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2018 Louisiana Soybean & Grain Research and Promotion Board Report
Syam Dodla, LSU AgCenter agronomist, is studying fertilization rates in no-till fields for corn and soybeans.
LSU AgCenter agents are moving into the high-tech area when it comes to scouting soybean and corn fields in the state.
Water may not be as scarce in Louisiana as it is out west, but when it comes to irrigation, farmers in our state face challenges with changing governmental reg
Cristina Sabliov, LSU AgCenter biological engineer, is working with other scientists on a project using nanoparticles carrying insecticides to control insects.
LSU AgCenter scientists are working to determine how winter cover crops grown in the offseason can be used to help farmers improve yields, reduce expenses and e
Breakthroughs in research by LSU AgCenter scientists may soon lead to improved control of Cercospora leaf blight, the No. 1 soybean disease in Louisiana.
The 2017-18 wheat crop was outstanding from a production and research standpoint, according to LSU AgCenter wheat breeder Steve Harrison.
As irrigation has grown more common on Louisiana farms, LSU AgCenter researchers are studying the most efficient and beneficial ways to apply water to crops.
The LSU AgCenter recently hired three scientists whose work aims to improve soybean and grain production in Louisiana.
New research on pests in soybeans and corn should decrease the amount of money growers spend on pest control.
National studies of commercial enhanced-efficiency nitrogen fertilizers on row crops have shown some success in improving efficiency of plant uptake and decrea
Profitability is essential for a farming operation’s survival. But determining the point where losses turn into profits is always a moving target and consists
Scientists are gaining new understanding of a disease that has killed soybean plants in several states.
2018 Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board-funded projects
An LSU AgCenter researcher is getting closer to developing a better way to clean sprayers that are used to apply farm chemicals.
Finding a variety or hybrid that will perform to its full potential is a goal all producers strive for. While it may not be as difficult as finding a needle in
Boyd Padgett, LSU AgCenter plant pathologist, is overseeing a study of the correlation between defoliation of corn plants and yield.
In a new study measuring various factors affecting corn yield, AgCenter researchers are working to evaluate the effects of tillage, plant populations and ferti
The population of feral hogs in the state is continuing to grow, but LSU AgCenter scientists are working to decrease their numbers.
LSU AgCenter nematode specialist Charles Overstreet has found variable soil textures can affect nematode damage to soybeans, results similar to findings in cot
LSU AgCenter researchers are studying cultural practices and fertility management for soybeans.
After 35 years of helping Louisiana farmers fight crop diseases, LSU AgCenter plant pathologist Clayton Hollier has retired.
Most farmers depend on herbicides to keep troublesome weed populations in check.
2017 Louisiana Soybean & Grain Research and Promotion Board Report
A team of researchers is working to develop and deliver a prototype bait capsule designed to decrease numbers of invasive feral hogs — rapidly reproducing anima
LSU AgCenter researchers and extension agents conducting research using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are learning when to fly, what to fly and how to use thi
Two longtime LSU AgCenter faculty members whose research and outreach efforts helped advance the Louisiana agriculture industry have retired.
Examining the cultural and fertility practices involved in soybean production is one focus of research conducted by LSU AgCenter agronomist and rice specialist
A fumigant and soybean varieties resistant to nematodes may help combat the underground pest.
Brenda Tubaña, LSU AgCenter soil scientist, continues to work on a project to evaluate proper rates of potassium and phosphorous in combination with lime in a c
Increased consumer demand for cover crops has led LSU AgCenter researchers to study ways to improve soil health, reduce fertilizer rates, increase yield and man
Corn producers know well that there are many diseases that can reduce yields in their crop throughout the growing season.
LSU AgCenter wheat researchers are using biotech tools to increase efficiency of the breeding program.
After growing winter wheat, Louisiana farmers wishing to plant a second crop have few options.
On many farms a single piece of equipment is used to spray all the chemicals needed to keep weeds, insects and diseases at bay.
When thinking of production practices that go hand-in-hand, soybean and sugarcane may not be the first to come to mind. But growers in south Louisiana look for
For some time, soybean farmers have used desiccants to eliminate late-season weeds and aid in drying soybean plants to make harvesting more efficient.
Agricultural seed companies and universities spend a great deal of effort and time developing new varieties and hybrids for commodities, such as corn, soybeans
Irrigation is one of the most important factors in achieving good crop yields.
A recent discovery by an LSU graduate student could help boost the soybean plant immune system.
LSU AgCenter entomologist Jeff Davis is working on methods of controlling redbanded stink bugs without increasing soybean looper populations.
LSU AgCenter plant pathologist Clayton Hollier is evaluating the damage suffered by corn plants due to wind, hail, insects and disease to determine the effects
Experimenting with foliar and soil applications of different materials, Jong Ham, LSU AgCenter plant pathologist, is studying different ways of improving soybea
Three new herbicide systems could give Louisiana farmers some much-needed tools to fight the resistant weed populations they have struggled with in recent year
About three decades ago, as fields in Louisiana choked on nearly uncontrollable weed populations, the 1981 state average soybean yield was a low 21 bushels per acre.
