A common misconception is that the only research conducted at the Rice Research Station relates to improvements in technology for Louisiana rice production. This is far from the case. Dr. Ray McClain has one of the largest crawfish research projects in the world located at the south unit of the station. Dr. Dustin Harrell, in addition to his numerous research studies related to rice agronomy, has a number of projects on rotational crops such as soybeans, grain sorghum, wheat and sweet sorghum. The sweet sorghum project is looking at that crop to evaluate its potential for ethanol production. Another research area that holds great potential for the state is the research being conducted on the improvement of plant species and technology for restoration of Louisiana coastal areas. 

It is sad but true that if coastal erosion persists at the present rate, Louisiana will lose more than 1 million acres in the next 40 years. This tremendous loss will have devastating consequences to the region’s infrastructure, industry, ecosystems and culture. It will also affect the nation’s security, navigation, and food and energy supply. It is important, therefore, to establish a comprehensive construction program for the entire Louisiana coast combined with technology for large-scale revegetation. For 100 years the Rice Research Station has been improving rice varieties through genetic manipulation. In recent years, similar technology has been employed to improve plant species important for coastal restoration. This work is being conducted by Dr. Herry Utomo and the associates and technicians in his project. His work in this area is focused on two different species: smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) and California bulrush (Scirpus californicus).

Much of Dr. Utomo’s work is aimed at facilitating restoration efforts. Current restoration practices with smooth cordgrass involve seedling transplanting that is both labor-intensive and costly. Labor requirements can range from 25 to 125 hours for planting sprigs, plugs or container plants per acre. In addition, manual digging and separating of the plants require 25 to 65 hours per acre. Depending on location, estimated direct and indirect costs of replanting salt marshes could easily reach $3,500 per acre. Herry is working to improve cordgrass lines in ways that can lead to the development of a seed-based propagation technique. This new approach could dramatically reduce the cost and improve the scale of restoration projects. Hundreds of acres could be planted in a day through aerial seeding at a fraction of the cost. 
  
For this to be successful, seed production in cordgrass needs to be improved. Typically, smooth cordgrass is highly sterile with seed production of less than 20 percent and germination rates of less that 35 percent. Dr. Utomo has developed 13 cordgrass genotypes with much higher fertility levels that normal. These lines have an average seed fertility of 56 percent and germination rate of 82 percent. He has developed what is referred to as a polycross population through a random mating of the 13 high seed producing elite lines. All of this work has been conducted on the Rice Research Station.
  
Dr. Utomo is collaborating with researchers at Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge to evaluate these lines in a direct seeding study under real world conditions. The seed from the polycross population (as well as seed from the cordgrass variety Vermilion used as a control) were used in this study. To simulate aerial seeding, seed was broadcast from an airboat using a hand seed spreader. Smooth cordgrass seed was premixed with oil absorbent. The test was composed of three seeding rates (22.5, 45, 67.5 lb/A) in 20-foot by 42-foot plots with three replications. Data on growth parameters, such as seedling survival, seedling vigor, spread, percent of coverage, plant height and seed production, will be collected. This test was planted in June in an area on the refuge called Deep Lake. The study will be repeated in the early spring of 2009. Another part of the collaboration with the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge will include aerial seeding applications in late February or early March of 2009 using polycross seed and seed collected from the wild. 
  
It is hoped that long-term projects will improve sediment enhancement along Louisiana’s coast in the coming years. This could add thousands of acres of new terraces and wetlands annually. Most restored sites, however, are generally unstable for extended periods post construction. High-performing restoration plant materials can be used to quickly stabilize these sites. It is hoped that Dr. Utomo’s research can lead to successful aerial seeding that can easily be tailored to any marsh creation project. This could greatly facilitate restoration efforts.

Permission granted by B. Leonards (LA Farm & Ranch) on August 8, 2008 to republish article on the LSU AgCenter Web site.