On a mild winter’s day in Raceland, Louisiana, a dedicated group of researchers, agronomists and staff from The American Sugar Cane League, LSU AgCenter and Sugarcane Research Unit in Houma gathered to hear preliminary reports about the 2024 harvest, research projects and a forecast for the 2025 crop. Despite significant challenges, the presentations struck a mostly positive tone.
Read MoreAs south Louisiana begins to thaw out after the historic arctic blast and double-digit inches of snowfall in many crawfish-producing parishes, many are wondering if there will be a repeat of 2024 that saw small harvests and high prices due to the previous year’s drought. LSU AgCenter researchers are cautiously optimistic that there is barely a snowball’s chance in Acadiana of that happening.
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 MoreChoice of varieties for planting is a crucial management decision that sets the stage for yield potential and input costs. While grain yield is the most important factor, test weight, disease resistance, and heading date are important considerations as they also impact economic return.
Test weight is important because low test weight results in dockage at the elevator. Heading day is a function of cold requirement (vernalization) and day length (photoperiod) response that determines when a variety heads out.
Read MoreThe snow has come and gone — and so has the excitement that came with such a meteorological rarity in Louisiana. Now, some gardeners are looking outside at a far less enjoyable sight: plants that turned gray, brown and perhaps even mushy in this week’s frigid temperatures.
Read MoreWhat will the 2025 snowstorm and cold temperatures mean for the upcoming crawfish season? LSU AgCenter crawfish expert Mark Shirley says the mudbugs will bury themselves as deep into the mud as they can.
“It’s not going to kill the crawfish, but it will significantly reduce their movements. So, I think the supply of crawfish over the next several days, well, probably for the next week or so, is going to be a shorter supply of crawfish,” Shirley said.
Read MoreThe LSU AgCenter will have a free, year-long training program for Louisiana’s beginning farmers this spring. A beginning farmer is defined as those currently farming with fewer than 10 years of experience or those wanting to start farming.
Read MoreCrawfish aquaculture is the most profitable aquaculture endeavor in Louisiana, representing roughly 69% of the total gross farm value generated across all commercial aquaculture enterprises in 2022, according to the Louisiana Summary Agriculture and Natural Resources 2022. Crawfish producers in south Louisiana create a suitable wetland habitat for crawfish to survive, reproduce and grow to harvest size in shallow water impoundments used for both crawfish and rice.
Read MoreThe LSU AgCenter 2025 Precision Agriculture Summit scheduled for Jan. 23 at the State Evacuation Shelter near Alexandria has been canceled because of winter weather.
Read MoreThe 2024/25 U.S. corn outlook calls for lower production, feed and residual use, exports, and ending stocks. Corn production has been revised downward by some 276 million bushels to an estimated 14.9 billion bushels, mainly due to a 3.8-bushel per acre cut in yield to 179.3 bushels which was partially offset by a 0.2-million acre increase in harvested area. Total corn use is down 75 million bushels to 15.1 billion.
Read MoreApplications are now being accepted for the 2025 Grow Louisiana Beginner Farmer Training Program. This is a year-long program. Participation is free and is funded by a USDA Southeast Transition to Organic Partnership grant.
Read MoreAt a luncheon Jan. 9, one farmer was awarded a new Master Farmer certification and five others were recertified as Master Farmers during the 2025 meeting of the Louisiana Association of Conservation Districts.
The Outstanding Master Farmer Award also was presented to Wesley and Kevin Volentine, of Volentine Partnership Farm in Caddo Parish.
Read MoreThe LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant will hold the Louisiana Regional Fisheries Summit March 25 in Slidell.
The daylong event, which will focus on freshwater impacts in the Pontchartrain Basin, will provide information relevant to the commercial and recreation-for-hire fishing industries.
Read MoreWhile this year’s crawfish harvest is projected to be a successful one, LSU AgCenter Aquaculture Specialist Mark Shirley says it could be compromised with the upcoming freezing cold temperatures.
“Usually when we have cold weather like we’re expecting next week, it probably will slow down the catch for several days,” Shirley said.
Read MoreAs farmers begin making plans for the upcoming growing season, many are bracing for the likelihood of another year marked by tight margins.
“Production costs for 2025 are estimated to decrease for the second consecutive year, which is good news,” said LSU AgCenter economist Michael Deliberto.
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