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The article focuses on biofortification is a process of increasing the density of minerals and vitamins in a food crop through conventional plant breeding, genetic engineering, or agronomic practices. Topics include the monograph describes the progress made in developing, testing, and disseminating biofortified staple food crops, and summarizing the activities of two consortiums of inter-disciplinary collaborating institutions led the HarvestPlus program and the International Potato Center.

Corn (Zea mays L.) is an important crop in Arkansas. Reliable soil-test-based fertilizer recommendations are the most cost effective tool for sound nutrient management. Information from replicated experiments on corn response to P or K fertilization are the cornerstones of reliable soil testing. Replicated field experiments were conducted to evaluate corn response to P or K fertilizer rate on soils typically used for corn production. Phosphorus fertilization significantly influenced (P < 0.10) corn grain yield at two sites rated Low or Medium in Mehlich-3 extractable soil-P. At the two P responsive sites, the grain yield of corn that received no fertilizer P was 150 or 103 bu/acre, respectively, and the yield of corn fertilized with P ranged from 159 to 175 bu/acre or 114 to 138 bu/acre, respectively. Potassium fertilization significantly affected corn grain yield at two sites with Low and Medium soil-test K. The grain yield of corn that received no K fertilizer was 110 or 141 bu/acre and corn yields fertilized with K ranged from 149 to 174 or 170 to 192 bu/acre, respectively. Supplemental P or K fertilization did not influence corn grain yield when the soil-test P or K levels were Optimum. The results will be added to a database on high-yielding corn response to P or K fertilization in Arkansas. The database will be used to review and, if needed, revise the existing soil-test-based P and K fertility recommendations for corn production in Arkansas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On-farm testing provides researchers the opportunity to evaluate cultivars in a more unpredictable environment than that of the experiment stations or traditional test plots. The Producer Rice Evaluation Program (PREP) utilizes commercial rice fields throughout the state to evaluate experimental lines and various commercial cultivars for disease, lodging, grain yield potential, and milling yield in diverse growing conditions, soil types and farming practices. For producers, knowing the optimum cultivar for each field is their biggest and most important tool. On-farm testing can indicate which cultivars are suited for a particular growing situation. Field studies were located in Craighead, Drew, Lafayette, Lawrence, Phillips, Poinsett, Prairie, and White counties during the 2017 growing season. Twenty cultivars were selected for evaluation in the on-farm tests. The average grain yield across all locations was 211 bu/acre and the mean milling yield, percent head rice and percent total white rice (%HR/%TR), was 59/70. The cultivars with the highest grain yields averaged across locations were RT XP753, RT 7311 CL, RT 7812 CL, Titan, RT XP760, RT Gemini 214 CL, Jupiter, and Diamond. Cultivars CL172, CL153, CL111, and RT 7812 CL had the highest milling yields averaged across locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New fertilization methods using low zinc (Zn) rates have been developed and marketed for rice (Oryza sativa L.) fertilization. Limited research is available to validate the efficacy of these methods. Our research objectives were to evaluate the effect of Zn seed treatment rate combined with six Zn fertilization methods on: 1) early-season canopy coverage, 2) rice seedling Zn concentration, and 3) grain yield. Two field experiments were conducted in 2017 on soils mapped as Calloway and Calhoun silt loams. 'Roy J' (Calloway) or 'Diamond' (Calhoun) rice was treated with 0 or 0.33 lb Zn/cwt (hundredweight) as ZnO and was combined with: i) no Zn (UTC), ii) granular ZnSO4 applied at 10 lb Zn/acre (GRAN), iii) 1.5 lb Zn/acre as McroEssentials (MESZ), iv) 1.0 lb Zn/acre as Zn-EDTA a (EDTA), and v/vi) 0.5 and 1.0 lb Zn/acre of WolfTrax Zn-DDP (DDP). On the Calhoun soil, canopy coverage was not affected by Zn seed treatment rate or fertilization method. When Zn fertilization methods were averaged, application of 0.33 lb Zn/cwt to seed increased seedling Zn concentration (P = 0.0044) by 3.3 ppm (mg Zn/kg) compared with rice seed that had no Zn seed treatment. A significant interaction between Zn seed treatment rate by fertilization method tended to have greater canopy coverage on the Calloway soil for rice fertilized with MESZ. Grain yield was not affected by Zn seed treatment rate, fertilization methods, or their interaction. Results suggest that low-use-rate Zn fertilizers provide only minimal Zn for rice seedlings, and should be avoided on fields where Zn deficiencies are probable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2017 Rice Grower Research and Demonstration Experiment (GRADE) Program was conducted at seven locations in commercial rice fields across Arkansas. Until the 2017 growing season, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture relied primarily on two methods of testing