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| [Image: photo]LSU AgCenter Scientist Develops New ‘Model’ To Predict Timber Production Timberland owners and managers use statistical models to predict growth and yield of their forests. Quang V. Cao in the LSU AgCenter’s School of Renewable Natural Resources has developed a new predictive model that promises to improve on current ones. |
| [Image: chinese tallow tree leaves]Invasive Species in Louisiana Forests Over the past 300 years, tens of thousands of animal and plant species have been introduced in the United States. A small number have proved invasive. |
| [Image: photo]Best Management Practices at Work on an East Feliciana Tree Farm Picture an ideal tree farm with beautifultrees, a stream, some good roads and wildlife.Such a farm exists in the rolling hills of East Feliciana Parish under the watchful ownership of Linda Carruth. |
| [Image: cover]Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Summer 1999 Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Summer 1999 |
| [Image: Figure 1.]GIS/GPS Techniques help evaluate soil insect and nematode pest control strategies in sweet potatoes Managing crops on the loess soils of the Midsouth is difficult because they contain little organic matter and erode easily. Generally, these fields are small compared to delta alluvial fields; however, they often have considerable variability in soil texture. The variability is often created by land-leveling for irrigation and drainage. Variability presents producers with an opportunity to manage these problems in a site-specific manner. |
| [Image: daylily rust]Daylily Rust Problem Continues In the summer of 2000, daylily rust was reported for the first time in the United States. It has since spread across most of the country and continues to present problems for home gardeners, commercial landscapers and daylily growers. |
| Besh tells Master Gardeners to encourage local food production Although he may be known to the culinary world as a leading New Orleans chef, John Besh also is a leading proponent of serving locally grown foods in his four restaurants. |
| [Image: Cultivation]Managing Weeds in Louisiana Sweet Potatoes Weeds compete with sweet potato plants for nutrients, water and sunlight and impair crop yield and quality, makingeffective weed management a critical aspect to successful production. |
| What's New? News articles from the spring 2009 issue of Louisiana Agriculture |
| Allay children’s fears about flu With flu in the news, it’s a good idea to reassure your children you’re going to keep them as safe as possible. This is advice from two LSU AgCenter family life specialists, Diane Sasser and Becky White |
| Morrison receives regional award David Morrison, LSU AgCenter assistantvice chancellor for research, received the Southern Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors Excellence in Leadership Award in mid-April during the association’s meeting in Puerto Rico. |
| [Image: Photo of Allen Owings]Ornamental sweet potato options continue to expand Ornamental sweet potatoes have gained considerable interest among land¬scape industry professionals and home gardeners over the past 10 years. Varieties include plants that are chartreuse-lime green (Margarita), blackish purple (Blackie) and tricolored (Pink Frost). |
| Interstate 69 realigned to avoid Pecan Station The LSU AgCenter Pecan Research-ExtensionStation in Shreveport will not be affectedby the alignment of Interstate 69 in southern Caddo Parish after all, according to the Louisiana Department of Transportationand Development (DOTD). |
| [Image: Photo of Chris Clark]Sweet Potato Scientist: Chris Clark devotes career to better production, higher yields There was a time in Chris Clark’s life that sweet potatoes made a one-time annual appearance – the Thanksgiving table. Little did he know that this delicious, nutritious menu item would help define his career. |
| [Image: Rice Station]New weed science building at Rice Station Eric Webster, LSU AgCenter weed scientist, works at the new weed science building on the South Farm of the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station near Crowley. |
| [Image: sweet potato]‘Or you can call me Yam. . .’ In the 1970s, actor Bill Saluga used the line: “You can call me Ray, or you can call me Jay. . .” When talking about Louisiana sweet potatoes or yams, there seems to be a similar confusion. |
| New LSU AgCenter rice varieties may be on tap this year Two new long-grain rice varieties could be released by the LSU AgCenter this year if they continue to show solid results, according to Steve Linscombe, LSU AgCenter rice breeder. |
| [Image: Photo of James W. Avault Jr.]Aquaculture Development: Potential for Growth in the New Millennium Aquaculture is evolving worldwidebecause of a shortfall of fisheryproducts from oceans and inlandwaters. After World War II, it appearedthat the world’s fisheries resources werevirtually unlimited. World landingsduring 1948 to 1952 averaged 21.9million metric tons per year and rosesteadily until 1968, when increasescontinued but at a slower rate. |
| [Image: Oysters]Gene transfer in oysters One problem facing Louisiana’s oyster industry is disease. The major culprits are the protozoans Perkinsusmarinus (Dermo) and Haplosporidium nelsoni (MSX). In the Gulf of Mexico, it is estimated that Dermo infection kills more than half the adultoyster population. |
| LeBlanc named ag chemistry head The LSU AgCenter announced the appointment of Mark LeBlanc as head of the Department of AgriculturalChemistry effective April 1, 2009. |
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| [Image: Photo of Terrence R. Tiersch]Improved Control of Channel Catfish Spawning For more than seven decades, catfishfarmers have relied on the warming ofspring to trigger spawning in channelcatfish. |
| Benefits of induced sterility in prawn production Although much genetic research involves developing ways to improve reproduction, it is just as important to develop methods to prevent reproduction. |
| Management of water quality and effluents from aquacultural systems Profitable aquaculture depends on good water quality.Physiologically, aquatic animals respond more intensely to theirenvironment than do terrestrial animals. The stress of poorwater can lead to disease and poor nutrition and growth ofcultivatedaquaticanimals. |
| More A'peeling Mudbugs - Purging Crawfish Holds Promise for More Profits The preferred way to cook crawfishis to boil the whole animal in seasonedwater and then serve it so the consumerextracts the abdominal muscle, or tailmeat, by hand. |
| New Disease Problems Continue to Arise in Aquaculture Industry In much of aquaculture, animals arein high density production systems. Thiscan result in stress from crowding andsub-optimal water quality conditions andprovide for easy transmission of disease.In response to anticipated disease |
| Nutrition Research Reduces Catfish Production Costs and Improves Pond Environment The art of feeding fish is thousandsof years old, but the science of fishnutrition began only about 50 years ago. |
| GENOME MAPPING of aquaculture species Geneticists develop maps of DNA molecules to aid in understanding inheritance patterns.One kind of map, called agenetic linkage map, describes inheritanceof observable traits, such as color or shape, and usually involves breeding studiesto compare parents and offspring. |
| Turning minced meat from catfish frames into surimi Most catfish is processed into fresh or frozen fillets and whole-dressed fish. Other products include steaks, nuggets and value-added products, which accounted for 21 percent of the total products sold in1998. |
| Harvesting Sweet Potatoes Commercially produced sweet potatoes in Louisiana are most often harvested using a two-row mechanical chain harvester,more commonly known as a two-row sweet potato digger.With this method, roots are exposed and then conveyed along a chain, where workers on each side of the equipment sort the roots into various grades |
| Nitrogen Management: New Insights and Opportunities Sustainable and profitable commercial sweet potato productionrequires optimum nitrogen fertilizer. Although sweet potatoes can be grown in marginal production environments, a certain amount of nitrogen is necessary for normal shoot development and photosynthetic activity required for storage-root growth. |
| Season-long Management of the Banded Cucumber Beetle in Louisiana Sweet Potatoes Several insects feed on the foliage and roots of sweet potatoes throughout the growing season. The sweet potato root can be injured by several soil insects,including sweetpotato weevils, rootworms, sugarcane beetles, wireworms,whitefringed beetles, white grubs and flea beetles. |
| Individual Shrink-wrapping of Sweet Potatoes: An Emerging Value-added Marketing Technique The majority of sweet potatoes consumedin the United States are purchased through retail fresh market outlets. They have traditionally been marketed in the form of individual roots stacked in bulk displays and priced per pound. |
| Nutraceutical Compounds and Antioxidant Content of Sweet Potatoes Sweet potatoes are regarded as one of the most nutritious vegetable crops. They are known to be an excellent source of vitamin A (orange-flesh types) and dietary fiber and contain significant amounts of vitamin C, vitamin E, vitaminB9 (folate) and various minerals. |
| Resistant Starch and the Sweet Potato Finding new uses for sweet potato components, such as starch, would increasethe demand for sweet potatoes and save processors money by finding a use for the waste produced during cutting and canning. |
| Managing Rhizopus Soft Rot on Sweet Potatoes Sweet potatoes are susceptible to Rhizopus soft rot, a disease caused by a common fungus that can destroy sweet potatoes after they are removed from storage and washed but before they arrive at the market. |
| Sweet potatoes get grades Sweet potatoes, like many commodities, are marketedin a variety of ways, and not all sweet potatoes are identical. |
| Virus-tested foundation seed works A sweet potato crop is vegetatively propagated, which means it is grown by bedding storage roots and subsequently transplanting vine cuttings into productionfields from the resulting sprouts. |
| A really SWEET sweet potato – that’s Evangeline Why do people eat sweet potatoes? Because they are sweet! A new variety, Evangeline, just released by the LSU AgCenter, will satisfy those who want a really sweet sweet potato. |
| Breeding High-yielding, Delicious Sweet Potatoes The development of high-yielding and delicious sweet potato varieties beganright here in Louisiana more than 70 years ago. The late Julian C. Miller and others at the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station discovered how to induce flowering and seed set by trellisingsweet potato vines onto fences. |
| Happy 60th Birthday: Sweet Potato Research Station and Foundation Seed Program, 1949-2009 The LSU AgCenter Sweet Potato Research Station is the only research stationin the United States devoted solely to sweet potato research and development. |
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| The Sky’s the Limit: Change in the Sweet Potato Industry Change is going on in the sweet potato industry. The variety Beauregard, released by the AgCenter in 1987 and hailed as one of the best and most popularsweet potatoes, is being replaced in part by two new varieties – Evangeline, released by the LSU AgCenter in 2007, and Covington, a 2005 release from North Carolina. |
| Research Verification Program for Louisiana Sweet Potato Production In 2007, the LSU AgCenter started a verification program for sweet potatoes, similar to the programs for rice, soybean and corn. These verification programs are conducted in collaboration with growers to test AgCenter recommendations. |
| Commercialization of Intellectual Property at the LSU AgCenter The LSU AgCenter has the most successful record of commercialization of intellectualproperty within the LSU System and, in fact, within higher education in Louisiana. Since 2000, nine new companies have been started based on licensing technology from the AgCenter. |
| Potential for Increased Diversification in Louisiana's Aquaculture Industry Although Louisiana already has adiverse aquaculture industry, many morespecies could be grown here or grown ona larger scale. Many prospects present specific problems that could complicate commercial development, but most of these constraints relate to marketing, financing or regulatory considerations, not technical issues. |
| Development of a vaccine against Flavobacterium columnare The two leading diseases affecting the catfish industry are the bacterial pathogens Edwardsiella ictaluri and Flavobacterium columnare(formerly Flexibacter columnaris). |
| Preventing enteric septicemia of catfish and photobacteriosis in hybrid striped bass Two serious problems affecting Louisiana aquaculture arethe bacterial pathogens that cause enteric septicemia of catfish(ESC) and photobacteriosis in hybrid striped bass. ESC causes theloss of millions of dollars annually in the catfish industry. |
| Research and Extension Programs Address Needs of Louisiana's Aquaculture Industry Even though aquaculture, or “farming of the waters,” has been practiced for centuries, it was more “art”than “science” until late into the 20thcentury. |
| Research facilities and support The Aquaculture Research Station is one of 20 branch stations of the LouisianaAgricultural Experiment Station. The facility, which includes more than 200 fish culturetanks, a fish hatchery, an aquaculture greenhouse and a 22,000 square-foot aquacultureresearch laboratory, is three miles south of the LSU campus in Baton Rouge. |
| Vectors for transforming catfish When a gene from one species of plant or animal is inserted in to the genome of another species, the resulting plant or animal is then transgenic. |
| Louisiana Agriculture spring 2009 Louisiana Agriculture spring 2009 |
| Price and yield risk in catfish aquaculture Many of the problems in the catfishindustry are exacerbated by the uncertainty producers face when planning their operations. The sources of risk are numerous,ranging from weather fluctuationsand bird predation to regulatory policy. |
| Ornamental ponds and water gardens Ornamental ponds and water gardens are becoming increasingly popular. It is estimated thatthere are about 40 new ones per week in the vicinity of Baton Rouge alone. This phenomenon offers entrepreneurial opportunities for those interested in aquaculture. These ponds need to be designed, stocked and maintained. Preferable varieties of fish include goldfish and koi. |
| Pond Production of Catfish: Research Focuses on Improving Yields Although many advances have beenmade during the rapid growth of thecatfish industry, today’s culture practicesare about the same as those developedover 25 years ago. |
| Sustainability in Aquaculture Sustainability, a concept much discussed in the aquaculture industry,has become associated with the idea that production systems must be designed and sited with consideration of not only their economic viability, but also their long-term environmental and sociological impact. |
| Better Crawfish Aquaculture Through Research The domestic crawfish industry isthe only large-scale, commercially viable crustacean aquaculture industry in North America. With more than 110,000 acresof crawfish ponds, Louisiana’s 1,600 farmers produce 35 million to 50 million pounds annually worth $25 million to$35 million at the producer level. |
| Potential for the Partitioned Aquaculture System in Louisiana The most serious problems that face catfish farmers include losses from birdsand diseases, off-flavor and the shortageof labor to harvest fish. These problems have been magnified in recent years asfish farmers have increased stocking andfeeding rates to keep ahead of increasing expenses and competition. |
| Quest Continues for Rice Variety Tailored to Crawfish Production Crawfish aquaculture in Louisianadepends solely on a forage-based foodsystem for supplying nutrients to thegrowing animals. Because of availableplant residue following grain harvestsand because rice exhibits good regrowthcharacteristics, crawfish production oftenfollows the rice harvest as a commoncrop rotation practice |
| Terrific Turfgrass for Louisiana Turfgrasses provide functional, economic, recreational, health and safety, environmental and aesthetic benefits to Louisiana. |
| 2005 will be learning year for Asian soybean rust LSU AgCenter scientists are launching a series of research projects in 2005 to learn what they can about Asian soybean rust and how this potentially devastating disease will develop in Louisiana. |
| Getting Rid of Plant Pests in Nurseries The LSU AgCenter offers help to nursery owners in their continual battle against pests, especially insect pests. |
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| 2003-04 Landscape Performance Bedding Plants and Herbaceous Perennials Efforts in 2003 and 2004 included evaluation of cannas, coleus, angelonias, purslane, lantanas, perennial verbena, annual and perennial salvia, vinca, zinnias, melampodium, petunias, rudbeckia, phlox, daylilies, dianthus, ornamental kale, ornamental cabbage, calendula, violas, pansies, ornamental sweet potatoes, garden mums, African and French marigolds and others. |