Dan Fromme, LSU AgCenter corn specialist, is working on a project to determine the optimum rate of nitrogen fertilizer for corn grown in rotation with soybeans.
Louisiana Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board Report
Summer weather brought severe seasonal drought conditions to many farms in Louisiana this year.
Charlie Overstreet is using site-specific agriculture for his studies of nematodes in soybeans.
LSU AgCenter plant pathologists are working on a number of projects to help Louisiana farmers make better disease management decisions.
Farmers continue to fight weeds that are resistant to commonly used herbicides.
On-farm demonstrations allow producers a first-hand look at how well crop varieties perform on the many different soil types and environments found across LA.
Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board Funded Projects
Scientists have long believed Cercospora leaf blight and purple seed stain are caused by the pathogen Cercospora kikuchii.
Herbicide residue that remains in spray equipment, even after triple rinsing, can pose problems.
An ongoing study testing the use of nanoparticles to deliver insecticides is producing positive results.
Finding the true nutrient deficiencies in soil can only be found with a test, but are all soil tests created equal?
Louisiana farmers will have to pay two new taxes put in place by the state Legislature in an effort to fill a budget shortfall.
LSU AgCenter scientists are continuing their research on aflatoxin and Aspergillus flavus, the fungus that produces it.
Staying ahead of diseases and guarding against herbicides are two projects in the LSU AgCenter wheat program.
Cercospora leaf blight has posed major problems for Louisiana soybean producers for the past several years.
The most common way that farmers irrigate their crops in Louisiana is furrow irrigation — pumping water into the field to flood rows.
Feral hogs continue to be a major problem in the state, and research is being conducted to reduce their numbers.
Drones are now making their presence known in the agriculture industry.
An LSU AgCenter research project is underway studying the use of cover crops for the potential to help farmers.
Researchers from the LSU AgCenter are stepping up efforts to combat the sugarcane aphid, the chief pest for grain sorghum crops.
Cane farmers are eager to get their land planted to cane by late summer, so they want to get their fallow season of beans harvested as soon as possible.
Farmers should consider rotating other insecticides with acephate because of increasing acephate resistance.
Foliar applications of iron may provide some opportunities to reduce the impact of Cercospora leaf blight in soybeans.
Louisiana Soybean & Grain Research & Promotion Board Report
Feral hogs continue to be a major problem in the state, and research is being conducted to reduce their numbers, said LSU AgCenter animal scientist Glen Gentry.
LSU AgCenter economist Kurt Guidry is conducting a survey to find out howthe AgCenter can better serve industry stakeholders through research and extension programs.
Beatrix Haggard, LSU AgCenter upland crops fertility specialist, is participating in a number of studies to improve field corn and soybean yields. One of those projects is evaluating the use of products to enhance nitrogen efficiency for field corn.
Ron Levy, LSU AgCenter soybean specialist, said 39 onfarm soybean demonstrations were planted in 2015 across the state, including one in Washington Parish for the first time.
2015 Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board Funded Projects
Weather has hampered Dustin Harrell’s soybean agronomy project this year.“This has been a trying year for us, but it is representative of our area,” said Harrell, an LSU AgCenter agronomist. Many growers in southwest Louisiana were unable to plant soybeans because of adverse weather conditions.
While disease can wreak havoc on soybean or cotton crops, grain sorghum may be less likely to suffer from a disease outbreak. Trey Price, a plant pathologist at the Macon Ridge Research Station in Winnsboro, said the odds are low that a grower will have to make a fungicide application for disease control in grain sorghum most years.
Many scientists look for genes that are expressed in a particular way, such as for yield or plant stem strength. But Zhi-Yuan Chen is looking for genes that can make soybeans more resistant to infection from the soybean rust pathogen.
LSU AgCenter entomologist Julien Beuzelin is in the second year of a study, being conducted at the Dean Lee Research and Extension Center in Alexandria, to see how irrigation and concentration of salts in soil affect soybean looper growth.
Variability in Louisiana’s climate seem to be causing changes in the Louisiana population of the redbanded stink bug, said Jeff Davis, LSU entomologist.
The soybean looper is a destructive pest on soybeans capable of defoliating fields if left unchecked. It can be difficult to control because of its resistance to many insecticides.
2015 has been a difficult year for the LSU AgCenter wheat and oat breeding program.“This is my 30th season,” said AgCenter wheat breeder Steve Harrison. “And this is probably the worst set of conditions I’ve seen.”
As concern about the future of water resources grows, researchers at the LSU AgCenter’s Red River Research Station in Bossier City are identifying ways to help farmers improve irrigation efficiency.
LSU AgCenter entomologists are evaluating programs that crop consultants and farmers use to control pests in soybeans across the state.The project evaluates the tools growers use and compares them to new approaches and new tools that either are available or will be in the near future, said LSU AgCenter entomologist David Kerns.
