Arkansas

Arkansas farmers expected to produce record soybean yields – Talk Business & Politics

Published

2 years ago

January 3, 2024

Arkansas farmers expected to produce record soybean yields – Talk Business & Politics

It’s expected that Arkansas soybean yields could set a new record, with each acre yielding an estimated 53 bushels on average, said Jeremy Ross, soybean extension agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

The increase is expected despite drought-like conditions throughout the Mississippi Delta Region in 2023. Better growing practices, including proactive irrigation, along with better plant genetics, early planting and favorable conditions for many of the state’s soybean farmers were other factors for improved yields, Ross said.

“We won’t have the final numbers until February, but there is potential for the yield average to be higher,” Ross said. “South Arkansas took it on the chin this spring with heavy rains and some very cold conditions after planting, in addition to several hailstorms in other parts of the state, but overall, it was a good year.”

The previous record average soybean yield for Arkansas was 52 bushels per acre in 2021, which was matched in 2022. The final numbers will be released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in February. Ross said he would not be surprised if the estimate is bumped up beyond 53 bushels per acre for Arkansas.

“Each year our soybean yields just keep getting better and better, and that trends across the entire United States,” Ross said. “Looking back, we were 20 percentage points ahead of the five-year average on planting progress and that translated into the crop being mature 15 to 20 percent ahead of typically where we were.”

Many soybean farmers in Arkansas were done with harvest before Halloween and got a jump on land preparation for the 2024 planting season, Ross said. One farmer he talked to in central Arkansas said his fields were 4 to 5 bushels better across the entire farm.

“I’ve talked to several producers and some farmers say that this is the best year they’ve ever had soybean wise,” Ross said.

Dry periods helped push down fungal disease pressure until the end of the season when “it came on with a vengeance,” he said. Soybean fields planted earlier were able to fend off disease better and farmers were outrunning pests with earlier harvest, Ross noted.

Soybean fields near and north of Pine Bluff saw enough favorable weather in 2023 to bump up the state average. It wasn’t a golden year for most growers in the middle of America, though. Drought in the Midwest pushed soybean yields down in that region and created troubling low-water levels on the Mississippi River, which tripped a domino effect downstream.

Not only were grain elevators filled up at harvest time because barge traffic was limited, but fertilizer wasn’t coming in for post-harvest bed preparations when expected. Some farmers also had to leave soybeans in the field to harvest later, Ross said.

“Grain elevators were having to hold on to more than they typically do because they couldn’t get it shipped out fast enough,” Ross explained. “We really didn’t have a break in harvest. Farmers just rolled from corn to rice to soybeans, and there wasn’t a break to give elevators a chance to get grain shipped out, so everything just kind of started stacking up.”

The rice harvest was also a little better than expected, Ross said, taking up space typically reserved for soybean because it could not make it to the river for export when expected. Some farmers Ross talked to said they trucked their soybeans 50 to 75 miles farther than usual.

“There were a few hiccups and a few glitches along the way, but I think most everybody is doing pretty good now,” Ross said of the post-harvest trials of a bumper crop with low river levels.

Soybeans remain the state’s most widely grown row crop. In 2023, more than 3 million acres were harvested. The crop has a $2.38 billion value, according to USDA estimates. Arkansas traditionally is among the top 10 soybean producing states each year.

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Arkansas

No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks’ Historic Season Comes to an End at WCWS

Published

7 hours ago

May 30, 2026

Press Room

No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks’ Historic Season Comes to an End at WCWS

Hunter Corneliusen
May 30, 2026

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – No. 5 National Seed Arkansas Razorbacks’ historic season came to an end on Friday night with an 11-0 (5 inn.) loss to UCLA at the Women’s College World Series inside Devon Park.

With the loss, Arkansas finished its season with a 47-13 record that culminated in the program’s first Women’s College World Series berth. The Hogs’ 47 wins were the second-most in program history, trailing only the 2022 team’s 48-11 overall record.

Tianna Bell, Atalyia Rijo, and Kailey Wyckoff all recorded base hits for Arkansas in the loss. Wyckoff and Karlie Davison both drew walks. Payton Burnham (14-4) took the loss for Arkansas after allowing four runs on three hits in 1.1 innings of work.

