(Video News 10/10/11) Drought conditions throughout most of the summer affected yields of Louisiana’s soybean and cotton crops. LSU AgCenter correspondent Tobie Blanchard reports that despite challenges, yields are fair. (Runtime: 1:35)

(Video News 10/18/11) Trail riders, horse trainers and wanna-be cowgirls gathered with their horses at Parker Coliseum on LSU’s campus to learn to become Master Horsemen. LSU AgCenter correspondent Tobie Blanchard has the story. (Runtime: 1:36)

(Video News 10/03/11) A grant will help Louisiana and other southeastern states develop biofuels. LSU AgCenter researchers working on the energy crops of sugarcane and sweet sorghum will benefit from the grant. LSU AgCenter correspondent Tobie Blanchard has the story. (Runtime: 2:02)

(Video News 10/26/11) Switchgrass could be another source of energy from Louisiana and another source of income for landowners. LSU AgCenter correspondent Tobie Blanchard spoke with a researcher growing switchgrass with pine trees. (Runtime: 1:54)

(Video 10/10/11) Louisiana Super Plants are outstanding plants for landscapes throughout the state. On this edition of Get It Growing, LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill explains how the Super Plant Redbor kale is an ornamental plant as well as an edible vegetable. (Runtime: 1:38)

(Video 10/31/11) The relatively unknown bush clover is a drought-tolerant bush that blooms vibrant purple flowers throughout the fall. LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill explains that these low-maintenance plants are a great addition to any landscape. (Runtime: 1:39)

(Video 10/24/11) The plant nandina is also called heavenly bamboo. It’s a tough, versatile shrub that can provide nice fall color. LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill explains important differences among a number of nandina varieties. (Runtime: 1:41)

(Video 10/17/11) If you’re looking for a plant that blooms during the fall every year, then sedums would be a dependable choice. LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill explains how these tough plants come in different sizes and shapes. (Runtime: 1:38)

(Distributed 10/19/11) POLLOCK, La. – AT&T Louisiana donated $25,000 on Oct. 14 to the Grant Walker 4-H Educational Center Multipurpose Building Project.

(Distributed 10/24/11) SHREVEPORT, La. – The pecans may be smaller this year because of the drought, but the quality should be good, according to Randy Sanderlin, LSU AgCenter pecan specialist. The 2011 drought caused some trees to shed nuts in August. Yield will be affected statewide, but particularly in northwest Louisiana where the drought was more extreme.

(Distributed 10/20/11) Even though it’s early in the citrus season, producers say they have had a good growing season and expect an above-average crop this year.

(Radio News 10/31/11) Louisiana sweet potato growers are harvesting an average to above average crop. LSU AgCenter sweet potato specialist Tara Smith says good weather during the harvest season has helped farmers get their potatoes in. (Runtime: 1:20)

(Audio 10/31/11) Gardeners looking for fall bedding plants should consider two Louisiana Super Plants. The Amazon dianthus and Camelot foxglove were fall 2010 super plants, but they should be readily available at nurseries and garden centers again this year. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/31/11) Many deciduous trees will start to drop leaves in November. Those leaves are valuable to gardeners. Consider raking them up and using them as mulch, and remember if you let them stay on the lawn, they can damage the grass. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Distributed 10/31/11) ABBEVILLE, La. – Jayla Campbell, an eighth-grader from North Vermilion Catholic School, had never carved a pumpkin before the 4-H workshop held Monday (Oct. 31) at the Vermilion Parish Extension Office.

(Distributed 10/31/11) The LSU AgCenter’s 2011 poinsettia open house is set for Dec. 2 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Burden Center located at 4560 Essen Lane near the junction of I-10 in Baton Rouge.

(Distributed 10/31/11) Landscapers, grounds crews, nursery staffs and others heard updates on research projects at the Hammond Research Station landscape field day on Oct. 18.

(Audio 10/31/11) Leaves on evergreens can change colors and drop. Gardeners who notice yellowing leaves on their evergreens should not be concerned if the plant appears otherwise healthy. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(For Release On Or After 11/04/11) Louisiana gardeners seldom grow columbines (Aquilegia species and hybrids) in their flower gardens. This is likely due to unfamiliarity with columbines – there is no tradition of using columbines here in the Deep South – and lack of availability in local nurseries.