| All-American Daylillies: Performance and the Rust Threat Interest in daylilies is still strong despite rust problems over the past several years. New daylily selections and All-American daylily winners need to be evaluated in the Gulf South for landscape performance. |
| Pot-in-pot Nursery Production Traditional pot-in-pot production in a nursery attempts to combine field and container-growing techniques and offers advantages over both production systems. |
| Ornamental Gingers As Potted Landscape Plants Ornamental gingers encompass a diverse and versatile group of plants that are gaining increased popularity in the flowering pot plant, landscape and cut flower markets. They have showy and attractive foliage and flowers, which make them interesting ornamentals. |
| Bollworm Larval Behavior on Bollgard Cotton Findings May Change Scouting Procedures Genetically engineered plants are an important part of integrated pest management (IPM) programs in cotton production. One such plant, Bollgard cotton, includes a gene from a bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis, that is toxic to caterpillar pests, while being safe for humans, other animals and the environment. |
| Using Remote Sensing and GPS in Nematode Control LSU AgCenter scientists have launched a project to explore the use of geographical information system (GIS) and global positioning system (GPS) technologies to manage nematodes that affect cotton production in Louisiana soils. |
| The Feasibility of Marketing Louisiana Soybeans in Matamoros, Mexico The search for new markets is a continuing quest. To that end, the Louisiana Soybean and Feed Grains Promotion and Research Board funded a study to determine whether Louisiana soybean farmers could net more money by barging soybeans into Matamoros, Mexico, rather than selling them at harvest to local elevators. |
| Timber management improves investment potential of non-industrial forest land The economic potential of nonindustrial forest land in Louisiana is virtually untapped. |
| Evaluation of Nitrogen Rates for Corn in a Cotton-Corn Rotation Management of fertilizer nitrogen (N) is one of the most important components in producing maximum yield and profits in corn and cotton. Corn is inherently inefficient in fertilizer N uptake, typically using less than half of that applied. Cotton, on the other hand, has extremely high fertilizer uptake efficiency. |
| Researchers Begin Long-term Project To Make Use of NASA Images Using computers to translate remote images of crop fields into prescriptions for irrigating, fertilizing and controlling pests is the next technological advance in farming—as soon as researchers can figure out how to do it economically. |
| Fruit, Truck Experiment Station Grows into Horticulture Center Established as the Fruit and Truck Experiment Station in January 1922, the LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station has served the needs of the strawberry and vegetable industries in Southeast Louisiana for more than 80 years. |
| Soybean industry honors Boethel David Boethel, vice chancellor of the LSU AgCenter, received the Distinguished Service Award at the Tri-State Soybean Forum held in January 2009 in Oak Grove. |
| Scientist Develops Way to Recycle Used Motor Oil Containers As more than 3 billion quart-size, high-density polyethylene motor oil containers head for U.S. landfills each year, LSU AgCenter researchers are looking for ways to keep them out. |
| Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Fall 1999 Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Fall 1999 |
| Managing sweetpotato weevils in South Louisiana More than 14,000 acres of sweet potatoes were planted in Louisiana in 2007 with a farmgate value of $65 million. The sweetpotato weevil continues to be the biggest threat to productivity in the industry. |
| Evaluation of Stubble Height on Ratoon Growth in Rice The growing season in southwest Louisiana is long enough to produce two rice crops. The second rice crop is known by several names including stubble and ratoon. |
| Herbicide Drift Affects Louisiana Rice Production Roundup Ready soybeans, resistant to the herbicide glyphosate, and Clearfield rice, resisant to the herbicides imazethapyr (Newpath) and imazamox (Beyond), are often grown adjacent to fields of rice varieties susceptible to the herbicides used in these cropping systems. This creates a great potential for damage to rice from the off-target movement of these herbicides. |
| New Law Helps Dairy Industry The Louisiana Legislature created the Dairy Producers’ Refundable Tax Credit Program in 2007. |
| Louisiana Agriculture Magazine winter 2009 Louisiana Agriculture winter 2009 web.pdf |
| Weighing Lysimeters Measure Crop Water Use Irrigation is an important part of many crop production systems in northeast Louisiana.The amount of irrigation a crop requires is affected by the rate at which that crop uses water. |
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| Development of a Mycoplasma Mastitis Control Program in Louisiana Mycoplasma mastitis is a unique form of mastitis, which is an inflammation of a cow’s udder. Mycoplasma species differ from the majority of bacteria that cause mastitis by having unique growth requirements and physical characteristics that make them difficult to detect and treat once detected. |
| Management Strategies for Roundup Ready Flex Cotton Predicted trends in the early 1990s indicated weed control would shift to genetically altered plants with high levels of tolerance to key herbicides. These predictions proved valid, and the vast majority of Louisiana cotton acreage today is devoted to glyphosate-resistant technology. |
| Leonard Named to Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Fame B. Rogers Leonard, the Jack Hamilton Chair of Cotton Production at the LSU AgCenter’s Macon Ridge Research Station in Winnsboro, has been chosen for the Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Fame. |
| Creeping Rivergrass in Louisiana Another Menace to Rice Creeping rivergrass is an aquatic perennial grass that affects approximately 10,000 acres of rice in Acadian, Vermilion and Jefferson Davis parishes in south Louisiana. |
| Pre-flood Nitrogen Applications in Rice One of the most important practices in drill-seeded, delayed-flood rice production is the timely application of the pre-flood nitrogen fertilizer. |
| Scientists Explore Silica and Rice Growth Silicon, a common element in our daily lives, generally exists in nature as silicon dioxide – or silica. Silicon is a major constituent of glass, ceramics and computer chips. It is also something that can affect the growth of rice. |
| Dairy Success Requires Team Mastitis – an infection and inflammation of a cow’s udder – is one of the most common and costly diseases in the dairy industry. Therefore, mastitis control should be a continuous process in all dairy herds. |
| Mastitis in Dairy Cattle Mastitis is one of the most common and most expensive diseases of dairy cattle in the world. One-third of all dairy cows are estimated to have mastitis. |
| Louisiana Milk Producers’ Refundable Tax Credits Total Louisiana milk production peaked in 1978 at 1.1 billion pounds. Since then, both the total number of dairy farmers and the amount of milk produced have declined annually. The negative implications of these declines on the economic well-being of rural communities throughout Louisiana led the state legislature to pass Act 461 in the 2007 legislative session. This act created the Louisiana Dairy Refundable Tax Credit Program (LDRTCP). |
| Growing Roses: A Challenge in Louisiana Growing roses in Louisiana is a challenge for industry professionals and home gardeners. A major problem in production and the landscape enjoyment of roses is disease pressure (primarily blackspot and powdery mildew) brought on by environmental conditions of the region. |
| New sugarcane varieties to the rescue For many sugarcane varieties, the rescuer can oftentimes be in need of rescue. Such is the case with LCP 85-384. The release of LCP 85-384 in 1993 was truly a hallmark of sugarcane breeding efforts in Louisiana. By 2003, it was apparent that LCP 85-384 was in need of replacement. |
| Ethanol from sugarcane could fuel agriculture Researchers at the LSU AgCenter’s Audubon Sugar Institute in St. Gabriel, La., are combining their knowledge of sugarcane processing with chemical engineering to develop a synergy between sugar production and ethanol. |
| Herbicide drift can occur in calm weather Herbicide drift often occurs when it is least expected during a still, calm morning, according to Eric Webster, LSU AgCenter weed specialist. |
| Louisiana’s Growing Green Industry The green industry (nursery, landscape, greenhouse, sod and allied industries) is growing in Louisiana and nationally. This growth is fueled by changes in consumer incomes and demographics. Consumers continue to allocate a portion of their increased incomes to home improvements, including their lawns and gardens. |
| Mexican rice borer more dangerous to La. sugarcane than rice Gene Reagan, LSU AgCenter entomologist, has been studying the Mexican rice borer’s spread northward from the Rio Grande Valley for almost 30 years. |
| Top LSU AgCenter awards for 2008 go to 20 faculty, staff Twenty faculty and staff received the top awards for 2008 at the LSU AgCenter Annual Conference Dec. 15-16 in Baton Rouge. |
| Living With…Learning About…Keeping at Bay...Asian Soybean Rust The dynamic of raising soybeans has changed forever with the discovery of Asian soybean rust in the United States in 2004. LSU AgCenter scientists aggressively monitor for any sign of the disease and pursue a rigorous research program to look for solutions to this problem. |
| From Student Worker to Endowed Chair: Roger Leonard, Entomologist When he first went to work at the LSU AgCenter’s Northeast Research Station in St. Joseph, 15-year-old Roger Leonard expected it to be just a summer job during high school. What it turnedout to be, however, was the first step in a career that found him being named in 2006 the Jack Hamilton Chair in Cotton Production in the LSU AgCenter. |
| Finding New Markets for Louisiana’s Alligator Industry Alligators and fashion may bring different images to mind, but the combination offers potential for Louisiana’s economy. A research initiative to explore ways to increase domestic demand for finished products made with American alligator leather began in 1997. The goal is to find more opportunities for Louisiana’s alligator business. |
| Bringing Rural Development to the Delta The continuing transformation of U.S. agriculture profoundly affects the economies in rural America. The LSU AgCenter is attempting to bring relief to one of the most impoverished parts of the country through an innovative, economic and rural development educational program. |
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| Scientists Investigate Salty Surge Effects on Agricultural Fields LSU AgCenter scientists hope they will soon be able to make recommendations for farmers whose fields were hit with saltwater contamination from Hurricane Rita’s storm surge. |
| New Rural Economy: Implications for Louisiana The U.S. rural economy is often described as declining, even devastated, and at best as in a state of flux. To be sure, many rural communities in the United States are struggling to exist. Today’s economy is far less local than it ever has been. Because of technology, we can buy and sell almost anything globally in the time it takes to click “send” on our computer screens. |
| New Delta Development Program Gets Under Way The LSU AgCenter has added strength to its quest to help organize an economic development strategy in the Northeast Louisiana. The added force is James Barnes, new director of the Delta Rural Development Center in Oak Grove. |
| Macronutrient-sensing mechanisms in the brain Research at the LSU AgCenter is focused on how the brain senses macronutrients – protein, carbohydrate and fat – and how this sensing leads to a change in the control of appetite and obesity. |
| Smart Bodies: A Nationally Recognized Child Wellness Program The LSU AgCenter's Smart Bodies program addresses the issue of obesity in Louisiana. |
| Functional Foods Initiative Nearly 2,500 years ago Hippocrates made a profound statement that is receiving much attention today. He said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” |
| Preventing Diabetes Diabetes is a serious disease that affects the body’s ability to produce or respond properly to insulin, a hormone that allows blood glucose (sugar) to enter the cells of the body and be used for energy. |
| Smart Portions: Watch how much you eat The LSU AgCenter’s Smart Portions Healthy Weight Program was developed to help participants learn healthy lifestyle habits to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Smart Portions, launched in 2007, is the revised version of the Portions Healthy Weight curriculum originally launched in 2001. |
| Tea may be 'sweet' way to lose weight Drinking tea to lose weight may not be a farfetched idea if a group of Louisiana researchers can pinpoint and quantify the functional components of Chinese sweet tea and blackberry leaves. |
| Despite storms, sugarcane harvest better than expected Sugarcane growers are having one of their best years ever when it comes to the level of recoverable sugar per ton of cane, although yields are slightly off the early predictions of 34-35 tons of cane per acre, said Ben Legendre, LSU AgCenter sugarcane specialist. |
| Watch your portions Following are tips for controlling portion size as you eat. |
| Diabetes Facts Some facts about diabetes from the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. |
| Prevent Diabetes Heed the following tips to prevent the onset of diabetes. |
| Diabetes Definitions Definitions are provided for type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes. |
| Hanna on cover of international journal A study on the heating of tomato plants grown in greenhouses by an LSU AgCenter scientist is the cover story of the April-June 2008 issue of HortTechnology, a research publication of the American Society for Horticultural Science that has subscribers in 50 countries. |
| Smith named new Sweet Potato Station coordinator The LSU AgCenter has named Tara Smith research coordinator at its Sweet Potato Research Station in Chase. |
| LSU AgCenter supports new Westwego farmers market WESTWEGO – “This is all about getting people involved in locally grown food,” LSU AgCenter vice chancellor Paul Coreil said of the newly opened Westwego Farmers and Fisheries Market. |
| Reames leads food safety team that wins national award Ten LSU AgCenter faculty members were part of a multi-state team that received the 1st Place National and Southern Region Program Excellence through Research Award at the Galaxy III National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) conference held Sept. 15-19 in Indianapolis, Ind. |
| Oysters can help fight breast cancer A compound in the fats in Louisiana oysters could be a key ingredient in treating and preventing cancer, according to Jack Losso, LSU AgCenter food science researcher. |
| Researchers make dairy products more ‘functional’ LSU AgCenter researchers are testing how incorporating functional food ingredients into manufactured dairy products could improve their health-giving benefits and how these health-beneficial ingredients affect the physical, chemical and sensory characteristics of dairy products. |
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| Writing blog helps LSU AgCenter chancellor make lifestyle change One year later and 40 pounds lighter, the chancellor of the LSU AgCenter has changed to a healthier lifestyle.Bill Richardson, who is 6-foot-1 and weighs just under 220, did this by methodically following guidelines prescribed by AgCenter nutrition educators. |
| Chancellor issues challenge To help address the epidemic of obesity in Louisiana, the chancellor of the LSU AgCenter, Bill Richardson, started a blog in October 2007 to document his experiences in making a commitment to a healthy lifestyle. In the daily Monday-through-Friday blog, known as the Chancellor’s Challenge, he used educational information and recommendations that the LSU AgCenter espouses to the residents of Louisiana. |
| Smart Choices for Youth and Adults The LSU AgCenter offers nutrition lessons for adults and youth in a program called Smart Choices. |
| Lammi-Keefe edits book on nutrition, pregnancy Carol Lammi-Keefe, professor and head of the Human Nutrition and Food Division in the LSU AgCenter’s School of Human Ecology, is the lead editor of a new book published in 2008 – Handbook of Nutrition and Pregnancy. |
| Protecting Louisiana’s food industry from food-poisoning bacteria Food safety is a growing concern in the United States, and the LSU AgCenter has a major commitment to helping the Louisiana food industry control bacteria that cause food poisoning. |
| Serving Food Safely Assuring the safety of our food supply is a major program effort of the LSU AgCenter. Extension agents and specialists provide research-based food safety information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the LSU AgCenter. |
| Food ingredients can help prevent chronic inflammation Many diseases and conditions associated with aging and being overweight are associated with chronic inflammation. |
