Flame weed control can be an effective adjunct to cultivation for some vegetable crops and some weeds. Flame weed control fits especially well in organic operations.

Bed shapers are available in pan-type and spool-type versions. Pan-type bed shapers are easy to make in a farm shop. These plans will show you how to build one.

The success of a sugarcane farming operation depends on the ability to produce good stands of plant cane and maintain suitable stands for stubble crops. This publication provides information to help growers make management decisions about planting practices that should result in excellent plant cane stands. (PDF Format Only)

Summaries of Louisiana rice acreage by variety and by parish.

Distribution maps of Louisiana rice acreage by parish and variety.

Distribution maps of Louisiana rice acreage by parish and variety.

Summaries of Louisiana rice acreage by variety and by parish.

2009 recommendations. Decisions about rice varieties are some of the earliest and most critical you will make. This information will help you decide which rice varieties are best suited to your particular growing conditions.

First described in 1837, Piezodorus guildinii (a.k.a the red-shouldered stink bug) has been reported throughout the Americas. In Brazil, it is one of the principal pentatomid pests of soybean and has been common since 1970. In North America, it occurs in the southeast, as far north as Arkansas, as far east as South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, and as far west as New Mexico.

This page contains the grain sorghum hybrid performance trials research summaries.

The report includes enterprise production cost budgets for the following container-grown ornamental crops in plant hardiness zones 8 and 9: indica azalea, crape myrtle, liriope, southern live oak, lantana and fig.

This publication serves as a report to soybean and small grain producers about the results from LSU AgCenter projects that their check-off dollars funded. It also serves as a marketing piece for the board and grain industry.

Adults are 10-12 mm and brilliant green, but as they get older, they may appear more yellow. Adults normally have two stripes across the back of the thorax, one yellow and one dark red to purple or even black .

Last year the state’s farmers harvested 228,000 acres of wheat, up from 110,000 acres in 2006. For 2008, the total increased to approximately 400,000 acres, according to LSU AgCenter wheat breeder Dr. Steve Harrison.

LSU AgCenter personnel at the Dean Lee Research Station are studying raised-bed planting of a double crop of wheat and soybeans.

LSU AgCenter researchers are using a multidisciplinary approach to study soybean green plant problems across Louisiana.

Louisiana soybean growers have become increasingly interested in early planting, and LSU AgCenter researchers have been evaluating how different cultural practices affect soybean performance.

Fertilizer recommendations for Louisiana crops are being improved with the adoption of new soil testing methods by the LSU AgCenter’s soils lab, according to Dr. Jim Wang.

With dry conditions this season, ways to combat aflatoxin in corn are taking on huge significance.LSU AgCenter plant breeder Dr. Steve Moore continues to look for ways to combat aflatoxin in corn, especially in evaluating lines for resistance.

LSU AgCenter researchers continue their quest for short-term and long-term solutions in the battle with soybean diseases – particularly Asian soybean rust.

Since the Louisiana Soybean Research and Verification Program began in 1994, soybean farmers have been increasing yields and profits by following the recommended practices of the LSU AgCenter.During the 14 years of the program, more than 120 producers in 20 parishes have participated in helping to verify the LSU AgCenter’s research results and recommendations in their fields. In turn, the fields in the program have averaged yields of 43.5 bushels of soybeans per acre while the state average is

Monitoring programs and educational efforts from the LSU AgCenter are among an array of factors that have kept Asian soybean rust from inflicting major harm on the state’s crop.

Getting pesticides to the intended target is the goal of Dr. Roberto Barbosa, LSU AgCenter assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering.

The Louisiana Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board funded these projects in various LSU AgCenter departments, research stations and regions during the past year. Projects list researchers, total funding and the portions allocated from soybean funding or feed grain funding.

This publication serves as a report to soybean and small grain producers about the results from LSU AgCenter projects that their check-off dollars funded. The continuation of this project will help build producer, industry and stakeholder awareness and support of board activities.

The two most important corn borer pests are the sugarcane borer and the southwestern corn borer.