Taylor Tinsley (33-7) took the win for UCLA, pitching five shutout innings while striking out two and allowing three hits and two walks.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Payton Burnham made her 19th start of the season for Arkansas, while UCLA went with senior Taylor Tinsley.

In the top of the first inning, Atalyia Rijo had a hand in all three outs of a 1-2-3 frame that featured a pair of groundouts and a popout. Tinsley responded with a 1-2-3 inning herself, courtesy of a strikeout, flyout, and lineout in the home half of the first inning.

Aleena Garcia gave UCLA a 1-0 lead with a lead-off solo home run to dead center field in the top of the second inning. Kaniya Bragg got hit by a pitch, and Alexis Ramirez singled before Soo-Jin Berry made it a 4-0 game with a three-run home run to left field. Following Ramirez’s homer, Saylor Timmerman entered in relief for Arkansas. Megan Grant later extended the Bruins’ lead to 7-0 by way of a three-run home run to center field, her 42nd of the season. Senior LHP Robyn Herron entered with two runners on and two outs in the inning. UCLA extended its lead to 9-0 courtesy of a two-RBI double off the top of the wall in right field by Bragg.

In the bottom of the second inning, Karlie Davison became the first baserunner of the game for Arkansas after reaching on a two-out walk. She later advanced to second base on a single from Atalyia Rijo. Kailey Wyckoff later walked to load the bases, but UCLA would escape with a flyout to get out of the inning.

In the top of the third inning, Herron registered a pair of strikeouts while UCLA made it 10-0 by scoring a run by way of a wild pitch. Tinsley retired the Hogs in order in the bottom of the third inning.

Herron retired UCLA in order in the top of the fourth inning while picking up a pair of strikeouts. Tianna Bell singled down the third-base line to lead off the bottom of the fourth.

In the top of the fifth inning, the Bruins’ Jolyna Lamar increased the UCLA lead to 11-0 with a solo home run to right field.

Kailey Wyckoff singled down the third-base line to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning before UCLA retired three consecutive batters to end the game.

NOTABLES

Arkansas finished the season with a 47-13 overall record. The Razorbacks’ 47 wins were the second-most in program history, trailing only the 2022 team’s 48-11 overall record.

Up Next

The Razorbacks will be back in action in the spring of 2027.

For schedule updates and other news, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com, or follow @RazorbackSB on X, Instagram and Facebook.

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Arkansas

Arkansas men’s track and field sends 21 entries to NCAA Outdoor Championships | Whole Hog Sports

Published

18 hours ago

May 29, 2026

Press Room

Arkansas men’s track and field sends 21 entries to NCAA Outdoor Championships | Whole Hog Sports

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Arkansas

What channel is UCLA vs Arkansas softball on? Time, TV for WCWS elimination game

Published

1 day ago

May 29, 2026

Press Room

What channel is UCLA vs Arkansas softball on? Time, TV for WCWS elimination game

It’s win or go home for half of the Women’s College World Series field on Friday, May 29.

In the nightcap of the WCWS elimination games is No. 8 UCLA vs. No. 5 Arkansas, two teams that suffered come-from-behind wins on May 28 by Alabama and Nebraska, respectively. The Bruins couldn’t take advantage of back-to-back home runs against Jocelyn Briski in the third, eventually falling 6-3 to the top-seeded Crimson Tide.

Watch UCLA vs Arkansas softball live with Fubo (free trial)

The Razorbacks’ loss was arguably more painful (or, at least, took longer). Arkansas twice led against Nebraska and USA Softball Player of the Year Jordy Frahm, but was unable to maintain either lead before Ava Kuszak walked the Razorbacks off in the bottom of the 10th inning in the 5-3 defeat.

Now the Bruins and Razorbacks both must gear up for a second game in as many days, with their WCWS hopes on the line. Here’s how to watch as UCLA takes on Arkansas in a pivotal win-or-go-home game:

What TV channel is UCLA vs Arkansas softball on today?

ESPN will broadcast Friday’s elimination game between UCLA and Arkansas. Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app (with a TV login) and Fubo, which carries the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to new subscribers.

Stream WCWS games live with Fubo (free trial)