Jason Norsworthy’s origin story as a weed scientist began on a truck farm in south Arkansas, and was told through the unnumbered long, hot hours spent at the end of a gooseneck hoe chopping weeds…
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New Probiotic Shown to Improve Digestion in Poultry and Swine
A novel probiotic in both poultry and swine feed that promises to improve gut health and weight-gain efficiency may have another benefit: allowing the animals to unlock more of the nutrients of soybean in their diets. The probiotic, which is a beneficial bacterium…
REDI-NET Launch Brings New Line of Defense Against Emerging Diseases
Researchers with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station helped develop an early warning system for the military to help identify the next contagion. Imagine a researcher in a lab in Kenya testing a water sample, looking at microorganisms under a microscope…
November 2024 Arkansas Ag Research Report
A monthly round-up of top stories from the AAES. In this issue: Poultry scientists are working on a vaccine for necrotic enteritis, a multi-billion-dollar problem. Exploring new approaches to combat bovine respiratory disease. Drought mapping project shows driest spots …
WATCH: Samantha Robinson – Smarter Decision-Making with Data | Behind the Discovery
Samantha Robinson, a statistician and educator, turned a childhood love for numbers into a career. Robinson is an associate professor in the Center for Agricultural Data Analytics and the School of Human Environmental Sciences…
Hot Water Best for Sanitizing In-Shell Pecans, Sanitizers Prevent Cross-Contamination
Before those sweet and savory pecans make their way into your pecan pie or other holiday treat, they may go through an antimicrobial wash to reduce pathogens. But why would that be needed? “In‐shell pecans are typically harvested after falling from trees to the ground…
LISTEN: Grape Expectations – Breeding the Future of Grapes and Muscadines
Dr. Renee Threlfall shares her work on a USDA-funded project to develop a new generation of muscadine grapes. Known for their resilience and unique flavor, muscadines are being hybridized with bunch grapes to combine each species’ best qualities…
USDA-NIFA Grant Aims to Bring More Job Possibilities for Neurodivergent Individuals
With the help of a nearly $500,000 grant, Arkansas food safety expert Kristen Gibson is working to increase job opportunities for neurodivergent individuals. Gibson, a professor of food safety and microbiology and director of the Arkansas Center for Food Safety, received the grant from the USDA…
A Greenhouse Gas-Negative Future for Agriculture Presented at UN Climate Change Conference
As delegates from around the world convene in Baku, Azerbaijan for the U.N. Climate Change Conference, a new report suggests that agriculture could become greenhouse gas negative. Marty Matlock, a professor of biological and agricultural engineering…
Exploring New Approaches to Combat Bovine Respiratory Disease
It’s commonly known in the cattle industry that bovine respiratory disease is the most costly illness affecting cattle in North America. Despite extensive research and treatment efforts over the years, it continues to lead to high rates of sickness and death…
Geospatial Mapping Study Shows Drought Trend in Ag-Dominated Arkansas Delta
The Delta, a regional powerhouse for Arkansas agriculture built by river flows, is showing a trend of increasing droughts. Using satellite imagery, AAES researchers comprehensively analyzed drought dynamics over five years to reveal this and…
Finding a Preventative Solution to a Billion-Dollar Poultry Problem
The poultry industry loses up to $6 billion annually due to necrotic enteritis, a preventable intestinal disease in poultry, including broiler chickens. AAES poultry science researcher is evaluating a new possible solution using a novel vaccine combined with a bile acid regimen…
LISTEN: A Berry Big Deal: Merging Traits for Taste and Toughness
New research is exploring combining the best traits of traditional table grapes with muscadines to create disease-resistant, flavorful grapes consumers will love. Dr. Margaret Worthington, explains the project she co-leads to create a new grape variety…
WATCH: Samuel B. Fernandes – From Data to Insights | Behind the Discovery
Samuel Fernandes grew up on a ranch and studied agronomy. But he always wanted to study computer science too. As a researcher in the Center for Agricultural Data Analytics and the Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Department…
From Pets to Pests: Researchers Explore New Tool to Fight Disease-Carrying Insects
Arkansas researchers are testing a product commonly used to treat ticks and fleas on pets to target fly and mosquito larvae with the goal of helping reduce the spread of diseases carried by these insects. After switching to fluralaner as a veterinary medication for her dog….
Osage Ramen Fusion Dish Wins Mathis New Top Chef NWA Award
A recipe that paid homage to the Osage Nation won Chef Roni Mathis the title of 2024 Top Chef NWA. Mathis, a chef with the Arkansas Food Innovation Center at the Market Center of the Ozarks (AFIC@MCO), bested three other competitors in the event sponsored by the Rogers Public Library Foundation…
October 2024 Arkansas Ag Research Report
A monthly round-up of top stories from the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. IN THIS ISSUE: Evidence that a deadly parasite can survive low pH upends 50 years of poultry science and secures FDA funding. UADA and Bumpers College faculty and staff were honored…
WATCH: Mahfuzur Rahman – Unlocking the Potential of Protein | Behind the Discovery
Food scientist and grain processing engineer Mahfuzur Rahman is pioneering new and sustainable methods of extracting plant-based protein. Using technologies like ultrasound and cold plasma, Mahfuzur hopes to add value for producers and consumers…
LISTEN: Tracking Mallards Migration: Research and Conservation for Arkansas’ Duck Season
Duck hunting season takes place in November and December in Arkansas and duck hunters and experts are watching for birds coming into the area in October, a group often referred to as “Halloween ducks”. Dr. Doug Osborne, professor in the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources
Survey Assesses Mexican Consumers’ Opinions on GMO Corn Import Ban
A fully implemented ban on genetically modified corn in Mexico could disproportionately affect the nation’s lower-income consumers, according to a recently published study by agricultural economists with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture…
Grapes, Blackberries, Poultry Immune System Enhancement Methods Among Patents Recognized at Annual Ag Awards
New fruit varieties and a means to enhance poultry immune systems developed by UADA scientists were among 10 patents recognized Friday during the annual Agriculture Awards. All of the patents arose from discoveries made by scientists…
Land-Grant Faculty, Staff Earn Honors at Annual Ag Awards
Outstanding land-grant faculty and staff were honored Friday during the annual Agriculture Awards, held at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences. The event recognizes the achievements of those from the UADA and the Dale Bumpers College…
Respiratory Virus Thins Turkeys, Prices Might Rise for Thanksgiving Birds
Retailers may try to take the sting out of higher turkey prices as a respiratory virus called aMVP affects production of turkeys that would end up on the Thanksgiving table, said Jada Thompson, economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. …
LISTEN: Feast or Fowl – Why You Might Pay More for Turkey and Eggs This Holiday Season
Dr. Jada Thompson breaks down the economic factors affecting turkey and egg prices for the upcoming holiday season. She discusses the highly pathogenic avian influenza and avian metapneumovirus, or aMPV, how producers adjust supply in response to potential outbreaks, and the impacts…
Histomonosis, a Deadly Turkey Disease, Researched with New $3.2M FDA Grant
As scientists learn more about a deadly parasite’s ability to move from host to host in turkey flocks, a long-standing theory is in question and opens the door to new preventative measures. Histomonas meleagridis, the parasite behind histomonosis…