ag - The Miracle Bean

Breeding Program with Dr. Mozzoni

Dr. Leandro Mozzoni says the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture breeding program is a key project in developing soybean varieties that farmers can actually deploy and use on their farms. This project is where the active breeding for variety development occurs. “It’s where all the fun happens,” Dr. Mozzoni said. “We are actually…

Germplasm Enhancement with Dr. Leandro Mozzoni

Dr. Leandro Mozzoni is an associate professor and seed breeder with he University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Research and Extension service. Thanks to research funding from the checkoff, Mozzoni is conducting a germplasm research project, the driving force behind another checkoff-funded research project studying soybean variety development. The soybean variety development project can…

Identifying Best Practices in Integrated Weed Management Dr. Tommy Butts, Dr. Jason Norsworthy, Dr. Tom Barber and Dr. Nilda Burgos

Weed management comes with the territory, you could say. Best practice is to stay ahead of it by taking a long-term approach. Thanks to the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board’s invested checkoff dollars, Arkansas weed science experts are constantly researching weed resistance and learning new management practices. “We’re not selecting resistance or putting all of our…

Anna Thrash, Public Information Officer Arkansas Department of Agriculture

Daughter of Joe and Renee Thrash Farms in Conway, Arkansas, Anna Thrash returned home to serve as the public information officer for the Arkansas Department of Agriculture. Originally, Thrash wanted to be a news reporter. She studied broadcast journalism at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, and loved it. She even worked as a news…

Ryann Grubbs, Agri-Science Teacher Cabot High School

Ryann Grubbs grew up in Delight, Arkansas, home of country-pop star Glen Campbell. Grubbs wasn’t looking to be a country superstar, though. What she remembers from her childhood in Delight is her grandparents’ cow and calf operation. This is where she discovered her love for agriculture. She joined 4-H as a young student and started…

Nathan Bailey, Agri Inventor & Business Owner McGehee, AR

Nathan Bailey grew up in Monticello, Ark. He is the founder and CEO of Waterbug Irrigation, LLC (Waterbug). He founded the business in January 2017, while he was also a full-time student at Arkansas State University. “I started this business with $200, being a full-time student boot-strappin’ my way up,” said Waterbug owner Nathan Bailey.…