Mary Hightower, chief communications officer for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, will retire from the organization in January 2026 after 23 years of service.
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Voluntary Wintertime Cover Crop Adoption Up 5 Percent in Arkansas
Using satellite imagery and government data, researchers measured a 5 percent increase in voluntary, or non-subsidized, cover crop adoption by Arkansas farmers. The finding came out of research seeking to pinpoint how farmers were using cover crops…
Experimental Microneedle Painkiller Patch for Pigs Shows Proof of Concept
An experimental pain-relieving drug delivery method for farm animals using microneedle patches may not have delivered an effective dose, but it took a pivotal step that offers new leads for innovation. Jeremy Powell, veterinarian and professor of animal science for the UADA, said the project originated from a simple question…
Kordsmeier to Take Helm of UADA Communications
The new chief communications officer for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture comes to the position with a science background — useful for a land-grant organization built on discovery and bringing those discoveries to those who can use them…
Soybean Pathogen Researcher John Rupe Retires After 41 Years With UADA
As a plant pathologist, John Rupe became an internationally recognized expert in diseases that affect soybeans, Arkansas’ top commodity crop in cash receipts. Rupe, a University Professor in the department of entomology and plant pathology, retires at the end of December after 41 years…
November 2025 Arkansas Ag Research Report
A monthly round-up of top stories from the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. IN THIS ISSUE: International collaboration to limit the spread of plant pathogens, The top-cited scientists in the world, Solving the high nighttime temperature problem in rice…
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Scientists Among World’s Top-Cited
Among millions of researchers in the world, 14 faculty members with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station were recognized as top-cited scientists by a recent annual ranking. Calculated by Stanford University professor of medicine John…
Improving Global Fruit Biosecurity Aim of New UADA Partnership With India
The UADA recently entered a five-year agreement with the Indian National Horticulture Board and Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to help farmers in India improve agricultural production by limiting spread of pathogens.
Long-Term Cattle Performance Focus of Research Review, Call for Collaboration
Despite the United States’ long and storied past with cattle ranching, long-term research on health, nutrition and management is rarely wrangled, hamstrung by budget constraints and the segmented nature of the industry…
3-D Printing: The Future of Food
In a perfect world, people would have easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables at affordable prices. They would not live in food deserts, and 30 to 40 percent of food produced in the U.S. would not be lost annually through overproduction, surplus and waste…
Partnership Boosts Water Quality Research in Arkansas
Ridding the environment of potentially harmful chemicals called PFAS and detoxifying harmful algal blooms are goals of a continued research partnership between the Arkansas Water Resources Center and the University of Arkansas College of Engineering…
Rice Research Takes Important Step in Solving the High Nighttime Temp Problem
Researchers with the AAES have identified genetic mechanisms in rice that can help counteract the negative effects of higher nighttime temperatures. Drastic yield losses of up to 90 percent and severe declines in grain quality can occur when nighttime temperatures rise above 82.4 Fahrenheit…
WATCH: Benjamin Parsons – Better Nutrition, Healthier Birds | Behind the Discovery
Poultry nutrition research is critical to helping poultry farmers maximize efficiency and improve profitability. Following in his father’s footsteps, assistant professor of poultry nutrition Benjamin Parsons investigates how nutrient availability in feed ingredients impacts flock performance…
Arkansas Research Identifies Temperature Ranges for Eight Cover Crops
Knowing what temperatures that a plant can withstand is a hallmark of botanical science, but those temperatures had not been well documented for many cover crops. Grown in periods of the year when the cash crop is absent, cover crops are planted for…
Land-Grant Recognition Founded by John W. White Lives on 49 Years Later
Forty-nine years ago, Glenn Nelson, a researcher and retired professor of agricultural engineering, became the first of a long line of honorees for an award named for John W. White to honor excellence in land-grant work. White, who served as the first head of the UADA…
Donnie Smith, Former Tyson Foods CEO, Credits Servant-Leader Model for His Success
Chief executive officers shouldn’t think of themselves as the top of a pyramid, but rather the trunk of a tree, said Donnie Smith, former CEO of Tyson Foods. Smith was the inaugural speaker in the Fryar Price Risk Management Center of Excellence’s new Future of Arkansas Agriculture and Beyond series…
Strawberry, Blackberry, Muscadine Researchers Awarded Specialty Crop Block Grants
That first bite into an Arkansas-grown strawberry, blackberry or muscadine grape has a lot of research behind it by scientists with the UADA. With that research comes the need for funding to pay for materials, labor, travel and outreach to share the findings and recommendations with specialty crop growers…
A New Study Offers Insights on the Power of Imagery in Conservation Initiatives
From Ansel Adams’ national parks landscapes to Apollo astronaut William Anders’ iconic photo “Earthrise,” photography has been a powerful influence on conservation efforts in the United States. An Arkansas and Oklahoma watershed conservation…
October 2025 Arkansas Ag Research Report
A monthly round-up of top stories from the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. IN THIS ISSUE: Arkansas waterfowl and wetlands research gets a boost, Veterinarians speak their mind on food animal wellbeing, NASDA’s Arkansas tour builds international ties, Paying respects to the ‘Pickle Man’…
WATCH: Aaron Cato – Perfecting Pest Control | Behind the Discovery
Driven by a passion for helping farmers succeed, associate professor of horticulture Aaron Cato combines research and outreach to support Arkansas specialty crop farmers through smarter pest management and sustainable growing practices…
UADA’s New HR Chief Planning to Hit the Road to Learn About Statewide Organization
LaTonda Williams, the new chief human resources officer for the UADA, will be seeing a lot of Arkansas over the next year or so. Williams said her first priority is to learn as much as she can about the people and work of the Division of Agriculture — a far-flung organization that conducts land-grant research and outreach with offices in all 75 Arkansas counties.
UAM Forestry Faculty Earn Top Regional Honors for Leadership, Excellence
Two forestry professors with the UAM were recently recognized by their peers for their outstanding contributions to the profession at the 2025 Western Gulf States Society of American Foresters meeting…
Organic Weed Control Field Trial Pits No-Till vs. Conventional Till in Soybean
Weed management is a key concern for any farmer. But it’s at the top of the list for those growing organic field crops, seeking or maintaining organic certification. Without synthetic pesticides to call upon, organic farmers must rely on either more expensive non-synthetic pesticides or mechanical weed control…
New Arkansas Waterfowl Research Center Poised for National Impact
A new waterfowl research center that aims to advance waterfowl and wetlands research and transform the industry was announced on Monday during a ceremony at the University of Arkansas at Monticello…
Center for Food Animal Wellbeing Gets ‘Boots on the Ground’ With Veterinarians
In the world of food animal production, veterinarians are on the front lines helping producers address both the physical health and wellbeing of the animal. Although they may not be able to converse with animals like Hollywood’s “Dr. Dolittle,”…