(For Release On Or After 10/05/07) Fall is a prime planting season in Louisiana. Cool-season flowering bedding plants and cool-season vegetables are planted from now through February, and November through February is the best time to plant hardy shrubs, ground covers and perennials in the landscape. How well you prepare the soil before planting has an enormous effect on the health and growth of your plants.

(For Release On Or After 10/12/07) Cooler mornings in October make it a joy to get out and work in the home vegetable garden. A number of delicious and nutritious vegetables will thrive in the coming cool season. Indeed, some of our favorite vegetables can only be grown in Louisiana October through April.

(For Release On Or After 10/19/07) We’ve become accustomed to running out and buying flats or pots of blooming bedding plants to create “instant flower gardens.” This last-minute approach, however, will simply not work when using spring-flowering bulbs in the landscape. If you want beautiful beds of daffodils, tulips or Dutch irises next spring, you should think about planting them now.

(For Release On Or After 10/26/07) October is a transitional month in Louisiana flower gardens. Many warm-season annuals have finished or are finishing, and gardeners’ thoughts begin to turn to cool-season bedding plants for fall, winter and spring color.

(Distributed 10/11/07) Asian soybean rust did not have a damaging effect on this year’s soybean crop, according to experts at the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 10/31/07) The LSU AgCenter’s 4-H Outdoor Skills program featured a new exercise in gun safety for youth at the recent Outdoor Skills Field Day at the AgCenter’s Southeast Research Station.

(Distributed 10/25/07) More than 350 people attended the recent (Oct. 10-12) Louisiana Master Gardener State Conference.

(Distributed 10/23/07) Every October, around 10,000 children wander through Perilloux’s Pumpkin Patch in St. Charles Parish in search of the perfect pumpkin. The operation started by accident 24 years ago with one Girl Scout troop and a small wagon. Today, school children and groups from across Southeast Louisiana board large trailers and make their way through Timmy Perilloux’s farm to the pumpkin patch.

(Distributed 10/23/07) About 70 people attending a seminar at the LSU AgCenter’s Red River Research Station recently learned ways to stop feral hogs from impinging on other wildlife populations and crops.

(Distributed 10/23/07) Cattle producers got a look at South Louisiana’s possible answer to alfalfa during a recent LSU AgCenter cattle field day in Vermilion Parish.

(Distributed 10/22/07) To recognize the outstanding contributions made to Louisiana agriculture, the Louisiana Agri-News Network, Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, the LSU AgCenter and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry are seeking nominations for the 2008 Louisiana Farmer of the Year.

(Distributed 10/19/07) The LSU AgCenter is helping bring day care centers back to the Greater New Orleans area.

(Distributed 10/22/07) Since 2000, nearly 450 pest control operators and technicians have completed two days of either basic or master training programs on treating for termites and other wood-destroying insects at the Lois Caffey Termite Training Center at the LSU AgCenter in Baton Rouge.

(Distributed 10/17/07) Children are getting fatter, and the solution to long-term obesity is to improve nutrition education of children, a leading nutrition expert told a packed lecture hall at the LSU AgCenter on World Food Day, Oct. 16.

(Distributed 10/17/07) Thirteen associates at the Wal-Mart in Minden who documented their weight at the beginning and end of an eight-lesson LSU AgCenter class on healthy eating lost a total of 32.64 pounds collectively.

(Distributed 10/16/07) Tailgating at an SEC football game is listed No. 27 in ESPN columnist Jim Caple’s list of 101 Things Sports Fans Must Experience Before They Die.

(Distributed 10/15/07) The LSU AgCenter’s Department of Food Science has named an advisory board that includes state, national and international leaders in the food industry, according to John Finley, department head.

(Distributed 10/15/07) The LSU AgCenter’s Character Critters program at the Paul E. Slaton Head Start Center in Ruston is producing immediate results, said one teacher.

(Distributed 10/12/07) The LSU AgCenter is offering hurricane-resistant home improvement seminars in South Louisiana from mid-October through mid-December.

(Distributed 10/10/07) The LSU AgCenter will participate in the 2007 World Food Day activities on Oct. 16 by co-hosting with the LSU College of Agriculture a seminar on nutrition. The presenter will be Jaime Rozowski with the Department of Nutrition at Pontifical Catholic University School of Medicine in Santiago, Chile. The seminar is titled, “Nutrition Transition in Chile: How Has Obesity Come to Plague Chile’s Youth?”

(Distributed 10/09/07) Nearly 200 lawn and garden professionals were on hand for an ornamental horticulture and turfgrass field day Oct. 9 at the LSU AgCenter’s Burden Center in Baton Rouge. The morning featured plot tours and presentations by LSU AgCenter researchers, extension specialists and graduate students.

(Distributed 10/11/07) The 2007 Fall Garden Show in New Orleans will be held at the City Park Botanical Garden Oct. 20-21 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. each day.

(Distributed 10/09/07) The Red River Research Station will begin a series of “Lunch and Ag Discovery” programs to help consumers and the urban population learn more about agricultural issues, according to Dr. Jere McBride, LSU AgCenter Northwest Region director.

(Distributed 10/08/07) Consumers may learn how to avoid scams, fraud and identity theft through a program offered across the state by the LSU AgCenter and other organizations.

(Distributed 10/05/07) The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced its investigation of genetically engineered Liberty Link rice has ended with no enforcement action being taken.

