(Distributed 07/28/14) AVERY ISLAND, La. – The Marsh Maneuvers 4-H summer camp is in its 25th year of teaching students about the ecology, anthropology, geology and hydrology of coastal Louisiana. For four weeks, 4-H students from different parishes attend a five-day camp at Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge to learn about the coastal environment and its precarious future.
(Distributed 07/11/14) CROWLEY, La. – Farmers voiced concerns about a proposed revision to the Clean Water Act in a meeting on July 9 with representatives of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. More than 130 people turned out for the session with some traveling from north Louisiana and Texas.
(Distributed 07/28/14) CROWLEY, La. – Dustin Harrell, LSU AgCenter agronomist, has been selected to become the next Louisiana rice extension specialist. He will start the new job in January with the retirement of the existing rice specialist, Johnny Saichuk.
(Distributed 07/23/14) ALEXANDRIA, La. – Testing soybean varieties or studying cotton fertility in the heat of the Louisiana summer might not appeal to some LSU students. But three visiting scholars from Honduras have been doing just that at the LSU AgCenter Dean Lee Research and Extension Center in Alexandria, and they say it has been the experience of a lifetime.
(Distributed 07/31/14) WINNSBORO, La. – Farmers are worried their operations may come under increased federal scrutiny as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers seek to clarify which waters are subject to Clean Water Act regulations.
(Distributed 07/18/14) ALEXANDRIA, La. – Louisiana farmers got an update on a variety of research projects at the LSU AgCenter Dean Lee Research and Extension Center's 13th annual row crop field day. The event, held on July 17, attracted about 200 attendees.
(Distributed 07/17/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Although signup is months away, agricultural landowners and producers need to begin planning for decisions they will have to make because of the new farm bill, according to LSU AgCenter economist Mike Salassi.
(Distributed 07/29/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Summer abounds with horse shows, competitions, sales and trail rides. However, hauling horses in Louisiana’s hot, humid summers can put them at risk for dehydration, heatstroke and exhaustion.
(Distributed 07/07/14) BATON ROUGE, La. — The LSU AgCenter LaHouse Resource Center will offer two Lead Certified Renovator Training courses in July. The course will first be held on July 22 at LaHouse in Baton Rouge and then on July 28 at the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training in Natchitoches.
(Distributed 07/25/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – When a group of LSU and LSU AgCenter professors visited Brazil universities last spring, it was more of a fact-finding mission. But recent developments have proven the trip was well worth the effort, according to Lawrence Datnoff, head of the AgCenter Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology.
(Distributed 07/29/14) BATON ROUGE, LA. – With more than 60 species of mosquitoes in Louisiana and mild temperatures most of the year anytime is a good time to be bitten, said LSU AgCenter entomologist Kristen Healey. But right now is an especially important time to be on the lookout for these pesky predators.
(Distributed 07/24/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Satellites in space may be far away, but two Japanese engineers are developing ways to use them to improve their country's rice crop.
(Distributed 07/03/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU AgCenter will host an e-commerce seminar in Mansura from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. July 24. The event, which is sponsored by the Connect My Louisiana initiative, will feature information on 3D printing, building online businesses and social media.
(Distributed 07/17/14) RAYVILLE, La. – Rice farmers heard from LSU AgCenter experts on July 17 talking about their research and the 2014 rice crop. Johnny Saichuk, LSU AgCenter rice specialist, said the crop is doing well, but he doubts it will be as good as last year’s.
(Distributed 07/21/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – The path to a healthier lifestyle sometimes begins with small steps. But for low-income people whose budgets and food options are often limited, taking those first steps can be difficult.
(Distributed 07/30/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU AgCenter will host a dedication ceremony for its new Animal and Food Sciences Laboratories Building at 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 6. Gov. Bobby Jindal and East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Kip Holden will attend the dedication, along with LSU and AgCenter officials.
(Distributed 07/24/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Members of the Louisiana 4-H Food and Fitness Board from throughout the state held their summer meeting in Baton Rouge July 15-17, where they were able to get some hands-on experience and career information from food industry representatives, said LSU AgCenter 4-H regional coordinator Lanette Hebert.
(Distributed 07/17/14) LAKE CHARLES, La. – Results from the 45th annual Louisiana 4-H and FFA State Horse Show held July 8-12, 2014, have been released.
(Distributed 07/11/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – When people get sick, they usually call their doctor. Louisiana residents and extension personnel can do the same thing when their plants get sick, thanks to the LSU AgCenter's Plant Diagnostic Center. There, director of the center and "plant doctor" Raj Singh can examine samples and help with just about any plant health problem.
(Distributed 07/29/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Kathy Conerly has been named executive secretary of Louisiana FFA. In her new position, she hopes to expand programs and use FFA to promote agriculture to Louisiana's next generation. Conerly succeeds Ronald Mayeux, who passed away in April and was the executive secretary for seven years. FFA is affiliated with both the LSU AgCenter and the LSU College of Agriculture.
(Distributed 07/14/14) WINNSBORO, La. – Corn farmers should be looking for a damaging fungal disease, Southern rust, which has been found recently in Louisiana. “Some years we see it. Some years we don’t,” said Trey Price, plant pathologist at the LSU AgCenter Macon Ridge Research Station.
(Distributed 07/03/14) The industry standard in rudbeckia is the Goldsturm variety, which is widely available in Louisiana. Normally, this variety flowers twice during the year. A good bloom occurs in late spring through midsummer, and you can get some fall flowers, too.
(Distributed 07/11/14) The Bandana series of lantanas from Syngenta Flowers have been out for a few years now. These are attractive plants and offer new options in lantana selection for commercial and residential landscapes.
(Distributed 07/22/14) COLLINSTON, La. – Members of the Morehouse Parish Black Farmers Association and the National Black Growers’ Council, along with others interested in agriculture, braved torrential rains to learn new information at the 13th annual Black Farmers Field Day at Harper Armstrong’s farm on July 18.
(Distributed 07/08/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Citrus harvest is still months away, but this year’s crop in Louisiana faces two growing threats – citrus canker and citrus greening.