The furniture industry uses overlaid panels as flat, straight elements in furniture and cabinet construction. The panels are often in 3-ply or 5-ply construction with a thick core and thin overlays. Occasionally, 2-ply overlaid panels, which are particle board or medium density fiberboard overlaid on the visible face only, are used for economical reasons.

Itchgrass, often referred to as Raoulgrass, is a major weed problem in south Louisiana. Yield reductions attributed to itchgrass competition have been as high as 43 percent in sugarcane and 30 percent in corn and soybeans.

In 1998, the equine industry contributed an estimated $41 million in gross farm income and an additional $89 millionin value-added and related activities to Louisiana’s $1.5 billion animal industry.

The tarnished plant bug is becoming a major cotton pest in the mid-South states of Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. In 1998, the tarnished plant bug caused a loss of more than 14,000 bales of cotton in Louisiana, even though more than $5.5 million was spent to control it.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the LSU Agricultural Center are beginning a 5- to 10-year project involving drainage systems for sugarcane production that could result in environmental and economic benefits.

Camptotheca acuminata, a deciduous tree native to southern China, contains camptothecin (CPT). In 1996, the FDA approved two CPT derivatives for treating ovarian and colorectal cancer.

An LSU Agricultural Center professor received the 1999 Dean Foods Awardat the American Dairy Science Association’s Annual Meeting in Memphis, Tenn.

Dairy heifers are at risk for mastitis long before parturition. Recent studiesdocument that these animals can become infected with a variety of mastitispathogens. If undetected and untreated, these infections can often persist through calving and into the first lactation.

Soft-shelled crawfish, often referred to as soft crawfish,have been consumed in Louisiana for many years. Commercial production of soft crawfish follows the annual molt cycle.

Most commercial cow-calf herds in Louisiana and in the southeastern United States include fewer than 100 animals and consist of crossbred combinations of Brahman, British, Continental and possibly dairy breeds.

Cotton is a perennial that continuesto grow vegetatively during reproductive development. A consequence of this characteristic can be excessive vegetative growth under conditions of above optimumsoil moisture and fertility,thereby delaying maturity and increasing the incidence of lodging.

Nursery crop production in Louisiana and across the southeastern United States has experienced unprecedented growth in the past decade. In 1998, Louisiana ranked 17th nationwide in wholesale sales of nursery crops with more than $107 million and 20th nationwide in retail sales of lawn and garden products with $1.4 billion.

Row crop producers have always had an idea of how yield varied in different parts of their fields. By looking at the crop before harvest and visually monitoring yield during harvest, they could see general yield patterns and speculate on why they occurred.

New technology using computers and satellites has madeit possible to measure the variability of nutrients within a fieldand vary the rate of applied fertilizer based on need.

Patents are becoming increasingly important to the LSU Agricultural Center and similar institutions across the country, as the cost of research increases and public financial support faces competition from other segments of society.

Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Summer 1999