research-based recommendations: small-plot research, with plots small but standardized; and the Rice Research Verification Program (RRVP) which is in place to verify that small-plot-based recommendations are effective on a commercial scale. One-thousandth of an acre is the typical size of a small plot, while the RRVP is an entire field, ranging anywhere from 20 acres to over 100. The Rice GRADE Program utilizes large-block, replicated strip trials designed to be a bridge between the RRVP and small-plot testing. Each plot in these trials ranges in size from 0.5 to 3 acres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field trial was conducted in the summer of 2017 to evaluate the tolerance of 10 commonly planted rice cultivars when applied with 4-hydroxyphenolpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) inhibiting herbicides. Plots were planted with the cultivars Roy J, Diamond, LaKast, Jupiter, Titan, Rondo, CL151, CL172, CLXL745, or XP753. At the 2- to 3-leaf stage, each cultivar was applied with topramezone, mesotrione, or tembotrione at labeled corn rates. Nontreated checks were also included for comparison. After application, visual injury was assessed 2 and 4 weeks after treatment (WAT) and rough grain yield was taken at physiological maturity. Herbicide treatments applied to the cultivar Rondo displayed the most injury of over 90% observed at 4 WAT. Grain yields were also significantly reduced by 60-100% when compared to the nontreated check. Jupiter was least affected by the HPPD-inhibiting herbicides with mesotrione exhibiting the most injury (20%) 4 WAT and less than 10% yield reduction. These observations suggest that HPPD-inhibiting herbicides present a high risk for severe rice injury that would be undesirable in commercial rice cropping systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arkansas Rice Performance Trials (ARPTs) are conducted each year to evaluate promising experimental lines from the Arkansas rice breeding program and commercially available cultivars from public and private breeding programs. The ARPTs are planted on experiment stations and cooperating producer's fields in a diverse range of environments, soil types, and agronomic and pest conditions. The ARPTs were conducted at five locations during 2017. Averaged across locations, grain yields were highest for the commercial cultivars XP753, XP760, RT7812CL, RTGemini214CL, RT7311CL, Diamond, and Jupiter. Two advanced experimental lines, AREX7-1084 and AREX7-1124 also outperformed many current commercial cultivars. Cultivars with the highest overall milling yields during 2017 included: CL153, CL163, CL172, and Roy J. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loyant™ is a new post-emergence (POST) synthetic auxin (WSSA group 4) herbicide from DowDuPont recently labeled for use in rice. It provides broad-spectrum weed control, with strong activity on both Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) and barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli). The weed control spectrum of Loyant indicates it will be a good fit in a herbicide program for furrow-irrigated rice. Field experiments were conducted at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture's Pine Tree Research Station (PTRS) near Colt, Ark. and the Lon Mann Cotton Research Station (LMCRS) near Marianna, Ark. in summer 2017 to evaluate Loyant-containing weed control programs in furrow-irrigated rice. This experiment was arranged as a randomized complete block design with a 3-factor factorial. Command® plus Facet® L or Command plus League® was applied pre-emergence (PRE) followed by Ricestar®HT as an earlypost- emergence (EPOST) application. Loyant was applied as a mid-post-emergence application (MPOST) alone and as a tank mix with Prowl® or with Clincher®plus Prowl and compared to the standard treatment of Prowl plus Riceshot®. An as-needed application of Grasp® Xtra was made late-post-emergence (LPOST) vs. no application. In both locations, Loyant-containing MPOST treatments provided better Palmer amaranth control 4 weeks after treatment (WAT) when compared to the standard treatment that did not contain Loyant. Contrasts were conducted for LMCRS to compare Loyant and Grasp Xtra-containing treatments to those that did not contain Loyant and Grasp Xtra. At this location, treatments that contained both Loyant MPOST and Grasp Xtra LPOST controlled Palmer amaranth better 4 WAT than the treatments that did not contain Loyant and Grasp Xtra. Additionally, Loyant-containing treatments at LMCRS yielded higher than treatments that did not contain Loyant. Results from these experiments, coupled with knowledge from previous research, indicates Loyant will be a good fit in furrow-irrigated rice and will provide a much-needed option for Palmer amaranth control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the initiative of Boeing Co. and the Defense Department Joint Program Executive Office, Joint Tactical Radio System (JPEO JTRS) to complete eight months of field tests. The test demonstrates how software-defined Ground Mobile Radios (GMRs) are able to operate with one another in a tactical operational environment. According to Boeing JTRS GMR program manager Ralph Moslener, the team was able to communicate with voice, video and data communications across the network.