(Distributed 07/29/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Kathy Conerly has been named executive secretary of Louisiana FFA. In her new position, she hopes to expand programs and use FFA to promote agriculture to Louisiana's next generation. Conerly succeeds Ronald Mayeux, who passed away in April and was the executive secretary for seven years. FFA is affiliated with both the LSU AgCenter and the LSU College of Agriculture.

(Distributed 07/28/14) AVERY ISLAND, La. – The Marsh Maneuvers 4-H summer camp is in its 25th year of teaching students about the ecology, anthropology, geology and hydrology of coastal Louisiana. For four weeks, 4-H students from different parishes attend a five-day camp at Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge to learn about the coastal environment and its precarious future.

(Distributed 07/29/14) BATON ROUGE, LA. – With more than 60 species of mosquitoes in Louisiana and mild temperatures most of the year anytime is a good time to be bitten, said LSU AgCenter entomologist Kristen Healey. But right now is an especially important time to be on the lookout for these pesky predators.

(Distributed 07/28/14) CROWLEY, La. – Dustin Harrell, LSU AgCenter agronomist, has been selected to become the next Louisiana rice extension specialist. He will start the new job in January with the retirement of the existing rice specialist, Johnny Saichuk.

(Audio 07/28/14) A new non-genetically modified grain sorghum variety contains a trait that will allow farmers to control johnsongrass in their sorghum fields. Weed scientist Daniel Stephenson said this is a first. Grasses are hard to control in sorghum because they are so closely related to the crop.

(Audio News 07/28/14) Despite a late start to Louisiana’s corn crop, harvest could begin in a couple of weeks. LSU AgCenter corn and cotton specialist Dan Fromme said he is anticipating excellent yields. The state has approximately 450,000 acres of corn – 250,000 fewer acres than last year. (Runtime: 1:20)

(Audio News: 07/25/14) While residents of Louisiana enjoyed the cool spring and a relatively mild summer so far, it hasn't been the best situation for the state’s sugarcane crop. LSU AgCenter sugarcane specialist Kenneth Gravois said the crop is short for this time of the year. (Runtime: 1:30)

(Distributed 07/25/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – When a group of LSU and LSU AgCenter professors visited Brazil universities last spring, it was more of a fact-finding mission. But recent developments have proven the trip was well worth the effort, according to Lawrence Datnoff, head of the AgCenter Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology.

(Distributed 07/25/14) It’s not too late in the warm season to add coleus to the Louisiana landscape.

(Distributed 07/25/14) HAMMOND, La. What’s the most popular summer-blooming tree in Louisiana? Crape myrtles. Pretty easy question. Louisianians plant many crape myrtles in their landscapes every year. The lovely, long-lasting blooms make them attractive.