(For Release On Or After 03/04/05) Azaleas are spring showoffs, even though some newer varieties now bloom in other seasons.

(For Release On Or After 03/18/05) Louisianans have appreciated the enjoyable qualities of spicy foods for generations, and peppers from your backyard garden can help contribute to that.

(For Release On Or After 03/25/05) It’s time to decide if your aquatic garden could use a good cleaning, since now is the best time to accomplish that task.

(For Release On Or After 03/11/05) Many of us already know herbs are vital to the flavor of many of our favorite dishes. But you might not realize herbs are easy to grow and can add flowers, fragrance and textures to the landscape.

(Distributed 03/10/05) A Texas company may build a $75 million plant in Louisiana to use rice straw to make building material, according to an environmental brokering and marketing firm.

(Distributed 03/09/05) The LSU AgCenter will provide technical assistance training in April for shrimp producers who qualify for cash payments under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program.

(Distributed 03/01/05) The 2005 Spring Garden Show in New Orleans is set for April 2-3 in the Botanical Gardens on Victory Avenue in City Park.

(Distributed 03/10/05) The LSU AgCenter will offer a unique wildlife educational program at selected sites across the state beginning in late March. The program, "Master Wildlifer; Wildlife Conservation on Private Lands," is designed for landowners, land managers and outdoor recreation enthusiasts who are interested in including wildlife considerations in their current land management activities.

(Distributed 03/18/05) Citrus growers from California and Spain are beating Louisiana satsuma producers with inferior products, according to an LSU AgCenter horticulture professor.

(Distributed 03/01/05) Representatives of rice farming groups recently returned from Washington, D.C., slightly more optimistic than when they left, but they warn that agriculture faces potentially tough times.

(Distributed 03/10/05) The LSU AgCenter will offer a unique wildlife educational program at selected sites across the state beginning in late March.

(Distributed 03/11/05) Louisiana crawfish farmers are producing an abundant crop this year – although an abundant supply generally means more smaller crawfish, according to Dr. Ray McClain, LSU AgCenter aquaculture professor.

(Distributed 03/01/05) The LSU AgCenter and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana’s charitable subsidiary have joined forces on an interactive educational program designed to combat childhood obesity.

(Distributed 03/04/05) Four listening sessions will be conducted at various locations in the state to give Louisiana citizens a chance to comment on the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

(Distributed 03/10/05) The 2005 Southwest Louisiana Garden Festival is set for April 2-3 in the outdoor covered arena at the Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles.

(Distributed 03/04/05) The LSU AgCenter will once again transform its Parker Coliseum in Baton Rouge into a place where people can learn about the wonders and magic of agriculture April 12-21.

(Distributed 03/01/05) The LSU AgCenter and the Louisiana Mosquito Control Association are sponsoring a workshop for applicators interested in certification as pesticide applicators for mosquito control/public health.

(Distributed 03/31/05) Functional foods and the role they play in disease risks will be the subject of a public lecture on the LSU campus April 18.

(Distributed 03/01/05) Farmers and industry representatives are learning how the new Roundup Ready Flex cotton can help them control weeds and be competitive in producing a crop.

(Distributed 03/10/05) The LSU AgCenter’s Baton Rouge Spring Garden Show will blossom again March 19-20 on the campus in Baton Rouge.

(Distributed 03/03/05) Researchers at the LSU AgCenter are working with a product that has the potential to provide several significant health benefits and add value to an important Louisiana commodity.

(Distributed 03/18/05) More than 200 forest landowners and industry representatives attended the Ark-La-Tex Forestry Forum March 10 to learn techniques important in growing trees and maximizing the profit potential from their land.

(Distributed 03/01/05) David Watson manages about 38 cows in the rolling hills of St. Helena Parish.

(Distributed 03/31/05) Forty-eight 4-H Club members and the adults who accompanied them recently spent two days learning new skills and developing a relationship with their horses during the Southwest Louisiana 4-H Horse Camp at the Burton Coliseum Outdoor Arena here.

