St. Francis County Extensions -UAEX

08/30/2021

Come by the St. Francis County Fair this week and check out our information booth!

08/18/2021

Friendly reminder to wash your mask!

Your mask has been working ultra hard for you, so make sure you are regularly cleaning them.

The CDC has a fantastic guide for using and caring for masks. Check it out! ➡ http://bit.ly/MaskCleaning

08/10/2021

Are you or someone you know interested in an exciting career that serves the community of St. Francis County? Are you or someone you know qualified in the areas of soil and row crops? We have the job for you! Follow the link below to apply for our County Agriculture Agent position. Call the Extension office at 870-261-1730 with any questions.

08/09/2021

If you only had one of your two vaccinations, you may not be fully immunized.

Get your second vaccination!

08/02/2021

Help us keep our communities safe!

😷 COVID-19 cases have been on the rise, especially in Arkansas, and the CDC recommends wearing masks while indoors, whether vaccinated or not. Stay safe, everyone, and be sure to wear a mask!

For resources on COVID-19, visit ➡ uaex.uada.edu/immunity

07/29/2021

Fall Armyworm Update - Forage

Kelly Loftin

Fall armyworms (FAW) are at extreme population levels across much of the state. It’s not uncommon to encounter 20+ worms in some bermudagrass fields. They have also attacked other warm season grasses such as sorghum sudangrass, pearl millet, johnsongrass and crabgrass. Many of the infestations are multigenerational (mixed worm sizes) which are more difficult to control because moths are potentially laying eggs daily. In my 23+ years with extension, I’ve not witnessed this level of infestation spread across such a wide geographical area – all regions of Arkansas have been infested at varying degrees. To add insult to injury, some of our traditional control options are not performing as well as they have in past armyworm outbreaks.

We are seeing subpar FAW control with some of the pyrethroids such as lamda-cyhalothrin. Although this is not occurring with all applications, the frequency of occurrence causes concern. With this in mind and the multigenerational population structure, if producers plan on using pyrethroids, tank mixing with the IGR diflubenzuron (Dimilin®, Unforgiven® or Cavalier®) is good advice.

How is the tank mixing of lambda-cyhalothrin and Dimilin® performing? The short answer is that it is working better than lambda-cyhalothrin alone. Some applications are very effective and providing about 2 weeks or so of residual control. And in other applications, we are not achieving more than a week of residual control and leaving some live worms in the field.

This year we are seeing more use of the IGR methoxyfenozide (Intrepid® and the generic version - Troubadour®) than in past years. And how is it working? The short answer is - similar to the tank mix of lambdacyhalothrin and Dimilin®. Some applications have provided 2-3 weeks of control and others are not providing 2 weeks control.

With a few exceptions, chlorantraniliprole (Prevathon®) and chlorantraniprole and lambda-cyhalothrin (Besiege®) are preforming well and providing good residual control. We expect longer term residual control with chlorantraniliprole because it is a true systemic compound. It translocates within the plant including new growth. In contrast, the IGRs (Dimilin® and Intrepid®) exhibit translaminar activity and are not true systemic products. I’ve had a report of Prevathon® not providing good residual control. And in further investigation, we determined that the field was sprayed a few days after harvest and the grass was very short with many bare stems. For a systemic to work, the plants must have enough foliage to absorb the compound so than translocation within the plant can occur.

With this quick rundown on what we are seeing in the field, below are some comments/explanations related to the residual efficacy of the IGRs. With Dimilin, Intrepid and their generic equivalents, the compound penetrates the leaf tissue and is present in that area of the leaf. If the grass was short with limited leaf surface at the time of application, then through fertilization, rainfall or irrigation begins to grow rapidly – the

grass can simply outgrow the application. We are seeing this happen in some fields where the bermudagrass is growing rapidly. For example, you spray an IGR on a field with 2-3 inch tall grass, then 10 days after application that field has grass that is 12-14 inches tall resulting in less than optimal FAW control. In this example, only 15-25% of the grass contains the IGR compound. This is less of a concern in slower growing fields. We should also remember that when the grass is cut and harvested, the products (translaminar or systemic) present before cutting are no longer present in the plant.

Below is a breakdown describing residual activity.

Insecticides lacking residual activity (no translaminar activity)

Pyrethroid class

Lambda-cyhalothrin

Zeta-cypermethrin

Beta-cyfluthrin

Cyfluthrin

Insecticides with translaminar activity

Insect growth regulator class

Diflubenzuron

Methoxyfenozide

Insecticides with systemic activity

Anthranilic diamide class

Chlorantraniliprole

We continue to encounter bermudagrass stem maggots and their damage in some locations. The best treatment option is to apply a pyrethroid 7 – 10 days after cutting.