One of the main focuses of the LSU AgCenter’s soybean breeding program is to develop soybean varieties with resistance to Cercospora leaf blight.

Late-fall to early-winter herbicide application is a new approach to managing winter weeds in Louisiana.

Dr. Zhimin Xu is taking what was a relatively useless product and making it a healthful preservative. Defatted soy flour is a byproduct of producing vegetable oil from soybeans, and until now, it was used only as animal feed – and only in some cases.

This eight-page tabloid-style report includes 14 articles about the latest in research and extension programs of the LSU AgCenter funded in part through the Louisiana Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board. Articles include the comeback of wheat production in the state, the multi-disciplinary approach to the “green bean syndrome” in soybeans, new methods for soil tests and the latest on Asian soybean rust.

The Louisiana Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board focuses your checkoff dollars on projects that address Louisiana’s most important production and marketing issues.

This page contains the soybean performance trials research summaries for the year 2008.

A common problem with hydraulic cylinders is rust and pitting of the cylinder rods. If equipment that incorporates hydraulic cylinders is stored outside with the cylinder rods extended, the rods are exposed to weathering. Eventually, the rods will begin to show specks of rust that develop into pits. Once rusting and pitting occur, the rod will destroy the cylinder seal the next time it is activated.

Pick up Louisiana citrus at roadside stands and in local markets and groceries from now through the holidays.

The southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.), and the brown stink bug, Euschistus servus (Say), are common pests in Louisiana agricultural crops including cotton, soybeans, corn and grain sorghum. The objective of this presentation is to point out some visual differences between the two species which are helpful for early field detection.

As a result of the excellent stubbling ability of LCP 85-384, producers are now considering such production decisions as how long stubble crops should be kept in production before plowing out, or whether they should be kept in production if a net profit could be made from harvest. This report outlines a procedure that can be used to determine the optimal number of sugarcane stubble crops to keep in production with the goal of maximizing producer net returns.

Performance of grain sorghum hybrids is annually evaluated by Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station (LAES) researchers. The purpose of these trials is to provide Louisiana growers, seedsmen, county agents of the LCES, and other interested individuals and organizations with unbiased performance data for commercial grain sorghum hybrids submitted for evaluation by private agencies. Results from these trials are used by the LCES for recommending hybrids.

This publication helps to understand the importance of calibration of sprayers. Hand-ons examples guide the reader through different phases of calibration. (PDF Format Only)

(Distributed 09/10/08) Rains from Hurricane Gustav significantly affected a diversity of crops in Northeast Louisiana – particularly with parts of Tensas and Franklin parishes getting 19 inches of rain.

(Distributed 09/10/08) Louisiana’s farmers are facing lost income from reduced yields and product quality in the neighborhood of $370 to $450 million as a result of the effects of Hurricane Gustav, according to economists with the LSU AgCenter.

Some Louisiana agricultural producers are being squeezed by rising energy costs and stagnant prices for their crops, while other producers are buoyed by rising commodity prices that offset those cost increases, according to experts with the LSU AgCenter.

A description of how biomass is being used for energy in Louisiana with an emphasis on the potential for expansion in the industry. (Revised 11/06)

This report presents estimates of projected production costs for the production of cotton, soybeans, corn, milo and wheat in Northeast Louisiana for the 2008 crop year.

(Radio News 01/07/08) Large acreage shifts and good prices marked agricultural production in 2007 according to LSU AgCenter economist Dr. Kurt Guidry. High yields also were a big topic throughout the year. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

This report presents estimates of projected production costs for the production of cotton, soybeans, corn, milo and wheat in the Red River area of Louisiana for the 2008 crop year.

This guide for 2008 contains suggestions for management of the most important or more prevalent diseases of Louisiana plants. It includes information on fungicides, bactericides and nematicides, as well as safety precautions for using them.

Louisiana’s agricultural producers already faced problems including drought, high fuel and fertilizer costs and low prices for their commodities in 2005 – even before the hurricanes struck, an LSU AgCenter economist said Friday (Jan. 27).

Farmers are enjoying their first improved commodities market in several years. Record yields and good prices in 2003 helped offset losses from the previous four to five years.

