Slated for Jan. 15, the 92nd annual meeting of the Arkansas Seed Growers Association will be held at the Brinkley Convention Center, Brinkley, Ark.

“Rice and soybean issues have been of great interest this year,” says Scooter Hodges, ASGA president. “We’ll have Karen Moldenhauer, University of Arkansas rice breeder, talking about where rice research is, where it’s headed and where it fits. A university soybean breeder, Pengyin Chen, will be providing an update on what’s in store for soybeans.”

Hodges believes the ASGA, 92 years old, is the oldest agriculture organization or one of the oldest in Arkansas. “We need members to keep it viable.”

This is a major election year for the association. Officers and representatives serve two-year terms.

“We’ll be electing a president, vice-president, Arkansas Plant Board representative and several other board members. That usually means a bigger crowd” — something Hodges hopes will hold.

Registration for the meeting begins at 8 a.m. with speakers beginning at 8:45 a.m. Lunch will be provided.

Topics that will be covered by University of Arkansas professors, seed breeders and Extension specialists: updates on soybeans, rice, wheat and feed grains. Chris Deren, director of the Rice Research Center in Stuttgart, Ark., will provide an update on the foundation seed program. Among others, there will also be reports from the State Plant Board and an update on Syngenta’s genetics and technology.

For more information on the meeting, contact Scooter Hodges at (800) 264-4433 or Kathy Gardner at (870) 523-3195.