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 more...>Louisiana Agriculture Magazine>Past Issues>2005>Summer>

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 Printable Version

ON THE COVER

Bruce Schultz, area communications specialist headquartered in Crowley, took this photo of maturing rice on the Zaunbrecher Brothers farm in northern Acadia Parish. Read the latest research on planting dates on page 6.

in this issue


[Image: rice]Reducing the Potential for Herbicide-resistant Red Rice
Red rice, a noxious weed in rice, costs rice producers millions of dollars each year. Red rice is physiologically similar to rice. Consequently, rice andred rice are susceptible to the same herbicides, so controlling red rice with herbicides in rice fields is difficult.
[Image: fig 1]Compatibility of Ricestar with Broadleaf, Sedge Herbicides
Ricestar (fenoxyprop), a relatively new selective herbicide, is used for postemergence control of grasses in rice. It provides good to excellent control of major grasses such as barnyardgrass, broadleaf signalgrass and sprangletop.
[Image: utility poles]Keeping Treated Wood Out of Landfills
What to do with decommissioned, preservative-treated wood has become a burning issue. Well, not burning, actually. That’s one of the methods that can’t be used any longer, according to Todd Shupe, a forest products researcher in the LSU AgCenter’s School of Renewable Natural Resources. Shupe has been looking for answers for what to do with the products no longer serviceable.
[Image: rice]Planting Date Critical for Maximum Rice Yield, Milling Quality
About three quarters of Louisiana rice is grown in the southwestern region of the state. In recent years, ratooning (a second harvest from the same planting) has become a common practice for many rice growers in this region. Ratooning allows Louisiana growers to compete with rice growers in other states where the environment is more favorable for rice growing.
[Image: wheat]Influence of Soil Type on Wheat’s Response to Sulfur Fertilization
Adequate and timely fertilization is an important component of small grain cropping systems. Much research has been conducted on nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium; however, less information is available on the need for the nutrient sulfur.
[Image: composite]Using Engineered Composites from Rice Straw As Wood Alternatives
The United States produces about 10 million tons of rice annually, with about 1.4 million tons in Louisiana. Rice straw can be made into valuable panel products for construction with characteristics superior to wood. Manufacture of rice straw panel products would also be good for the environment, making valuable use of a waste product.
Attitudes Toward Treated Wood
Wood is a renewable natural resource typically preservative-treated to ensure structural integrity in many exterior applications. LSU AgCenter researchers studied attitudes toward treated wood, including surveying a national sample of homebuilders.
[Image: Steve Harrison]What’s New?
Sea oats studied as coast ‘preservers’. Farm Bureau gives $4,000 to Master Farmer Program. Turning alligator waste into ‘gold’. Vandeveer lauded as teacher, researcher. New sugarcane varieties take pressure off 384
[Image: watermelons]Designer Colors Enhance Watermelon Production
Plastic mulch has been used in the production of warm-season crops such as watermelon and other horticultural crops to reduce water evaporation, decrease soil compaction and fertilizer leaching, modify soil temperature, control weeds andincrease yield. In general, black plastic mulch is recommended in Louisiana for spring and fall vegetable production while white plastic mulchis recommended for the summer growing season.
[Image: seeds]Rice Station Spurs State’s Economy
Nearly all of the rice grown in Louisiana was developed at the LSU AgCenter’s Rice Research Station in Crowley.
[Image: summer 2005]Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Summer 2005
Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Summer 2005
Researchers to study forest certification
LSU AgCenter and Mississippi State University researchers are starting a project to measure how well nonindustrial private forest landowners understand certification programs.
[Image: Siebert]Cotton Yield Loss from Premature Defoliation
Cotton is a perennial plant capable of recovering from many stresses during Louisiana’s long growing season, including insect damage. However, as plants near maturity, their capacity to recover from stresses is reduced.
[Image: three in garden]Gardens Grow Student Achievement: Horticulture Enriches School Curriculum
School gardens are used as outdoor classrooms around the United States to supplement the curriculum. Educators have reported that school gardens can be used to teach across the curriculum and that concepts and skills from virtually every subject can be learned through a school garden.
Efforts Must Be Made To Minimize Outcrossing in Clearfield Rice
The Clearfield system, which involves herbicide-resistant rice, offers for the first time the ability to selectively eliminate the weed red rice from a production rice field with the use of an herbicide. But the system must be used following strict guidelines. Otherwise, its future as a way to prevent red rice is limited.
[Image: river]Water Pollution and Income: What’s the Connection?
It is hypothesized that the level of environmental degradation will increase as per capita income increases up to a certain level. Then, the level of degradation will decrease with further growth in income, which would be beneficial to the environment. This relationship between environmental quality and per capita income would thus assume an inverted U shape.
Small-grains breeding program produces results
In 20 years, the LSU AgCenter’s small-grains breeding program has grown from nothing to being the source of the most widely planted wheat variety in Louisiana.
[Image: sweet potatoes]Export Opportunity: More Louisiana Sweet Potatoes to the U.K.
Most of the sweet potatoes produced in Louisiana are marketed within the continental United States. However, domestic per capita consumption of sweet potatoes has remained mostly stagnant during the past several decades, hovering around 5 pounds perperson per year. A market development within the past several years has been the significant increase in fresh sweet potato import volume by the United Kingdom (U.K.).
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