| Gut microflora and our health After birth, every person’s gastrointestinal tract (gut) becomes filled with microorganisms, mainly bacteria. These are often referred to as our microflora. The majority of these are located in the large intestine. |
| Fish is brain food Our grandmothers were right. A common adage for many of us when we were growing up – especially if we lived in states like Louisiana with coastal waters that provided a living for its workforce – was that fish is brain food. |
| Adequate sleep decreases health problems Sleep is essential for human life and gives the body the opportunity to repair itself. Bodily functions change during sleep: hormones are secreted, blood pressure is lowered, kidney function changes, and memory is consolidated. |
| Farmers market food demonstrations offer people chance to try new fruits, vegetables Purchasing food at farmers markets can be a way to promote the consumptiion of more fruits and vegetables, which is associated with a reduced risk of stroke and other cardiovascular diseases, with a reduced risk of cancers (oral cavity and pharynx, larynx, lung, esophagus, stomach and colon-rectal) and with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. |
| Entrepreneurs Lead Rural Economic Development Rural economic development addresses factors to increase the quality of rural life including the availability of infrastructure. The research and extension activities of the LSU AgCenter have adapted over time to meet the changing structure of our rural economies to promote their growth and well-being. |
| Louisiana Agriculture fall 2008 Louisiana Agriculture magazine fall 2008.pdf |
| Beyond Bollgard: Insect-resistant Cotton Varieties The first caterpillar-resistant transgenic cotton varieties (Bollgard) were approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1996. The Bollgard technology has successfully reduced the frequency of sprays for caterpillar pests by about half. |
| Parenting Teens: Investing in Human Capital Experiences during the teenage years play a large role in determining whether teenagers go on to become productive and engaged citizens as adults. |
| Editorial: LSU AgCenter Responds Heroically to Hurricane Disasters The LSU AgCenter's mission is to serve Louisiana. And the employees did. In some cases, they were there to help others after hurricanes Katrina and Rita at great personal sacrifice to themselves. Read about the LSU AgCenter's response. |
| Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Summer 2008 Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Summer 2008 |
| Landscape Performance of New Herbaceous Ornamentals The LSU AgCenter conducts greenhouse and landscape research on many new bedding plants each year to determine production practices to assist growers and observe performance in the landscape to provide garden centers, landscape professionals and home gardeners information on how these plants will perform under Louisiana’s growing conditions. |
| Fertilize Herbaceous Perennials Wisely, Lightly Herbaceous perennials are winter hardy ornamental plants that reappear each spring from their crowns or root systems. Many species can be used as groundcovers or landscape plantings to provide color for extended seasons. Some major species in production and landscape use are daylily, lantana, verbena, purple coneflower and black-eyed Susan. |
| New Virus Causing Disease in Japanese Holly Fern Japanese holly fern is a popular fern in the southeastern United States. This plant is native to Japan. It forms a rounded mound that can be up to 3 feet wide and 1 1/2 feet tall. The foliage is glossy and very dark green. |
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| Broadband Access to the Internet and Economic Development in Northeast Louisiana Access to broadband technology in rural areas remains limited. In the United States, broadband refers to the set of technologies that provide a connection to the Internet, such as phone lines, satellite, fixed and mobile wireless and cable. |
| Jere McBride’s AgCenter Legacy: Pecans, Tomatoes, Energetic Leadership When Jere McBride was hired, he was the youngest administrator in the LSU AgCenter at age 36. |
| Comparing Single-Row, Twin-Row Configurations for Louisiana Crop Production The use of the twin-drill (twin-row) configuration on 36- to 40-inch-wide beds is of interest to Midsouth producers, but as yet it is unproven as a yield enhancement practice for most agronomic crops. |
| Flowers, Students Both Blossom at Baton Rouge Elementary School LSU AgCenter Master Gardeners and Kids Hope volunteers have helped transform a once dull courtyard at University Terrace Elementary school into a flowering oasis. |
| Scientists Tackle Weeds, Insect Pests, Nematodes A “gorilla” of a barnyardgrass and a “tough critter” nematode are two of the problems being tackled by LSU AgCenter researchers as reported at the June 24, 2008, field day at the Northeast Research Station in St. Joseph. |
| Fungicide Deposition Depends on Method, Volume of Application Farmers must rely on fungicides to protect their crops from certain diseases. One of the most serious of these diseases is Asian soybean rust, which is spread by the fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi. |
| Response of Weeds to Zinc-Glyphosate Mixtures Production input expenses for crop producers continue to rise. To reduce these costs, particularly fuel and labor, growers can co-apply multiple pesticides and eliminate trips across fields. |
| Chinese Tallow Trees a Potential Bioenergy Crop for Louisiana The Chinese tallow tree is a familiar sight growing in yards and along fence rows throughout Louisiana, though some may not recognize this name. In southern Louisiana, it is commonly called “chicken”or “chicken-foot” tree, presumably because its seeds hang in clusters that offersome resemblance to a chicken’s foot. |
| Rooted in Agricultural Research: Louisiana 4-H Celebrates 100 Years in 2008 Once rooted in rural America, 4-H has significantly diversified over its 100 years of existence. Although 4-H has changed as society has changed, much of its success can be traced to its roots and original mission. |
| Novel Insecticidal Proteins for Managing Cotton Pests Transgenic plants that express insecticidal proteins from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt) have become standard for managing many caterpillar pests in cotton. |
| Williams appointed weed specialist for Northeast Louisiana Bill Williams, formerly an associate professor at the LSU AgCenter’s Northeast Research Station in St. Joseph, has assumed a 75 percent appointment as extension weed scientist with a 25 percent research appointment. His office has moved to the Scott Researchand Extension Center in Winnsboro. |
| Producing Leaders for Rural Louisiana The lack of basic leadership skills and economic development knowledge is often identified by focus groups and advisory councils as a problem in rural areas. |
| China Connection: Ag Leadership Program Broadens Knowledge Cathleen C. Williams writes about the trip to China by members of Class 10 of the LSU AgCenter’s Leadership Development Program. |
| 4-H teens get jobs in new Bienville Parish program Fourteen Bienville Parish 4-H’ers learned about the world of work in professional jobs this summer in a new program that’s a joint venture between the LSU AgCenter and the Bienville Parish Police Jury. |
| Colyer takes over Northwest Region Patrick Colyer is first to be the second regional director in the LSU AgCenter administration.Colyer, a plant pathologist at the Red River Research Station in Bossier City for 25 years, became director of the Northwest Region, one of the AgCenter’s seven regions in March 2008. |
| Rust keeps threatening Louisiana sugarcane New sugarcane varieties are increasing yields, but diseases pose a constant threat, farmers were told by LSU AgCenter researchers at a July 18, 2008, sugarcane field day here. |
| Sweet sorghum shows promise as alternative crop Sugarcane farmers heard about alternative crops and cane varieties under development during field days July 24 and 25 in Iberia Parish. |
| Planting kicks off Baton Rouge high school students’ summer farming experience “Who likes squash?” asked Emily Neustrom, a project coordinator with the LSU AgCenter. She was holding up a packet of seeds and speaking to students at Baton Rouge’s McKinley High School. They were learning leadership, running a business, gardening and nutrition as part of a service-learning experience. |
| Economical Methods to Extract and Purify Catfish Oil During the past 20 years, interest has increased in dietary effects of omega-3 fatty acids because they play a major role in human health. Natural fish oils are thought to help maintain heart and vascular health in humans. |
| Cotton Defoliation: The Science of the Art Cotton defoliation, a critical step in cotton production, is the process of removing leaves and preparing the crop for mechanical harvest. Leaf removal facilitates harvest and allows for more efficient and faster picker operation, quicker drying of seedcotton, straightening of lodged plants, retardation of boll rot and faster opening of green bolls. |
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| Effect of Soil-applied Insecticides on Tarnished Plant Bugs Tarnished plant bugs, which have historically been a mid-season pest of cotton, are now becoming a sporadic pest during seedling development. This is happening as agricultural conditions are changing, making it possible for more tarnished plant bugs to survive. These changes include more plant hosts because of more acres going into conservation reserve programs and an increase in conservation tillage. |
| Late-fall/Early-winter Herbicide Application: A New Approach to Managing Winter Weeds in Louisiana To obtain maximum effectiveness of fall/winter herbicide programs, applications should be timed to emergence of winter weeds preferably once temperatures have cooled in late November or December. Producers are cautioned that although effective through winter months, these programs may not eliminate the need for a follow-up treatment before or at planting. |
| Sugar processing in Louisiana Of all the U.S. sugar-producing areas,Louisiana is the oldest and most historic. Sugarcane arrived in Louisiana in1751 with the Jesuit priests who planted it near where their church now stands on Baronne Street in New Orleans. The Louisiana sugarcane industry is in its third century of uninterrupted sugar production. |
| Application of precision agriculture technologies to sugarcane LSU AgCenter research has demonstrated that conventional, whole-field soil-sampling schemes and field-averaged yields do not satisfactorily describe the variations of yield and soil attributes present in several sugarcane fields. Research suggests a precision management approach. |
| Influence of sugarcane post-harvest residue management on yield, water quality Environmentally conscientious sugarcane growers voluntarily use best management practices (BMPs) to control runoff from production areas. Post-harvest residue management in sugarcane is one area in need of research-based information to determine the best management approach. |
| Purple nutsedge – a problem weed in sugarcane In recent years purple nutsedge has become more problematic in Louisiana sugarcane fields. Purple nutsedge is considered among the world’s worst weeds because of its perennial nature and ability to produce abundant and viable underground tubers. |
| No-till sugarcane – the culture and the cost In Louisiana sugarcane, row shoulders and middles are intensively cultivated to promote crop growth, eliminate ruts, incorporate fertilizer and control weeds. Sugarcane growers have been slow to adopt reduced tillage practices because of concerns over reduced yields and weed control. |
| Alternatives to tillage/herbicide programs in fallowed sugarcane fields In Louisiana, four to six harvests are made from a single planting of sugarcane. After that, the sugarcane must be replanted because of disease and weed pressure. During the fallow period, weeds must be managed to maximize yields for the next few years. |
| Identifying sugarcane varieties resistant to borers, aphids For more than 50 years, entomology programs at both the LSU AgCenter and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Sugarcane Research Laboratory at Houma have conducted research addressing the development of new varieties resistant to the larval stages of the sugarcane borer moth. In addition, the two research partners evaluate resistance to aphids and a potential invasive insect pest of Louisiana sugarcane, the Mexican rice borer. |
| Improving sugarcane using molecular genetics Sugarcane breeding, leading to the release of genetically improved varieties, has played a vital role in sustaining Louisiana’s sugar industry. Past sugarcane breeding efforts have relied solely on traditional breeding approaches. |
| Turning sugarcane cellulose into ethanol: Energy for the future? The United States is the world’s largest producer of ethanol, followed closely by Brazil. We produce about 13 million gallons of ethanol a day. To close the gap between fuel use and available ethanol would require a 50-fold increase in ethanol production. Currently, America’s primary agricultural source of simple sugars used for ethanol production is the starch in corn. But an expansion of this magnitude is well beyond our available corn supplies. |
| High-fiber sugarcane varieties: Good choice for alternative energy There are likely to be many solutions for achieving energy alternatives, and agriculture is being looked upon for several sources – including sugarcane. |
| Audubon Sugar Institute: Keeping Louisiana sugar factories profitable The No. 1 goal of the Audubon Sugar Institute is to keep Louisiana sugar factories profitable. |
| LSU AgCenter research, extension boost sugarcane industry As Louisiana begins its third century of sugar production, research continues to play a vital role that sustains both growers and processors. Many facets of the industry continue to change. |
| Biotechnology for Herbicide, Disease Resistance in Rice Rice is one of Louisiana’s leading agricultural commodities, with nearly 532,000 acres planted in 2002, producing an average yield of 5,772 pounds per acre. The 2002 gross farm income reached $122.8 million, and value added in marketing, processing and transportation increased that amount to $159.6 million. |
| Regenerated cellulosic fiber from bagasse The Biomass Research and Development Initiative in the 2002 farm bill sets a goal of a 12 percent increase in production of chemicals and materials from biomass by 2010. |
| Northwest Master Gardeners celebrate 10 years The Northwest Louisiana Master Gardener Association celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2008. Since it began, 343 gardening enthusiasts have been certified to educate and beautify their communities. |
| Louisiana landowners learn about carbon credits Louisiana landowners are showing interest in carbon trading – an emerging market that pays landowners for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. |
| AgMagic spreads agriculture knowledge This year’s AgMagic had a record number of visitors – 13,840– and LSU AgCenter officials are already planning next year’s event. |
| El Niños, La Niñas affect growing conditions for Louisiana sugarcane Weather forecasting is both art and science. But the science – especially long-range forecasting for south Louisiana in the summer – makes prediction difficult. For the past few years, south Louisiana has had blocks of fairly dry weather in the summer, especially when compared to the 1980s and 1990s, according to Jay Grymes,LSU AgCenter climatologist. He expects this pattern of warmer and somewhat drier summers to continue. |
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| Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Spring 2008 Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Spring 2008.pdf |
| New high-yielding cane variety to be ready by fall Louisiana sugarcane farmers will have a new sugarcane variety this fall with the release of L 01-283. Developed by the LSU AgCenter in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Sugarcane Research Unit in Houma and the American Sugar Cane League in Thibodaux, L 01-283 is the latest in a series of new varieties for the Louisiana sugarcane industry. |
| Use of glyphosate to enhance sugar production in Louisiana Artificial ripening of sugarcane as a complement to natural maturity is possible because of the development of glyphosate, a plant growth regulator, for use as a chemical ripener that hastens sugarcane maturation and increases sugar yield per ton of cane and per acre. |
| To burn or not to burn – sugarcane crop residue management At one time the Louisiana sugarcane crop was harvested using mechanical whole stalk harvesters, where stalks were piled in the field and burned to remove leaves before transporting to the mill. Beginning in the mid 1990s, growers shifted to chopper harvesters, where stalks are cut into billets, loaded directly into wagons and transported to the mill. |
| Economics of sugarcane production: What does it take for this industry to survive? The production of sugarcane in Louisiana is a major contributor to the agricultural economy of the state. In total market value, sugarcane is the leading row crop commodity produced in Louisiana. |