(For Release On Or After 11/18/11) Flowers are the delight of gardeners. Their beautiful colors, shapes and fragrances are the inspiration for gardening efforts by countless hobby horticulturists. There is more to flowers, however, than meets the eye – or the nose. Your taste buds can also appreciate the many edible flowers that we can grow.

(For Release On Or After 11/11 /11) The vegetables we grow in Louisiana during the cool season are some of the most delicious and nutritious that our home gardens can produce. Many of the vegetables we planted in late summer and early fall are ready to harvest – or will be soon. It is important to harvest vegetables at the proper stage for best results.

(Audio 10/28/11) The LSU AgCenter has released three new Louisiana Super Plants for fall 2011: Belinda’s Dream rose, Redbor kale and Swan columbine. These plants have undergone extensive research and are considered high-performing plants for all areas of Louisiana. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Distributed 10/28/11) Your landscape can include many trees and shrubs that will provide significant color in fall and winter year after year.

(Distributed 10/26/11) BATON ROUGE, La. – Socioeconomic status, rather than race, has the strongest effect on student achievement, according to a recent study conducted in the LSU School of Human Resource Education and Workforce Development.

(Distributed 10/27/11) Baton Rouge area students learned about the importance of wetlands as part of Louisiana Wetlands Exploration Day on Oct. 20 at the Hilltop Arboretum.

(Distributed 10/27/11) MOUTON COVE, La. – Vermilion Parish 4-H leaders have been teaching two new words to 4-H Club members throughout the parish: resilient and subsidence.

(Audio 10/31/11) Louisiana Super Plants program promotes outstanding plants for Louisiana landscapes. Selections for this year include Belinda's Dream rose, Redbor kale and Swan columbine. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/31/11) Gardeners can plant a number of cool-season vegetables into their vegetable gardens in November. Many popular vegetables such as leafy vegetables, root crops and cole crops can tolerate cold weather. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Distributed 10/25/11) BATON ROUGE, La. – In an effort to promote healthful eating habits and to provide food for those struggling in poverty, students at Westdale Heights Academic Magnet School learned about making the right choices related to food selections and conducted a food drive for the Baton Rouge Food Bank.

(Radio News 10/25/11) The Louisiana 4-H Museum is now offering “Discovery Days,” an educational program series for groups of children ages 3 - 8. Children can learn about health and nature during these one-hour programs which include hands-on activities, stories, songs and rhymes. (Runtime: 1:10)

(Radio News 10/24/11) Beautiful plants and the research that goes into them were on display at the LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station’s annual landscape horticulture field day. LSU AgCenter horticulturist Allen Owings says a focus of the station is to evaluate bedding plants, herbaceous perennials and roses in landscape situations. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 10/21/11) Costumes and candy go hand in hand on Halloween, but LSU AgCenter nutritionist Beth Reames suggests making some treats toys this year. Research shows children enjoy non-food favors just as much as candy. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Distributed 10/20/11) Last fall, the LSU AgCenter announced a new plant marketing and promotion program called Louisiana Super Plants. The program identifies superior plants for Louisiana landscapes and assures wholesale growers are growing and retail nurseries are carrying the selections. Then, we get the word out to the gardening public about these outstanding plants.

(Audio 10/24/11) In fall, you may hear about winterizing your lawn. This means applying the mineral nutrient potassium to the lawn. All plants need potassium, but winterizing the lawn is optional. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 10/19/11) Pink abounds in October during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. LSU AgCenter nutritionists are promoting a healthful diet that can help prevent breast cancer and other forms of the disease. Heli Roy says the amounts and types of dietary fat you consume are important in cancer prevention. (Runtime: 1:45)

(Audio 10/17/11) Spring-flowering bulbs are available at nurseries and garden centers. Most spring bulbs are planted in November or December. Hyacinth and tulip bulbs should be chilled in the refrigerator and planted in late December or January. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/17/11) It's time to check your flower beds if your summer bedding plants are fading. Plant cool-season plants that will provide color through fall and winter and into spring. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/24/11) Louisiana wildflowers put on an outstanding display in the fall. Look around and notice what's out there - wonderful plants like the narrow-leaf sunflower and asters. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/24/11) Before you go to the nursery to purchase cool-season bedding plants, consider preparing your beds first. This way you'll only buy the plants needed to fill those beds. Think about a color scheme and how much mulch you will need to cover the beds. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Distributed 10/19/11) The LSU AgCenter’s 4-H Youth Wetlands Program will host a Louisiana Wetlands Exploration Day at Fairview-Riverside State Park in Madisonville on Tuesday, Oct. 25, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

