(Distributed 09/07/07) A tiny pest called the “panicle rice mite” has been found in the southern United States, including the LSU AgCenter’s Rice Research Station at Crowley. The mite has recently been detected in rice plants this summer at research facilities in Texas and Puerto Rico. Before 2007, it was found in a greenhouse in Ohio and has been a major problem in rice fields in Central and South America, the Caribbean and Asia.

(Distributed 09/10/07) A continuation of current strong soybean prices depends on next year’s production, farmers were told at a soybean and energy crop tour held Sept. 6 in Jefferson Davis Parish. Dr. Kurt Guidry, LSU AgCenter economist, said a decrease in soybean acreage and increased demand this year helped boost prices.

(Distributed 09/13/07) Construction techniques used by Cameron Parish residents rebuilding their homes will be featured during a tour of homes on Sept. 23 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The tour’s theme is “Rita Recovery: Rebuilding Safer, Stronger and Smarter,” according to Cynthia Richard, an LSU AgCenter housing agent who organized the event.

(For Release On Or After 09/28/07) As we move toward October, it is not too early to make plans for houseplants that spent the summer outdoors. You will need to bring them back inside when it starts to get cold, and there are a variety of jobs you can look at doing now.

(For Release On Or After 09/14/07) In late summer gardeners need to think about two important points of landscape maintenance – fertilizing and pruning.

(For Release On Or After 09/07/07) September is a transitional month in the vegetable garden. Toward the end of this month we should see some relief from the intense heat of mid- to late summer. Still, September can be quite warm, and daytime highs in the 80s are common well into October.

(For Release On Or After 09/21/07) Bromeliads are a beautiful group of tropical plants. With their many shapes and colors and their ease of culture, once you have one bromeliad you are likely to want more.

(Distributed 09/17/07) Deer food plot management is the topic of a seminar on Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m. at the Natchitoches Art Center, 716 2nd St., according to Hubert Wilkerson, LSU AgCenter extension educator in Natchitoches and Sabine parishes.

(Distributed 09/28/07) An alternative energy company met with about 20 farmers Wednesday (Sept. 26) at the LSU AgCenter extension office to discuss growing crops to be converted into ethanol.

(Distributed 09/27/07) Rebuild on piers or a pad? That question was a priority for Pamelia Villa of Moss Bluff who came to a recent LSU AgCenter Tour of Homes in Cameron Parish. Villa’s home had been smashed by two trees blown down during Hurricane Rita.

(Distributed 09/27/07) The LSU AgCenter continues to encourage Louisiana gardeners and others to “Get It Growing” in 2008 with the publication of this year’s edition of its calendar. The Get It Growing 2008 Lawn & Garden Calendar, like the previous three annual versions, provides gardening enthusiasts with opportunities to learn more about their craft and to enjoy beautiful garden photos.

(Distributed 09/26/07) It has been the scene of fun-filled summer days for many generations of Louisiana youth. And on Oct. 27, the LSU AgCenter’s 4-H Camp Grant Walker will celebrate its 85th birthday with an open house.

(Distributed 09/25/07) A rainy weather pattern has soaked fields, wet down cotton fiber and slowed the cotton harvest in the central and northeast parts of Louisiana. Only 7 percent of the cotton has been harvested in Louisiana as of Sept. 24.

(Distributed 09/24/07) With this year’s dove season in full swing, LSU AgCenter faculty hope past wildlife field days and workshops will decrease the number of citations written this year.

(Distributed 09/21/07) Many questions remain unanswered about a new pest that has been found in rice in Louisiana called the panicle rice mite. But work is ongoing to learn more about it. This is what officials with the LSU AgCenter, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry told more than 50 county agents and crop consultants gathered in a Vermilion Parish rice field on Sept. 19.

(Distributed 09/21/07) An additional 14 square blocks of the historic French Quarter have been added to a federal program to combat Formosan subterranean termites in this city, officials announced here on Sept. 20.

