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News
Graham contributing to magazine
Dr. Charlie Graham, associate professor at the LSU Pecan Research-Extension Station, is joining the lineup for the Native Timbre column in Pecan South magazine.
The monthly magazine serves the pecan industry from coast to coast and is headquartered in Bryan, Texas.
Graham’s first article was titled “Are native pecan groves our local ‘rainforest’?”
Pecan Station busy with activities
Discussions on their respective research projects were recently made by Drs. Charlie Graham, Mike Hall, and Randy Sanderlin at a workshop for national pecan research and extension workers.
It is held every five years, this time in Ardmore, Okla.
Hall also gave a presentation on his research project with pecan phylloxera emergence and an update on pecan insecticide products at the Tri-State Pecan Convention of the Louisiana Pecan Producers Association in Vicksburg June 18-19 and at the annual convention of the Louisiana Pecan Growers Association June 26-27 in Lafayette.
At both events, Sanderlin gave a presentation on his research project with pecan bacterial leaf scorch disease and management of spread of the disease in orchards. He also discussed the need to maintain fungicide protection against scab disease through July even though the disease level is currently low.
Dr. John Pyzner, who is retiring from the LSU AgCenter on Aug. 1, received acknowledgement from the Louisiana Pecan Growers Association for his years of service to the pecan industry. He presented a program on pesticide safety as part of the Pesticide Re-certification program at the LPGA conference and led the annual crop prediction discussion at the convention.
Dr. Patrick Colyer spoke at the luncheon of the LPGA convention on June 27. Colyer also reiterated the contribution of the pecan growers in Louisiana and surrounding states in getting the proposed I-69 route relocated to avoid the destruction of the Pecan Station.
Glasgow gets grant
The Children’s Trust Fund has awarded Dianne Glasgow a $10,000 grant for a project, Bonding with Baby through Books.
Low-income families with children under one will be enrolled in the project for the purpose of producing positive family functioning, effective parenting practices and the prevention of child abuse and neglect.
Repetitive interactions between parents and child will help form bonding parent-child attachments, Glasgow said. These attachments have been proven to produce positive outcomes for children and lessen the occurrence of child abuse, she explained.
The project will be conducted through the Bossier Parish Health Department, which sees clients from both Bossier and Caddo parishes. The families will receive a book shelf and one book per month for the first year of their child’s life.
Kids tour constructed wetland
On June 10 and 17, kids from Oil City Elementary Magnet School learned about the importance of wetlands from Darinda Dans and Eddie Millhollon.
On June 15, Millhollon was invited to give a talk to a group of kids at Kamp Keachi.
From June 21-June 25, he attended the International Society of Wetland Scientists in Madison, Wisc., where he presented a paper on the steps taken in designing the constructed wetland using historical weather data input into two computer models that helped determine the overall size of a wetland that would accommodate runoff from 400 acres of agricultural fields.
The paper supplements an article he wrote coming out in the Journal of Environmental Quality.
The meeting Web site is: http://www.sws.org/2009_meeting/index.mgi.
Events
LSU AgCenter offering agritourism ‘roadshow’
To better explain agritourism ventures, the LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry have planned an “Agritourism Roadshow” at seven locations in the state this summer.
To familiarize individuals about the legislation passed in 2008 that limits liability for certain agritourism ventures, Dora Ann Hatch, LSU AgCenter community rural development agent, and Dr. Carrie Castille with LDAF will explain how to complete the required plan of operation to be eligible for certification with LDAF.
The roadshow is suggested for individuals meeting the following criteria:
• Farmers looking to diversify their business to add supplemental income.
• Farmers seeking new agricultural alternatives to keep present farm workers employed during the off season.
• Educators interested in sharing their knowledge of farm experiences.
• Individuals adding value to products for sale.
The 2008 legislation authored by Rep. Andy Anders and Sens. Francis Thompson and Mike Walsworth provides that LDAF will develop a set of rules and regulations and that the LSU AgCenter will define a “plan of operation” for an agritourism venture and review those plans, Hatch said.
A plan of operation is a document that assists with such steps in developing an agritourism venture as assessing your personality, identifying goals, doing a market analysis, evaluating resources, estimating labor needs, identifying safety issues and exploring insurance options.
Producers can complete their plan online at www.lsuagcenter.com/agritourism.
