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Vol. 45, No. 1
Treating rice seed with gibberellic acid has improved rice production in the northeastern rice-growing area. On semi-dwarf varieties gibberellic acid improves seedling vigor by hastening emergence and increasing seedling population.
Regiment, a new herbicide from Valent, will be available to rice producers for 2002.
The LSU AgCenter has long been actively involved in evaluating ornamental plants, providing recommendations for county agents and green industry professionals (landscape contractors, retail garden centers) to use when working with home gardeners. One group of plants that has generated considerable interest recently is the crape myrtle.
The LSU AgCenter has released two new satsuma varieties, LA Early and Early St. Ann. Both of these early-maturing satsumas are products of the citrus breeding program, which develops fresh-market lines of citrus with improved quality, fruit characteristics and production requirements.
Poultry production is Louisiana’s largest animal industry and is concentrated in the Coastal Plains area in north central Louisiana. Poultry litter is a byproduct of poultry production, with an estimated 180,000 tons produced in 2000. Most of this litter has historically been applied close to poultry houses on land often used for hay or pasture production.
As Louisiana cattle producers continue to improve their beef stocker programs, it is important that they choose the right ryegrass for their pastures.
Rice diseases pose a major threat to rice production. The two major diseases, sheath blight and blast, cause significant yield and quality reductions that cost rice farmers millions of dollars each year. Disease resistance is the best control method, but often it is not available or breaks down after varietal release.
Genetically engineered plants are an important part of integrated pest management (IPM) programs in cotton production. One such plant, Bollgard cotton, includes a gene from a bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis, that is toxic to caterpillar pests, while being safe for humans, other animals and the environment.
Of all the flowers to be found in gardens throughout the world, the rose is the most popular and the most widely grown. In 1938, the All-America Rose Selections (AARS) program was established to evaluate and promote exceptional roses. The LSU AgCenter’s Burden Center in Baton Rouge is a designated AARS Display Garden, where the public can view roses awarded the AARS distinction.
Louisianians have a new fig variety called LSU Gold to plant in their orchards, gardens and yards, said Charles E. Johnson, a researcher in the LSU AgCenter’s Department of Horticulture.
The rich, fertile soils of the Red River valley of northwestern Louisiana have supported cotton production for decades. Unfortunately, as in most agricultural soils, continuous cultivation has resulted in a steady decline in native soil fertility, especially organic matter.
Cotton seedling diseases caused by fungi can reduce seedling emergence and plant establishment. The fungi commonly found attacking cotton in Louisiana are Rhizoctonia, Fusarium and Pythium. The detrimental effects from these pathogens are typically non-uniform plant populations and reduced plant vigor. In severely damaged fields, producers may be forced to replant, costing time, money and yield potential.
The rice water weevil is an important biological constraint on rice yields in the southern United States and has been recognized as such almost as long as rice has been grown in the South. Yield losses in Louisiana, where this insect is a particularly severe pest, typically exceed 10 percent and can approach 30 percent or more.
Staple is a selective herbicide labeled for both preemergence and postemergence control of broadleaf weeds in cotton. Since introduction in 1995, it has been used widely in the cotton-producing region of northeast Louisiana.
Many changes are under way at the LSU AgCenter. These changes are for the most part internal and involve some rearranging of personnel and reallocation of resources. But we see them as having profound, positive and long-term effects on you, our clientele.
