(Video 04/30/14) With a cool and wet spring, farmers were slow getting in their fields. LSU AgCenter correspondent Tobie Blanchard reports that soybeans are finally going into the ground. (Runtime: 1:55 seconds)

(Video 04/16/14) Rice planting is behind schedule in Louisiana because of the cold and damp spring. LSU AgCenter correspondent Tobie Blanchard talked with a farmer in Vermilion Parish where weather and birds are affecting his crop. (Runtime: 1:30)

(Video 04/02/14) Crawfish is part of Louisiana’s culture, and the crawfish boil is a springtime tradition, but LSU AgCenter correspondent Tobie Blanchard reports that this Cajun crustacean may be hard to come by this season. (Runtime: 1:25 seconds)

(Audio 04/28/14) Spring is a great time to add vines to your landscape. With vines, though, you have to train them to grow on a fence or wire. You want to be sure to unwrap and weave them to get full vine growth. Listen to learn more about how to properly place your vines. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 04/28/14) Louisiana irises bring a wonderful texture to your landscape. The big, attractive flowers make them a spectacular plant. They do, however, require some care. Listen to learn more about how to properly care for you iris plants. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 04/28/14) Roses are readily available this time of the year. Now is good time to plant them because they are in bloom and you can see exactly what color rose you are purchasing. Whatever kind you get, be sure to plant them in a well-prepared bed. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Distributed 04/30/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – After a semester studying and working with LSU AgCenter faculty, nine visiting scholars from Zamorano Pan American Agricultural School in Honduras are returning home with some valuable practical experience under their belts.

(Distributed 04/29/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Those in the process of building a new home or making improvements to an existing one received valuable information from staff of the LSU AgCenter LaHouse Home and Landscape Resource Center at a recent open house.

(Distributed 04/24/14) ROBERT, La. – Whether petting an alligator, planting native wetland plants or sampling macronvertebrates, Girl Scouts visiting Shell’s Robert Training & Conference Center got an up-close lesson on the diversity of animals and plant life found in Louisiana wetlands as part of the LSU AgCenter’s 4-H Youth Wetlands Week.

(Distributed 04/29/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – For food entrepreneurs, getting products off store shelves is just as important as getting them there in the first place. Marketing is often key to accomplishing that, but many people starting small food businesses are unsure of how to tackle that task.

(Distributed 04/28/14) WINNSBORO, La. – Recent high winds could cause lodging problems for the state’s 175,000 acres of wheat, but otherwise the crop is doing well after coming through a cold, wet early spring, according to LSU AgCenter wheat specialist Josh Lofton.

(Distributed 04/24/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – The Building Green Cities Baton Rouge organization has scheduled a day-long workshop on May 12 to discuss water issues in the parish.

(Audio 04/28/14) Crape myrtles are one of the most widely planted trees here in Louisiana. They are mostly disease free, but they do get this one pest called crape myrtle aphids. These little bugs don't really harm the tree; they mostly just cause a type of black fungus to grow all over the tree. Listen to learn more. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 04/28/14) Easter lilies can be used after the Easter weekend. You can plant them in a semi-shady area, and they will bloom around April every year. They bring a beautiful look to your landscape. Listen to learn more about how to care for your leftover Easter lilies. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Video 04/21/14) While Easter has passed, the smells of Easter lilies may still fill your home. When these plants start fading, you don’t have to throw them away. On this edition of Get It Growing, LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill explains how Easter lilies can be planted in the landscape and grow very well with the proper care. (Runtime: 1:50 seconds)

(Video 04/21/14) Louisiana Super Plants are plants proven to grow well in Louisiana landscapes. The latest edition for this spring is the Kauai (Kuh-why) torenia (Tuh-wren-ee-uh), a beautifully flowered, low-growing plant that comes in multiple colors. On this edition of Get It Growing, LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill explains how to take care of this newest member of the Super Plant family. (Runtime: 1:50 seconds)

(Distributed 04/25/14) Senorita Rosalita cleome and its new cousin, Senorita Blanca, are great plants for flowers from late spring through frost. Also known as spider flower because the projecting stamens of the flowers give these plants a spidery look, this plant can take summer's heat and is drought-tolerant.

(Distributed 04/23/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Dinah Schuster has been named senior director of development for agriculture at LSU. In this newly created LSU Foundation position, she will develop a comprehensive fundraising plan for the LSU AgCenter and College of Agriculture.

