Home > News Archive > 2011 > September > LSU AgCenter receives grant to develop biofuels, biochemicals (Radio News 10/03/11) The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded the LSU AgCenter a $17.2 million grant to work with 16 other partners in eight states on developing biofuels and biochemicals from energy cane and sweet sorghum. Vadim Kochergin, the director of the Louisiana Institute for Biofuels and Bioprocessing, has been working on this process for several years at the LSU AgCenter’s Audubon Sugar Institute. (Runtime: 2:00) Planting time for cool-season flowers starts in October [Image: Amazon dianthus Rose Magic] (Distributed 09/30/11) Cool-season bedding plants continue to be popular in Louisiana. Most home gardeners do more warm-weather than cool-weather flower gardening, but we all need to realize that we have many great cool-season flowers that will do well in our climate from mid-fall through late spring. LSU AgCenter offers biodiesel workshop Nov. 12 in Baton Rouge (Distributed 09/29/11) The LSU AgCenter will conduct a one-day comprehensive workshop on how to make your own biodiesel fuel from used vegetable oil on Nov. 12 at the W.A. Callegari Environmental Center in Baton Rouge. Corn maze provides fall family fun through Oct. [Image: Hay Mountain] (Distributed 09/28/11) The LSU AgCenter’s Burden Research Center in Baton Rouge and the Burden Horticulture Society will sponsor their corn maze each Saturday through October, according to Jeff Kuehny, resident director at Burden.  more articles... Sweet peas provide color, fragrance in home garden (Audio 10/03/11) Cool-season bedding plants offer beautiful color. Sweet peas also offer wonderful fragrance. Sweet pea seeds can be found at gardening centers, and the plants need something to climb on while growing. (Runtime: 60 seconds) Spruce up your home with natural decorations (Audio 10/03/11) Look around and you may notice beautiful things in nature you can use to decorate your home. Leaves and seed pods can be made into wreathes and arrangements that will stay attractive throughout fall and into the holiday season. (Runtime: 60 seconds) Brown patch can attack lawns in fall (Audio 10/03/11) As the weather cools in October, lawns begin growing more slowly. But you still have to watch out for lawn diseases such as brown patch. (Runtime: 60 seconds) Roses begin second blooming season (Audio 10/03/11) Roses begin blooming beautifully in October. This month can be dry, so water them if we have dry spells. Also, deadhead roses to keep them attractive and to show off the new growth. (Runtime: 60 seconds) Vegetable gardens transition to cool season (Audio 10/03/11) October is a good time to start planting cool-season vegetables. Gardeners can plant cole crops such as cabbage and broccoli. (Runtime: 60 seconds) Purple leaves make Delta Jazz crape myrtles unique [Image: Delta Jazz] (Video 10/3/11) There are many different types of crape myrtles scattered across Louisiana lawns and landscapes. But as LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill explains on this edition of Get It Growing, the new Delta Jazz has a notable feature not found on other crape myrtles. (Runtime: 1:39) AgMagic returns to State Fair of Louisiana (Distributed 09/28/11) SHREVEPORT, La. – Do you think food, clothing, lumber and other products only come from a store? Come to AgMagic at the State Fair to see and learn where your food and fiber really come from. Economists estimate drought effects on crops (Radio News 09/27/11) LSU AgCenter economists estimate that the 2011 drought has caused $390 million in damage to Louisiana agriculture. Kurt Guidry says crops and farmers were affected in three different ways. (Runtime: 1:20) Improved soil fertility can boost yields, reduce runoff [Image: in greenhouse corn] (Distributed 09/27/11) Improved soil fertility could boost yields in crops such as corn and soybeans and reduce nitrogen runoff into local water bodies. That’s the premise behind the research of LSU AgCenter scientist Brenda Tubaña. Cow size study examines raising more efficient cattle (Radio News 09/26/11) Beef cattle research at the LSU AgCenter's Hill Farm Research Station is looking at cow size and cow efficiency. Researcher Ryon Walker says projections about world population in 2050 prompted him to study how cow size may affect the efficiency of raising cattle. (Runtime: 1:10) Click for more information...