(Distributed 062813) HAMMOND, La. – The early spring months of March and April were not kind to spring growth on crape myrtles this year. But we are seeing very nice blooms on these great summer-flowering landscape trees as we reach their peak performance time of late June through July.

(Distributed 06/27/13) CROWLEY, La. – The new LSU systems president, F. King Alexander, attended the Rice Research Station field day on June 26 and pledged his support for the LSU AgCenter. “We’re here to support you in agricultural research,” Alexander said.

(Distributed 06/27/13) OAK GROVE, La. – Louisiana and Arkansas farmers along with representatives from a variety of agencies met recently to discuss the Boeuf-Tensas Water Project, which would divert water from the Arkansas River into southeast Arkansas and northeast Louisiana.

(Distributed 06/26/13) POLLOCK, La. – State and local officials gathered at the 4-H Camp Grant-Walker on June 25 to show their gratitude for a $500,000 gift by RoyOMartin, a forest products and forestland management company based here.

(Distributed 06/26/13) CROWLEY, La. – A smartphone application to help rice farmers with their crop has been released by the LSU AgCenter at the annual Rice Research Station Field Day on June 26.

(Distributed 06/26/13) BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU AgCenter entomologists have confirmed the arrival of the kudzu bug in a soybean field in Madison Parish.

(Distributed 06/26/13) The LSU AgCenter’s 31st Annual Sugarcane Field Day will be held July 17 at the Sugar Research Station near St. Gabriel, beginning with registration at 8:00 a.m.

(Distributed 06/26/13) The LSU AgCenter Dean Lee Research and Extension Center will host a field day on July 18. The event will feature presentations on cotton, corn, cattle, soybeans, and insect and weed management.

(Distributed 06/26/13) St. JOSEPH, La. – With more people looking for locally grown, fresh fruits and vegetables, the LSU AgCenter has begun a program to help small farms market their products more effectively.

(Distributed 06/25/13) ST. JOSEPH, La. – Conventional wisdom says the more ears of corn to the acre, the greater the yield will be. While this is true to a certain extent, too many corn plants to the acre can cause problems, says Rick Mascagni, an LSU AgCenter agronomist at the Northeast Research Station.