more... > Louisiana Agriculture Magazine > Past Issues > 2001 > Winter 2001 Summer 2001 Spring 2001 Fall 2001  more articles... Formosan Subterranean Termites in Louisiana [Image: Figure 1] Formosan subterranean termites have proved to be one of the most formidable pests ever to invade Louisiana. They are here to stay. But the LSU AgCenter is taking a three-pronged approach to stem their spread. Prescribed Burns Help the Sugarcane Industry and Reduce Smoke and Ash Problems [Image: Cane Burn] The ability of farmers to burn sugarcane is a significant economic factor for the state’s sugarcane industry. Burning of sugarcane before harvest eliminates from 30 percent to 50 percent of the leafy trash (residue), which constitutes from 20 percent to 25 percent of the total weight of the plant. Crossing House [Image: 150 Varieties] Gallery of images from "New Sugarcane Varieties Pay Big Dividens." Crossing house at the AgCenter's Sugar Research Station at St. Gabriel, La. Mexican Rice Borer Threat The Mexican rice borer was introduced in 1980 from Mexico into the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, where it soon became a serious pest of sugarcane. In 1987, the Mexican rice borer was detected in Jackson and Victoria counties of the Texas Rice Belt. In 2000, LSU AgCenter and Texas A&M scientists cooperated in setting out pheromone traps to determine the Mexican rice borer spread since 1987. Integrated Pest Management in Sugarcane [Image: Borer Holes] Integrated pest management (IPM) has two distinctive components—economic protection from pest damage and a more favorable environmental outcome than would occur in the absence of IPM. Integrated pest management is a dynamic process and involves balance among biological, cultural and chemical measures deemed most appropriate to a particular situation after careful study of all factors involved. Comparing Mating Systems for Producing Weanling Calves [Image: Figure 1] Commercial cow-calf production is the primary beef cattle enterprise in Louisiana. The state has about 550,000 beef cows in 15,000 herds located in all parishes but Orleans. The primary product marketed from these herds is the weaned calf. At least 80 percent of the cow-calf herds in Louisiana use crossbred cows of one kind or another, and most of these crossbred cows have some Brahman inheritance. Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Spring 2001 [Image: cover] Vol. 44, No. 2 Urban Agriculture New Patented Process Helps Diagnose Insecticide Resistance Cotton farmers may soon have a new way to evaluate the effectiveness of one class of insecticides, thanks to a new LSU AgCenter procedure that received a U.S. patent. LaSweet, LaRouge and LaBelle Join List of LSU AgCenter Peaches [Image: Peach] The LSU AgCenter has released three new peach varieties, which will be available commercially in the fall of 2001. Their names match their characteristics somewhat, says Charlie Johnson, horticulture researcher and developer of the varieties. LaSweet is low-acid and very sweet. LaRouge has a bright red skin. And LaBelle is a late-season peach that will extend Louisiana’s fresh peach season into mid-July. Nematodes Affect Beef Cattle Weight Gain [Image: Dean Lee Research Station] Nematode parasites make a big difference in the appetite of beef cattle and thus their weight gain. Left to right are four of the paddocks used in nematode research at the LSU AgCenter’s Dean Lee Research Station near Alexandria. The road about a third of the way from the top serves as one border, and the tree line at the bottom is another border. Click for more information...