(Distributed 04/22/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Transforming home kitchen recipes into products that can be sold in stores involves more science than some people may realize. Fortunately for LSU AgCenter Food Incubator tenants, food scientist Luis Espinoza is on hand to help them do everything from keeping better records to making a product all natural.

(Distributed 04/17/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – 4-H’ers from across the state competed in the state 4-H Commodity Ambassador contests on April 15 on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge. In all, 116 4-H’ers competed in the Chicken, Egg, Seafood, Sugar and Turkey Ambassador contests.

(Distributed 04/17/14) Many coreopsis are available for our Louisiana landscapes. Coreopsis, sometimes called tickseed, are herbaceous perennial flowers. We sometimes treat these as annuals and sometimes as perennials. The larger-flowered varieties are usually most popular with home gardeners.

(Distributed 04/17/14) HAMMOND, La. – Buddleia, known by most home gardeners as butterfly bush, is becoming an increasingly popular plant in the home landscape. Mostly because this perennial is highly favored by butterflies as a nectar plant.

(Distributed 04/17/14) BATON ROUGE, La. — The LSU College of Agriculture’s Poultry Judging Team swept the competition at the USPOULTRY National Poultry Judging Contest April 2-4 on the LSU campus. LSU’s team competed against nine other universities.

(Distributed 04/17/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Two LSU College of Agriculture students were among the nearly 100 college students from across the country who celebrated National Ag Day (March 25) with agriculture and political leaders in Washington, D.C.

(Distributed 04/25/14) HAMMOND, La. – We all crave color in our landscapes. Beds full of annual and perennial flowering plants are often the primary source of landscape color, but they require a lot of work to keep them looking nice.

(Distributed 04/17/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU AgCenter LaHouse Home and Landscape Resource Center will host its Spring Saturday Open House from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 26. Attendees can learn how to lower utility bills and repair costs by keeping homes cool, dry and termite-protected through the spring and summer.

(Distributed 04/16/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Panama's relationship with Louisiana could be key to economic and educational development in the Central American country, according to Mario Jaramillo, Panamanian ambassador to the United States.

(Audio News 04/16/14) Americans are consuming less soda. Soda consumption has been declining over the past few years and is at the lowest it’s been since the mid-1990s. Denise Holston-West, a registered dietician with the LSU AgCenter, said efforts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate and First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign are starting to pay off.

(Audio 04/21/14) All plants are better suited for outside. You can move houseplants outside for the summer to help rejuvenate them. The move into light should be gradual. Listen to learn more. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Distributed 04/16/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Americans are consuming less soda. Soda consumption has been declining over the past few years and is at the lowest it’s been since the mid-1990s.

(Audio 04/21/14) Gardeners use a wide variety of spring bulbs in our landscapes. After these bulbs finish flowering, you should trim off seed pods, but don't cut back foliage too soon. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Distributed 04/15/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU AgCenter has announced that after eight years in West Monroe, the 4-H and FFA State Horse Show and Contest will be held July 8-12, 2014, at the Burton Complex in Lake Charles.

(Distributed 04/15/14) CLINTON, La. – The LSU AgCenter Bob R. Jones-Idlewild Research Station near Clinton will hold a wildlife field day on May 3.

(Distributed 04/11/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Bags of lavender tea, cranberries and red onion skins simmered together to make a natural red dye. Students in Judy Myhand’s Food FUNdamentals class in the LSU College of Agriculture were preparing to dye eggs using items found around the kitchen to make the dyes.

(Distributed 04/14/14) ALEXANDRIA, La. – LSU AgCenter weed scientists confirmed that farmers will now have to contend with another herbicide-resistant weed, Italian ryegrass.

(Distributed 04/14/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Warmer weather brings many things to our landscapes – including fire ants.

(Distributed 04/11/14) Dragon Wing and BabyWing begonias, along with many other series and varieties of begonias, can and should be considered for the warm-season, shady landscape. Dragon Wing and BabyWing have some of the best genetics available.