(Audio 10/24/11) Chrysanthemums symbolize the fall season in flower beds. They are triggered to bloom when the nights are long. You can find blooming plants available, but choose a plant with plenty of unopened buds so you can have a long season of color. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/24/11) Storms and high winds are common in Louisiana in the summer. Trees in your landscape may have suffered broken limbs. This is a good time to inspect your trees that may have been damaged. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Distributed 10/14/11) Are you looking for something new to try in your cool-season landscape this fall and winter? There is much to select from in the way of annual flowers for planting during the cool season of the year. Most of us know about pansies, snapdragons, petunias, garden mums and older varieties of dianthus, but there is much more.

(Radio News 10/17/11) An LSU AgCenter forestry researcher is working on expanding Louisiana’s energy portfolio. Michael Blazier says Louisiana is fourth in the nation in terms of its fossil fuel production, and in its potential for producing biofuels from diverse biomass. Blazier is looking at growing switchgrass for bioenergy. (Runtime: 1:45)

(Distributed 10/14/11) The LSU AgCenter School of Animal Sciences will hold its “From Cow to Cone” dairy education day at the 4-H Mini Farm Building on Nov. 2.

(Audio 10/17/11) Caladiums have gone dormant by now. The tubers can be saved from year to year. Dig up your tubers this month, and let the foliage dry. Store them inside your home so they can survive through the winter. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/17/11) Gardeners can change the color of their hydrangeas this month by applying lime or aluminum sulfate. Hydrangeas provide beautiful blooms during the summer. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/17/11) Scale insects are difficult to diagnose on plants. Once they are visible, they have settled on the plant and never move again. They also protect themselves with a shell and don't really look like bugs. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Distributed 10/13/11) Forage research and the importance of protein for dairy cattle will be highlighted at the LSU AgCenter dairy field day Dec. 8 at the Southeast Research Station in Franklinton.

(Audio 10/10/11) October brings relief from summer heat. It can be one of our drier months, too. But with cooler weather we may forget our plants still need water. If a dry spell occurs during the next few weeks, be sure to irrigate the plants in your landscape. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/10/11) Louisiana deciduous trees drop most of their leaves in November and December. Plan now to use these leaves as mulch or to turn them into compost. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Distributed 10/10/11) JENA, La. – Nineteen LaSalle Parish residents and elected officials have graduated from Lead LaSalle, a leadership and community development program of the LSU AgCenter and the LaSalle Economic Development District.

(Distributed 10/10/11) ZWOLLE, La. – About 250 third-graders from eight schools in Sabine Parish learned about forestry, wildlife and furs, horses and gardening at the Zwolle Tamale Fiesta on Oct. 7.

(Radio News 10/10/11) Participants of the LSU AgCenter's Master Horseman program attend eight, three-hour sessions where they learn knot tying, nutrition, groundwork and establishing communication and trust with their horse. LSU AgCenter horse specialist Neely Heidorn says that horse people tend to learn from other horse enthusiasts. (Runtime: 1:35)

(Distributed 10/07/11) Fall is not complete without a visit to a corn maze or pumpkin patch. People in Louisiana who are looking for these activities can find them on the Internet, according to LSU AgCenter public relations and information specialist Pam Hodson.

(Radio News 10/07/11) The outbreak of Listeria has raised food safety concerns. LSU AgCenter nutritionist and food safety expert Beth Reames says Listeria is a common microorganism. Most Listeria does not cause illness, but Listeria monocytogenes, found in the Colorado cantaloupes blamed for the outbreak, is deadly. (Runtime: 1:30)

(Distributed 10/07/11) JENNINGS, La. – Five agricultural aviation companies that serve the agricultural industry in Louisiana got their equipment tested recently (Oct. 4) at the Jennings airport with the help of the LSU AgCenter and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry.

(Distributed 10/07/11) Encore azaleas have gathered consideration attention over the past 10 years, but we need to remember we had great, fall-flowering – sometimes referred to a multi-seasonal-flowering – azaleas before the Encore varieties. Another azalea group widely planted in Louisiana for fall blooming is the Robin Hill hybrids.

(Distributed 10/06/11) MARSH ISLAND, La. – Herry Utomo, molecular geneticist at the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station, looked over his crop of lush spartina, or smooth cordgrass, with satisfaction.

