The use of plastic mulch is an important cultural practice in the commercial production of fruits and vegetables, but removal and disposal of the mulch cause problems.

Louisiana Agriculture Magazine, Spring 2000

Bell peppers are grown extensively throughout southeastern Louisiana, with production concentrated in Tangipahoa and surrounding parishes. Gross farm value in 1999 was about $1.6 million.

Brahman-composite breeds were developed from Brahman-crossbred cattle. The Santa Gertrudis, Brangus and Beefmaster breeds were among the first Brahman-composite breeds, all British-based, developed in the United States.

An LSU Agricultural Center scientist played a major role in helping bring to marketa new environmentally friendly insecticide for sugarcane – so friendly that it won anaward from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Males of an animal species have an advantage over females in the propagation of their genes.

The LSU Agricultural Center has started an aggressive plan to improve the state’s water quality with a new approach to best management practices.

James L. Griffin, Terrence Tiersch and the LouisianaAgricultural Experiment Station’s Cotton Variety and Strain Evaluation Team won the top research awards presented at the LSU Agricultural Center’s Annual Conference in December 1999.

As field corn acreage has increased in the mid-South, consultants and farmers have often noted high tarnished plant bug populations in cotton fields adjacent to corn.

Common carpetgrass was introduced into the United States through New Orleans during the 1800s. The Creole citizens referred to it as "Louisianagrass" or "petit gazon," meaning small lawngrass.

Many soil types are present in the Mississippi River Delta of Louisiana. Optimal nitrogen application rates and timing are needed for each specific soil type.

Because of the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, the state’s agriculture industry has become world-class and competitive globally. this is the opinion of three former experiment station directors as they reflected on the past.

Beef cattle in Louisiana are constantly infected with gastrointestinal nematodes, commonly referred to as roundworms.

Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Fall 2000

Louisiana Agricullture Magazine 2000 summer

Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Winter 2000

Detection laboratory helps meet food safety needs

Consumers continue to demand more convenience with food products, including meat. Safety is a primary concern with precooked, ready-to-eat meat products.

Ciguatera fish poisoning is a typeof food poisoning caused by ingestion of certain tropical and subtropical marine fish that harbor natural toxins originating from microscopic algae (dinoflagellates).

In December 1996, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a requirement that all seafood must be processed using Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles. The intent of the requirement is to increase food safety and consumer confidence.

Throughout the various phases ofthe food production and processingsystem, opportunities for contaminationexist. Reliable laboratory and fieldmethods are necessary to rapidly detectand trace the source of contamination.

Cheese is one of the most ancient forms of manufactured food. It is the product of enzymatic action and lactic fermentation of milk using various bacterial cultures.

A partnership between scientists at the LSU Agricultural Center and entrepreneurs in Louisiana’s oyster industry has resulted in a revival of the Gulf Coast raw oyster.

1) Pathogenic microorganism hazards with reduced oxygen packaging of ground beef.2) Influence of display gas mixture on shelf life of ground beefin modified atmosphere packaging

Beef consumers are provided with various kinds of information on the fresh beef sold in grocery stores.

Scientists at the LSU AgCenter have developed a new medium-grain rice variety, named Earl, that offers improved yield and disease resistance.

Ozone is a substance best known intwo divergent ways. It is both beneficial—as in the ozone layer protecting the Earth from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays—or detrimental when ground-level concentrations become excessive, particularly on hot, humid days.

Although Americans enjoy the safest food supply in the world, several recent outbreaks of foodborne illness have heightened concern about food safety.

Food consumption plays two roles in human development: nutrition and disease prevention. Foods provide not only protein, fats, vitamins, minerals andother constituents essential for growth, but also components necessary for prevention of certain diseases.

Recent illnesses and deaths traced to foods contaminated with Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 have caused processors, regulatory officials and scientists to examine different techniques to control and destroy pathogenic microorganisms.

Aflatoxin is a natural toxin produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus. Aflatoxin in corn appears when high temperatures and drought stress occur, which favors infection of the ear by the fungus.

LSU AgCenter Extension conducts “Safe Food Handlers” workshops to help people learn to keep food safe.

Photos from the First Millennium

The search for new markets is a continuing quest. To that end, the Louisiana Soybean and Feed GrainsPromotion and Research Board funded a study to determine whether Louisiana soybean farmers could net more money by barging soybeans into Matamoros, Mexico, rather than selling them at harvest to local elevators.

Traditionally, rural land values have been influenced by site characteristics such as soil quality, type of crops grown, size of tract, relative accessibility, improvements and government programs.

The economic potential of nonindustrial forest land in Louisiana is virtually untapped.