(Audio 4/14/14) Caladiums are great plants for shady areas. They are reliable and provide nice color in your landscape. Gardeners can plant caladiums this time of the year. Hear more to learn how to plant them. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 4/14/14) The weather is starting to warm up across the state, and that means gardeners can starting planting warm-season bedding plants. These plants will bloom throughout the summer. Choose plants that will work best in your location with colors that harmonize with their surroundings. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 4/21/14) The new buddleia, Flutterby Petite Tutti Fruitti Pink, is a Louisiana Super Plant. This new form of buddleia has an amazing compact growth habit. It also has a great fragrance and attracts butterflies. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 4/21/14) Louisiana gardeners use lots of containers in their landscapes. During the summer these plants grow very rapidly. Because of this you need to pay close attention to know when to fertilize. Listen to learn more about which fertilizers to use. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 4/21/14) Deadheading refers to the removal of faded flowers that are past their time. This grooming process keeps the plant looking fresh and attractive. Listen to learn more about how and when to deadhead your plants. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 4/14/14) As we move into late spring and early summer, your lawn will start to grow a lot faster. You will have to mow more often, so be sure your lawn doesn't get overgrown before you decide to mow. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Distributed 04/11/14) HAMMOND, La. – Azalea blooms were outstanding this spring, even though the flowers were about two to three weeks later than normal and the cold weather this winter limited the early bloom. In the end, however, many plants bloomed in unison beginning in mid-March. Flowers are continuing now, and bloom on some varieties will stretch through May.

(Distributed 04/11/14) HAMMOND, La. – The LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station will hold an open house from 9 a.m. to noon on May 2.

(Distributed 04/10/14) NEW ORLEANS – Residents in the Crescent Region interested in urban gardening are invited to a ribbon-cutting ceremony at a new LSU AgCenter vegetable plot next door to the New Orleans Convention Center on the corner of Tchoupitoulas and Henderson St. on April 23 at 11 a.m.

(Audio 04/14/14) As the weather warms up, all kinds of pests show up in our landscapes. Weeds and insects become more active and attack your plants. Make sure to keep an eye on your gardens to catch any pests or diseases that are affecting your plants. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio: 04/14/14) Lawn grasses love to grow in the heat. April through summer is a great time to plant and refurbish your lawns. Sod is a great way to plant your lawn and have it look gorgeous if done properly. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Distributed 04/09/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – In a trend mirroring much of the Midsouth region, Louisiana farmers are expected to plant more soybeans than they did last year, according to LSU AgCenter soybean specialist Ronnie Levy. He expects growers to plant 1.3 million acres as compared to 1.1 million acres in 2013.

(Distributed 04/08/14) BATON ROUGE, La – People can expect to hear loud noises outside throughout eastern Louisiana because this is the year for the adult emergence of three species of Magicicada, commonly called 13-year cicadas.

(Distributed 04/08/14) ST. GABRIEL, La. – Through the work of LSU AgCenter's Sustainable Bioproducts Initiative (SUBI), biofuels and other products could offer unique, economically beneficial opportunities for Louisiana's agriculture industry.

(Distributed 04/08/14) WINNSBORO, La. – Recent heavy rains – as much as 6 to 8 inches – in corn-producing areas of Louisiana have flooded fields that already have been planted.

(Video 04/14/14) Lantanas have beautiful flowers that can nicely color a landscape. On this edition of Get It Growing, LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill introduces you to a tough Lantana that produces beautiful white and lavender flowers. (Runtime: 1:40 seconds)

(Distributed 04/04/14) Little Ruby alternanthera was named a LSU AgCenter Louisiana Super Plant in 2013. It is one of the newer varieties of alternanthera – also known as joseph’s coat.

(Distributed 04/04/14) HAMMOND, La. – In the continuing program of identifying Louisiana Super Plants, the LSU AgCenter has identified the Kauai series torenia as a Louisiana Super Plant for spring 2014. These are improved from some of the older seeded varieties and have been proven great in landscape trials the last three years at the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 04/04/14) CROWLEY, La. – LSU AgCenter weed scientist Eric Webster continued his work in 2013 on dormant hybrids and red rice outcrossing by starting a new project using several different herbicides to eliminate undesired plants in a field.

(Distributed 04/04/14) CROWLEY, La. – The 2014-16 USA Rice Leadership class visited the south Louisiana rice-growing region on April 3, including the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station.

(Distributed 04/04/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Increasing international cooperation in research has been the goal of the LSU AgCenter for many years, and during the past three years scientists from around the world have been able to conduct research in labs here through the Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program.