I want to end this article on a positive note and a picture. Last week in SW Arkansas we encountered FAWs infected with a naturally occurring nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV). Although we can’t count on a naturally occurring pathogen to solve our current FAW crisis, it is encouraging. And it’s likely more common to see FAW disease epizootics when population levels are very high. Despite high mortality, FAW diseases often appears too late to alleviate high levels of defoliation. Hopefully in the future, we will have a NPV available commercially to treat FAW.

07/28/2021

💥VOLUNTEERS NEEDED💥 We are looking for volunteers throughout the fair week. This would be for a HOST/HOSTESS of the exhibit building.
Groups • Individuals • Organizations • church groups.

Available Hours: Thur. 9/2 - 9am - 5pm • Fri. 9/3 - 9am - 5pm • Sat. 9/4 - 9am - 5pm

➡Contact Candice Kelso at 870-633-4112 to volunteer or send us a message and you will be contacted.

07/19/2021

Don't forget to sign up THIS WEEK if you have a youth ages 8-12 who would like to participate. Check out the details below for more information or call 870-261-1730.

Are your kids interested in cooking? Check out the information below to register for a cooking day-camp that is all about cooking with Arkansas grown food!

07/16/2021

Fall armyworms appearing in high numbers in Arkansas pastures

By Mary Hightower U of A System Division of Agriculture

Fast facts

· High numbers of armyworms seen

· February’s deep freeze had little impact on populations

· Cattle producers should scout in the field

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The fall armyworms surging through Arkansas pastures and lawns apparently don’t understand the concept of a killing freeze.

Like the old saw, this army travels on its stomach, and searches for tender plants to eat. The armyworms can often render a lush pasture nearly barren in a day.

“Right now, we’re seeing populations well above treatment thresholds in southern, southwestern and western Arkansas from Mena into Fort Smith and Van Buren,” said Kelly Loftin, extension entomologist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “We’re seeing reports in north-central regions like Cleburne County over into Greene County.”

Numbers have been increasing each week for the last 2 1/2-3 weeks. Fall armyworm catches have been highest in the following:

· heavily fertilized Bermudagrass hay fields

· irrigated Bermudagrass hay fields

· hay fields where Signalgrass is present

· newly planted bermudagrass and crabgrass fields

“It’s a pretty intense year,” he said. “It’s a shocker.”

The deep freeze that took over much of Arkansas, Texas and other parts of the South back in February should’ve put the kibosh on fall armyworms.

“Armyworms overwinter as adults in south Texas,” Loftin said. “If we look at the temperatures we had in February, we would’ve expected more winter mortality.”

"Because of the extended rains during the spring, many ranchers had both quantity and quality issues in their first cutting of hay, making it all the more imperative to protect what’s left in meadows and pastures, for future grazing or cutting,” he said.

Scout pastures

John Jennings, professor and extension forage specialist for the Division of Agriculture, said lots of infestations are being reported.

“Often the armyworm moths are attracted to the most tender growing forage, so new growth on recently cut hay fields, well-managed pastures and newly planted summer forages like millet, sorghum/sudan, and crabgrass are at greatest risk,” he said.

Damage from small armyworms often shows up as light-colored grass tips similar to frost or as small patches of green tissue missing from the leaf surface called windowpane feeding. Damage from larger worms is more obvious with leaves and young stems being eaten.

“Producers should scout all fields closely with in-field observations and not from the pickup windshield,” Jennings said. Find additional information at the extension armyworm page; https://www.uaex.edu/farm-ranch/pest-management/insect/armyworms.aspx

Download the fact sheets: “Managing Armyworms in Pastures and Fields,”https://www.uaex.edu/publications/pdf/FSA-7083.pdf and “Fall Armyworm Recognition and Management” at https://bit.ly/3wFGKen.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at . To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uark.edu. Follow on Twitter at . To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at .

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 offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, s*x, gender identity, s*xual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

Your best source for unbiased, research-based information on agriculture, communities, the economy, families and youth.

07/13/2021

Are your kids interested in cooking? Check out the information below to register for a cooking day-camp that is all about cooking with Arkansas grown food!

07/12/2021

Needing your PDR hours? Check out the resources below or contact Karley Mishler and the office today! 870-261-1730

Gain 5 professional development hours when you complete our online courses! Click here to find out more about these topics: https://courses.uada.edu/course/index.php?categoryid=83

07/06/2021

Check this out to make sure you are eating safe food!

LISTERIA RECALL: Do not eat, serve, or sell recalled frozen, fully cooked chicken produced by Tyson Foods and sold under various brands. Products include fully cooked chicken strips, diced chicken, and pizzas made with fully cooked chicken.

Listeria is particularly harmful to people who are 65 years or older, pregnant, or have a weakened immune system.

Get more details and a full list of recalled products by visiting our website:
https://bit.ly/3xdjw0r