(Distributed 09/20/07) The LSU AgCenter will conduct an ornamental horticulture and turfgrass field day for lawn and garden professionals on Oct. 9 at Burden Center Station in Baton Rouge.

(Distributed 09/19/07) “Good plants gone bad” is how an LSU AgCenter urban forester describes plants that have invaded the Louisiana landscape and created problems for farmers, forest owners and homeowners. Hallie Dozier, an assistant professor in the School of Renewable Natural Resources, says the introduction of foreign plants often causes problems because they don’t have natural enemies to control their spread.

(Distributed 09/17/07) Louisiana rice farmers are reporting a fair-to-good crop for the 2007 season, with most fields already harvested in South Louisiana and more than half cut in the northern parishes. Overall, the harvest has been good, and milling quality has been stable, according to Dr. Steve Linscombe, director of the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station in Crowley.

(Distributed 09/14/07) Nonprofit organizations can learn how to prepare for a hurricane, fire, flood or other disaster and how to communicate effectively with staff, volunteers and supporters at a workshop on Sept. 21.

(Distributed 09/17/07)Dr. Greg Lutz, LSU AgCenter aquaculture specialist, will present a seminar on crawfish production Oct. 16 at 6:30 p.m. at Northwestern State University’s Aquaculture Research Facility near Marco. The meeting is for current and potential producers.

(Distributed 09/18/07) The LSU AgCenter’s Dean Lee Research and Extension Station in Alexandria has been awarded the 2007 Soil and Water Conservation Society of Louisiana "Good Land Use Award."

(Distributed 09/12/07) Lovebug populations have been low over the past two years. These pests typically make appearances around May and September.

(Distributed 09/07/07) More than 125 people gathered for a ceremony at the LSU AgCenter’s Dean Lee Research and Extension Station on Sept. 5 to dedicate the new livestock show facility there to the late C. Woodrow DeWitt Sr.

(Distributed 09/07/07) The LSU AgCenter’s annual field day and open house at the Red River Research Station in Bossier City on Sept. 6 highlighted research accomplishments with greenhouse tomatoes, agronomic crops and cotton pest management.

(Distributed 09/10/07) A new nonprofit organization has been formed called the Burden Horticulture Society to provide assistance and fundraising for the enhancement and use of LSU AgCenter’s Burden Center, according to Dr. Pat Hegwood, the Burden Center resident director.

(Distributed 09/05/07) Recognizing 41 years of dedication, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s National Weather Service has named William David Caldwell, professor at the LSU AgCenter’s Red River Research Station in Bossier City, as a 2007 recipient of the agency’s John Campanius Holm Award.

(Distributed 09/11/07) The Town of Dubach will celebrate the Louisiana Chicken Festival Sept. 28-29 with a proclamation from Gov. Kathleen Blanco declaring September Poultry and Egg Month.

(Distributed 09/24/07) Among the many natural threats homeowners face is termite infestation. Precautions can minimize that threat.

(Distributed 09/06/07) Tailgating in Louisiana gets in full swing with the kickoff of football season. To prevent food-borne illness, build your game plan around the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Partnership for Food Safety Education’s food safety steps, says Dr. Beth Reames, LSU AgCenter food safety specialist. The four steps in the plan are clean, separate, cook and chill.

(Radio News 09/03/07) Despite the earlier occurrence of Asian soybean rust this year, Louisiana has a good soybean crop. The U.S. Department of Agriculture was predicting record yields, which may not happen, according to LSU AgCenter soybean specialist Dr. David Lanclos, who says about a third of the state's crop was planted late because it was double-cropped with wheat. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 09/17/07) September usually brings a resurgence in the lovebug population. LSU AgCenter entomologist Dr. Dale Pollet says we could see plenty of these amorous insects. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 09/17/07) Wheat acreage in Louisiana is expected to go up in response to rising prices. LSU AgCenter cotton specialist Dr. Sandy Stewart is working on a viable way to double-crop cotton behind a wheat crop. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 09/17/07) The cotton nematode can be a damaging insect in cotton fields. Growers are more focused on managing this pest now that other cotton pests have been eliminated. LSU AgCenter plant pathologist Dr. Patrick Colyer explains. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 09/24/07) Joan Almond, a LSU AgCenter nutrition agent, is helping employees at a Wal-Mart achieve a healthy lifestyle. She is delivering a series of weekly lessons based on the LSU AgCenter’s Smart Portions Program. This is part of the employees' personal sustainability project that includes goals such as recycling and saving energy. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(TV News 09/17/07) Water will find its way to the lowest point on the land. Researchers at a LSU AgCenter research station are taking advantage of gravity to study water quality on farms and ways to filter runoff using constructed wetland systems. (Runtime 1 minute, 34 seconds)

