When I was growing up, the word alternative described the pop trends of the day. It has another meaning to me now. Organic, natural pesticides and fertilizers and native plants are an increasingly popular alternative to synthetic chemicals and fertilizers as well as the heavy use of non-native plants and practices.

Louisiana growers are expected to plant more acres to grain sorghum this year compared to previous years. Grain sorghum is a good option for dryland fields where productivity is marginal. It has a longer planting window and provides many benefits when used in a crop rotation with cotton and/or soybean.

USDA announced an $11.5 million research investment to help ensure America’s small and medium-sized farms become more profitable and improve the quality of life in American farm communities.

“Few groups are as resilient and as determined as American farm families,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “This investment in innovative research will give these family farms the tools they need to be more sustainable, profitable and productive as they face agricultural and economic challenges.”

Ag Week 2021 showcased how the LSU College of Agriculture and Southern University College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences are making a difference in Louisiana and across the world.

This year marked the first time that both of Louisiana’s land-grant institutions celebrated Ag Week jointly. A combination of on-campus events and virtual collaborations took place from March 15 to 19.

The LSU AgCenter recently partnered with Mendel University in the Czech Republic to host a weeklong virtual symposium where experts from both institutions discussed topics including food waste, safety, production, technology and nutrition.

The event, held March 15 to 19, also served as the kickoff of an online class co-taught by LSU AgCenter and Mendel professors and available to students at both universities.

About 450 people took part in the event, including faculty, staff, students and alumni of the two universities; participants from Southern University and LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center; and business partners.

Cover crops can provide producers a variety of benefits including nutrient cycling , soil cover, nitrogen fixation and pollinator food sources. These cover crops come in many types, including grasses, legumes (mostly clovers) and brassicas (generally tillage radish and rapeseed). However, cover crops represent a “green bridge” throughout the fall and early spring that may facilitate the movement of insect pests and plant pathogens into above- and below-ground plant structures. Furthermore, cover crops may increase soil moisture and lower soil temperature compared with tilled fields at planting, resulting in more favorable conditions for seedling disease development.