The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service reported on May 15 that its row crop verification program is helping farmers across the state maximize their yields and ensure efficient use of resources. The announcement comes after a dry April, during which extension coordinators worked to get verification fields planted and ready for irrigation.
The program is important because it puts research-based recommendations into practice on real farms, allowing both the university and participating growers to assess the effectiveness of different seeding rates, fertilizer applications, and pest management strategies. This process aims to optimize potential profits while minimizing unnecessary costs.
Ralph Mazzanti, extension rice verification program coordinator for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, said that although planting was fast due to dry weather, some fields struggled with uneven germination. “We had a couple of fields that were struggling to get a stand,” Mazzanti said. “We had stands anywhere from ‘seed not even sprouted’ to sprouted seed, to one-, two- or three-leaf rice, all in the same field in some cases.”
Mazzanti manages nine rice verification fields this year ranging from 40 acres to more than 100 acres each. Across all major crops such as rice, soybeans and corn, extension typically oversees more than 40 verification fields annually. The program began in 1983 in response to concerns over declining yields among growers.
Farmers who participate provide land and inputs while extension staff offer weekly consultations throughout the growing season. “Basically, I’m putting those recommendations into action on a large scale — on a farmer’s field instead of a small research plot,” Mazzanti said. “We’re verifying that the recommendations from the university are economical and practical. We’re very conservative in our recommendations — we try to avoid wasting the farmers’ money by making unnecessary applications.” He added: “There are a lot of products out there that have great sales pitches but turn out to be a waste of time and money half the time… We try a lot of those at the research level so we can save farmers the bother.”
The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service receives funding through federal grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture as well as state appropriations; it operates programs addressing rural, urban and suburban needs using county offices across all 75 counties in Arkansas according to its official website. The service aims to enhance agriculture, communities and families by applying research-backed practices through various outreach efforts according to its official website.
Farmers interested in joining future row crop verification programs are encouraged by officials to contact their local Cooperative Extension Service agent.