The LSU AgCenter will forward approved plans to LDAF and LDAF will contact the agritourism professional for a site visit before certifying, Hatch said.
After certification, it is the responsibility of the agritourism professional to continually update his plan as stated in the guidelines.
Anders said agritourism opens another avenue for agriculture and gives any size farm something advantageous to offer citizens of Louisiana. “It gives more return for the farmer’s investment,” he said.
The roadshow in this region is at the Red River Research Station on Tuesday, July 21 from 10 a.m. to noon.
Louisiana hosting National Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program
Louisiana is hosting the national 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program July 19-23 at the Wildwood Resort on Toledo Bend in Zwolle.
WHEP is a 4-H youth natural resource program dedicated to teaching wildlife and fisheries habitat management to youth.
The Louisiana team placed second out of 18 state teams last year.
Sixteen teams of six are expected to attend this year, from as far as Maryland, Wisconsin and Utah. Although WHEP is a competitive event, its primary function is education, said Paul Morris, LSU AgCenter county agent in Sabine Parish and co-chair of the event.
The major parts of the invitational are identifying wildlife animals, management practices and plans, Morris said.
Participants are introduced to a tract of land and are asked to determine which wildlife management practices they would use to manage the tract in the best possible way for a selected set of wildlife species. They must write a wildlife management plan taking into account the defined objectives of the landowner, making compromises and concessions in trying to develop the best plan possible for a set of two or three wildlife species.
Teams take a written test and wildlife identification test.
Monday is an educational day with discussions on fisheries management and wildlife damage control, deer management and bird identification. Teams will also visit Hodges Gardens. Wednesday is an activity day with trips to Water Town, a fun shoot at Shreveport Gun Club and a guided fishing trip.
Other events include a tamale making demonstration and homemade ice cream from the Sabine Master Gardeners.
Morris said many sponsors are assisting the LSU AgCenter, including the Zwolle Tamale Fiesta, Toledo Lake Association, Sabine Parish Chamber of Commerce, Louisiana Farm Bureau, Sabine Farm Bureau, County Agents Association, Sabine Parish School Board, Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries and Louisiana Cattlemen’s Association.
WHEP, which is currently sponsored by the Cooperative Extension Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, began in 1978 in Tennessee as the “wildlife judging” contest. The program soon grew to other southeastern states and the first regional contest took place in 1987. The program went nationwide in 1989 and was officially named WHEP a year later.
Also in 1990, the national contest began moving to various regions around the county, exposing participants to wildlife habitats and practices unique to those regions.
WHEP has earned a solid reputation for being a 4-H program that fosters relationships between professional wildlife and fisheries biologists, volunteers, parents, youth, teachers, farmers and ranchers, Morris said. Currently there are about 10,000 4-H’ers nationwide who participate in WHEP.
Red River Research Station Field Day addresses STD in cattle
Normally, people think of a sexually transmitted disease (STD) as a problem for humans, but there’s one that’s emerged in the past few years as a problem for cattle in Louisiana. It’s called trichomoniasis, or trich, for short.
LSU AgCenter scientists offered ideas for managing this disease among cattle as well as more productive and efficient ways to raise forage for cattle at the Red River Research Station field day on June 18.
Though trich is not a new disease, it had been reported infrequently in Louisiana until after the hurricanes of 2005, according to Dr. Christine Navarre, LSU AgCenter extension veterinarian and one of the field day speakers. Because of the hurricanes, a lot of cattle were dispersed.
“With all the movement of cattle and new cattle coming into the state to replace cattle lost in the storms, there’s been the opportunity for this disease to spread and to be reintroduced,” Navarre said.
The disease, which is carried by bulls, is costly to herds because it causes early embryonic death and early abortions.
“There’s no cure for this disease. There’s no magic bullet,” she said, adding the only way to get rid of the disease is through careful management, which can take four or five years. The disease poses no risk to the food supply.
Unfortunately, you can’t tell by looking at a bull or a cow whether the animal has the disease. The clues that trich is in your herd can take a couple of years to figure out. The biggest clue is the calving rate.
“It should be at least 85 percent on average. If it goes down to 40 percent, you may have trich in your herd,” Navarre said, adding once the disease is in a herd for a few years, the calving rate may go back up, but not to normal.
“It is easily missed unless good records are kept,” she said.
