Sugarcane Disease Sampling and Testing
Sugarcane diseases are managed primarily through varietal resistance, which is an inherent trait that is selected by breeders with the help of plant pathologists. Resistance can be described as the ability that a variety has to fight diseases. Our sugarcane varieties in Louisiana were selected over the years to resist diseases, however, sometimes pathogens change and are able to overcome these resistant traits. Additionally, some of our varieties cannot completely resist diseases, therefore, we need to manage these diseases in an integrated way, by incorporating new management strategies in our farms.
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American Sugar Producers Push for Fair Trade as Consumer Habits Shift
U.S. sugar demand remains firm, but wider use of GLP-1 weight-loss medications and growing health concerns could weaken the market over time. CoBank food and beverage economist Billy Roberts says producers should focus less on current stability and more on how consumption patterns may shift.
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Pasture Mealybug Update: August 2, 2026
Almost across the board this past week, we were still seeing mostly (and many) young nymphs and few adults.
A new insecticide test just put out (7/31) on last year’s infested cane comparing imidacloprid impregnated potash, soil treatments, and foliar treatments. This field has previously been treated this year, but yellowing has increased dramatically in the past few weeks.
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A Common Goal Connects The Louisiana Sugarcane Inustry
If you ask Denise Wright how she found her way into agricultural research and consulting, she won’t tell you it was part of some carefully planned career path. She’ll simply tell you she grew up in Bayou Jacque, loved being outdoors and loved agriculture.
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Invasive Mealybug Threatens Louisiana Sugarcane Despite Strong Crop Outlook
Louisiana sugarcane producers are expecting another strong crop, but the spread of the invasive pasture mealybug is becoming a growing concern for the industry.
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Some Iberville Parish Residents Oppose Entergy Solar Farm Plan Along Hwy. 75
Entergy Louisiana’s proposed Cypress Harvest Solar project is drawing opposition from residents who say converting productive sugarcane fields along Highway 75 into a solar farm is inefficient and harmful to local agriculture.
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Variable Rate Technology for Fertilizer Highlighted at Jeanerette Field Day
Sugarcane growers learned about a fertilizer management tool designed to improve efficiency and reduce input costs during a field day July 22 at the LSU AgCenter Iberia Research Station.
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Louisiana's Sweetest Crop Under Attack from Alien Australia Insect
Louisiana's sweetest crop is under attack from an Australian native insect that arrived in the United States last year.
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Louisiana Farm Bureau’s Mike Melancon Recognized Among 2026 Sugar Notables
Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation Secretary-Treasurer Mike Melancon was recognized Saturday evening as one of Sugar Journal’s 2026 Sugar Notables, an international honor celebrating individuals whose careers have made lasting contributions to the global sugar industry.
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For Louisiana Sugarcane Producers, Huge Harvest Tempered by Arrival of Invasive Insect
The predictions of a harvest increase over last year’s were undercut by the news of the arrival of a worrisome, invasive insect at the LSU AgCenter’s annual Sugar Research Station field day July 15.
At the outset of the day, AgCenter sugarcane specialist Kenneth Gravois said that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agriculture Statistics Services is indicating a 5,000-to-6,000-acre increase over last year’s crop, with a clearer focus coming into view in August.
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Louisiana Growers Get Emergency Approval to Fight New Sugarcane Pest
Louisiana sugarcane producers celebrated a record year in 2025, but a year of home runs was inevitably followed by one of Mother Nature’s curveballs — in this case, a never-before-seen invasive pest that not only turns plants and saps sugar productivity but also infects plant tissue with a virus that could change its genetic makeup.
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2026 Sugarcane Variety Performance
Sugarcane varieties are the lifeblood of the Louisiana sugar industry. As a result, variety selection is one of the most important decisions a producer makes — one with long-term implications. The goal is to maximize profitability on every acre throughout an extended crop cycle.
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USDA Risk Management Agency Sweetens Sugarcane Insurance for Louisiana Farmers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) is improving the sugarcane crop insurance program for Louisiana sugarcane farmers.
These improvements include separating irrigated and non-irrigated practices in parishes with a history of irrigation to recognize the different risks to sugarcane under both production practices.
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Field Days: Where Research Meets The Row
Sugarcane field days have long been a summer tradition across Louisiana’s cane belt, providing growers an opportunity to see research firsthand and hear directly from scientists, extension specialists and fellow farmers.
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Agricultural Policy and Market Situation Newsletter: July 2026
USDA’s much-anticipated Acreage Report was released on June 30th. Corn acreage stayed large, but lower-than-expected corn and wheat stocks gave traders enough demand support to trigger relief buying and short-covering after a sharp June selloff.
Grain markets treated the Acreage and Grain Stocks reports as less bearish than the headline corn acreage number first suggested. USDA pegged corn planted area at 95.343 million acres, above the average pre-report trade estimate near 94.99 million acres, with harvested area for grain forecast at 87.434 million acres.
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