Dumas soybean event to talk growing foes
Two major soybean-growing villains — taproot decline and nematodes — will be on the agenda for the Tri-State Soybean Conference, an event that returns to Arkansas on Jan. 6. It will be held at the Dumas Community Center, 18 Belmont St., in Dumas.
The annual conference rotates among three powerhouse soybean production states: Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi, and brings together hundreds of producers, researchers and other professionals.
The conference opens at 8 a.m. with registration and ends with lunch at 12:15 p.m. There’s no cost to attend and pre-event registration isn’t required. Continuing education units are available and those seeking CEUs can sign up at the door.
“Nematodes and taproot decline — those will have the greatest effect on soybean production next year, which is why we wanted them on the program,” said Steven Stone, Lincoln County extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “Our program, from top to bottom, is going to be good and people will pick something up from all the talks.
“This year was very hot and dry for us,” he said. “This is typically when we see issues with nematode injury.”
Travis Faske, extension plant pathologist for the Division of Agriculture, “is going to talk about resistant varieties and highlight some of his work on those varieties and maybe they can head off some of those nematode problems in the future,” Stone said. He also said soybean growers “have a quickly growing problem with taproot decline. “Trey Price from LSU (Louisiana State University) will talk about what we can do to address that through cultural practices and some varieties that have shown some promise as resistant.”
REST OF THE AGENDA
This year’s conference will
include experts from all three states covering topics ranging from soil fertility and efficient irrigation to advancements in applicator technology and pest management. Soybean agronomists from LSU and Mississippi State University and Arkansas’s Division of Agriculture will also deliver a “state of the states” discussion.
Hunter Biram, extension economist for the Division of Agriculture, said he will speak on several economic aspects of soybean production, beginning with the market situation and outlook.
Biram will discuss “what we learned from the summer 2022 drought and the Mississippi River issue, farm bill program decisions for the 2023 season and profitable crop insurance coverage suggestions.”
A shrimp and sausage gumbo lunch will be catered by Toby Young after the final presentation.
As an added incentive, attendees have a chance at winning approximately $2,000 worth of door prizes, most of which will be outdoor or hunting items.
THE AGENDA:
8-8:30 a.m. Registration;
8:30-9 a.m. Trent Roberts – professor-soil fertility, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, “Soil Fertility and the Potash Calculator;”
9-9:30 a.m. Mike Hamilton – irrigation instructor, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, “Irrigation Efficiency and Soil Moisture Sensors;”
9:30-10 a.m. Hunter Biram – assistant professor, extension agricultural economist, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, “Soybean Marketing Strategies;”
10:15-10:45 a.m. Jason Davis – extension application technologist, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, “See and Spray Application Technology;”
10:45-11:15 Travis Faske – professor and extension plant pathologist, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, “Root Knot Nematode Management;”
11:15-11:45 Trey Price – associate professor, LSU Ag Center Macon Ridge Research Station, “Tap Root Decline Management;”
11:45-12:00 State of the States
Update from Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas soybean agronomists;
Noon-12:15 United Soybean Board/Promotion Board update.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact a local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow the agency on Twitter and Instagram at @ AR_Extension. Ryan McGeeney is with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.