[University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Research and Extension
University of Arkansas System. Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board. Dr. Bob Scott,
Extension Weed Scientist, Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, Lonoke
Research and Extension Center]
I’m Bob Scott, extension weed
scientist with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. [Dr. Scott
standing in a soybean field with flags in the background.]
Earlier this year the extension
service introduced its program Flag the Technology. This program was designed to
give farmers a quick and inexpensive way to identify their fields based on the
herbicide technology. The objective of the program was to help prevent the
unwanted drift or misapplication of herbicides to fields that did not tolerate
certain herbicides. [Video shows a soybean field.]
Earlier this spring, the
Cooperative Extension Service introduced its program Flag the Technology. This
program was designed to be a simple way for growers to identify their fields
based on the herbicide technology and by using colored flags. [Dr. Scott
standing in a soybean field with flags in the background.]
With the help of the Arkansas
Soybean Promotion Board, the county agents in the state of Arkansas were able to
distribute over 25 -flags to growers. These flags help prevent the
misapplication of herbicides as well as herbicide drift in many situations.
In the future, soybean herbicide
technologies will continue to get more complicated for growers and applicators.
In addition to Roundup® Ready, Liberty Link, conventional and STS soybeans, we
will see the introduction of soybeans that are tolerant to 2-4D, Diacamba, as
well as the HPPD class of herbicides. And we will see the introduction of
combinations of these technologies. This will make herbicide identification,
herbicide technology identification in the field even more important.
In addition to promoting the use
of these flags, our ag engineers at the Cooperative Extension Service are also
working on intergrading this program into both GPS and cell phone app
technology. This will enable people to simple look on their computer or look on
their cell phone to help identify fields.
For more information about Flag
the Technology, see our fact sheet at www.uaex.edu [See
our fact sheet at www.uaex.edu. Picture of the
Flag the Technology fact sheet]
University of Arkansas • Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
2301 South University Avenue
Little Rock, Arkansas 72204 • USA
Phone (501) 671-2000 • Fax (501) 671-2209