(Distributed 03/10/05) LSU AgCenter soybean specialist Dr. David Lanclos and others shared information about the effects of Asian soybean rust on the crop in Brazil during a Farm Bureau Federation meeting held at the Rapides Parish Extension Center last week (March 4).

(Distributed 03/03/05) The LSU AgCenter will hold its annual Performance Tested Bull Sale March 19 at the Dean Lee Research Station south of Alexandria.

(Distributed March 2005) Two varieties top the list for the 2005 All-American Daylily Selections, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Allen Owings.

(Distributed March 2005) Many families enjoy dyeing and decorating eggs for Easter. Because eggs are perishable, though, it is necessary to follow food safety precautions, according to LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Beth Reames.

(Distributed March 2005) One of the handiest implements you can put on a small tractor is a lift boom for the 3-point hitch, says Dr. Dick Parish, an engineer at the LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station.

(Distributed March 2005) Louisiana gardeners are getting itchy green thumbs about now, affirms LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske.

(Distributed March 2005) Eating out is a pleasure you can enjoy even if you’re trying to trying to lose weight or prevent weight gain. That’s an assertion by LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Beth Reames.

(Distributed March 2005) The food and physical activity choices you make now affect how you feel today and in the future. That is the message of the newly released Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, according to LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Beth Reames.

(Distributed March 2005) Pine straw – dead pine needles – is a valuable resource in the Deep South. It makes excellent landscape mulch and is in high demand, says Dr. Dick Parish, an engineer at the LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station.

(Distributed March 2005) The fourth Tuesday in March is an important occasion for LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Beth Reames. On that day, March 22, the American Diabetes Association holds its annual "Alert" to locate the millions of Americans with undiagnosed diabetes.

(Distributed March 2005) Maintaining the edges of beds in the landscape is easier than it used to be, says Dick Parish, an engineer at the LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station.

(Distributed March 2005) The 2005 edition of the Guidelines offers a number of updates on familiar dietary subjects. LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Heli Roy examines some critical points.

(Distributed March 2005) There are many ways to contribute to the economic well-being of your family, parish, state and country. Producing fresh, healthy garden produce is just such a way, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske.

(Distributed March 2005) Behavioral weight control therapies for obesity involve weight loss and weight maintenance, according to LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Heli Roy. The most effective weight loss programs offer a combination of exercise, diet and behavioral modification.

(Distributed March 2005) Spring testing is a fact of life for Louisiana schoolchildren. With impending tests often comes stress experienced both by parents and the test-takers, says LSU AgCenter Family Development professor Dr. Diane Sasser.

(Distributed March 2005) Fruit thinning is an important step in consistently producing good quality fruit, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. John Pyzner.

(Distributed March 2005) Proper preparation prevents poor performance. Those are the five Ps to remember when sodding a new lawn, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske.

(Distributed March 2005) Most people do not consume adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables. Yet, these foods are important weapons against chronic disease, according to LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Heli Roy.

(Distributed March 2005) The three most important factors in pest management are identification, pH and timing. These three measures allow for better management at reduced cost and reduced spraying, according to LSU AgCenter entomologist Dr. Dale Pollet.

(Distributed March 2005) Zoysiagrass can make the most beautiful green to dark-green lawns, but it also can be a big problem. It is considered high maintenance turf, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske.

(Distributed March 2005) Bamboo enjoys either a "love it" or "hate it" attitude among many home gardeners. "We all need to keep in mind that bamboos are probably best suited for gardeners with some experience," says LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Allen Owings.

(Distributed March 2005) Do you find yourself in a favor frenzy in which your kind gesture turns into a last-minute "emergency"? It may be time for an "extreme"-ly easy makeover, according to LSU AgCenter family resource management professor Dr. Karen Overstreet.

(Distributed March 2005) Some of the most stressful times children experience come when they move from one classroom to another, according to LSU AgCenter child-care associate Cheri Gioe.

(Distributed March 2005) Research shows that Americans have consumed more calories over the past 30 years. "This may be one of the major reasons for the increase in overweight and obesity," says LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Beth Reames.