LSU AgCenter agronomist Syam Dodla has received a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant of more than $1 million to look at climate-smart ways to produce sugarcane and rice.

Dodla, who works at the AgCenter Red River Research Station in Bossier City, said there are many climate-smart conservation practices that have not been widely adopted in the southern region of the United States.

Susan Lindrew, a senior majoring in textiles, apparel and merchandising, has been working on a research project on experimental patternmaking to use the typically discarded portions of alligator hides in fashion.

On an overcast and windy day in Franklin Parish, a group of grain producers gathered to hear the latest updates on crops and witness a drone presentation.

The annual wheat and oat field day, held April 20 at the LSU AgCenter Macon Ridge Research Station in Winnsboro, kicked off with a discussion of Fusarium head blight, also known as scab, from AgCenter plant pathologists Trey Price and Boyd Padgett.

Antavion “Tay” Moore is going to need to clear out some shelf space as he continues to pile up accolades during his career at LSU. The latest honor for the junior from Ringgold, Louisiana, is being named a 2023 Truman Scholar.

Moore, this year’s sole recipient from Louisiana, is one of only 62 students selected out of 705 candidates nationwide.

LSU is moving into controlled field trials of a patent-pending bait to address wild, invasive pigs that are causing millions in damage to Louisiana farms. 

With $50,000 in recent support from the Louisiana legislature and $120,000 from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, LSU researchers are testing the new bait using “pig brigs,” which are large nets that pigs can push under but become trapped inside when they try to get out. The bait makes the hogs fall asleep. 

The skies, though gloomy, did not deter a large crowd of beef cattle and hay producers from attending the LSU AgCenter’s beef and forage field day on April 27.

From market updates to drones for weed control to laboratory-grown beef, participants received a wealth of information about the current state of the beef industry.

Insect scouting schools will be held on May 25 in Winnsboro and June 2 in Alexandria.

These training sessions will cover a range of topics, including insect pest identification, general IPM principles, plant growth and development, and worker protection standard (WPS) training. The program is designed for scouts at all levels of experience. Extension agents, producers, and consultants are welcome to take part in the event.

The LSU AgCenter Northeast Research Station will host a wildlife forum and field day May 12 featuring information on chronic wasting disease, feral hogs, habitat management and more.

Three outstanding students from LSU's College of Agriculture have been chosen to represent the LSU Tiger Twelve Class of 2023: Avery Hebert, Jackson Martingayle and Zachary Mayfield.

The Tiger Twelve is an esteemed program that celebrates a group of exceptional undergraduate seniors who have made significant contributions to campus life at LSU and have had a positive impact on the Baton Rouge community.

Louisiana’s Cooperative Extension Service offers a number of programs aimed at educating clientele about improving management skills, increasing profitability and, ultimately, becoming more sustainable. These “master” programs educate home gardeners, agronomic producers and cattlemen about best management practices that help improve water quality, soil health and overall conservation efforts for long-term sustainability through the Master Gardener, Master Farmer and Master Cattleman programs.

In Louisiana, the many twists and turns of the state’s coast add up to more than 7,700 miles of shoreline, which meet the waters of the 600,000 square-mile Gulf of Mexico. Formed more than 300 million years ago, the Gulf of Mexico is home to 15,420 species of sea-dwelling creatures.

Louisiana rests alongside the Gulf of Mexico and provides an outlet for the nation’s most important river, the Mississippi, and some of its tributaries. To reduce agricultural runoff into these water bodies and improve soil-water quality around farms, Louisiana farmers have been implementing a wide range of environment-friendly and sustainable farm practices often called best management practices.