| Consider electricity as power source for irrigation As prices for gasoline and diesel fuel climb, Louisiana farmers face increased cost to irrigate their crops. Electricity maybe a more efficient power source, says LSUAgCenter water resources specialist, Ron Sheffield. |
| AgCenter lab vital to sugarcane disease control The bacteria and viruses that cause diseases of sugarcane in Louisiana are distributed throughout an infected plant. |
| Leaf rusts: Old and new threats to sugarcane Sugarcane is affected by two diseases known as rusts because of the color of the lesions caused in the leaves and reproductive spores produced by the pathogens. One disease is called brown rust, and the other is called orange rust, based on differences in lesion and spore color. |
| Sugarcane varieties vary in tolerance to billet planting LCP 85-384 is a sugarcane variety that will occupy a special place in the history of sugarcane in Louisiana. It ultimately occupied a record-setting 91 percent of the industry acreage in the state during 2004, and its widespread cultivation caused a major shift in harvesting practices that created many new research questions. |
| Sugarcane Yearly Crop Rotation Sugarcane Yearly Crop Rotation |
| Preliminary Evaluation of Early-age Catfish Stocking to Enhance Louisiana Fingerling Producers’ Profitability In Louisiana and other catfish-producing states, most growers focus on the production of market-ready fish and purchase fingerling catfish to restock their production ponds from a smaller number of farmers who specialize in fingerling production. In Louisiana, fewer than 20 fingerling producers satisfy the annual seed stock requirements for the state’s catfish industry. |
| Automated machine helps remove plastic mulch The use of plastic mulch is an important cultural practice in the commercial production of fruits and vegetables, but removal and disposal of the mulch cause problems. |
| Prescribed Burns Help the Sugarcane Industry and Reduce Smoke and Ash Problems 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. |
| Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Spring 2000 Louisiana Agriculture Magazine, Spring 2000 |
| Transforming Chickens to Lay ‘Golden’ Eggs Every once in a while someone comes along who can build a better mousetrap. And at the LSU AgCenter, that person is Richard Cooper, professor in the Department of Veterinary Science who’s come up with a way to get chickens to lay eggs containing human proteins. |
| Audubon Sugar Institute Helps Meet Demand for Biofuels Research A sugarcane-based biorefinery has been discussed for many years at the Audubon Sugar Institute. In the past few years funding has become available and work has started in earnest. |
| Smart Bodies: An Educational Campaign to Make Louisiana Children More Active, Healthier The LSU AgCenter is carrying out a unique program to help ameliorate and prevent obesity in Louisiana's children. The program is called Smart Bodies and is occurring in schools across the state. |
| Soybean, A Source of Functional Food Ingredients Soy flour and more highly purified soy proteins contain a number of constituents that can be used in combating a variety of diseases. Soy isofla-vones may prevent diseases associated with post-menopausal women such as osteoporosis and coronary heart disease. |
| Master Gardeners Help Make Louisiana Beautiful The Louisiana Master Gardener program started in Baton Rouge in 1994 and was adopted statewide in 1997. The program is offered in 20 parishes, with volunteer participation in 40 parishes. |
| A Decade of Pepper Fertility Research Bell peppers are grown extensively throughout southeastern Louisiana, with production concentrated in Tangipahoa and surrounding parishes. Gross farm value in 1999 was about $1.6 million. |
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| Carcass and Palatability Traits of Brahman-Composite and Angus Steers Brahman-composite breeds were developed from Brahman-crossbred cattle. The Santa Gertrudis, Brangus and Beefmaster breeds were among the first Brahman-composite breeds, all British-based, developed in the United States. |
| EPA gives okay for new sugarcane insecticide An LSU Agricultural Center scientist played a major role in helping bring to marketa new environmentally friendly insecticide for sugarcane – so friendly that it won anaward from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). |
| Oocyte Aspiration for In Vitro Embryo Production in Farm Animals Males of an animal species have an advantage over females in the propagation of their genes. |
| New Approach to ‘Best Management Practices’ The LSU Agricultural Center has started an aggressive plan to improve the state’s water quality with a new approach to best management practices. |
| Griffin, Tiersch and cotton team win 1999 research awards James L. Griffin, Terrence Tiersch and the LouisianaAgricultural Experiment Station’s Cotton Variety and Strain Evaluation Team won the top research awards presented at the LSU Agricultural Center’s Annual Conference in December 1999. |
| Tarnished Plant Bug Occurrence in Pre-tassel Stage of Corn Next to Cotton As field corn acreage has increased in the mid-South, consultants and farmers have often noted high tarnished plant bug populations in cotton fields adjacent to corn. |
| Louisianagrass (Common Carpetgrass) Common carpetgrass was introduced into the United States through New Orleans during the 1800s. The Creole citizens referred to it as "Louisianagrass" or "petit gazon," meaning small lawngrass. |
| Nitrogen Fertilizer Management for Corn Production on Delta Soils Many soil types are present in the Mississippi River Delta of Louisiana. Optimal nitrogen application rates and timing are needed for each specific soil type. |
| A Look at the Last Millennium Because of the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, the state’s agriculture industry has become world-class and competitive globally. this is the opinion of three former experiment station directors as they reflected on the past. |
| Effects of Internal Parasites on Replacement Heifers Beef cattle in Louisiana are constantly infected with gastrointestinal nematodes, commonly referred to as roundworms. |
| Gene Mapping Fiber Traits in Cotton Cotton is the most important textile fiber crop and the world’s second-most important oil-seed crop after soybeans. Cotton is grown commercially in the temperate and tropical regions of more than 50 countries. In the U.S., cotton is a major agricultural crop and was grown on more than 12.2 million acres in 2002. In Louisiana in 2002, cotton was produced on about 490,000 acres, which was well below the 50-year average of about 680,000 acres. |
| Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Fall 2000 Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Fall 2000 |
| Louisiana Agricullture Magazine Summer 2000 Louisiana Agricullture Magazine 2000 summer |
| Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Winter 2000 Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Winter 2000 |
| Forestry value decreases in 2007 The projected Louisiana gross farm value of forest products decreased significantly Oct. 1 , 2006, through Sept. 30,2007, according to the LSU AgCenter’s 2007 AgSummary. |
| Storm surge affects sugarcane borer pest management Between 30,000 and 40,000 acres of sugarcane production in St. Mary, Iberia and Vermilion parishes were substantially affected by storm surge from Hurricane Rita that came on shore in southwestern Louisiana on September 24, 2005. |
| Louisiana sweet potato industry continues to prosper Louisiana sweet potato producers harvested an average to slightly above average crop in 2007, although acreage was slightly down from that of 2006 with 14,254 harvested acres for 2007. |
| Southern green stink bug affects cotton fiber quality Stink bugs were first recorded as pests of cotton during the early 1900s. The most common species of stink bug found in cotton fields across the southern United States are the southern green stink bug, green stink bug and brown stink bug. |
| Harvest aids in indeterminate and determinate soybeans – application timing and value Farmers have traditionally used harvest aids to desiccate weeds and improve crop quality and harvest efficiency. In recent years, harvest aids have become especially important in producing early maturing soybeans in Louisiana. Excessive foreign material and moisture associated with green plants at harvest can reduce the price producers receive. |
| Evaluating very early maturing soybeans in Louisiana The success of early season production coupled with the increasing late-season occurrence of Cercospora leaf blight, Asian rust and stink bugs has led Louisiana soybean producers to consider even earlier maturing varieties to maintain profitable soybean production. |
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| Wheat response to simulated glyphosate drift Glyphosate (sold under numerousformulations including Roundup,Touchdown and others) is a nonselective, postemergence herbicide used to control weeds in reduced tillage systems and in glyphosate-resistant soybeans, cotton and corn marketed in the southern United States. |
| Effect of late nitrogen applications on corn yield on a Mississippi River alluvial soil Nitrogen fertilization is a critical component of cultural practices required for producing maximum corn yield.Many factors including climatic conditions,soil type and tillage systems determine optimum nitrogen rates. Nitrogen is typically knifed-in soon after the crop has emerged and an adequate stand is established. |
| Teaching youth entrepreneurship in rural Louisiana New business formation has always been important for economic growth. Self-employed individuals who have no paid employees operate 75 percent of U.S. businesses. Spurring entrepreneurship activity is an economic development strategy for rural Louisiana. |
| Coastal plants team wins Tipton Award The coastal plants study team won the LSU AgCenter’s top research team award for 2007. Called the Tipton Team Award, it is named for Kenneth W. Tipton, the former vice chancellor for research. |
| What do Louisiana nonindustrial, private forest landowners think about forest certification? According to the U.S. Forest Service, timberland nationwide totals 504 million acres. Forests cover 14 million acres, about 50 percent of Louisiana's land area, making it the state's greatest single land use. |
| Spatial analysis identifies Louisiana’s forest products manufacturing clusters According to the theory of clusters in the business world, companies tend to spatially concentrate in places where they experience unusual competitive success. Spatial analysis can be applied to forest products' manufacturing sectors to identify clusters. |
| Detection laboratory helps meet food safety needs Detection laboratory helps meet food safety needs |
| Safety and Properties of Precooked Pork Roasts with Sodium Lactate and Sodium Tripolyphosphate Consumers continue to demand more convenience with food products, including meat. Safety is a primary concern with precooked, ready-to-eat meat products. |
| Scientists Develop Rapid, User-friendly Test Kit for Marine Toxins Ciguatera fish poisoning is a typeof food poisoning caused by ingestion of certain tropical and subtropical marine fish that harbor natural toxins originating from microscopic algae (dinoflagellates). |
| Training Program Helps Keep Seafood Safe In December 1996, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a requirement that all seafood must be processed using Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles. The intent of the requirement is to increase food safety and consumer confidence. |
| New Bar Code Will Help Monitor Food Safety Throughout the various phases ofthe food production and processingsystem, opportunities for contaminationexist. Reliable laboratory and fieldmethods are necessary to rapidly detectand trace the source of contamination. |
| Safety and Soft-Ripened, French-Style Cheeses Cheese is one of the most ancient forms of manufactured food. It is the product of enzymatic action and lactic fermentation of milk using various bacterial cultures. |
| Scientists develop process that saves oyster industry A partnership between scientists at the LSU Agricultural Center and entrepreneurs in Louisiana’s oyster industry has resulted in a revival of the Gulf Coast raw oyster. |
| Two studies look at packaging of ground beef 1) Pathogenic microorganism hazards with reduced oxygen packaging of ground beef.2) Influence of display gas mixture on shelf life of ground beefin modified atmosphere packaging |
| Consumers Approve Mandatory Country-of-origin Labeling of Fresh or Frozen Beef: Beef consumers are provided with various kinds of information on the fresh beef sold in grocery stores. |
| Introducing ‘Earl’ - Scientists develop new rice variety Scientists at the LSU AgCenter have developed a new medium-grain rice variety, named Earl, that offers improved yield and disease resistance. |
| Ozone: New Weapon for Fighting Food Hazards Ozone is a substance best known intwo divergent ways. It is both beneficial—as in the ozone layer protecting the Earth from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays—or detrimental when ground-level concentrations become excessive, particularly on hot, humid days. |
| Foodborne Illness: Are You at Risk? Although Americans enjoy the safest food supply in the world, several recent outbreaks of foodborne illness have heightened concern about food safety. |
| The Concept of Food Safety: An Overview Food consumption plays two roles in human development: nutrition and disease prevention. Foods provide not only protein, fats, vitamins, minerals andother constituents essential for growth, but also components necessary for prevention of certain diseases. |
| Inhibition of E. coli in Ground Beef Patties with Ozone Recent illnesses and deaths traced to foods contaminated with Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 have caused processors, regulatory officials and scientists to examine different techniques to control and destroy pathogenic microorganisms. |
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| Managing Aflatoxin Contamination in Corn: Scientists Use Integrated Approach to Solution Aflatoxin is a natural toxin produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus. Aflatoxin in corn appears when high temperatures and drought stress occur, which favors infection of the ear by the fungus. |
| Learn to Keep Food Safe LSU AgCenter Extension conducts “Safe Food Handlers” workshops to help people learn to keep food safe. |
| Social consequences of dislocation on emotional well-being In late summer of 2005, hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf states within a four-week period. Although Katrina wrecked the Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Florida, Louisiana was the only state that fell victim to both hurricanes. While Rita was a less severe hurricane than Katrina, it caused further distress to those evacuees from Katrina who had taken refuge in the areas in Rita's path. |
| Red River holds 12th annual tomato seminar Intermittent rains didn’t stop commercial tomato growers from viewing outdoor exhibits and touring the greenhouse tomato operation during a tomato field day at the LSU AgCenter’s Red River Research Station in Bossier City on Feb. 29, 2009. |
| Calpastatin and calpain genetic marker influence on shear force in Brahman steers Consumption of beef in the United States last year was about 67 pounds per capita. Many surveys have shown that tenderness of beef is important for consumer satisfaction. Genetic differences among cattle breeds influence variation in tenderness, as do individuals within those breeds. The Brahman breed has contributed significantly to increased performance in crossbred beef cattle in the South. |
| LSU AgCenter researcher improves cattle breeding and helps Louisiana industry grow For the past 40 years, Don Franke, a professor and researcher in the School of Animal Sciences, has been studying ways to improve beef cattle in the South, particularly the Brahman breed. |
| Use of remote sensing, GIS techniques helps assess forest damage Hurricanes frequently cause extensive damage to forests. Such disturbances not only affect the forest industry and wildlife habitats directly, but cause long-term influences on forest succession, site productivity and site drainage. |
| Soil carbon stock and sequestration potential across Louisiana's watersheds Soil carbon storage and dynamics represent an important component inthe global carbon cycle. LSU AgCenter scientists are conducting a study to quantify soil carbon storage and investigate its spatial distribution and relationships with land use types across the state of Louisiana. |
| Health care aftermath LSU AgCenter researchers analyzed data from the 2006 Louisiana Health and Population Survey pertaining to age demographics,health insurance coverage and health care access in 18 hurricane-affected parishes in Louisiana. |
| Population displacement dynamics in South Louisiana To help understand the dynamics of the displacement of Louisiana’s population following hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, LSU AgCenter researchers analyzed data from a survey commissioned by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals and the Louisiana Recovery Authority. |
