The LSU AgCenter and College of Agriculture have named Monica Guient assistant vice president for diversity, inclusion and opportunity. Her start date is Feb. 1.

Guient has previously worked in roles overseeing diversity and academic programs at Binghamton University, which is part of the State University of New York system, and Xavier University of Louisiana.

New row crop varieties — soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, cotton, grain sorghum, sweet potatoes and sugarcane — are released annually by private companies and university breeding programs. Each variety can vary dramatically in yield potential, agronomic traits such as maturity, and resistance to insects, diseases and environmental stress factors. It is important to note a variety with high yield potential at one location may not be competitive in another location because of a lack of adaptability to different environments, including weather patterns, soil characteristics, disease pressure and cropping systems. Furthermore, a variety achieving a high yield or quality one year may not perform as well the next year at the same location because of yearly changes in the environment, such as rainfall or disease patterns.

The LSU AgCenter has launched Healthy Living Literacy, a program that provides children with books and other materials that teach about health, nutrition and gardening.

The program is being offered in St. Tammany and Washington parishes through a partnership with local pediatric clinics. It serves two purposes: to encourage children and their families to read and to make healthier lifestyle choices.

The LSU AgCenter recognized 20 new graduates from the Louisiana Master Cattleman program at a ceremony Nov. 1.

The group of students who hailed from six Acadiana parishes participated in the 10-week program that included instruction in all aspects of beef production, including pasture management, animal handling, finance, marketing and Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) guidelines.

With agricultural input costs on a rapid rise and the volatility of current commodity markets, farmers are having to tighten their belts to stay in the black.

To navigate the complicated economic nature of operating a profitable farming operation, the LSU AgCenter Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness offers several tools designed for farmers to analyze and monitor what goes into — and out of — their farm accounts.

Louisiana growers have not yet finished planting this year’s strawberry crop, and a disease called crown rot has already been detected in a commercial field.

This disease is caused by a soil-borne, fungal-like microorganism genus called Phytophthora. Sometimes it is called water mold.

Phytophthora is known as “the plant destroyer.”

The Louisiana Master Farmer Program is celebrating twentieth anniversary. The program was designed to lessen the environmental footprint left by agricultural operations and to ensure that future generations have an opportunity to farm the land. LSU AgCenter reporter Craig Gautreaux has the story.

The process of rebuilding LSU AgCenter facilities destroyed by a tornado last year is set to begin soon.

The tornado, which struck near Alexandria in April 2020, caused extensive damage to several buildings at the AgCenter Dean Lee Research and Extension Center.

Demolition of the damaged buildings has been completed, and bids for construction work will be sought in early 2022. Rebuilding is expected to take about 14 months