Variety development is crucial to the Louisiana sugarcane industry.

“It’s been the major driver for doubling yields between 1930 and 1970, and then, again, we doubled yields from 1970 to today,” said AgCenter sugarcane specialist Kenneth Gravois.

Crop breeders say it generally takes 12 years for a new variety to be released.

To help the Louisiana sugarcane variety development program, Harry L. Laws & Company donated $250,000 to the LSU AgCenter to help genetic research. The company is a majority owner in the Catherine Sugar Company in West Baton Rouge Parish and an owner of agriculture and recreation-related land. This donation is expected to improve sugarcane genetic research and help with selecting new varieties.

Craig Gautreaux

AgCenter Scientist Wins National Public Relations Honor for Nematode Work

As a nematologist with the LSU AgCenter, Tristan Watson is accustomed to his work earning the recognition of scientific organizations. Now he can add a public relations accolade to his résumé, too.

The Public Relations Society of America recently presented its Silver Anvil Award in Issues Management to Watson and other members of The SCN Coalition, which developed a national campaign to educate soybean farmers about nematode issues. The group is composed of university scientists from 28 states and a Canadian province, grower checkoff programs, corporate partners and the MorganMyers marketing and public relations agency.

The soybean cyst nematode, or SCN, is a parasitic roundworm that feeds on soybean roots and can decrease yields by nearly 25%. It is a major concern in many states, but not in Louisiana, where other nematode species are bigger issues. The SCN Coalition aimed to educate growers on diagnosis and management of all major nematode pests of soybeans in the United States.

Olivia McClure

Horticulture Researcher, Student Recognized

Two horticulture associations have recognized Jeb Fields, the AgCenter consumer horticulture extension specialist, and a graduate student working on Fields’ lab for their work on ornamental plant production and resources efficiency.

Fields was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from the Louisiana Nursery and Landscape Association. He was also awarded the John E. Hutchison Extension Award from the Southern Region American Society of Horticulture Science, which is given to a young extension horticulturist to recognize valuable contributions to horticulture.

Kristopher Criscione, a doctoral student working with fields, was awarded the Childers Graduate Student of the Year Award and the Outstanding Graduate Student of the year from the Southern Region American Society of Horticulture Science

“These four awards all in a short time are very exciting for my lab and the forward direction of our program,” said Fields, who is stationed at the Hammond Research Station.

Kyle Peveto

This article appears in the spring 2023 edition of Louisiana Agriculture magazine.

Assistant professor Jeb S. Fields, right, and doctoral student Kristopher Criscione both won awards from the Southern Region American Society of Horticulture Science. Photo provided by Jeb S. Fields

Tristan Watson