In the process of aborting, the cows often clean themselves of the infection. But some infected cows can carry a calf to full-term, and then the calf is infected as well.
The best remedy is to buy virgin bulls or bulls that have been tested for trich, although the tests aren’t precise, Navarre said. She recommends getting three tests to help determine if the bull has trich.
Navarre advises using caution when borrowing or loaning a bull.
“If your neighbor wants to borrow a bull, tell him you’ll sell it to him,” she said.
Another remedy is to use artificial insemination. But Louisiana cattle producers tend not to do this because of cost.
William D. “Buddy” Pitman, a forage researcher at the LSU AgCenter’s Hill Farm Research Station, reported the latest research on improving forage production in beef cattle pastures during his talk.
In one of his research plots at the Red River Station, Pitman is testing a new variety of dallisgrass that offers good quality forage for grazing cattle and is productive on the fertile, bottomland soils of Louisiana, such as in Bossier Parish where the station is.
“Dallisgrass has not been widely planted in Louisiana in recent years because of establishment difficulties, but this new variety has the advantage of improved establishment,” Pitman said, adding that he hopes this new variety, developed at the LSU AgCenter, will be on the market soon.
Pitman is a proponent of using clover in pastures because of its ability to fix nitrogen in the soil, which acts as a fertilizer for the summer forage crops.
That’s why he’s not much in favor of using herbicides on pastures because herbicides kill the clover.
“A lot of pasture weed control is cosmetic. And we don’t have good herbicide options in pastures containing clovers,” said Pitman. “We need to get away from using too much herbicide.”
He recommends that cattle producers graze their cattle more intensively and use higher stocking rates early in the season while weeds are smaller and more palatable to the cattle.
“Use the animals as much as you can and spot-spray the weeds as needed,” he said.
Blair Buckley, an LSU AgCenter researcher at the Red River Station, is breeding new varieties of cowpea that show promise as a forage. Like clover, it’s a crop that fixes nitrogen in the soil so saves the farmer on fertilizer costs, which have been high in the past few years.
The cowpea, which is also known as a southern pea, is also attractive to wildlife. It would be a good crop to plant on land people want to use for hunting deer or quail.
Other Red River faculty making presentations were Eddie Millhollon, Darinda Dans, Steve Micinski, Colleen Cookson, Jim Hayes, Rusty Anderson, Hanna Hanna and Sarah Sterling.
--By Dr. Linda Benedict
Dairy events held
Northwest Louisiana Dairy Day was held June 18 at the DeSoto Parish Extension Office in Grand Cane.
Topics included weed identification and control in pastures, hayfields and fence lines by Dr. Ron Strahan, LSU AgCenter weed specialist. A U.S. Department of Agriculture Service Center Update was given by Ralph Laffitte and Brain Baiamonte.
Chuck Griffin presented Quality Milk and production awards.
Lunch was courtesy of Louisiana Dairymen (Louisiana Dairy Industry Promotion).
Community Garden created at Valencia Park
Nearly 50 volunteers came out to support and create a community garden at Valencia Park on June 20.
Seventeen raised garden plots were built. Many neighbors and local youth were active in building the garden beds and adding compost to enrich the soil, said Dr. Grace Peterson, LSU AgCenter Family Nutrition Program (FNP) agent and community garden coordinator.
There was strong support from the Shreveport Public Assembly and Recreation staff, Lowe’s employees, teachers from Stoner Hill Elementary, Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners and the LSU AgCenter.
Lunch and Ag Discovery July 8
The next Lunch and Ag Discovery is July 8 with Dr. Charlie Graham, LSU AgCenter associate professor, presenting “This Ain’t Your Grandma’s Mayhaw,” discussing harvesting and processing, from the past to the present day.
‘Kids in the Kitchen’ offered by LSU AgCenter
“Kids in the Kitchen,” a program for 9- to 13-year-olds, was presented by Connie Aclin and Dianne Glasgow, LSU AgCenter extension educators, June 30-July 2.
Children learned about MyPyramid, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recommendations for healthy eating and activity for kids, food and knife safety and preparing healthy snacks.
4-H News
Louisiana wins awards in National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational
The Louisiana team gave it their best shot at the National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational in Nebraska, placing in the top five in three competitions and having eight individuals in the top ten.
