Forage recovery, weather outlook, livestock hauling rule changes on Feb. 22 AFGC agenda
By Mary
Hightower
U of A
System Division of Agriculture
LITTLE ROCK
– Helping winter-damaged forage recover, getting the latest on the spring weather
outlook and understanding changes in livestock hauling rules are on the agenda
for the Feb. 22 Arkansas Forage and Grassland Council’s winter meeting in
Conway.
The meeting
will be held Woodland Heights Education building is located at 4215 Prince Street.
Registration
opens at 9 a.m., and the program begins at 9:30 a.m. Registration is $25 per
person and $10 for students. Pre-event registration will help ensure there are
enough materials and lunch for all. For info, or to register, call Linda McCargo at 501-671-2171.
“Weather
conditions over the past six months have certainly been unfavorable for
Arkansas pastures,” said John Jennings, professor-forage for the University of
Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
“Questions
coming in regarding what to do for a spring forage crop include, ‘how will this
cold winter affect my pastures?’ ‘what about armyworms?’, and ‘what are other
producers doing?’” he said. “Producers will hear about new forage research on
spring and fall forages. These studies are evaluating options ‘outside the box’
and match up with the unusually dry fall and odd winter weather. Arkansas
producers also will tell about how they incorporated some of these different
options to boost their forage production.”
The agenda:
· 9:45 a.m. - Riding the weather
rollercoaster – outlook for 2018, John Lewis, senior forecaster - National
Weather Service – Little Rock,
· 10:15 New research for spring pasture - Kenny Simon, extension program
associate-forages, Division of Agriculture.
· New research for fall pasture – John
Jennings, professor-forage, Division of Agriculture.
· 11:15 Department of Transportation farm vehicle regulations status
update – Major Jay Thompson, Arkansas Highway Police.
· Noon Lunch
· 1 p.m. - When will armyworms strike
this year? – Kelly Loftin, extension entomologist
· 1:30 p.m. – Non-conventional forages
in a double-crop system – producer experience
· Luke Alston, Holly Springs
Homestead - Polk County
· Jeff Montgomery, Diamond M Ranch -
Yell County
· 2:15 p.m. - Coping with current
conditions for forages and livestock
· John Jennings
· Paul Beck, interim director,
Southwest Research and Extension Center
· 3 p.m. - Adjourn
Learn more
about managing forage and livestock by calling your county extension office or
visiting www.uaex.edu.
About
the Division of Agriculture
The
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to
strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted
research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment
Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture
conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant
education system.
The
Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas
System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five
system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of
Agriculture is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action
institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need
materials in another format, please contact the Fruit Research Station as soon
as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.