(Distributed 10/05/07) The 26th Annual North Louisiana Ag Expo will move from the Monroe Civic Center to the Ike Hamilton Expo Center in West Monroe in 2008. The event, which promotes the agribusiness industry and educates the public on the importance of agriculture, will be Jan. 18-19, according to Janet Rutledge, executive director of the North Louisiana Agri-Business Council.

(Distributed 10/01/07) Passion for the elderly and less fortunate is the driving force behind what keeps one LSU AgCenter agent excited about her work.

(Radio News 10/15/07) Louisiana soybean growers will set a state yield record according to LSU AgCenter soybean specialist Dr. David Lanclos. U.S. Department of Agriculture predicted growers would cut 37 bushels per acre, but they may do even better. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 10/22/07) Asian soybean rust was a big concern during this year’s growing season. But as the harvest nears completion, experts say the disease had little effect on the overall crop. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 10/29/07) Pumpkins are popular this time of the year. Louisiana growers started their crop back in the summer according to LSU AgCenter county agent Rene Schmit. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 10/29/07) Orange pumpkins, a traditional symbol of Halloween, don’t grow well in Louisiana’s climate. Farmers like Timmy Perilloux grow Creole pumpkins that can grow in unusual shapes. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 10/29/07) LSU AgCenter researchers are monitoring potential infestations of the panicle rice mite. LSU AgCenter rice entomologist Dr. Natalie Hummel explains what growers should do if they suspect a problem. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 10/29/07) Every October, around ten thousand children wander through Perilloux’s Pumpkin Patch in search of the perfect pumpkin. Timmy Perilloux started the operation with a small wagon and one Girl Scout troop. The success of the pumpkin business has surprised him. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(TV News 10/22/07) Louisiana’s cotton crop had a roller-coaster growing season. The crop was able to bounce back after heavy rains in July. (Runtime: 1 minute, 40 seconds)

(TV News 10/29/07) Every October, around 10,000 children wander through Perilloux’s Pumpkin Patch in St. Charles Parish in search of the perfect pumpkin. The operation started 24 years ago with a Girl Scout troop and one small wagon. Today, school children and groups across Southeast Louisiana board large trailers and make their way through Timmy Perilloux’s farm. (Runtime: 1 minute, 47 seconds)

(Radio News 10/22/07) Hunting is a favorite fall pastime of many Louisiana residents. LSU AgCenter hunting safety expert Dr. Don Reed says taking a few safety precautions can help hunters avoid accidents.

(Radio News 10/22/07) For more than a decade, one variety dominated the industry. LSU AgCenter sugarcane specialist Dr. Ben Legendre says growers are now turning to new varieties. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 10/22/07) Gun safety shortcuts can lead to serious injury or death. Dr. Don Reed, LSU AgCenter hunting safety expert, says one shortcut to avoid involves how hunters carry their firearm up and down deer stands. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 10/15/07) Several cotton gins did not open this year because of low cotton acreage. LSU AgCenter cotton specialist Dr. Sandy Stewart says gins will benefit from seed sales this year. Another bright spot for cotton is prices that have shifted upward in recent months.

(Radio News 10/15/07) The sugarcane harvest started in mid-September and mills are up and running as the harvest gets in full swing. Field yields are good, but reports of recoverable sugar initially were a little disappointing. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 10/15/07) Louisiana’s cotton crop was able to recover from damaging rains that occurred midway through the growing season. Growers harvesting their crop have been pleasantly surprised by yields, says LSU AgCenter cotton specialist Dr. Sandy Stewart. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 10/15/07) Sugarcane growers are busy this time of the year harvesting their crop. Growers have 415 thousand acres to harvest and expect high yields, so the harvest won’t go quickly. Rain in mid-September delayed the opening of some mills by a few days, and this will push the harvest into next year. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(TV News 10/15/07) The sugarcane harvest started in mid-September, and mills are up and running as the harvest gets in full swing. The state has 415 thousand acres of sugarcane this year, and growers are anticipating a promising harvest. (Runtime: 1 minute, 49 seconds)

(Radio News 10/01/07) The poultry industry is a vital part of the state’s economy according to LSU AgCenter poultry agent Johnnie Whitmire. Louisiana’s poultry industry consists of 420 broiler and egg producers in 12 parishes. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 10/01/07) A poultry demonstration facility is in the works at the LSU AgCenter’s Hill Farm Research Station. LSU AgCenter poultry agent Johnnie Whitmire says two broiler houses will be used to study heating and other issues. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 10/01/07) Researchers are trying to learn more about a new pest found in Louisiana rice earlier this summer. The panicle rice mite feeds on the leaf sheath and developing grain panicles of the rice plant. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 10/01/07) Cultural practices may be a grower’s best defense against the panicle rice mite explains LSU AgCenter rice entomologist Dr. Natalie Hummel. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(TV News 10/01/07) Poultry production, which contributes more than one billion dollars to Louisiana's economy, is the state's largest animal industry. The LSU AgCenter's poultry demonstration facility, located at the LSU AgCenter’s Hill Farm Research Station in Homer, will help producers prosper. (Runtime: 1 minute, 49 seconds)

(Radio News 10/01/07) LSU AgCenter entomologist Dr. Dale Pollet says a very large population of fall army worms are feeding in pastures, athletic fields and yards. Uncontrolled, they can eat large areas in a short time. (Runtime: 60 seconds)