Cow-calf operations are the heart of Louisiana’s livestock industry. Cattle in this sector spend much of their lives grazing perennial and annual pastures, so high-quality forage is important. Summer 2023 was one of the hottest and driest in recent memory. The drought took a major toll on crop production, and everyone from sugarcane farmers to cattle ranchers felt the effects. One of the biggest concerns was a lack of hay.
Read MoreA disease called false smut is posing a growing threat to the global rice crop, and LSU AgCenter scientists are part of an international group working to learn more about the problem.
Felipe Dalla Lana, a plant pathologist at the AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station near Crowley, and Vinson Doyle, a mycologist based on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge, are working with colleagues from more than 20 institutions worldwide through the International Rice False Smut Consortium.
Read MoreLSU AgCenter plant pathologist Paul “Trey” Price received the Louisiana Soybean and Feed Grains and Promotion Board Distinguished Professorship on Nov. 20, at the board’s proposal meeting in Baton Rouge.
Read MoreGrain sorghum hybrid performance is annually evaluated in official hybrid trials (OHTs) by LSU AgCenter researchers to provide Louisiana growers, seedsmen, county agents and consultants with unbiased performance data for grain sorghum hybrids submitted for evaluation by private companies. Selection of superior hybrids that are well adapted for a given region is essential for maximizing yield and profit.
Read MoreAs the holiday season approaches, Louisiana is gearing up for the return of one of its most beloved traditions soon after: crawfish season. While it’s not quite here yet, experts are optimistic that the 2025 season will bring an early and plentiful harvest, a welcome change from last year’s challenges.
Todd Fontenot, a crawfish specialist with the LSU AgCenter, has been closely monitoring crawfish farms across the state. The good news? Crawfish are emerging earlier than they did last year, setting the stage for a strong season ahead.
Read MoreCorn hybrid performance is annually evaluated in official hybrid trials (OHTs) by LSU AgCenter researchers to provide Louisiana farmers, seedsmen, county agents and consultants with unbiased performance data for commercial corn hybrids submitted for evaluation by private companies. Selection of superior hybrids that are well adapted for a given region is essential for maximizing yield and profit.
Read MoreThe LSU AgCenter ASPIRE program is offering a 10-week paid summer internship program for college students ($15/hour). The priority deadline to apply is March 7.
The ASPIRE Project engages undergraduates in agricultural-related internships in research, extension, and teaching, with mentorship from faculty in the LSU AgCenter and the LSU College of Agriculture.
Read MoreWith Thanksgiving over, it's almost time for a season that nearly every person in Louisiana's appetite is craving: crawfish season.
Todd Fontenot, a crawfish agent who works with the LSU AgCenter, tells WBRZ he's been talking to crawfish farmers around the state to learn how this season will compare to last season.
He says this year's outlook is much better.
Read MoreThe LSU AgCenter is accepting applications for the Charles and Rose Broussard Internship, a program that gives high school and college students the opportunity to gain hands-on agricultural research experience.
The internship program is named for Charles Broussard, a ninth-generation Vermilion Parish farmer and rancher, and his wife, Rose.
Read MoreSome Louisiana pecan producers could amass a larger pile of rejected nuts because of abnormally dry weather through the late summer and early fall, said Michael Polozola, the LSU AgCenter state fruit and nut specialist.
A lack of rain just before harvest prevented some pecans from filling out, Polozola said, leading to lower yields for many producers.
Read MoreCars pack a gravel lot outside Hope Ministries, a Methodist nonprofit situated in the 70805 zip code, where the per capita yearly income is $18,340. The organization’s mission is to prevent homelessness and promote dignity.
A week before Thanksgiving, residents wait patiently for their turn at the organization's Client Choice Food Pantry.
Read MoreNovember 20 & 21, The LSU Agricultural Center is holding the annual ‘AgMagic Cenla’, an educational experience for third and forth graders to learn about agriculture and the environment.
Read MoreA team of Louisiana researchers has received a federal grant worth more than $100,000 for the first step of a study that aims to use wastewater from aquaculture ponds, seafood processors and farms for fertilizer.
Read MoreCasey Stannard admits she didn’t have any experience with hemp fiber throughout her studies and career in apparel design until she took on a recent research project.
The associate professor in the LSU College of Agriculture Department of Textiles, Apparel Design and Merchandising said that was the case for many of her students and colleagues even though hemp was the first cultivated fiber, with evidence of hemp ropes in ancient China and along the Dead Sea dating back between 3,000 and 10,000 B.C.E.
Read MoreFor more than 130 years, research has been a top priority for LSU agriculture.
Since the 1880s, agricultural experiment stations have provided researchers fertile ground to work to improve the agricultural production and economy of Louisiana.
What began with three agricultural research outposts staffed by 15 employees more than a century ago has evolved into 14 LSU AgCenter research stations statewide staffed by dozens of world-renowned scientists.
Read More