(Distributed 10/06/11) When asked what Halloween means, kids usually put candy at the top of their list. But research shows that given a choice between treats and toys, kids will often prefer the toys, according to Beth Reames, LSU AgCenter nutritionist. She encourages people to choose miniature toys, stickers and nonfood favors as their treats to dispense to the costumed beggars who come to their doors on Halloween.

(Distributed 10/05/11) The LSU AgCenter’s LaHouse will host two fall-themed events called “Haunted LaHouse” Thursday, Oct. 27, and Saturday, Oct. 29.

(Radio News 10/05/11) Louisiana’s cotton harvest started back in September with good harvesting conditions, but LSU AgCenter cotton specialist John Kruse says drought conditions during much of the growing season caused about $26 million in damage to the crop. (Runtime: 1:20)

(Distributed 10/05/11) The LSU AgCenter’s 4-H Youth Wetlands Program will host a Louisiana Wetlands Exploration Day at the LSU Hilltop Arboretum in Baton Rouge on Thursday, Oct. 20, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

(Audio 10/10/11) Gardeners often put their container plants outside for the summer. When winter approaches, move your plants to a shady location. This will prepare them for the move back inside. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/10/11) Many of the herbs that Louisiana cooks enjoy using grow well in winter. Check local nurseries for transplants of popular herbs. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/10/11) Louisiana vegetable gardeners can plant strawberry plants in fall. If you want strawberries in spring, plant them soon. Look for Louisiana varieties at local garden centers. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Radio News 10/04/11) Farmers are close to wrapping up their soybean harvest. Harvest conditions have been ideal, but the growing season was not. Much of the state suffered with drought during spring and summer. LSU AgCenter soybean specialist Ronnie Levy explains. (Runtime: 1:20)

(Distributed 10/04/11) The Louisiana 4-H Foundation has joined an online shopping mall hosted and sponsored by nonprofit organizations for the purpose of raising funds.

(Distributed 10/04/11) Some people may be wondering if they should ever eat cantaloupe again. But LSU AgCenter food scientist Marlene Janes says she certainly plans to, although she recommends taking precautions.

(Distributed 10/04/11) MONROE, La. – Expanding the outdoor recreation industry on agricultural lands brings in revenue to help local economies, experts said at a paddling and canoeing business opportunities workshop.

(Distributed 10/04/11) Former Baton Rouge resident Kellett Hathorn will be posthumously inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame on Oct. 7 for his lifetime achievements and contributions to 4-H.

(DIstributed 10/04/11) The LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station will hold their annual landscape horticulture field day for nursery, landscape and garden center professionals on October 18.

(For Release On Or After 10/28/11) We’ve become accustomed to running out and buying flats or pots of blooming bedding plants to create “instant flower gardens.” This last-minute approach, however, will simply not work when using spring-flowering bulbs in the landscape. If you want beautiful beds of daffodils, tulips or Dutch irises next spring, you should think about planting them now.

(For Release On Or After 10/21/11) Cooler mornings in October make it a joy to get out and work in the home vegetable garden. A number of delicious and nutritious vegetables will thrive in the coming cool season. Indeed, some of our favorite vegetables can only be grown in Louisiana from October through April.

(For Release On Or After 10/14/11) Redbor kale is the first edible Louisiana Super Plants selection. It is an incredible multiuse annual for the cool-season flower or vegetable garden. Although perfectly edible, it is so attractive it is being promoted as an ornamental for planting in flowerbeds.

(For Release On Or After 10/7/11) Belinda’s Dream rose is the first Louisiana Super Plant selection to be announced for the fall 2011 season. With beautiful flowers, excellent disease resistance and a bushy growth habit, it well deserves the recognition.

(Distributed 10/03/11) The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded the LSU AgCenter a five-year $17.2 million grant to speed up the process for developing biofuels and biochemicals from sugarcane and sweet sorghum.

(Distributed 10/03/11) With an eye to the future of bioenergy, the LSU AgCenter will offer four workshops for forest landowners and agricultural producers to help them identify opportunities in emerging markets for converting wood or agricultural crops into energy.

(Distributed 10/03/11) The LSU AgCenter is strengthening its programs on human nutrition, Chancellor Bill Richardson said during a forum on childhood obesity in New Orleans Sept. 29.