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Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Fall 2024
Questions drive the science behind the LSU AgCenter. Researcher Erin Oberhaus wanted to find data to help educate Louisiana horse owners about the use of an important medication, and a water quality specialist wondered if noneconomic bodies of water, which include agricultural ponds, might help people generate electricity. The research projects that grew from their questions are detailed in this issue of Louisiana Agriculture.
Also in this issue, scientists share the results from important soybean studies, and the AgCenter farm to school team shares success stories from school gardens across the state.
Research is at the core of the LSU AgCenter mission. Scientists across the AgCenter and at 14 research stations covering the state study many facets of agriculture so the people of Louisiana can be better prepared to raise healthy animals, generate income from crops and livestock, and live better lives.
See below for links to the articles. If you would like to subscribe, or if you have any other questions, please contact the editor, Kyle Peveto.
Erin Oberhaus, Neely Heidorn and Adriano Vatta
Horses that graze in pastures are susceptible to internal parasites and worms. To educate horse owners about deworming medications that help keep horses healthy, researchers studied two horse herds at AgCenter facilities.
Innovative Floating Photovoltaic (FPV) for Renewable Energy in Agriculture
M.P. Hayes
LSU and LSU AgCenter researchers are learning more about using the sun to generate electricity through a yearlong demonstration at the AgCenter Hammond Research Station. This study gauges whether a floating photovoltaic (FPV) system on a pond is a feasible form of on-site energy generation while maintaining natural resources.
LSU AgCenter Variety and Fungicide Trials Help Determine Best Management Practices
David Moseley, Boyd Padgett and Trey Price
Trials of soybean varieties delivered data that emphasize the importance of choosing soybean varieties with good disease resistance and considering fungicide applications as a management tool when needed.
Louisiana Food for Louisiana Schools
Celeste Finney and Tyne Bankester
The USDA’s Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement provided more than $3 million for Louisiana to spend on local foods. The LSU AgCenter farm to school team was instrumental in the planning and implementation of the funding.
Exploring the Heart of Local Agriculture: A Glimpse into the 2023 Acadiana Sustainable Farm Tour
Isabella Frank and Carl Motsenbocker
The Acadiana Sustainable Farm Tour brought together more than 80 attendees to connect with four distinctive local producers from the Acadiana region.
Break Up With Salt: Teaching Simple Changes to Reduce Hypertension Risk
Emelia Clement and Elizabeth Gollub
The LSU AgCenter developed a hypertension management program called Break Up With Salt (BUWS). This program was initiated in 2020 to meet the need for simple, practical and research-based strategies to direct lifestyle modification for adults.
Full Circle: LSU AgCenter Sugarcane Expert's Travels Lead Him Back to the Crop That Started It All
V. Todd Miller
Taking the place of a 40-year veteran of the Louisiana sugarcane industry is no small task, so when LSU AgCenter plant pathologist Andre Gama replaced longtime researcher Jeff Hoy, he knew he had big shoes to fill.
Sensory Services Lab Marks 10 Years of Consumer-Focused Food Studies
Kyle Peveto
For a decade the LSU AgCenter Food Innovation Institute (FOODii) Sensory Services Lab has recruited consumers to taste coffee, rice milk, fish filets and dozens of other products and answer carefully designed surveys to help food scientists decide what version of their products get to market.
School Garden Success Story: Little Ones Can Garden Too
Celeste Finney and Tyne Bankester
The Child Development Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL), which provides childcare and preschool for children of ULL students, faculty and staff, has developed a gardening program for preschool children with the help of the LSU AgCenter.
School Garden Success Story: Cafeteria Manager Brings the Farm to the Table for Shreveport Students
Tyne Bankester
A 2023 school garden leadership training from the LSU AgCenter Seeds to Success Program provided Steven Wagner, a child nutrition specialist in Shreveport, with skills and inspiration to expand a school garden to include a pollinator garden and a small-scale school vegetable garden.
School Garden Success Story: Everyone Learns the Love of Science at L. Leo Judice Elementary
Tyne Bankester
The academy for environmental sciences for elementary students at L. Leo Judice Elementary School has increased awareness of local environmental needs, promoted stewardship and provided opportunities to make meaningful connections between its curricula and the environment. The LSU AgCenter has been there to guide the program.
Jennifer Blanchard
Louisiana flower farming is a growing industry, and producers have an opportunity to share in this booming market by marketing flowers traditionally sold at retail as well as native plants that already thrive in the state.
The Power of Research: Encouraging Responsible Medication Use Among Horse Owners
Kyle Peveto
Studying the pattern of internal parasites in horses has helped AgCenter scientists change the message they use when discussing important deworming drug usage with horse owners. These kinds of research are at the heart of the AgCenter mission.
Faculty Profile: For Aaron Ashbrook, Helping Others With Insect Issues Is a Fascinating Challenge
Kyle Peveto
For entomologist Aaron Ashbrook, the insect-rich environment of Louisiana is a fascinating place to work. It’s also a challenge. Staying on top of the state’s insects means continually investigating and conducting research.