| Louisiana can gain from move to biofuels As competition between food and bioenergy drives up prices of corn, soybeans and other farm commodities, Louisiana has untapped land that could be put into production for alternative crops, according to agricultural industry observers. |
| Photos from the First Millennium Photos from the First Millennium |
| Pecan seminar helps growers prepare for 2008 The LSU AgCenter Pecan Research and Extension Station in Shreveport hosted a seminar on pecan growing on Feb. 28, 2008, which was attended by 35 growers. |
| Ville Platte man named 2008 best farmer, other finalists from Hamburg, Ponchatoula Richard Fontenot can’t sit still. With more than 2,500 acres to farm, he can’t afford to. But his efforts and contributions to Louisiana agriculture led to his being named the 2008 Louisiana Farmer of the Year. |
| Weed Tenacity James L. Griffin, an LSU AgCenter weed scientist, discovered this golf ball in a sugarcane field |
| LSU AgCenter employee knowledge of genetically modified (GM) products A survey of AgCenter employees was conducted to determine basic knowledge about biotechnology and genetic modification, and the acceptance of GM and GE methodology. |
| Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Winter 2008 Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Winter 2008.pdf |
| 2006 Awards Presented to Top Faculty, Staff Six individuals and three teams won top honors during the LSU AgCenter’s Annual Conference Dec. 18-19, 2006. |
| Comprehensive, Coordinated Animal Identification A Must for Food Safety, National Security Individual livestock producers have been using animal identification for decades. But not until recently has the need for a more comprehensive, coordinated national animal identification and tracking system been recognized. |
| Rice Farmers Approve Checkoff Fee Renewals Louisiana rice producers have approved five-year renewals of checkoff fees on their crops to fund research and promotion. |
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| Two New Forestry Companies Move To Central Louisiana More than 135 private landowners, loggers and forest industry leaders participated in the LSU AgCenter’s Central Louisiana Forestry Forum on Jan. 30, 2007,to learn about the challenges still facing the industry more than a year after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. |
| The Economic Feasibility of Ethanol Production from Sugar Crops Corn is the cheapest feedstock for ethanol production in the United States. Sugarcane has potential. The article provides information on ethanol production costs and discusses what needs to be done for sugarcane to become a viable option. |
| Rice Seed Free Of Liberty Link An independent lab has determined that rice seed for sale this year by the LSU AgCenter’s Rice Research Station is free of Liberty Link, according to Steve Linscombe, the station director. |
| Congressional Proposal Supports Turtle Farmers A bill pending in Congress will permit the domestic sale of baby turtles in the United States, which would be a big economic boost for Louisiana. |
| Speakers Focus On Ethanol At AgOutlook With the 2007 farm bill on the horizon, speakers at the 2007 AgOutlook conference in Baton Rouge on Jan. 23, 2007, talked about issues the new bill may involve as it makes its way through Congress this year. |
| Pecan Bacterial Leaf Scorch For more than two decades there was uncertainty about the cause of a common disease among pecan trees referred to as leaf scorch. LSU AgCenter researchers were able to distinguish the cause of the disease, which has improved pecan production. |
| Alligator Collagen: New Source for Medical, Cosmetic Uses Alligator processors in Louisiana annually generate about 175,000 pounds of wild alligator bones and connective tissues and more than 1 million pounds of farm-raised alligator bones and associated materials. Although these materials are discarded, they could be the source of a valuable product – collagen. |
| Louisiana Turtle Farmers Continue Fight for Domestic Market In the 70-some years since rural Louisianians first gathered turtle eggs, generally along railroad rights-of-way through swamps, and sold the hatchlings as pets, the turtle industry in Louisiana has experienced a roller coaster ride that may be at its lowest point. But legislation has been introduced that may boost the turtle industry in Louisiana from a $5 million business to a $300 million business. |
| Don’t Let Leaf Spot Spoil Your Vincas Annual vinca, also referred to as periwinkle by many home gardeners and industry professionals, is one of the best-selling bedding plants in the Southeastern United States. LSU AgCenter researchers are working to prevent on the diseases that plagues this plant, leaf spot. |
| Resistant Starch: A Potential Way to Add Value to Rice Any way to add value to rice can be of great benefit to Louisiana’s rice industry. One of the targets for research by the LSU AgCenter is broken rice kernels. From this otherwise value-less product, a valuable food additive can be made – resistant starch. |
| Assessing Liberty Link Transgenic Technology for Weed Control in Cotton The 21st century has provided producers with a number of technological advances that affect all aspects of cotton production. Both Liberty Link and Roundup Ready Flex offer the potential to be used as highly effective alternate weed control systems in a weed-resistance management program. |
| Economics of BMP Cropping Systems The traditional farming practice for cotton in the South for 200 years was to produce one summer crop per year following winter fallow. Now, year-round systems with summer crops of cotton, corn, soybeans or grain sorghum and winter crops of wheat, rye or vetch are considered best management practices (BMPs) and protect surface water quality from soil and nutrient losses. |
| Planting Dates for Soybean Varieties in Northeast Louisiana In recent years, reports of high yield potential and the advantages of an early harvest have created interest in early planting of soybeans in Louisiana. Little research information is available on the responses of Maturity Group (MG) V soybeans to early planting dates. |
| Griffin Receives National Weed Science Research Award Jim Griffin, Lee Mason LSU Alumni Association Professor inthe School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences, received the Weed Science Society of America Outstanding Research Award at the Society’s annual meeting held in San Antonio, Texas, in February 2007. |
| Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Winter 2007 Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Winter 2007 |
| Taking the Bite Out of Mosquitoes Mosquitoes in Louisiana may interfere with enjoyment of the outdoors almost any time of year. Yet, if you understand how mosquitoes live and multiply, you have a better chance of controlling their larval development sites and reducing their numbers. |
| Rapid Response Arthropod Diagnostic Services The first step in successfully dealing with insect-related problems, whether in urban or agricultural settings, is identifying the organisms. |
| FAST Prevention: Fire Ants in New Orleans Post-Katrina On Aug. 29, 2005, when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, floodwaters from storm surge and breached levees inundated New Orleans and surrounding areas with salt water. The red imported fire ant, a flood-adapted species originally from the Paraguay River flood plain in South America, was suppressed and in some cases eradicated. Many native ant species also were eradicated or their populations suppressed. |
| Communitywide Control of Argentine Ants in Louisiana The Argentine ant is an exotic species brought to New Orleans from South America in the late 1800s. Historically, populations have been high in many areas of Louisiana, and for unknown reasons the populations have been expanding in the past 10 years. |
| Leaf-cutting Ants: Miniature ‘Town’ Builders In western Louisiana from Lake Charles all the way north of Lucky in Bienville Parish, a common site near roads and open areas are “towns” of small crater-shaped soil piles with large red ants busily moving particles of soil. |
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| Scientist studies Formosan termites in China Collecting and studying Formosan subterranean termites from their native China may help entomologists find new ways of combating these invasive pests in the United States. |
| Molecular Genetic Methods Help Unravel Termite Mysteries The Formosan subterranean termite has global economic impact as an urban pest. The nesting and feeding habits of this invasive pest leave many factors of its biology literally hidden in the dark. |
| Natural plant extracts in Formosan Subterranean Termite control In many ways plants and insects are intimately related. Possibly the most widely appreciated is the 150 million-year-old mutual dependence of flowering plants and honey bees. Without honey bees, many of our crops would not be pollinated. |
| Treating Trees: A successful Louisiana program for managing Formosan Subterranean Termites The invasive Formosan subterranean termite is destructive to Louisiana trees. The insect eats the centers of living trees and builds carton nests inside them. |
| Dale Pollet: Bug man of Louisiana Although his title is entomologist his mission is a harmonious environment. Dale Pollet may well be one of the most popular people in Louisiana. That’s because he knows every bug in the state and what to do about them. And Louisiana has a lot of bugs. |
| Plant Growth Regulator Offers Advantages for Herbicide-tolerant Rice Treating rice seed with gibberellic acid has improved rice production in the northeastern rice-growing area. On semi-dwarf varieties gibberellic acid improves seedling vigor by hastening emergence and increasing seedling population. |
| 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. |
| Nature-based Tourism Blazes Trail for Economic Growth Rural America is turning to nature to revitalize its communities.Ironically, farming communities with enhanced natural amenities may boost business opportunities. |
| Be Child Care Aware Campaign Reaches Families The two-year “Be Child Care Aware!” educational campaign, launched in the fall of 2003, reached at least 205,000 people with information on quality child care. |
| Rice Specialist Receives National Honor A rice specialist with the LSU AgCenter, Johnny Saichuk, has won the prestigious 2003 Rice Industry Award, sponsored by Rice Farming Magazine, Syngenta and the USA Rice Federation. |
| Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Fall 2007 Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Fall 2007.pdf |
| Bug Facts Following are some facts about insects in the urban environment. |
| Urban Entomology: Its value and impact in Louisiana Entomology is one of the LSU AgCenter’s most significant areas of research and outreach. Insect pests can cause devastation to crops and livestock. And insects can wreak havoc at home, too, in the house and in the garden. |
| Formosan Subterranean Termite management in the French Quarter A federally funded Formosan subterranean termite pilot test in New Orleans’ French Quarter, known as the French Quarter Program, began in 1998. Featuring various treatments to combat the termites, the program is a partnership among the LSU AgCenter, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, the New Orleans Mosquito and Termite Control Board, the Audubon Nature Institute and area pest control applicators. |
| Unique termite school helps with Louisiana pest control Since 2000, nearly 450 pest control operators and technicians have completed two days of either basic or master training programs on treating for termites and other wood-destroying insects at the Lois Caffey Termite Training Center at the LSU AgCenter in Baton Rouge. |
| Choose Child Care Carefully It’s a fact. Most tots and toddlers spend the majority of their waking moments in child-care programs. |
| Louisiana's Green Indusry: Evaluation of Its Economic Contribution Our society has a strong interest in the green industry, defined as the production, sale and maintenance of ornamental plants and their allied goods and services. During the 1990s, consumers’ incomes increased significantly for most demographic groups. They used some of this income to improve their homes, including lawns and gardens. |
| Community Development Program Wins National Award The LSU AgCenter’s Community Leadership and Economic Development Program received the 2005 training achievements award from the International Economic Development Council during the council’s annual meeting in Chicago in September. |
| Insect-resistant, Transgenic Soybeans: A New IPM Tool The integrated pest management (IPM) approach to insect control involves multiple tactics. Host plant resistance is one. Pest-resistant plants can reduce pest population growth, the number of pesticide applications and the environmental impact of pesticides. Though some research has been conducted on breeding insect resistance into soybean plants, most soybean breeding programs focus on increasing yield. |
| Which Came First? Egg or Insulin The LSU AgCenter has licensed technology to a start-up biotechnology company to produce a precursor for the drug insulin in chicken eggs. This technology was developed by Richard Cooper, a professor in the Department of Veterinary Science. |
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| Integrating Insect and Weed Management in Rice Weed and insect pests perpetually cause problems for Louisiana farmers. In addition to their individual effects, insects, weeds and their management practices can interact. Uncontrolled weeds can serve as alternate hosts for insect pests. |
| Borers Galore: Emerging Pest in Louisiana Corn, Grain Sorghum and Rice Stalk borers are becoming more of a problem in corn, grain sorghum and rice fields in Louisiana. The most common insect borer species found in these crops include the southwestern corn borer, the sugarcane borer and the European corn borer. |
| Seed Treatments: An Alternative Pesticide Delivery System In Louisiana, southern green stink bugs and brown stink bugs have become common pests of corn, cotton, grain sorghum, soybean and wheat. In corn, an infestation can cause injury to the plant from seedling emergence through ear formation and grain development. Seedlings punctured by stink bugs exhibit small holes surrounded by localized dead tissue. |
| Farmers See Results with NewPath-Clearfield Combo Farmers using BASF’s NewPath herbicide and Clearfield 161 rice have seen remarkable results controlling yield-choking red rice weeds this year. |
| Developmentally Appropriate Educational Practices in Early Childhood Programs: An Economic Investment for the Future The effect of early experiences on a child’s later success is well-documented by social scientists. Because young children are increasingly spending more of their early years in a variety of settings, it is critical that they receive high-quality care and education during these formative years. |
| Mapping Swamp Forest Conditions The productivity and composition of wetland forests depend strongly on hydrological conditions. Minor changes in the frequency, duration and seasonality of flooding can favor establishment and growth of entirely separate groups of species. |
| Baldcypress Site Relationships and Silviculture Regional increases in flooding are likely to reduce the productivity of baldcypress-water tupelo swamps in coastal Louisiana. Although these trees are merchantable for lumber production, it will be important to design appropriate management plans for these sites. |
| Rutherford named new director for Renewable Natural Resources Longtime faculty member Allen Rutherford has been named the new director of the School of Renewable Natural Resources. He took over July 1 , 2007, from William Kelso, who had served as interim director after the retirement of Bob Blackmon in 2005. |
| Strengthening Rural Louisiana Rural Louisiana continues to face significant challenges to improve local economies. For example, one out of every four people in rural Louisiana lives in poverty, and roughly three quarters of all rural parishes have been defined as persistent poverty areas. |
| Table 1. Northern Louisiana Rural Development Roundtable Results Northern Louisiana Rural Development Roundtable Results |
| Get Bees Out of Walls It’s not unusual for homeowners to have problems with honey bees, said LSU AgCenter entomologist Dale Pollet. Hives often split, and new swarms go looking for new homes. Sometimes those homes can be in people's walls. |
| So Far, No Louisiana Bee Colonies ‘Collapse’ Bee colonies in more than 20 states are collapsing. And honey bees are disappearing because of a mysterious ailment. So far, Louisiana colonies don’t seem to be affected by what is being called “colony collapse disease,” according to LSU AgCenter entomologist Dale Pollet. |
| Red River Station Helps Louisiana Tomato Industry Sales of greenhouse tomatoes from the LSU AgCenter’s Red River Research Station’s spring crop topped 65,000 pounds in 2007 – making this the best year ever. |
| Salt Damage to Agricultural Fields in South Louisiana When hurricanes Katrina and Rita came ashore in Louisiana in 2005, they were accompanied by storm surges that inundated vast areas in the southern parishes with salt water. |