(Radio News 09/17/07) Dr. Patrick Colyer, a LSU AgCenter plant pathologist is studying the effectiveness of Avicta and Aeris at controlling nematodes in cotton fields. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 09/24/07) Fire ants can be a terrible nuisance. LSU AgCenter entomologist Dr. Dale Pollet recommends large-scale treatment in the spring and fall. Late September or early October is a good time to organize a neighborhood-wide treatment. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 09/24/07) Cooler weather isn’t the only benefit of fall. Louisiana’s pecan crop will be ready for harvest soon. LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Charles Graham talks about what the state can expect this year. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 09/24/07) Pecan orchards can be found across Louisiana. Commercial acreage fluctuates each year because the crop of native trees isn’t always harvested. LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Charles Graham explains. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 09/24/07) Yellow jackets are aggressive scavengers. LSU AgCenter entomologist Dr. Dale Pollet says the insect can be particularly bothersome this time of the year as they forage for food. Pollet recommends keeping lids on trash cans and moving them away from the entrances of homes and buildings. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(TV News 09/24/07) Many people might be shy about stepping on a scale in front of a room full of their co-workers, but it is a weekly occurrence at a Wal-Mart in Minden, Louisiana. The employees at this store are participating in a personal sustainability project that includes goals such as recycling, saving energy and living healthier. (Runtime: 1 minute, 42 seconds)

(Radio News 09/03/07) Chinch bugs and their damage are appearing in lawns. Homeowners have not had many problems with these pests this year – until recently when the weather stayed hot and relatively dry. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 09/03/07) Cicada killers are common this time of the year. LSU AgCenter entomologist Dr. Dale Pollet explains how to recognize this threatening-looking, but beneficial, insect. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 09/03/07) The lack of significant rainfall in August allow the corn harvest to move quickly. As a result, LSU AgCenter corn specialist Dr. David Lanclos says a slowdown is occurring at grain elevators and ports as growers try to move out this large crop. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 09/03/07) Louisiana corn growers are close to wrapping up a record-setting harvest. LSU AgCenter corn specialist Dr. David Lanclos says yields are high thanks to four factors. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 09/10/07) There are several species of white flies in Louisiana that attack a variety of plants. Early detection is best for management of these pests. LSU AgCenter entomologist Dr. Dale Pollet recommends systemic materials to control them. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 09/10/07) The boll weevil eradication program eliminated that pest in cotton. Bt cotton has taken care of worm pests. Now LSU AgCenter cotton specialist Dr. Sandy Stewart says secondary pests are becoming bigger problems. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 09/10/07) Thanks to ideal weather conditions, Louisiana's small cotton crop got off to a good start. LSU AgCenter cotton specialist Dr. Sandy Stewart says things changed in July. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 09/10/07) The LSU AgCenter’s 4-H youth program turns 100 during this school year. LSU AgCenter director of the 4-H Youth Program Dr. Mark Tassin says there is a reason for the organization’s longevity. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 09/10/07) Now that the new school year has begun, many youngsters want to join clubs and organizations. 4-H has a strong presence in Louisiana schools. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(TV News 09/03/07) High corn prices stimulated an exceptionally large corn crop in Louisiana. The lack of significant rainfall in August allowed the harvest to move quickly. The result: Long lines at grain elevators.(Runtime: 1 minute, 23 seconds)