In some instances, two heads are better than one. For a new multi-regional research effort, five organizations put their heads together to achieve full genetic yield potential of the soybean. A new partnership, the first of its kind in more than 40 years, aims to increase soybean flower and pod retention. This unrealized value could bring $50 per acre or $400 million in economic return for U.S. soybean farmers.
Read MoreUnwanted Pesticides will be collected on Thursday, March 28th at the LSU AgCenter Extension Office - Assumption Parish for disposal at no cost to producers, applicators or homeowners. All pesticides will be accepted. Containers will be furnished for transport to the collection site if old containers are not in good condition.
Read MoreSince 1943, the Southern University Ag Center has continued the tradition of holding a Livestock Show for the youth of Louisiana. Making Southern University the only 1890 Land-Grant Institution to still hold this time-honored tradition. To mark the show’s 80th year, the Ag Center will host several events to celebrate this historic occasion. These events will include a Boots and Bling Affair, an Ag Showcase, and an Educational Experience Expo for youth all leading up to the annual livestock show.
Read MoreThe LSU AgCenter is excited to announce its new Beginner Cattleman Program. This is designed for cattleman with 10 years or less of experience raising beef cattle and for people interested in starting to raise beef cattle.
Participants will need access to a computer as this is a hybrid course featuring videos and 5 in-person workshops.
The 2023 class will take place at the Red River Research Station in Bossier City and the DeSoto Parish Extension Office in Grand Cane.
Workshops will be held on the following dates:
March 17, 2023 - Introduction, Cattle Handling, Facilities, and Equipment - Red River Research Station in Bossier City
May 12, 2023 - Forages, Pasture Management, and Hay Production - Red River Research Station in Bossier City
July 14, 2023 - Nutrition and Reproduction - De Soto Parish Extension Office in Grand Cane
September 8, 2023 - Commercial Cow-Calf and Seedstock - De Soto Parish Extension Office in Grand Cane
December 15, 2023 - Financial Management and Marketing - De Soto Parish Extension Office in Grand Cane
The cost of registration is $250.
Registration form and fees are due to Dr. Ashley Edwards by Friday, February 17, 2023.
For more information:
Josh Salley at jsalley@agcenter.lsu.edu
Lee Faulk at afaulk@agcenter.lsu.edu
Ashley Edwards at akedwards@agcenter.lsu.edu
Read MoreCrawfish lovers, get your peelers ready! Crawfish season is officially underway in Houston.
Several spots have already started cooking up your favorite crustacean.
“It’s refreshing when you come to Houston and you find some crawfish that’s actually pretty good," crawfish lover Britni Jordan said.
Read MoreU.S. officials say that changes proposed by Mexico are not sufficient to resolve the ongoing dispute over genetically modified corn. Following a Monday meeting with Mexican officials, USTR Chief Agricultural Negotiator Doug McKalip and USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agriculture Affairs Alexis Taylor issued a joint statement pushing for more action
Read MoreNoble Guedon knows the equipment he uses on his Concordia Parish farm documents a lot of information — from which crop varieties he planted to how much they yielded at harvesttime to how fast the tractor was being driven.
So when his tractor generated a map speckled with red, indicating low yields, he was certain he could figure out the reason by consulting some of the other data that had been recorded. As it turned out, those red spots lined up almost exactly with low areas marked on map made from elevation data.
Read MoreForestry is big business in Louisiana, and some students from the Czech Republic are visiting the LSU AgCenter to learn more about research being conducted to support the state’s top agricultural commodity.
Seven students working on master’s degrees in tropical forestry at Mendel University are spending a week in Baton Rouge meeting with LSU students and AgCenter scientists in campus laboratories and at the Botanic Gardens at Burden.
Read MoreAfter dedicating 26 years of being president of the Louisiana Cattle Festival, Francis Plaisance is no longer the president of the Cattle Festival.
Last month the Cattle Festival Board elected Karen Guilbeau as the new president. She was introduced at Tuesday night’s Abebville City Council Meeting.
Read MoreAfter several years of market fluctuations, the Louisiana timber industry is finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
That is the optimism shared by forestry professionals during the 2023 Forestry Forum held as a part of AgExpo recently in West Monroe.
Read MoreCotton production can be financially stressful and for many cotton producers in Oklahoma and Texas, the 2022 crop was a disappointment. Price and yield prospects withered like cooked cabbage as the hot and dry growing season wore on. However, it is not too early to be thinking about plans for the 2023 cotton crop with most of the short crop harvest just behind us.
Read MoreA full-scale organic regulations overhaul has been a long time coming. And finally, it seems to be here … at least on paper. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has just unveiled its Strengthening Organic Enforcement rule, which it hopes will “protect organic integrity and bolster farmer and consumer confidence in the USDA organic seal.”
As I read through all of the things this new rule is supposed to do — from strengthening certification of organic imports to more rigorous domestic on-site inspections and better data reporting — I couldn’t help but wonder what all those organic activists think now that the USDA has basically admitted that the system they championed has been deeply flawed.
Read MoreResearchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service have bred four cotton lines that can be used to make self-extinguishing textiles when exposed to fire. The hope is that these cotton lines will reduce the need for flame-retardant chemicals to be embedded in consumer products.
The new cotton lines were developed from cultivated varieties with a novel flame-retardant trait. When exposed to an open flame, the fabric from the new cotton lines self-extinguished compared to regular cotton fabric, which burned entirely in seconds.
Read MoreExports will be a key driver for cattle and beef markets in 2023. How export demand holds up will be influenced by what happens in currency markets. Beef export data continue to show overall growth, but with a high level of economic uncertainty worldwide, headwinds remain strong.
Read MoreCommodity groups, agriculture organizations and universities are sounding the alarm again over the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed changes to atrazine labels and its effect on farmers.
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