| New Varieties Featured at Annual Sugarcane Field Day One new sugarcane variety released earlier this year and two sugarcane varieties released in 2006 were featured along with three new releases of energy cane at the annual field day July 18 at the LSU AgCenter’s Sugar Research Station. |
| Developing Rapid and Sensitive Pathogen Detection Systems for Food Safety and Biosecurity America boasts one of the safest and most plentiful food supplies in the world. Unfortunately, food by nature or by accident is vulnerable to contamination by harmful microbes at any point from the farm to the table. |
| Cottonseed Meal Improves Beef Cow Performance Beef cattle feed goes through a microbial fermentation process in the rumen before being digested by the animal.Since the majority of the cow’s diet is forage, efficient fermentation of this fiber is critical. Diet supplements provide additional nutrients to improve utilization of the fiber. |
| Blast in Rice: Researchers Detect Resisitance to Fungicides Pesticides are used in agriculture to control many different insects, weeds and pathogens that cannot be controlled by other practices, such as planting resistant cultivars, cultural management and biological control. |
| Controlling Narrow Brown Leaf Spot Disease In 2006, the fungus Cercospora janseana, which causes narrow brown leaf spot, did significant damage to the rice crop in south Louisiana. This disease involves linear, reddish-brown spots that usually appear near heading. These spots are slow to develop, taking up to 30 days from infection. Both young and old leaves are susceptible. Seedheads can become infected, causing premature ripening and unfilled grain. |
| Partial Resistance to Bacterial Panicle Blight in Jupiter Rice Jupiter is a high-yielding, early-maturing, short-stature, medium-grain ricevariety developed at the LSU AgCenter’s Rice Research Station at Crowley and released for commercial production in 2004. Results from field evaluations conducted in Louisiana from 2002-2006 indicate that Jupiter has good field resistance to bacterial panicle blight, rottenneck blast and sheath blight. Jupiter also appears to be resistant to the physiological disorder straighthead. |
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| New rice lines in the works At the LSU AgCenter’s Rice Research Station’s annual field day, June 28, 2007, rice breeder Xueyan Sha discussed and displayed ademonstration plot of LA2028, a promising semi-dwarf medium grain experimental line that may be released as foundation seed in 2008. |
| Researchers Use GPS Technology to Fight Nematodes Louisiana cotton farmers are facing increasing threats from high populations of nematodes – microscopic, parasitic worms that feed on plant roots. Of the two types most common, reniform nematodes are relatively new to the Louisiana delta cotton fields. |
| Sugarcane Beetle: A Potential Threat to Louisiana Crops The first reported damage by the sugarcane beetle, Euetheola humilis, to crops in the United States was in Louisiana sugarcane plantations during 1880. Since that time, this beetle has been documented as an occasional pest of field corn, rice and more recently sweet potato. |
| Efforts To Improve Stink Bug Management Continue The rice stink bug is the most important late-season insect pest of rice in Louisiana. This insect feeds on rice grains as they develop. Feeding by this insect reduces both grain yield and quality. The rice stink bug is probably present in nearly all rice fields in Louisiana. |
| Yellow Nutsedge Control in Landscape Flower Beds Yellow nutsedge is one of the most troublesome and widespread perennial weeds in landscapes and gardens across the coastal plains. This fast-growing weed can be found in nearly all soil types but thrives in irrigated landscape plantings. |
| Physician Recruitment and Health Care Access in Rural Louisiana While Louisiana faces a short-term healthcare crisis brought about by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, an often-understated, long-term healthcare crisis exists in rural Louisiana. |
| Williams named Simmons Professor of Dairy Science Cathy Williams was recently designated the Gerald A. Simmons Professor of Dairy Science in the School of Animal Sciences. |
| Widespread crawfish virus does little damage More than half of 1 35 Louisiana crawfish ponds tested for White Spot Syndrome Virus so far have shown positive, according to an LSU AgCenter aquaculture expert. |
| LSU AgCenter dairy farm sets new record The LSU AgCenter’s dairy farm in Baton Rouge recently reached a milestone in Louisiana agriculture when it recorded the highest rolling herd average milk production ever in the state. |
| Regents give AgCenter $915,000 for hurricane recovery The Louisiana Board of Regents recently approved $28 million for university research to spur hurricane recovery and economic development, including a $915,000 grant to the LSU AgCenter for wetland restoration. |
| 4-H’er breaks stereotype, wins state show with mule Don’t bother telling Bethany Edler of Iberia Parish that mules are ornery, stubborn and kick hard. She’s heard it all before – and she can prove you wrong. |
| Louisiana Agriculture Magazine, Summer 2007 Louisiana Agriculture Magazine, Summer 2007 |
| 50 Years Serving Louisiana: Magazine Has Birthday The year was 1957. The New York Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in the World Series. Actress Grace Kelly married Monaco’s Prince Rainier. And a wildly popular singer named Elvis Presley was causing a sensation with his gyrating hips. Not quite as exciting but certainly significant for Louisiana agriculture that same year was the establishment of a quarterly magazine from the LSU Agricultural Experiment Station. |
| Camp Immerses 4-H’ers in Marine Environment After an exhilarating airboat ride through the marsh, Keith Espadron of Port Sulphur ambled up to the beach, shell fragments crunching under his feet, and gazed at the muddy shoreline that once was grass-covered marsh. The outing was one of several for 4-H’ers participating in the LSU AgCenter’s Marsh Maneuvers camp at the state’s Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge. |
| Economic Impact of Russian Honey Bees Most people don’t give honey bees much thought, but the honey they produce is an economically important agricultural crop, generating $2.5-$5 million annual sales in Louisiana and $150-$250 million annual sales in the United States. |
| Sweet Potato, IP Experts Added to Staff During this time of financial emergency for the LSU AgCenter, it has been difficult to add new staff. But, fortunately, two key positionswere filled that have major implications for Louisiana’s economic development. |
| 13 Farmers Attain Elite ‘Master’ Status Thirteen of Louisiana’s finest farmers have completed the rigorous requirements to become a Master Farmer – a title that means they have not only learned the latest in scientifically based conservation techniques but they are voluntarily implementing them on their farms. |
| Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Summer 2006 PDF of Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Summer 2006 |
| Field Day at Northeast Research Station Gene Burris (standing in striped shirt), a professor at the LSU AgCenter’s Northeast Research Station at St. Joseph, La., explains to farmers gathered for a field day about the research he is conducting to determine how to use technology to better control nematodes. |
| Brains Bring Bounty: Louisiana Benefits From LSU AgCenter Intellectual Property In a recent report to the LSU System, an auditor of LSU’s technology transfer activities referred to the LSU AgCenter’s Office of Intellectual Property as the “crown jewel” of the system because of its productivity. |
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| Protecting Coastal Wetland Forests: What Can You Do to Help? Louisiana’s coastal wetland forests are of tremendous economic, ecological, cultural and recreational value. But many acres of these forests have disappeared over the past century, and many more are being degraded or lost each year. |
| Forest Management and Stream Organisms: Role of Trees in Aquatic Food Webs Water quality monitoring efforts in Louisiana’s streams focus on the concentrations of sediment, nutrients and other compounds in the water. However, activities within the watersheds of these streams actually play the most critical role in determining stream water quality. |
| Rural Development Makes Louisiana a Better Place Rural development makes America a better place in which to live and work. Rural development emphasizes the well-being of people rather than economic growth itself. Development increases real per capita incomes and employment and improves housing, fire and police protection, schools, libraries and other government services. These amenities in rural communities are directly influenced by farmers. Also, the well-being of farmers is affected by communities. |
| What Homebuilders Think of Southern Yellow Pine Lumber Southern yellow pine (SYP) has for many years provided the homebuilding industry with abundant, cost-competitive wood products. Recent research indicates that softwood lumber, including SYP, continues to lose market share in the U.S. residential construction industry to substitute products such as concrete, steel and plastic and that builders remain concerned about softwood lumber quality and price. |
| News Briefs News Briefs: Several LSU AgCenter faculty members receive honors; a new poultry composting process holds promise for Louisiana poultry producers; the Macon Ridge Research Station gets a new lab building. |
| More Research Needed on Bio-based Fuels Louisiana farmers and foresters could find a silver lining in the cloud of rising fuel prices with the development of new fuels from crops they already grow or could grow. |
| Barry Moser, 1955-2005 Barry Moser, 50, head of the Departmentof Experimental Statistics, died unexpectedly April 19, 2006, of a heart attack. |
| Using Herbicides and Fire to Manage Pine Forests for Northern Bobwhites Northern bobwhite populations have declined over the past 30 years throughout their range. This decline is due to habitat loss caused by a combination of factors including changes in landscape use from small farms with brushy fence lines and hedgerows to silvicultural practices creating large monocultural stands and, more recently, reduction of fire as a silvicultural tool. |
| Editors Receive Award Linda Foster Benedict, associate director of LSU AgCenter Communications,and Rick Bogren, associate professor, received a gold award for their editing of Louisiana Agriculture. |
| Five Faculty Part of Governor’s Science Working Group on Coastal Wetland Forest Conservation and Use In late 2004, the Governor of Louisiana commissioned a 12-member Science Working Group on Coastal Wetland Forest Conservation and Use. The group completed its work in a year and submitted a report with recommendations. |
| Effects of Defoliation on Field Corn Seedlings Several physical, chemical and biological factors can influence corn seedling development and reduce maximum yield potential. Early-season seedling defoliation can make replant decisions difficult. Producers typically underestimate the resilience of corn plants after they undergo early-season injury. |
| LSU AgCenter Forestry Agents Serve As Front-line Forces The LSU AgCenter provides forest landowners with educational opportunities to help them manage their timber resources for profit and sustainability. Louisiana has more than 140,000 nonindustrial, private landowners owning 67 percent of the forestland in the state. |
| Restoration and Management of Bottomland Hardwoods Bottomland hardwood forests are distributed along rivers and streams throughout the central and southern United States. These wetland forests contain numerous oxbow lakes, sloughs and other wetlands embedded in a mixture of oaks, sweetgum, hickories, ash, cottonwood, sycamore and other species. |
| What’s in a name? You will see several names given to trees and forest stands that grow in the coastal wetlands of Louisiana. Forest stands are often named for their most common tree species. Sometimes areas of wetland forest in Louisiana are referred to as cypress-tupelo stands. |
| Cooperative Research in Sustainable Silviculture and Soil Productivity For many years, sustainable forest management was judged by two simple factors: replacement of harvested trees and consistent yields. Because forestry in the United States originated in response to exploitive logging and land clearing, these were sufficient and effective indicators of sustainability. |
| Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Spring 2006 Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Spring 2006.pdf |
| Coastal Roots Some of the plants that helped buffer the southeastern Louisiana coast during hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 were planted by youth groups participating in the LSU Coastal Roots program. |
| Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Spring 2007 View and download the complete Spring 2007 edition of Louisiana Agriculture Magazine. |
| Citrus Research Station Becomes Coastal Area Research Station Before hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Citrus Research Stationin Port Sulphur was devoted primarily to research on citrus – mainly Satsuma mandarin and navel oranges – with some limited work on commercial vegetables, other fruits and termites. |
| Opportunities for Nontraditional Agricultural Students in Coastal Wetlands Research A growing awareness of the importance of coastal wetlands to Louisiana’s economy and environment has attracted students with a variety of interests and backgrounds into undergraduate and graduate programs that have traditionally focused on production |
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| Wetlands Soils Lab Helps Improve Environment Wetland soils are known for their high organic matter. Soil characteristics become one of the major determinants of the types and abundance of plant species that grow there. Reliable information on the status and extent of wetland resources in particular areas can be used to determine the nature of soil development and the types of plant and animal communities living in the soil and on its surface. |
| Bioengineered Wave Breaks Grow Oysters, Help Restore Coast Loss of estuarine habitat in Louisiana, which contains 40 percent of the nation’s wetlands, has received national attention because of rapid erosion rates. |
| Restoring Wetlands at New Orleans City Park At 1,500 acres, New Orleans City Park stretches two miles from Mid-City to Lake Pontchartrain. The LSU AgCenter is helping in its recovery from the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. |
| Improved Marsh Plants and Seed-Based Propagation A large-scale revegetation technique that can restore interior marshes affected by erosion is crucial to successfully reduce of coastal marsh loss in Louisiana. |
| Plant Genetic Diversity: Essential for a Dynamic Louisiana Coast The development of native plant materials with greater usefulness and enhanced performance in coastal wetland environments is of crucial importance to Louisiana’s efforts to arrest coastal erosion and wetlands habitat loss. |
| Sea Oats: Micropropagation Aids in Coastal Restoration Sea oats (Uniola paniculata) is a native dune plant commonly pictured on tourism pamphlets for beach resorts. This grass species is frequently used for dune restoration and vegetative stabilization projects throughout its native range in the United States. |
| Breeding Native Coastal Plants for Use in Coastal Wetland Reclamation and Preservation The application of proven plant breeding methods to enhance the usefulness of native plants for coastal reclamation has tremendous potential. |
| Assessing Costs, Benefits of Coastal Restoration Projects More than half a billion dollars has been spent in Louisiana in the past two decades on coastal restoration projects ranging from small community-based efforts to large ecosystem-scale programs. |
| Center Gaining Recognition for Coastal Economics Research A newly established cooperative of LSU AgCenter scientists is gaining national recognition in the rapidly expanding field of natural resource economics and policy. |
| 4-H’ers Learn To Maneuver Through Marshes: Weeklong Camp Offers Chance To Help Save Coast Since 1989, more than 600 high school 4-H students from across Louisiana have had the unforgettable experience of a week of walking in marsh mud, swatting mosquitoes and watching the sun rise over the wetlands. |
| Recalcitrance, Dormancy in Smooth Cordgrass Seeds Establishing smooth cordgrass from seeds is a potentially economical and efficient means for coastal stabilization. |
| Plant Pathogens and Louisiana’s Brown Marsh Syndrome Louisiana’s coastal salt marshes, which are dominated by smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora), suffered a catastrophic dieback in 2000. LSU AgCenter scientists are studying possible causes. |
| Restoring Freshwater Floating Marsh in Coastal Louisiana Coastal wetland loss has been widespread in Louisiana over the past half century. Restoring freshwater floating marsh offers a way to stem this loss. |
