production in 2023, offering a new herbicide site of action for growers. However, little information is available on the degree of rice tolerance to this herbicide. Field experiments conducted in 2022 and replicated in 2023 near Colt, AR, evaluated the tolerance of 12 rice cultivars to fluridone, applied preemergence or at the 3-leaf growth stage, in separate experiments. Each experiment consisted of one cultivar. Fluridone rates included 0, 168 (1 x label rate), and 336 (2 x label rate) g ai ha-1 in all experiments. Visible injury varied between years in all experiments, …

Corn Tolerance To Florpyrauxifen-Benzyl Rates And Its Mixture With Atrazine And Mesotrione, Amar Godar, Jason K. Norsworthy, L. Tom Barber

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Florpyrauxifen-benzyl is a new synthetic auxin herbicide labeled in rice with a broad spectrum of control, typically more potent on broadleaf weeds. It has garnered some interest as a potential broadleaf weed control option for use in corn at low rates. Field experiments were conducted in Fayetteville, Arkansas, from 2019 through 2021 to examine the response of corn to postemergence applications of florpyrauxifen-benzyl at three rates (7.5, 15, and 30 g ae ha-1), as well as mixtures of the herbicide with atrazine (at half or full rate), mesotrione, or a combination of atrazine (at half rate) and mesotrione. Injury and …

Environmental Release Of A Safener Fenclorim From Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) Following Seed Treatment, Jeong-In R. Hwang, Jason K. Norsworthy, Nanda Kumar, Tae-Hwa Kim

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The safener fenclorim, effective in protecting rice (Oryza sativa L.) from the phytotoxicity of some herbicides, is regarded as a contaminant of emerging concern that may cause toxicological issues to ecosystems and humans who may consume the final harvested rice. This study investigated time-dependent environmental releases of fenclorim from rice seeds treated with the safener and insecticide with five different treatments. The treatment with fenclorim alone caused the greatest fenclorim releases from the seed, and the release magnitude was similar to the treatment that had fenclorim and insecticide in mixture. The fenclorim release was the least when treated with safener …

Winter Hay-Feeding Effects On Soil Properties In A Rotationally Grazed Pasture System In The Ozark Highlands, Larry Berry, Kristofor R. Brye, Andrew Sharpley, Ron Morrow, Dirk Phillip, Tim A. Glover, James M. Burke, Mike B. Daniels

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Soil nutrient management for pastures in Arkansas often ignores nutrients applied from feeding hay to cattle. Discounting nutrient contributions from hay may increase the likelihood of unnecessary fertilizer over-application. This study evaluated the effects of unrolling bales (unroll fed, UF) and using a ring feeder (ring fed, RF), compared to an unamended control, on changes in soil properties in the top 4 inches in a rotationally grazed, beef [red angus (Bos taurus)] pasture on silt-loam soils in northwest Arkansas. Forty-six cow-calf pairs were fed hay at 6.6 tons acre(-1) year(-1) (14.8 Mg ha(-1) year(-1); dry-weight basis) from December to February …

Arkansas Corn And Grain Sorghum Performance Tests 2024, J. F. Carlin, R. D. Bond, J. C. Mccoy, T. C. Swanson

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Corn and grain sorghum performance tests are conducted each year in Arkansas by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The tests provide information to companies marketing seed within the state and aid the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in formulating recommendations for producers.

The 2024 corn performance tests contained 44 hybrids and were conducted at the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center (NERREC) at Harrisburg, the Lon Mann Cotton Research Station (LMCRS) near Marianna, the Rohwer Research Station (RRS) near Rohwer, and the Rice Research and Extension Center (RREC) near Stuttgart. The 2024 grain sorghum performance tests contained 16 …

Registration Of Tx3499-Tx3503 Sorghum Germplasm Resistant To Acetyl-Coenzyme A Carboxylase-Inhibiting Herbicides, Daniel Crozier, Muthukumar Bagavathiannan, George L. Hodnett, Jason K. Norsworthy, Kayla A. Beechinor, William L. Rooney

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench ssp. bicolor] germplasm lines Tx3499-Tx3503 (Reg. no. GP-948-Reg. no. GP-952, PI 706257-PI 706261) were developed by the Texas A&M AgriLife Research sorghum breeding program in 2024. These lines are resistant to acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase)-inhibiting herbicides used for post-emergence control of common grass weeds. Genetic resistance to aryloxyphenoxypropionate and phenylpyrazoline class herbicides was introgressed into Tx3499-Tx3503 from a donor line that contained a single partially dominant gene. These lines represent diverse pedigrees and an array of combinations of grain color, plant color, maintenance of sterility or restoration of fertility to A1 male-sterile cytoplasm, as …

Insect Frass Fertilizer As Soil Amendment For Improved Forage And Soil Health In Circular Systems, Amanda J. Ashworth, Helen Carla S. Amorim, Gerson L. Drescher, Philip A. Moore, Maria Guadalupe Rojas, Juan Morales-Ramos, Ann M. Donoghue

