Unmanned aircraft flying over farms, forests and plant nurseries are not such an unusual sight these days. A lot of research has gone into making the drones more economically beneficial in agriculture, from taking inventory at plant nurseries to spotting early signs of crop stress.
Read MoreSugar Mill Fields is a dream come true for Duana Juneau.
If you are looking for a little something different to do for the holiday season, look no further. Sugar Mill Fields is a Christmas tree and cut flower farm located in Lecompte.
Read MoreEach year the LSU AgCenter tests both commercial and experimental soybean varieties entered in the state Official Variety Trials by private seed companies and university breeding programs. The LSU AgCenter also includes a reduced number of varieties in large-plot, on-farm demonstrations to increase the number of locations and environments in which varieties are evaluated. From these, a grower should choose several adapted to an individual farm. Information in the tables can help producers make these important decisions.
Read MoreChristopher Bonvillain knows crawfish. An associate professor at Nicholls State University, he works in one of Louisiana's only aquatic ecology and astacology labs. Astacology is the study of crawfish - a big industry in Louisiana, with 110 million pounds harvested each year, according to the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. In the U.S., there are 330 known species of crawfish; there are 39 species and subspecies in Louisiana.
Read MoreCitrus is the most popular kind of fruit grown in Louisiana. This time of year, satsumas and other types of citrus are abundant — and delicious. Several biotic and abiotic stresses affect citrus yields, however, and may dishearten home gardeners when they cannot enjoy their harvest.
Read MoreThe American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has awarded $10,000 in grants to recognize the exceptional efforts of 10 county Farm Bureaus and their agricultural literacy programs. Additionally, the Foundation has awarded $15,000 in scholarships to 10 educators who exemplify excellence in engaging students to learn where their food comes from.
Read MoreLast week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) mailed an invitation to all known agriculture producers across Louisiana and the nation to respond online to the 2022 Census of Agriculture at agcounts.usda.gov. The ag census is the nation’s only comprehensive and impartial agriculture data for every state, county, and territory.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for December 2022, which are effective Dec. 1, 2022. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures or meet cash flow needs.
Read MoreIn early November, ballots were mailed out for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) county and urban county committee elections to all eligible agricultural producers and private landowners across the country. Elections are occurring in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA) for these committee members who make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. Producers and landowners must return ballots to their local FSA county office or have their ballots be postmarked by Dec. 5, 2022, in order for those ballots to be counted.
Read MoreFarm groups have been working with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration agency for months to allow additional time on the road for truckers transporting livestock, insects and aquatic animals and make them exempt from some Hours-of-Service rules. The livestock industry will retain the 150-mile air radius exemption on the front and back of a shipment, but the agency has denied the HOS request which puts producers at a real disadvantage. It also couldn’t come at a worse time with a trucker shortage and pending rail strike.
Read MorePests have always been a yield-limiting problem soybean producers have faced in Louisiana. These pests can rob soybean farmers of both quantity and quality of grain. However, it was not until 2000 that a new invasive species arrived that significantly changed Louisiana soybean production forever.
Read MoreCotton harvest in Louisiana is wrapping up and was around 98% completed as of Nov. 4, which is around 10% greater than our five-year average. We couldn’t have asked for better weather during harvest this year. Hot and dry conditions throughout the growing season and excessive rainfall in August resulted in extremely variable yields throughout the state. Average yields for the state are projected to be around 850 lbs. of lint per acre, which is below the 2021 state average.
Read MoreNational Cotton Council Chairman Ted Schneider said the U.S. cotton industry appreciates the House for its approval today of legislation that would force a tentative rail labor agreement and avert a national strike or lockout.
Read MoreWhen Wenceslaus “June” Provost Jr. comes out to the sugarcane field in New Iberia, Louisiana, the first thing he does is open up a window. Not a house window, but a window through the sugarcane field, an opening that he creates using a tractor.
Read MoreFor agriculturally inclined listeners, there are a plethora of farming podcasts to choose from. And if I may make a plug, consider Around Farm Progress, a weekly podcast where Farm Progress editors from across the nation discuss issues impacting agriculture and take a deeper look at some of the stories in our magazines.
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