While equipment companies are doing their part to reduce corrosion of tractors and farm equipment, how well you maintain your machinery will determine its useful life. Here are some rust prevention tips.

Several ongoing projects teach young people and adults that much of their necessities begin with farmers.

The LSU AgCenter operates 25 weather stations at research stations and other cooperating locations throughout Louisiana. The Louisiana Agriclimatic Information System privides temperature and humidity data that researchers can correlate to livestock and crop production. Each station provides minute-by-minute measurements of air temperature, rainfall, wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity, solar radiation and soil temperature.

(Distributed 07/02/04) Some people say summer is sweet – or at least that’s the opinion when it comes to watermelons.

MARKSVILLE – Tree farming is a good alternative for landowners to consider in making long-term investments in their land resources, but some knowledge is required to protect that investment.

Irrigation ponds can irrigate fields during the summer without resorting to pumping water from wells.

Mayhaw Association members met in Alexandria to learn about new developments. The health benefits and commercial uses of the fruit were discussed. New varieties and harvesting techniques were also examined.

The dry weather really shows areas in fields that have been damaged by plant nematodes. Plants that are already weakened by the presence of nematodes simply cannot handle the additional stress produced by drought.

Farm and grounds maintenance equipment is often exposed to rain, high humidity, fertilizer, pesticides and corrosive plant materials (such as grass clippings). The manufacturers of that equipment have taken steps to try to protect the equipment and reduce the potential for corrosion.

Great prices and good weather have generated plenty of optimism.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns made a brief stop at a storm-damaged farm in Calcasieu Parish Wednesday morning (Oct. 5) to learn how Hurricane Rita devastated the region’s agriculture.

This publication includes keys to identification of water paspalum, brook paspalum, knotgrass and perennial barnyardgrass.

Summaries of Louisiana rice acreage by variety and by parish.

Distribution maps of Louisiana rice acreage by parish and variety.

2009 recommendations. This information will help producers choose grain sorghum hybrids which have displayed good yield potential and agronomic performance. The LSU AgCenter conducts yearly grain sorghum hybrid yield tests at several locations in Louisiana. This is done to provide producers with unbiased information on hybrid performance under different soil types and climatic conditions.

Distribution maps of Louisiana rice acreage by parish and variety.

Many growers pick up plastic mulch but several machines are available for this job. Work at the LSU AgCenter has demonstrated that, in some cases, plastic mulch can be picked up by a hay baler.

The use of plastic mulch is a common practice for nearly all strawberry growers and most vegetable growers. Installing the mulch is easier than it used to be when mulch was installed by hand, but it can be challenging.

Summaries of Louisiana Rice Acreage by variety and by Parish.

Distribution maps of Louisiana rice acreage by parish and variety.

The performance of 23 bell pepper varieties were evaluated at the Citrus Research Station, Port Sulphur, LA, Jack Liuzza and Sons Farms, Independence, and at David Ritcher Farms in Sunset, LA.

Distribution maps of Louisiana rice acreage by parish and variety.

Site-specific agriculture is a management strategy that uses information technologies to bring spatial data from numerous sources, which can influence decisions associated with crop production. This page defines the term "information" in general and describes what it implies in terms of agricultural site-specific management practices.

2009 recommendations. Each year the LSU AgCenter tests commercial corn hybrids that are entered in the state yield trials by private seed companies. From these, a grower should choose several that are adapted to an individual farm. Information in the tables should help you make these important decisions.

The first caterpillar-resistant transgenic cotton varieties (Bollgard) were approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1996. The Bollgard technology has successfully reduced the frequency of sprays for caterpillar pests by about half.

Summaries of Louisiana rice acreage by variety and by parish.

Provides a summary of points to consider in the decision to adopt variable rate technology. An estimate of costs associated with selected variable rate technology services is also included.

This page contains the soybean performance trials research summaries for the year 2007.