Nearly 150 coaches and 489 4-H’ers from 30 states attended the event that tested skills, decision making and endurance on the range from June 24-28. Including parents, 1,250 were in attendance.
Louisiana placed second in hunting skills and small-bore pistol and fifth in shotgun.
Hunting skills team members included Josh Barrett of Bossier, Joey Bell of Sabine and Mark Touchton of DeSoto. They sported Mohawks for team unity, said Joe Barrett, LSU AgCenter outdoor skills agent.
This event involves tests of hunting rules and regulations, wildlife identification (furs, feet and feathers), orienteering and archery and shooting skills in various disciplines, Barrett said.
The shotgun member from the Northwest Region was Charley Savell of Webster.
Individual awards went to Josh Fortmann of Bossier, eighth, muzzleloading; Touchton, seventh, hunting skills; and Bell, second, hunting skills.
The Louisiana team attended the College World Series the night before the competition began.
LSU AgCenter honors 12 adults for service to Louisiana 4-H
The LSU AgCenter honored 12 adults June 24 for their service to the Louisiana 4-H youth development program.
The awards were presented during a banquet on the first day of 4-H University – a gathering of 4-H’ers from across Louisiana that brings them to Baton Rouge for three-days of competition, educational activities and entertainment.
“Our 4-H program makes a difference in the lives of young people across Louisiana,” said LSU AgCenter Vice Chancellor Paul Coreil. “But it wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of volunteers, the support of school superintendents and the members of our faculty and staff who go above and beyond the call of duty.
“We’re glad to be able to recognize a few of those outstanding individuals with these awards each year,” he continued.
One of the 2009 4-H Alumni awards, which recognize former 4-H Club members for continuing to be active with the youth development program, went to Christi Motschman Turner of Bossier Parish.
Turner was a 4-H member in Bossier Parish for nine years, and her participation included taking part in the 4-H Exchange Program with Colorado. She also was a member of the Collegiate 4-H Club at LSU and has been a volunteer leader in Bossier Parish for the past 10 years – working with the Junior Leadership Club, serving on the State 4-H Advisory Committee and working as a State 4-H Fashion Board leader for the past five years. She has attended 4-H U as a volunteer leader for the past nine years and has won the top leader award for Bossier Parish with her leader portfolio.
2009 scholarships presented to 4-H’ers from across Louisiana
Winners of 2009 4-H scholarships were among those honored during ceremonies at the LSU AgCenter’s 4-H University June 23-25 in Baton Rouge.
The young adults from across Louisiana were honored at an awards banquet June 23 and at an assembly June 24 on the LSU campus. Some of them also had been recognized earlier at high school graduation ceremonies throughout the state.
They were credited with excelling in project work and record keeping, serving as club officers or otherwise distinguishing themselves during their years in 4-H.
4-H University, known as 4-H U, for short, is an LSU AgCenter event that brings young people from across Louisiana to Baton Rouge for educational events, contests and other activities. The scholarship presentations were just part of the activities during the 95th annual event, which provides participants with opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge in 4-H project areas ranging from computer science to nutrition, as well as supplying a vast range of other educational opportunities and chances for fun.
“We salute this group of 2009 high school graduates who have excelled in 4-H project work, community service, leadership and academic work,” said Eric Eskew, executive director of the Louisiana 4-H Foundation. “Even more, we’re definitely happy that we can help them continue their education by providing these scholarships.”
Eskew and LSU AgCenter Vice Chancellor Paul Coreil said the 34 state scholarship recipients were picked from 160 entries in the Louisiana 4-H scholarship program and that they represent the “cream of the cream of the crop.”
“We’re pleased to honor these young people, but it’s good to know how many more 4-H’ers are out there who also have worked hard and deserve recognition. We extend our congratulations and best wishes to all of them, because they all are winners,” Coreil said.
Of the 34 state scholarships, some of the largest awards went to 20 4-H Club members who received named scholarships ranging from $200 to $1,100 through the Louisiana 4-H Foundation. Another 10 4-H’ers were awarded $300 scholarships to study on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge, and four others were recognized with American Legion, Beauregard Cattle Women, Bot Burch, S.E. Wood and Charles Fuselier scholarships – to round out the state scholarship winners.
In addition, 64 young people received $100 parish scholarships from the 4-H Foundation.