(Video 04/07/14) Ferns can dot landscapes with a lush-looking appeal. Some types are evergreen, and some types are not. One unique evergreen fern garners attention not only because of its green display, but also thanks to some bonus color. On this edition of Get It Growing, LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill introduces you to the autumn fern. (Runtime: 1:40 seconds)

(Distributed 04/02/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Chris Clark, LSU AgCenter plant pathologist, has been elected a fellow of the American Phytopathological Society in recognition of his contributions to managing major sweet potato diseases.

(Distributed 04/02/14) NEW ORLEANS – The LSU AgCenter will present AgMagic on the River, an interactive, visually stimulating learning experience, at Docville Farm in Violet on May 14-17.

(Distributed 04/01/14) NEW ORLEANS – The LSU AgCenter in partnership with the Prevention Research Center at Tulane University will work with local stakeholders to identify behavioral health needs of Orleans Parish residents and share best practices for improving community behavioral health.

(Distributed 04/01/14) DELCAMBRE, La. – The LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant held a series of meetings March 25-26 for crabbers and shrimpers with experts to advise them how to save money, to work safer and to comply with state and federal regulations.

(Audio 04/07/14) You can choose among many types of warm-season bedding plants to bring color to your garden. Even shady areas where some plants won’t grow have particular plants that do well there. Listen to learn more about the different types of plants to grow in your flower beds. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 04/07/14) Early April is an outstanding time to fertilize your lawn. You can use any type of lawn fertilizer you find available, but if you have concerns with your lawn, make sure you find a fertilizer that targets those problems. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 04/07/14) Some herbs do better when the weather is hotter, but most frequently used herbs grow better when the weather is milder. Because they are producing abundantly right now, harvest them and freeze some so that you have herbs to use in your dishes through the summer season. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 04/07/14) Letting tomato plants lie on the ground in Louisiana is inviting disease problems. Supporting these plants will help prevent disease and will increase fruit production. This can be done with stakes or growing the plants in cages. Listen to learn more. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 04/07/14) Warmer temperatures allow gardeners to start transplanting tomatoes. When choosing which types of tomatoes you want to plant, make sure that you have more than one variety. Consult your local nursery to help with choosing different varieties. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(For Release On Or After 04/25/14) Buddleia Flutterby Petite Tutti Frutti Pink is a Louisiana Super Plants selection for spring 2014. I know the variety name is a mouthful, but it is well worth remembering and looking for at your local nurseries.

(For Release On Or After 04/18/14) Many Louisiana gardeners have discovered how easy and rewarding growing herbs can be. Especially popular are the culinary herbs used to flavor foods. The trend for gardeners to plant and grow herbs continues to gain in popularity. Indeed, planting herbs is fairly common these days, particularly among gardeners like me who enjoy cooking.

(For Release On Or After 04/11/14) Spring is here, and it’s time to plant warm-season bedding plants into our flower gardens. These plants will provide color for us through the coming summer. An outstanding choice is Kauai series torenia (Torenia fournieri), a Louisiana Super Plant selection for spring 2014.

(For Release On Or After 04/04/14) It’s amazing how many times I’ve gotten questions about growing grass in shady areas. This is a common issue as shade trees in a landscape grow larger over time. Eventually, the shade they create may not allow grass to grow well in the most shaded areas. When dealing with this sort of situation, you have several options.

(Audio 04/01/14) The bedding plants that you see in bloom now were planted last fall. If you are looking to plant bedding plants to last through the summer, you want to focus on warm-season plants. Check your local nursery for the correct season's bedding plants. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 04/01/14) The Kauai torenia is one of Louisiana's Super Plants. It is a beautiful little bushy plant that cover itself with flowers from the time you plant in the spring to late fall. It is simply a great choice for your flower beds. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 04/01/14) The yellow-bellied sapsucker is a bird that does exactly as its name implies. These little birds actually feed on the sap that trees bleed out during this time of the year. Listen to learn more. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 04/01/14) Some of the summer's most popular fruits and vegetables produce best if they are planted around this time. Early planting helps with preventing insect and disease problems. Listen to hear more about which types of vegetables can be planted now. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 04/01/14) Louisiana has a wide variety of shrubs that bloom during the springtime. The best time to prune these shrubs is after they finish flowering. Pruning at another time would interfere with the reproduction process because of the time that these plants produce next year's flowers. (Runtime: 60 seconds)