| Factors Controlling Restoration of Brown Marsh Sites with Dredge Sediment Enrichment Wetland deterioration is a significant environmental problem in coastal Louisiana. Although natural and human induced factors have both been cited as causing wetland loss, many of these effects are mediated through one common agent: sediment availability. |
| Saving Louisiana’s Coastal Wetlands Since the 1930s, about 1,900 square miles, or almost 1 million acres, of wetlands along Louisiana’s coast have been lost. This loss continues at the rate of about 30 square miles per year. The LSU AgCenter brings its expertise in agricultural research to address coastal restoration. |
| Brown widow spiders show up in Louisiana The brown widow spider is becoming more common in Louisiana and a cause for concern, according to Dennis Ring, LSU AgCenter entomologist. |
| Experts help sugarcane growers with hurricane losses Work by the LSU AgCenter was instrumental in a U.S. Department of Agriculture program that has compensated sugarcane producers with $40 million for losses caused by hurricanes Rita and Katrina. |
| Fifth graders learn wetland facts at Red River Station A group of 21 Oil City Elementary Magnet School fifth graders learned some new words as they toured a wetland project at the LSU AgCenter’s Red River Research Station in Bossier City on April 26, 2007. |
| Youth Wetlands Week The LSU AgCenter took a bold step this year by inaugurating a Youth Wetlands Week – and it was a huge success. During the week of April 16-20, more than 20,000 students – grades 7 through 12– in more than 150 schools became aware of the Louisiana land loss crisis and what can be done about it. Some had the opportunity to plant soil-saving plants in nearby wetlands. In the process the students learned valuable science lessons. |
| Students pitch in for coastal restoration What once were pastures now are wetlands – with water where cattle used to graze beside a levee near Pointe Aux Chenes. Seventh grade students at Montegut Middle School planted smooth cordgrass near the water’s edge at the foot of the levee. |
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| Master Farmer training offered in new format Because of the success of the Louisiana Master Farmer Program, LSU AgCenter professionals extended the training to even more farmers by offering it in a different format for the first time this spring. |
| New Sugarcane Varieties Pay Bid Dividends New sugarcane varieties are the lifeblood of the Louisiana sugar industry. In fact, the high and the low points of the Louisiana sugar industry closely parallel those of sugarcane variety development. The first sugarcane varieties grown in Louisiana were of foreign origin. Introduced varieties were typically renamed and included “Creole,” from which Etienne De Bore first granulated sugar, “Otaheite,” and later “Louisiana Striped” and “Louisiana Purple.” |
| Audubon Sugar Institute: Poised to Continue Its Proud Tradition In 1887, a group of sugarcane growers known as the Louisiana Planters Association set up a research facility in Audubon Park in New Orleans so they could learn more about the granulation process. This was the beginning of the Audubon Sugar Institute. C.W. Stubbs, a professor of agriculture, became the first director of the station. A classroom building in the LSU Quadrangle is named in his honor. |
| Potential growth seen for biofuels from nonfood crops Louisiana and its neighboring states have the potential to raise nonfood crops for biofuels because they have suitable available land and a long growing season, said Michael Blazier, a researcher at the LSU AgCenter's Hill Farm Research Station in Homer. |
| Louisiana Sea Grant seeks Chandeleur photos Among the tremendous losses resulting from Hurricane Katrina was an old lighthouse that stood for more than a century at the tip of Louisiana’s most remote barrier island chain. |
| Researchers Try to Keep Soybeans Safe from Rust Disease The colder the weather in winter, the better Louisiana soybean farmers like it. That’s because freezing temperatures kill kudzu, a noxious plant that among its many faults harbors the fungus that causes a dreaded disease called Asian soybean rust. |
| Scaring Away Birds with Boats LSU AgCenter agricultural engineers Randy Price and Steven Hall are developing robotic boats that will keep winged predators out of commercial ponds. |
| Recycling Perlite to Reduce Greenhouse Tomato Production Costs Most greenhouse tomato operations in the southern United States are small. These growers have to hold down production costs to compete well in a market dominated by more efficient, larger operations. One way they do this is to reuse the root medium (perlite) for growing the greenhouse tomato plants. |
| Urban Influences on Rural Land Values in Southeast Louisiana Traditionally, rural land values have been influenced by site characteristics such as soil quality, type of crops grown, size of tract, relative accessibility, improvements and government programs. |
| L 97-128 Helps Sustain Louisiana’s Sugarcane Industry Sugarcane is one of the leading row crops contributing to the Louisiana economy. A new variety, L 97-128, released by the LSU AgCenter in 2004, provides an alternative to the popular LCP 85-384, which is the predominant variety in the state. |
| Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Winter 2006 Vol. 49, No. 1 |
| Ag Leaders Experience China’s Potential Seventeen graduates of the LSU AgCenter’s Agricultural Leadership Development Program participated in an 11-day agricultural study tour of China. |
| LSU AgCenter Launches Center for Rural Initiatives In February 2005, the Louisiana Board of Regents granted conditional approval for the Louisiana Center for Rural Initiatives, a rural development researchand outreach center located within the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness. |
| Poverty Persists in Louisiana Louisiana continues to suffer from a persistent poverty rate within 24 of its 35 nonmetro parishes. |
| Burden Center: Home to Ornamental, Turfgrass Research Five years ago, the LSU AgCenter decided to dedicate a 20-acre site at Burden Center in Baton Rouge as a home for ornamental and turfgrass research and demonstration projects. And it has flourished ever since. |
| Hurricane Recovery Message to 4-H: ‘Don’t Give Up’ “Don’t give up” was the message from North Carolina's 4-H’ers to those in Louisiana who were affected by the recent hurricanes. |
| Human Capital Development Trends in Louisiana Since 1990 For decades, globalization and advances in information and communication technology have been creating two different kinds of jobs in the United States. Primary sector jobs are high-skilled, high-paying, stable and offer opportunities for advancement. Secondary sector jobs are low-skilled, low-paying, unsecured, monotonous and offer few opportunities to advance. |
| Integrated Pest Management of the Formosan Subterranean Termite in the French Quarter The Formosan termite is a devastating pest that consumes wooden structures and woody plants and causes hundreds of millions of dollars of damage each year. The LSU AgCenter is making progress slowing its spread in the New Orleans' French Quarter, despite the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. |
| Hurricanes Don’t Stop Termite Research in New Orleans Hurricanes Katrina and Rita did not interfere with the LSU AgCenter’s efforts to control Formosan termites in New Orleans. Known as the French Quarter Program, the federally funded pilot test began in 1998. |
| 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. |
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| Weeds in Container Nursery Crops Weeds compete with nursery crops for water, nutrients and light and can potentially harbor insects and diseases. They are common in all container nurseries and can cause significant losses in product quality and quantity. |
| 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. |
| Laird Receives $336,898 Grant The National Science Foundation has awarded a $336,898 grant to Robert Laird through LSU A&M. Laird has a joint appointment with the LSU AgCenter, and the grant will allow him to continue his research on parenting teenagers. |
| Enhancing the Quality of Life The primary mission of the LSU AgCenter is to enhance the quality of life for people through research and education. This issue of Louisiana Agriculture concentrates on the AgCenter’s research and education efforts to enhance the social and economic development of families and their communities. |
| Expanded animal reproduction research facility officially opens Research on livestock reproduction has been given a boost through the expansion and remodeling of one of the country's top facilities - the LSU AgCenter's Embryo Biotechnology Laboratory. |
| Using Biotechnology for Coastal Restoration While the use of native vegetation is well accepted as a cost-effective measure to prevent coastal land loss, the concept of genetically improving wetland plants for the changing marsh environments is quite novel. LSU AgCenter scientists are focusing on development of genetically superior plants in native plant species for unstable coastal areas. |
| Biotechnology and Control of Rice Diseases Diseases are a major constraint to rice production in Louisiana and the other Gulf of Mexico rice-producing states. They cause millions of dollars in direct losses and losses related to the use of control measures. The most damaging diseases are sheath blight and rice blast, caused by fungal pathogens, and bacterial panicle blight and sheath rot. |
| Rose Research Expands The LSU AgCenter has long had an All-America Rose Selections Display Garden, first at the Hill Farm location on the LSU campus and now at Burden Center in Baton Rouge. Many rose varieties have been evaluated over the years. |
| BEST Is Yet To Come Biotechnology Education for Students and Teachers – BEST – is a program designed to help assure a flow of fresh talent into research at the LSU AgCenter. The program brings top-notch science teachers and their students to campus for a biotechnology-intense, six-week summer session. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| LSU AgCenter Tags Eight for Patent, PVP Club in 2005 Eight more LSU AgCenter scientists became members of the “Patent & PVP Club” in 2005. They joined the 35 who have already received patents or have been awarded plant variety protection (PVP) certificates for their inventions. |
| Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Fall 2005 Vol. 48, No. 3 |
| 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. |
| Huffs and Puffs Won’t Blow These Roofs Down Losing the roof on your home to high winds can be an expensive proposition. High winds can literally lift the roof off a house. Then you not only have to take care of the damage to the roof itself but also the damage to the inside of the house. |
| Youth and Money: Building a Financially Literate Workforce Financial security plays a major role in a person’s overall feeling of well-being and satisfaction. The Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy is a partnership comprising representatives from business, industry, government, education and nonprofit groups that seeks to improve the personal financial literacy of young adults. |
| Special Panel Systems Brace ‘LaHouse’ for Severe Weather Factory-made wall, ceiling and roof panels are among the four building systems of the LSU AgCenter’s state-of-the-art demonstration house that can withstand Louisiana’s climate and harshest elements, including hurricane winds. |
| Safe Room Offers Protection from Storms, High Winds, Intruders With recent hurricanes battering the state, Louisianians are increasingly concerned about how to protect themselves from strong winds. An innovation at the LaHouse project is called a "safe room." |
| LaHouse Paves the Way for Sustainable Housing Sustainability in housing (meeting current needs without jeopardizing future generations) is an emerging necessity. Natural disasters such as hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 cause billions of dollars in damages to homes. |
| LaHouse Paves the Way for Sustainable Housing (additional photos) (additional photos) |
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| Two Researchers Die in 2003 Two of the LSU AgCenter’s researchers died during 2003—William Hallmark, professor of agronomy at the Iberia Research Station, and Michael Perich, an assistant professor in the Department of Entomology. |
| Formosan Subterranean Termites in Louisiana 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. |
| Workshops Arm Parishes for Mosquito Battle Byrel Book, a Beauregard Parish police juror, started out as a skeptic at a West Nile virus/mosquito control workshop in Crowley, one of eight sessions held around the state sponsored by the LSU AgCenter this past April and May. When the session ended, though, Book said he was convinced of the need to seek funds to help fight the threat of the mosquito-borne virus. |
| Louisiana Farmer Discovers Bermudagrass Louisiana forage producers can plant a new variety of bermudagrass that has proved to outproduce traditional varieties in Coastal Plain soils, said W.D. “Buddy” Pitman, LSU AgCenter researcher at the Rosepine Research Station. The new variety is named Little Phillip after the grandson of one of its discoverers, Clyde Sneed of Florien, La., who first observed the plant growing in his Alicia bermudagrass field in 1991. |
| 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. |
| Horticulture in a Can: Improving Student Grades and Attitudes Toward the Environment As a way to bring awareness to Louisiana’s vanishing coast, the Department of Horticulture in cooperation with the Louisiana Sea Grant College developed an educational program called “Coastal Roots” aimed at elementary and secondary students. |
| 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. |
| Water quality research focuses on best management practices LSU AgCenter research teams are evaluating water quality in the Cole Gully area on the Bayou Plaquemine-Brule in Acadia Parish and in Bayou Wikoff north of Lafayette. Each study area comprises a watershed identified and selected by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. |
| Overview: Health of Louisiana’s Waters Louisiana is known as a sportsman’s paradise and the bayou state. When people think Louisiana, they think cypress trees, alligators, seafood, fishing, hunting and trapping. The common thread that runs through all of these images is water. |
| Water Quality and Soybeans in the Mermentau River Basin LSU AgCenter scientists have joined with scientists from the LSU Wetland Biogeochemistry Institute and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) to conduct a research project to determine and demonstrate which soybean tillage practices are most effective in reducing pollution. Reducing the amount of runoff from soybean fields means less sediment, fertilizer and pesticide entering local waterways. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| A Rice Field in a Petri Dish LSU AgCenter rice breeder Qi Ren Chu grows the equivalent of thousands of acres of rice in his lab – a room the size of your kitchen. “Instead of growing plants in a field, we grow 5 million pollen (grains) in a Petri dish,” said Chu, straining to help a layman understand how he coaxes green rice plants to sprout in what starts out as a dish full of pollen swimming in a special chemical soup. |
| Ahead of the Curve on Mosquitoes As we headed into mosquito season in June 2002, the LSU AgCenter sponsored a one-day conference on mosquito-borne diseases. This was the first such conference ever hosted by the AgCenter and perhaps the first of its type in the country. Then, no one foresaw the severity of the West Nile virus to come. |
| Clearfield 161 Has Rice Growers Buzzing Rice farmer Danny Koch noticed something special as he piloted a combine the size of a small house through his 82-acre field of Clearfield 161 rice this summer.“This field was tremendously infested with red rice last year,” said Koch, who farms just north of Eunice. “Look at it this year. There’s not a stalk in here. It’s amazing.” |
| Tracking Loopers with DNA Two insect pest species that would be targets for insect-resistant, transgenic soybean varieties—velvetbean caterpillar and soybean looper—originate south of the Tropic of Cancer and migrate into Louisiana. |
| Rice Bran and Rice Bran Oil in Functional Foods Development Rice bran and its oil contain large concentrations of several compounds that could potentially prevent chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease and cancer. The LSU AgCenter has been actively engaged in identifying, extracting, purifying and evaluating the functionality of several of these compounds. The focus has been on vitamin E, especially the tocotrienols, and oryzanol, which contains a high proportion of phytosterols. |
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| Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Fall 2002 Vol. 45, No. 4 |
| Improving Brahman Cattle for Meat Quality The Brahman breed has contributed much to the commercial cow-calf industry in Louisiana and the Southeastern United States because of its adaptability to subtropical conditions. The breed also contributes to hybrid vigor when crossed with Angus and Hereford breeds. Recent evidence suggests that beef from cattle with a high percentage Brahman parentage has lower marbling and is less tender on average than beef from other breeds. |
