LSU AgCenter scientists showcased conservation practices in sugarcane farming at a field day July 22.
The event was held at Keith Dugas’ farm in Assumption Parish, which is a model farm in an AgCenter best management practices program funded by a Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Project.
Read MoreLouisiana strawberry farmers regularly contend with a multitude of challenges, including labor costs, unfavorable weather conditions, insect and mite pests, and plant diseases.
Read MoreFrom June 23 to June 26, Southern University hosted the Creating Healthy Enjoyable Foods, or CHEF Camp, for Baton Rouge-area students. The camp taught participants how to find, prepare and cook healthy foods along with important safety and cooking tips in the kitchen.
Read MoreFrom July 15 to 18, Seeds to Success: The Louisiana Farm to School Program brought together four dedicated school teams for a multi-day educational retreat at the Wesley Center in Woodworth, LA.
This year’s teams represent the Diocese of Lafayette, Breaux Bridge Elementary School, Central Community School System and Einstein Charter Network.
Read MoreThis year’s annual field day at the LSU AgCenter Sugar Research Station featured a stop that highlighted several conservation practices.
Kenneth Gravois, AgCenter sugarcane specialist, joined Brenda Tubaña, AgCenter soil scientist, and Bruno Nicchio, AgCenter postdoctoral researcher, to explain how sugarcane farmers can benefit from implementing these practices. The July 16 event drew a record-breaking audience of more than 300 people.
Read MoreFrom turfgrass to tea production and rain gardens to robotics, there was something for just about everyone at the LSU AgCenter’s annual horticulture field day July 18.
Cloudy skies and occasional mist provided a cool backdrop for the event at the Hammond Research Station, which is devoted to improving the horticulture industry through research and plant evaluations.
Read MoreThe announcement of a new variety and the arrival of a potentially troublesome weed highlighted the LSU AgCenter’s annual Sugar Research Station field day.
AgCenter breeder Michael Pontif announced a new U.S. Department of Agriculture variety release, HoCP 18-803.
Read MoreToday on Louisiana Living, Ashley Doughty is joined by Kerry Heafner discussing the Watermelon Interior Quality Contest.
Read MoreRaj Singh administers a genetic test to a diseased patient, hoping to confirm the cause of death. He starts by carefully getting the sample before exposing it to the test strip, letting it lay under the bright white lights of his exam room while he waits for the result.
It’s inevitably positive. His patient has a pathogen that’s sweeping through a rural South Louisiana community. Having confirmed his diagnosis, Singh stuffs his patient into a black trash bag and into a storage bin.
Read MoreThis month’s 2025/26 U.S. corn outlook calls for smaller supplies, domestic use, and ending stocks. USDA cut corn beginning stocks by 25 million bushels to 1.3 billion, reflecting an increase in exports that is partly offset by lower feed and residual use for 2024/25. Feed and residual use is down 75 million based on indicated disappearance in the June 30th Grain Stocks report. Exports are raised 100 million bushels to 2.8 billion based on current outstanding sales and shipments to date and, if realized, would be record high.
Read MoreIn the sports world, a hat trick refers to one player scoring three goals in a single game. LSU AgCenter researcher Christine Coker has big goals in mind as she wears three hats, one being Louisiana’s new state vegetable specialist.
Read MorePresident Trump signed H.R. 1 also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Act” on July 4, 2025. The OBBB Act contains a much-needed update to commodity and crop insurance programs- with some of those improvements beginning with the 2025 crop year. However, the agricultural-related provisions of the OBBB Act extend beyond the farm safety net to include several tax-related benefits for farm operations. This report highlights selected provisions of the OBBB Act.
Read MoreSugarcane varieties are the lifeblood of the Louisiana sugar industry. Therefore, variety selection is one of the most important decisions on the farm — a decision with long-term consequences. The goal is to maximize profitability on every acre of the farm for each year of a long crop cycle.
Sugarcane variety choices for planting in 2025 are many. L 01-299 and HoCP 14-885 will continue to be widely planted by producers across the Louisiana sugar industry. L 15-306 and HoL 15-508, new variety releases from 2022, should occupy a moderate portion of your planting acreage because of excellent stubbling ability and yield potential.
Read MoreWinter annual forages are adapted for grazing, green chop, hay, and silage production in Louisiana. Each year, scientists at the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center conduct performance trials to evaluate the forage production of annual ryegrass, small grain forage, and legume forage varieties. Trials are conducted at various Louisiana State University Agricultural Center research stations throughout the state to provide information on the performance of varieties under varying soil and climatic conditions.
Read MoreThe LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station will host its annual horticulture field day July 18.
Visitors will hear from experts about their research endeavors and have the chance to see an array of plants during a tour of the station’s sprawling trial gardens.
Read More