Winners of the named scholarships from the Louisiana 4-H Foundation, the parishes in which they participated in 4-H and their hometowns were:
C.J. Naquin Scholarship ($800) – Dustie Rambin, Red River, Coushatta.
Ruth Johnson Scholarship ($500) – Anna Loftin, Bossier, Elm Grove.
Daniel Fontenot Jr. Scholarship ($200) – Jessica Taylor, Caddo, Shreveport.
In addition to the statewide scholarships, Louisiana 4-H Foundation Parish Scholarships of $100 each went to Anna Loftin, Bossier; Jessica Brumley, Caddo; Benjamin Fulton, DeSoto; Abigail Hennigan, Natchitoches; Dustie Rambin, Red River; David Free, Sabine; and Beau Cook, Webster.
Louisiana 4-H University winners named
Louisiana youth took home honors as state contest winners and alternates as the LSU AgCenter’s 4-H University concluded June 25 on the LSU campus.
Hundreds were winners in 4-H competitions for trips and prizes and other events that included educational activities, personal development sessions and guest speakers.
The competition came in areas ranging from agricultural demonstrations to wildlife habitat judging and from career preparation to consumer decision making.
For those who chose not to participate in direct competition, 4-H University included Clover College – a group of educational activities on topics ranging from Internet safety to bioengineering.
Other topics included dressing appropriately, careers in veterinary medicine, prevention education, participating in service programs, exploring the world of sports and learning about Louisiana’s unique environment.
In addition to the contests and educational sessions, 4-H’ers elected state 4-H Executive Committee officers and 14 regional representatives. Another four were honored as 2009-2010 delegates to the National 4-H Conference.
“Louisiana 4-H is a one-of-a-kind program made up of outstanding young people from across our state,” said LSU AgCenter Vice Chancellor Paul Coreil. “We’re glad to provide them this annual opportunity to visit the state’s flagship university, to meet new people and to test their knowledge and skills – all while having fun.”
Most of the first-place or state winners in more than 40 different contests were awarded educational trips or opportunities to compete in regional or national events.
Members of the Louisiana 4-H Executive Committee elected were Victoria Arnold, Sabine Parish; and Daniel McFarland, Caddo Parish.
National 4-H Conference delegates selected for 2009-2010 included Maggie Brakeville, Bossier Parish.
In the 4-H University contests, the top two finishers – listed as state winners and first alternates – from across Louisiana were:
Dog Care – State winner: Ashley Twyman, Webster Parish.
Fashion Review/Casual Outfit – State winner: Lincoln Pearce, Sabine Parish; first alternate: Leslie Davis, Webster Parish.
Fashion Review/Creative Choice – State winner: Katherine Willcox, Bossier Parish.
Fashion Review/Ready to Wear – State winner: Mallory Strange, DeSoto Parish;
first alternate: Kei'ayra Martin, Webster Parish.
Horticulture Demonstration/General – State winner: Madalyn Culpepper, Webster Parish.
Nutrition Illustrated Talk –first alternates: Sara Patterson and Mikaela Carender, Webster Parish.
Outdoor Skills (Individual) – State winner: Benjamin Fulton, DeSoto Parish; first alternate: Daniel Doran, Bossier Parish.
Outdoor Skills (Team) – State winners: Daniel Doran, Derrick Moore and Ben Moore, Bossier Parish; first alternates: Benjamin Fulton, Peter Ashley and Emily Fulton, DeSoto Parish.
Public Speaking/Cooperatives –first alternate: Julie Barrios, Sabine Parish.
4-H Camp under way
Natchitoches, Red River and Webster parishes have attended 4-H Camp and Bossier is at camp this week.
Caddo will attend next week and DeSoto and Sabine go July 27.
NW 4-H’ers attend Capitol Day
4-H’ers from the Northwest Region attended Capitol Day on June 3
It began with an assembly on the Capitol steps, with legislators participating along with state 4-H officers and LSU AgCenter representatives.
Awards
Van Osdell wins national awards
State wards won by Mary Ann Van Osdell, communications specialist for the LSU AgCenter, forwarded to the National Federation of Press Women competition earned more honors.
She won first place for a news feature written for the AgCenter's news service, "Former 4-H’er takes lessons learned in agriculture to assist in Iraq reconstruction," and for a media kit done to promote a local event for authors in Shreveport. She won third place for multiple releases on promoting the AgCenter community garden project in Shreveport.