| Patriotic crawfish? Few people know crawfish come in several colors besides the traditional red or brown. Ray McClain, crawfish researcher at the LSU AgCenter's Rice Research Station in Crowley, said he had heard of pure white and has seen a few sky-blue crawfish over the years. |
| Making Dairy Foods Healthier Several new food products or ingredients have been identified as contributing to human health. Including such ingredients in manufactured dairy products would improve their health-giving benefits. LSU AgCenter researchers are testing how the incorporation of these health-beneficial ingredients in dairy products affects physico-chemical and sensory characteristics. |
| Integrating Herbicides and Insecticides in Cotton Before the availability of transgenic technology in cotton, weed management programs consisted of herbicide applications to the soil at planting followed by multiple herbicide applications directed underneath the crop in combination with tillage to control emerged weeds. Today, weeds are managed with over-the-top applications. |
| Flex-ear, Fixed-ear Corn and Optimum Plant Population Corn yield and seed quality depend on management, climate and the interaction of these factors. In Louisiana in recent years, lack of rain combined with high temperatures have caused yields to suffer. |
| When Crops Become Weeds: Control Strategies The introduction of glyphosate-resistant transgenic (Roundup Ready) technology has offered an alternative for control of troublesome weeds in cotton, soybean and corn. One drawback to this technology is that “volunteer” Roundup Ready crop plants originating from seed produced the previous crop year have become “weeds.” |
| Love Meat Tender: Grading Beef Prime, Choice, Select Tenderness is a major determinant of our enjoyment in eating beef and is based on two factors, said Kenneth McMillin, professor of meat science in the Department of Animal Sciences. Connective tissue, which changes with an animal’s age and type of muscle, is a primary factor, while physical attributes, including the length of the muscle fibers and their relative density also affect tenderness. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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.). |
| Outbreak spotlights need for everyday food safety The recent outbreak of foodborne illness traced to fresh spinach should serve as a reminder for taking food safety measures every day, according toLSU AgCenter nutritionist Beth Reames. |
| Saving Water in Louisiana Rice Production When drought hit Louisiana in 2000 and 2001, along with the construction of a power plant in the heart of the rice-growing area, interest in water consumption reached a peak among farmers and other water consumers. To find out how much water was used and needed for rice production, a team of LSU AgCenter scientists and extension agents began a study. |
| Three more inducted into Patent Club Three more scientists, including the first woman, have been inducted into the LSU AgCenter’s Patent Club, an elite group that now includes 46 researchers that have received patents or plant variety protection certificates. |
| New Recommendations to Control Sorghum Webworm in Grain Sorghum Louisiana grain sorghum fields are threatened by a group on insects that includes the corn earworm, fall armyworm and sorghum webworm. |
| Influence of Seeding Rate on Wheat Yield Potential Wheat is a versatile crop that easily fits into several cropping systems. Additionally, harvest and marketing in the late spring provide producers much needed cash flow to support summer farming activities. |
| Strategies for Managing Weeds in Wheat Weed management in wheat is usually relatively simple compared to other agronomic crops, but it does require planning. The most important aspect of managing weeds in wheat is establishing a good stand before weeds emerge. |
| Managing Stripe Rust in Louisiana Since 1999, stripe rust has emerged as the predominant disease of wheat in Louisiana. Losses from stripe rust escalated from zero in 1999 to 5 percent in 2005. LSU AgCenter scientists are focusing on ways to control this disease. |
| Prospects for Profitability in Louisiana’s Feed Grain Industry Over the past 20 years, the feed grain industry in Louisiana has generated an average farm gate value of roughly $136 million per year. |
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| Regional Small-grain Breeding Cooperative Serves Growers To help continue the supply of new small-grain varieties in the South, a regional cooperative was established among five universities in 2005. Called SUNGRAINS (Southeastern UNiversity GRAINS), the cooperative’s mission is to more efficiently develop wheat, oat, rye and barley varieties for growers and seed producers. |
| Wheat and Oat Variety Releases The LSU AgCenter small-grain breeding program was initiated in 1985 when research priorities shifted from variety testing and production practices to genetics and variety development. |
| Reassembling the Mix: Breeding Leads to Better Wheat, Oat Varieties Plant breeding is a long-term investment in agriculture’s future. The science of plant breeding has evolved considerably in the past 20 years with the development of techniques such as marker assisted selection and genetic transformation. Yet, even with these improvements,plant breeding is dependent on developing large numbers of breeding lines and testing those breeding lines across multiple environments. |
| Overview and Perspective - Feed Grains: Vital to Louisiana Agriculture The feed grains are a diverse group of crops, each with a unique set of problems, challenges and opportunities. Feed grains in Louisiana include corn, grain sorghum (milo), wheat and oats. |
| Louisiana citrus crop small but sweet Consumers will find an abundance of high quality Louisiana-grown citrus this year, according to growers and industry observers. |
| Support research, buy calendar The 2007 LSU AgCenter “Get It Growing” calendar is now available. |
| High prices cause wheat popularity Louisiana farmers will plant alot more wheat this year than last.At least that’s what LSU AgCenterexperts predict – provided the weathercooperates in October and November. |
| Governor lauds 4-H’ers during national week At a ceremony in the Governor’s Mansion on Oct. 4, Gov. Kathleen Blanco, center, signeda proclamation honoring National 4-H Week |
| Testing Wheat and Feed Grain Varieties for Performance Choosing varieties for production is among the most important decisions farmers make each season. For maximum profit, producers must select adapted varieties that will perform well in their farm environments. |
| Double Crop Wheat Stubble Management Historically in Louisiana, producers will double-crop 95 percent of all wheat acreage with soybeans, so proper management of wheat stubble is critical in maximizing soybean yields. |
| Reducing Aflatoxin in Corn Aflatoxin is perhaps the major production concern for Louisiana corn growers. LSU AgCenter researchers are taking three approaches to help control aflatoxin. |
| Corn Borers and Transgenic Bt Corn Technology LSU AgCenter researchers have found resistance in corn borers to commercial Bt corn. The resistance detected in the sugarcane borer is the first major resistance to Bt corn in any corn borer species. |
| Managing Sugarcane Beetles in Field Corn with Seed Treatments The sugarcane beetle is a sporadic pest of several crops including field corn, sugarcane and sweet potatoes across many southern states. Only the adult stage of these beetles is reported to cause crop injury. |
| Weeds in Corn and Grain Sorghum Most producers recognize the importance of managing weeds in corn and grain sorghum and do an excellent job with the tools available. The main weakness in many weed management programs is the lack of early season weed control, which can be critical to maximizing yield. |
| On-farm Demonstration Program Generates Data About Varieties, Cultural Practices On-farm demonstrations are nothing new to the LSU AgCenter, and in 2002, a variety/hybrid-based program specifically focusing on soybean, corn and grain sorghum was initiated. |
| Correcting Zinc Deficiency in Corn Zinc deficiencies in corn appear to be increasing with sometimes severe effects on yield. The increase may be due to declining soil organic matter, where a little decrease can significantly affect micro-nutrient availability. |
| Influence of Starter Fertilizer on Corn Yield on Mississippi River Alluvial Soils The mid-March to early April planting dates required for optimal corn production in Louisiana often result in exposure of seedlings to lower than optimal soil temperatures. |
| Katrina Disrupts Mississippi River Grain Transportation When Hurricane Katrina hit the GulfCoast on August 29, 2005, it disrupted grain transportation on the Mississippi River. More than half the grain exported from the United States passes through the Mississippi River Gulf Grain Transportation and Handling Complex. |
| Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Fall 2006 PDF of Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Fall 2006 |
| Investigation of Prehistoric Cordage from Louisiana's Bayou Jasmine Because fiber products are extremely perishable, it is rare to find examples of prehistoric textiles (fabrics) and cordage (yarns or strings) in Louisiana or other states in the Southeast. Yet, during construction of Interstate 55 near Lake Maurepas in South Louisiana in the mid-1970s, fragments of cordage dating back 3,000 years were recovered from the soil thrown up on the banks of the bayou when a dragline cut through the Bayou Jasmine site. |
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| Improving Water Quality in Crawfish Aquaculture Aquaculture operations worldwide have come under scrutiny because of potential environmental degradation caused by the discharge of water from production facilities. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reviewing aquaculture as an industry for regulatory activity. Most of Louisiana’s 129,000 acres of crawfish ponds are located in southwestern and south central Louisiana in water basins identified by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) as impaired. |
| Technology To Improve the Quality of Sweet Potato ‘Seed’ Sweet potatoes are grown commercially by bedding whole potatoes in the field and transplanting cuttings from the sprouts produced in the beds to the production field. Thus, it is one of many crops, including potatoes, sugarcane and strawberries, grown by vegetative propagation. |
| Reducing Pollution from Sugarcane and Pasture Fields in Bayou Wikoff A major objective of the Clean Water Act and the Coastal Zone Management Act is to evaluate, demonstrate and implement best management practices (BMPs) to improve water quality. Because applied agricultural chemicals and sediment are potential contributors to nonpoint-source pollution, it is essential to quantify each commodity’s contribution to water quality problems and evaluate BMPs that can improve water quality. |
| Salt Water and Irrigation in Louisiana The salinity of ground water and surface water used for irrigation will always be a concern for Louisiana farmers. Analyses of long-term data on Red River water quality collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and of water samples collected by farmers and county agents and analyzed by the LSU AgCenter indicate the Red River can safely be used as a source of irrigation water. |
| Municipal Wastewater and Pecan Shells Increased water demand in the face of an essentially fixed fresh water supply and increased pollution of existing supplies by inadequately treated waste discharge have been identified as problems in Louisiana. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of treating contaminated water such as municipal wastewater with a by-product of tree nut production in Louisiana, namely, pecan shells. |
| Animal Biotechnology and the Future Recent developments in cell biology, molecular biology, immun-ology and genetic engineering have given new dimensions to research and application of biotechnology to farm animals. Historically, artificial insem-ination, one of the early reproductive technologies, has provided excellent opportunities to expand the superior genetics of selected animals in planned breeding programs. |
| New Vaccine Increases Broiler Breeder Chicken Production Approximately 3 million broiler breeder eggs are set weekly to support the number of chicks needed to produce the more than 200 million broilers reared annually in Louisiana for human consumption. LSU AgCenter researchers are exploring increasing egg production in broiler breeder hens using inhibin-based immunopharmaceuticals. |
| Gene Therapy for Cancer Treatment Genetic therapy is the introduction of a gene or group of genes into an animal to either correct the result of an abnormal gene or to form a new product that has a beneficial effect for the animal or for those using products derived from the animal. |
| Water: Vital Link to Louisiana’s Economic Future From the rich coastal waters along the Gulf of Mexico to the freshwater rivers, streams and lakes north of the coastal zone, water resources are an integral part of life in Louisiana. Historically, the challenges pertaining to water have been linked to flooding of developed areas caused by excessive rainfall or increased flow from the Mississippi River. |
| Master Farmer Program makes sense, saves cents In January 2001, the LSU AgCenter offered the first Louisiana Master Farmer training session in Vermilion Parish. More than 60 producers attended to become more knowledgeable about Louisiana environmental regulations, specifically water quality and nonpoint-source standards. |
| Watershed specialists work to improve Louisiana water quality Because of the importance of environmental issues in Louisiana, the LSU AgCenter created a Watershed Education Initiative in 2001. Several extension faculty members were reassigned as watershed educators, and in 2002, the program was launched to assist in the conservation and restoration of the state’s aquatic ecosystems and protection of human health. |
| Attention to Atrazine Atrazine is a herbicide commonly used for the control of broadleaf weeds in corn, grain sorghum, sugarcane and turfgrass. Although widely used in Louisiana since the early 1960s, atrazine has recently become the center of controversy in south central Louisiana. |
| Turtle Farmers Try To Crack Back Into Domestic Market Scores of turtles slipped off their feeders and disappeared under the water as Keith Boudreaux approached his turtle pond near Ponchatoula, La.“We feed them Purina Turtle Chow,” Boudreaux says of the estimated 10,000 turtles in the 2-acre pond. |
| Specialty Rices for Louisiana In the United States, all types of rice other than typical American long-, medium- and short-grain fall into the specialty category. Among these are aromatic rices, such as Jasmine and Basmati. Since these rices fit the specific needs of niche markets, they usually fetch a premium price. The demand for special purpose aromatic rice has increased dramatically in this country over the past two decades. |
| Graduate Student Produces First Cloned Cow From Frozen Egg Soon the portrait of another farm animal first will hang on the wall of the narrow hallway at the LSU AgCenter’s Embryo Biotechnology Laboratory, located near St. Gabriel, La. |
| Valor: A New Herbicide for Managing Winter Vegetation in Louisiana Crops Conservation tillage systems, including no-till and stale seedbed, require successful control of native winter vegetation or planted cover crops before planting. Some winter vegetation is easy to control, such as annual bluegrass and common chickweed, while others are difficult, including curly dock and ryegrass. |
| Particleboard from Sugarcane Bagasse for Value-added Applications Finding a better way to use bagasse, a byproduct of sugarcane production in Louisiana, is a key research interest of the LSU AgCenter. Disposal of this byproduct is so far inefficient. About 85 percent is used in-house as fuel in mill processes and for other low-value applications such as mulch and inexpensive ceiling tiles. The remaining 15 percent is waste that is allowed to decay or is landfilled. |
| New Strategies for Rural Development In today’s changing global economy, traditional agricultural enterprises and industrial recruitment can no longer be depended on to bring jobs to rural Louisiana. Social and economic forces that once encouraged industry to relocate to the rural South now lure manufacturing out of the country. |
| Irrigation pond saves on groundwater use at Macon Ridge Station Researchers at the LSU AgCenter’s Macon Ridge Research Station at Winnsboro have found a way to irrigate their fields during the summer without resorting to pumping water from wells. They’ve created a 16-acre pond they fill with surface water during the winter and use for irrigation in the summer. |
| Sugarcane Farmers Finish ‘Good’ Season Although the sugarcane harvest season often stretches past New Year’s, Louisiana mills finished processing the 2003 harvest on Dec. 28.“For the most part, it was a relatively good harvest season,” said Ben Legendre, sugarcane specialist with the LSU AgCenter’s Sugar Research Station at St. Gabriel. |
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