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Insect farming is expected to increase in coming years, thus generating high quantities of frass (insect excreta). Frass valorization hinges on basic agronomic research prior to industry upscaling. Here, we investigated soil physiochemical properties, SMAF (Soil Management Assessment Framework) soil health, CO2 efflux, and bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] yield and quality as affected by yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.) frass [3400 and 6800 kg ha-1, low (LF) and high (HF) rates], poultry litter (PL; 3400 kg ha-1), and ammonium nitrate (AN; 67 kg N ha-1). HF increased soil C, N, P, K, and Mg by 10, 12, 44, 58, …

Tolerance Of Cotton To Herbicide-Coated Fertilizers, L. Summer Linn, Jason K. Norsworthy, Pamela Carvalho-Moore, Tristen H. Avent, Tom Barber, Trenton L. Roberts, Ben Trash

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cotton producers need residual herbicides that can safely and practically be applied postemergence. Herbicide-coated fertilizers could allow for simultaneous application of residual herbicides and a bulk fertilizer blend. Therefore, a study was conducted in 2022 and 2023 in Fayetteville, AR, to evaluate cotton tolerance to 12 herbicide treatments coated onto a fertilizer blend and applied over cotton. Herbicides and rates evaluated included diuron at 840 g ai ha-1, florpyrauxifen-benzyl at 29 g ai ha-1, flumioxazin at 105 g ai ha-1, flumioxazin + pyroxasulfone at 70 + 90 g ai ha-1, fluridone at 168 g ai ha-1, fluometuron at 840 g …

Soil Residual Activity Of Tetflupyrolimet And The Influence Of Soil Moisture And Flood Timeliness On Barnyardgrass Efficacy, Mason C. Castner, Jason K. Norsworthy, Trenton L. Roberts, Travis R. Faske, Thomas R. Butts, Nick R. Bateman

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Tetflupyrolimet is the first herbicide with a novel site of action to be commercialized for use in agronomic crops in three decades. Direct-seed rice field experiments were conducted at research facilities near Stuttgart (silt loam), AR, and Keiser (clay), AR, to evaluate tetflupyrolimet as a preemergence herbicide versus commercial standards. Greenhouse experiments determined the influence of soil moisture on pre- and postemergence barnyardgrass control with tetflupyrolimet and clomazone and the impact of a delayed flood on efficacy when POST-applied. For the field experiments, clomazone, tetflupyrolimet, and quinclorac were applied individually PRE at 336 and 560, 134 and 224, and 336 …

Grass Weed Control And Rice Response With Tetflupyrolimet-Containing Programs, Mason C. Castner, Jason K. Norsworthy, Thomas R. Butts, Trenton L. Roberts, Nick R. Bateman, Travis R. Faske

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Tetflupyrolimet is the first herbicide with a novel site of action (SOA) labeled PRE and early POST for use in agronomic crops to be labeled in the last three decades. Direct-seeded paddy rice field experiments were conducted near Stuttgart, AR, on a silt loam soil and near Keiser, AR, on a clay soil to evaluate tetflupyrolimet-containing herbicide programs in comparison to commercial standards in conventional, imidazolinone-resistant, and quizalofop-resistant rice systems. Additionally, a furrow-irrigated rice experiment was conducted near Colt, AR, and Keiser to ensure weed control with clomazone and tetflupyrolimet mixtures compared to commercial standards. Twelve commonly planted rice cultivars …

Root Decomposition And Nutrient Dynamics In Multifunctional Forage-Biomass Buffer-Strip Systems, Helen C.S. Amorium, Amanda J. Ashworth, Taylor C. Adams, Mary C. Savin, Philip A. Moore Jr

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Perennial crops are thought as a solution for enhancing food security and providing ecosystem services under a changing climate, including forage-biomass production, reduced erosion and nutrient leaching, and soil C accumulation. However, the drivers of root decomposition and C allocation in perennial multifunctional forage-biomass buffer-strips as affected by fertility management are poorly elucidated. Thus, study objectives were to assess root decomposition and soil CO2 efflux on switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides L.), silphium (Silphium integrifolium Michx.), and intermediate wheatgrass Kernza (Thinopyrum intermedium [Host] Barkworth & D.R. Dewey) treated with poultry litter (PL) relative to the unfertilized control. …

Instructions For Authors, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Rice Plants Response To Modulation Of The Erecta Signaling, Yasmin Vasques Berchembrock, Flavia Barbos Silva Botelho, Bhuvan Pathak, Shan Zhao, Vibha Srivastava