PDF files for 2007 soybean variety trials

2004 rice research program included breeding, biotechnology, variety testing, production and distribution of foundation seed, fertilization, soil and water management, cultural practices, weed control, insect control, disease investigations, rice drying, bird control in rice, and physiology studies. The aquaculture research program places emphasis upon production practices, forages, and multi-cropping of crawfish with agronomic crops

Article that provides instructions of how to prevent and treat insects infesting stored rice.

The objective of this study was to demonstrate the accuracy of commercially available DGPS signals used in precision agriculture in Louisiana. Global positioning systems (GPS) and GPS receivers allow users to estimate their position at various locations anywhere on earth.

The N fertilizer treatments (0, 45, 90 and 135 lb/A) were applied as urea by hand just after each harvest date.

Louisiana farmers and forest producers could find a silver lining in the cloud of rising fuel prices – with the development of new fuels from crops they already grow or could grow.

A seeder can be a tremendous aid in planting a vegetable garden. With it, you can stand and walk along the row pushing a seeder instead of having to make a furrow with a hoe, going back along the row bent over dropping seeds, and then covering and packing the row.

This 2008 guide was compiled by LSU AgCenter experts and includes regulations, precautions and suggestions for pest control in Louisiana. Detailed topics include drift of pesticides, hazards of pesticides to beneficial insects and wildlife, phytotoxicity and using beneficial insects to control pest populations. A section on organic gardening also is included.

The dollar amounts, which are estimates of reduced revenue and increased costs, are broken down by storm and commodity. Total estimated costs are also provided.

Based on the information known at the time of the storm, and given the historical value of these industries to the state, the AgCenter was able to provide preliminary estimates on losses of revenue due to production losses.

After Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana on August 29, 2005, the AgCenter quickly began to assess the damage caused to the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries industries. Since those initial estimates, the AgCenter has refined its projections and now pegs the total economic impact due losses in revenue and additional production costs at slightly over $1.0 billion.

Soybeans can be damaged by insects any time from plant emergence until they get near to the harvest in Louisiana. Many kinds of insects feed on leaves, stems, roots, nodules and pods, but only a few require control with insecticides. (PDF Fomat Only)

Photograph and accompanying text on rice panicle size in relation to fungicide timing, dew and guttation affects on rice disease activity, identification of rice weeds, and rice insect pest management.

Distribution maps of Louisiana rice acreage by parish and variety.

Summaries of Louisiana rice acreage by variety and by parish.

This page contains the 2007 grain sorghum hybrids performance trials research summaries.

Files for 2007 Grain Sorghum Hybrid Performance Trials

Growing commercial vegetables is different from growing agronomic crops and requires a different approach to equipment. A precision cultural system (PCS) developed by the LSU AgCenter can make commercial vegetable production much easier.

This page contains the 2007 extension demonstration data.

Nutsedge is probably the most difficult weed to control in sugarcane. The most effective means to control nutsedge is through a foliar treatment that is safe to sugarcane.

Photographs and accompanying text on rice research verification harvest and hurricane damage on rice production.

This page contains the grain corn hybrids performance trials research summaries for the year 2008.

This page contains the grain corn hybrids performance trials research summaries for the year 2006

This video will teach you how to scout your citrus trees for the asian citrus psyllid and greening disease.

Strawberries can be grown in all parts of the state and have been an important horticulture crop for many years. With a good crop, good harvest labor and excess to markets, strawberries can return high profits.

From preparation to processing, take a visual tour of sugarcane production in Louisiana.

A photograph of a labeled grass spikelet.

The 2007 statewide wheat performance trials included 51 varieties and experimental lines. Recommendations are based on the relative performance of an entry for two years within a region.

Several images show the identifying markings of the Red-Shouldered Stink Bug and comparisons to other stink bugs.

The panicle rice mite is a pest of commercial rice, Oryza sativa L., and also completes its development on the invasive plant Oryza latifolia Desv. During the summer of 2007, breeding facility greenhouses and fields in Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and New York were found to be infested by PRM.

All varieties of sweet sorghum remain completely recumbent two weeks after Hurricane Gustav, whereas, sugarcane has become considerably more erect. The inability of sweet sorghum to erect itself after lodging will make harvesting more difficult and losses will be greater.