As harvest season begins across the state of Arkansas, many rice farmers will be utilizing prescribed fire on their fields. This practice helps to eliminate pests, manage problematic crop residue, preserve the environment, and more.
Prescribed fire is one of the most effective, and economical management tools for forests, grassland, and cropland. Voluntary Smoke Management Guidelines for forest landowners, prescribed fire technicians, and for row crop farmers have been developed to provide guidance for safe, efficient prescribed burning that causes as little inconvenience (smoke) to the public as possible.
To communicate the necessity of prescribed fire to the public and share safe burning tips for farmers, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture maintains a Voluntary Smoke Management Outreach Toolkit. This toolkit includes videos, radio spots, print resources, social media messaging, and more.
Find the Voluntary Smoke Management Outreach Toolkit at agriculture.arkansas.gov/arkansas-voluntary-smoke-management-guidelines/voluntary-smoke-management-guidelines-outreach-toolkit/.
Find the Arkansas Voluntary Smoke Management Guidelines at agriculture.arkansas.gov/arkansas-voluntary-smoke-management-guidelines/.
Find the Burning Checklist for Row Crop Farmers at agriculture.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Voluntary_Smoke_Management_Guidelines_for_Row_Crop_Farmers_2018.pdf.
WHERE: Statewide
CONTACT: To request additional information, please contact:
Sarah Cato
Public Information Officer
Arkansas Department of Agriculture
sarah.cato@agriculture.arkansas.gov
501-529-2689