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The ERECTA family of receptors (ERfs), encoding leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs), can regulate multiple aspects of plant development and abiotic stress responses. The rice (Oryza sativa) genome contains three ERfs, namely ERECTA 1 (OsER1), ERECTA 2 (OsER2), and ERECTA-LIKE (OsERL). However, there is limited information currently available on their expression pattern during the plant developmental stages. The expression pattern of OsERfs genes at reproductive stages from the booting (R2) to milk (R6) stage in Nipponbare cultivar and the transgenic plants expressing a truncated Arabidopsis ERECTA (ER) lacking the kinase domain (triangle Kinase) were studied. The triangle Kinase functions as …

Contents, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Discovery: The Student Journal Of Dale Bumpers College Of Agricultural, Food And Life Sciences - Volume 26 2025, Several Authors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Featured Faculty Mentor/Student Team, Kelly Loftin, Eva Berryhill

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Genotypic Variation And Wilting Speed Affect Soybean (Glycine Max) Germination And Growth, Adriana Peissel, Jessica Ayala, Rupesh Kariyat

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Soybean (Glycine max) is one of the most important agricultural crops in the world due to its value as a major source of protein and oilseed production. Soybean is extremely sensitive to drought and experiences severe reductions in yield when there is a reduction in water availability. Canopy wilting speed is a trait linked with water use efficiency (WUE) in soybeans. Slower wilting canopies indicate greater WUE, while faster wilting canopies indicate lower WUE. Previous studies have explored the variation of plant physiological traits across wilting speeds on a smaller scale, but ultimately, a more extensive assessment is …

Letter From The Dean, Jeff Edwards

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Faculty Editor, Beth Kegley

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Biphasic Models Improved S-Metolachlor Dissipation Endpoint Predictions, K. Badou-Jeremie Kouame, Mary Savin, Cammy Willett, Thomas R. Butts, Erin Grantz, Matthew Bertucci, Samantha E. Robinson, Rodrigo Werle, Nilda Roma-Burgos

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Accurate predictions of herbicide dissipation endpoints are essential for making environmental management decisions, estimating the duration of weed control, and deciding crop replant and rotation options. The performance of the single first-order (SFO), first-order multiple-compartment (FOMC), bi-exponential (BEXP), first-order double-exponential decay (FODED), and first-order two-compartment (FOTC) was evaluated to describe S-metolachlor dissipation. Results showed that the BEXP and FOTC were not appropriate. The FODED was ranked as the top model with the lowest Akaike's information criterion (AICc) value among the other three candidate models and was followed by the FOMC model. The SFO displayed the largest root mean square …

Sensitivity Of Difficult-To-Control Palmer Amaranth Accessions To Fluridone And Diflufenican, Maria Carolina Souza, Matthew Coleman Woolard, Jason K. Norsworthy, Tristen H. Avent, Tristen H. Avent, Tom Barber, Rodrigo Botelho

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) has evolved resistance to herbicides targeting nine sites of action. Phytoene desaturase-inhibiting herbicides remain among the few sites of action that are still effective in controlling Palmer amaranth. Greenhouse experiments were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of fluridone and diflufenican in controlling difficult-to-control Palmer amaranth accessions collected in Arkansas from 2016 to 2022, to quantify the response of three accessions that exhibited low sensitivity to both herbicides, and to evaluate the effectiveness of photosystem II inhibitors alone and with fluridone or diflufenican on three accessions. At 14 days after a preemergence application, Palmer …

Use Of A Capsule Suspension Formulation Of S-Metolachlor In Fenclorim-Treated Rice, Jason K. Norsworthy, Samuel C. Noe, Thomas R. Butts, Trenton L. Roberts

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

As herbicide resistance continues to render commonly used rice herbicides ineffective, alternative sites of action are paramount to maintaining yield and producer profitability. Combining a slow-release formulation and a fenclorim seed treatment might allow the safe use of S-metolachlor in rice. Experiments were initiated in 2022 and 2023 near Colt, AR, on a silt loam soil to evaluate crop safety using a capsule suspension (CS) formulation of S-metolachlor and a fenclorim seed treatment in rice. The first experiment assessed the tolerance of two cultivars (‘Diamond’ and ‘DG263L’) to three rates (0.42, 0.84, and 1.68 kg ai ha^{−1 …}

Rice Response To Struvite And Other Phosphorus Fertilizers In A Phosphorus-Deficient Soil Under Simulated Furrow-Irrigation, Jonathan B. Brye, Diego Della Lunga, Kristofor R. Brye

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Wastewater-recovered phosphorus (P), in the form of the mineral struvite (MgNH₄PO₄⋅6H₂O), may provide a sustainable alternative to decreasing rock-phosphate reserves. Struvite can be generated via precipitation methods, potentially reducing the amount of P runoff to aquatic ecosystems. The objective of this greenhouse tub study was to evaluate the effects of chemically- and electrochemically precipitated struvite (CPST and ECST, respectively) on above- and belowground plant response in a hybrid rice (Oryza sativa) cultivar grown using furrow-irrigation compared to other common fertilizer-P sources [i.e., triple super phosphate (TSP) and diammonium phosphate (DAP)]. Rice was …