News Release Distributed 10/09/07
BOSSIER CITY – 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.
The first will be at noon on Oct. 25, and the topic is “Birds, Bees and Tomato Quality and Taste,” featuring Dr. H.Y. Hanna, who has been conducting research on growing greenhouse tomatoes for the past 11 years.
“We wanted to start with this topic because many people know us through our annual sales of tomatoes,” McBride said. The station sells excess tomatoes from the research project and uses the money to help support more research.
The talk will highlight greenhouse tomato research at the station and include the tomato life cycle and tips on improving yields of tomatoes, squash, watermelons, cantaloupes and cucumbers.
The tomato fruit begins as a flower, and the flower has to be pollinated by wind in the field or by electric vibrators or bumblebees in the greenhouse, Hanna said. It takes about 50 days from pollination to produce a mature fruit.
Tomato recipes from extension agents will be distributed.
A barbecue lunch will be served. The cost is $5. Reservations are limited to 50 and are needed by Oct. 22. Please call (318) 741-7430. The research station is on Highway 71, three miles south of the Jimmie Davis Bridge at 262 Research Station Drive.
The next topic in the series will be pecans, but the date has not yet been set, McBride said.
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Contact:
Hanna Y. Hanna at (318) 741-7430, or hhanna@agcenter.lsu.edu
Jere McBride at (318) 741-7430, or jmcbride@agcenter.lsu.edu
Writer:
Mary Ann Van Osdell at (318) 741-7430, ext. 1104, or mvanosdell@agcenter.lsu.edu