(Distributed 07/01/14) ST. GABRIEL, La. – The LSU AgCenter’s 32nd annual sugarcane field day will be held on July 16 at the Sugar Research Station near St. Gabriel, beginning with registration at 8 a.m.

(Distribute 06/30/14) The LSU AgCenter will hold three field days for rice farmers in July.

(Distributed 06/30/14) WINNSBORO, La. – Crop varieties change frequently, which sometimes causes farmers to adjust how they apply fertilizers. To ensure its recommendations are up to date, the LSU AgCenter has formed a task force to study the effectiveness of fertilizers on major row crops and forages grown in Louisiana.

(Distributed 06/30/14) ALEXANDRIA, La. – The LSU AgCenter Dean Lee Research and Extension Center in Alexandria will host a field day on July 17. Attendees will hear about AgCenter scientists' research on various row crops and management of insects, weeds and diseases.

(Distributed 06/27/14) Copper plants are great foliage plants for the summer and fall landscape. When planted in the spring, these beautiful tropical-looking small shrubs turn into fabulous accent plants in color beds as we get later in the growing season.

(Video: 06/27/14) A demonstration of a drone highlighted research on display at the LSU AgCenter Northeast Research Station Field Day. LSU AgCenter correspondent Tobie Blanchard attended the field day and has this report. (Runtime: 1:51 seconds)

(Distributed 06/27/14) HAMMOND, La. –Many people think attracting hummingbirds is as easy as hanging a feeder. But that is not always successful because many hummingbirds are not accustomed to using feeders. It can be frustrating to put out a feeder and never see a hummingbird.

(Distributed 06/27/14) CROWLEY, La. – The threat of rain kept activities indoors at the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station’s 105th annual field day, but that didn’t dampen enthusiasm for the event Thursday (June 25) with roughly 400 people in attendance.

(Distributed 06/26/14) CROWLEY, La. – An LSU AgCenter official urged the Louisiana Rice Growers Association Board of Directors to make comments at a listening session of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency aimed at receiving input for a proposed set of regulations that would revise the Clean Water Act.

(Distributed 06/25/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana homes and other buildings that are infested with tawny crazy ants now have a remedy as a result of a Section 18 quarantine exemption use label for Termidor SC insecticide

(Distributed 06/23/14) BOSSIER CITY, La. – As efficient use of nutrients and water becomes an increasingly hot topic in agriculture, LSU AgCenter agronomist Syam Dodla is examining ways to lower production costs and minimize environmental impact without negatively affecting crop health or yields.

(Distributed 06/06/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – A solar dryer designed by LSU AgCenter food engineer Subramaniam Sathivel is helping farmers in Ghana preserve crops so they can maintain a steadier food supply.

(Distributed 06/23/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – An estimated 2,000 people braved the heat and humidity of a Louisiana June day to attend the third annual Garden Fest at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden on June 21.

(Distributed 06/20/14) Louisiana gardeners ought to consider adding some of the new gomphrena – or globe amaranth – to their landscapes.

(Distributed 06/20/14) BATON ROUGE, La.--Students participating in 4-H spent a week (June 17-20) on the LSU campus competing in contests, learning about careers and electing officers for the 2014-15 school year.

(Distributed 06/20/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – It's a phrase typically heard on movie sets in Hollywood. But this week "Lights, Camera, Action!" was the title of a 4-H University program that gives young people a chance to expand their digital literacy skills by shooting and editing their own videos.

(Distributed 06/20/14) HAMMOND, La. – Looking for low-maintenance perennials for a practically nonstop flower show from summer through fall? If you are, consider the many species and varieties of perennial salvia.

(Distributed 06/19/14) ST. JOSEPH, La. – Farmers and crop consultants attending a field day on June 17 at the Northeast Research Station learned about new herbicide technologies that will help control stubborn weeds in their soybeans.

(Distributed 06/18/14) ST. JOSEPH, La. – As water resources face the risk of declining in both quality and quantity, many farmers want to learn how to be more efficient when they irrigate. LSU AgCenter and National Resource Conservation Service experts offered them some ideas on June 17 at the Northeast Research Station Field Day in St. Joseph.

(Distributed 06/18/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Almost all rice grown in Louisiana is irrigated, but drought can still be a threat to crop productivity. By isolating genes that determine drought tolerance and applying them to rice, LSU AgCenter molecular biologist Niranjan Baisakh is developing rice varieties that can survive as long as two weeks without water.

(Distributed 06/17/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU AgCenter will host a Summer Saturday Open House at the LaHouse Home and Landscape Center on July 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

(Distributed 06/17/14) BATON ROUGE, La – The gluten-free label is becoming more popular on items in the grocery store. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and triticale. People who have the autoimmune disease, celiac disease, experience a toxic immune response when they ingest gluten and should eliminate gluten from their diets, according to LSU AgCenter registered dietician Denise Holston-West.

(Distributed 06/06/14) FRANKLINTON, La – With a tall walking stick in hand, Don Reed, an LSU College of Agriculture professor and AgCenter forestry and wildlife specialist, wandered through Bogue Chitto State Park pointing out trees and plants to a group of students.

(Distributed 06/16/14) ST. GABRIEL, La. – A group of future international leaders visited the LSU AgCenter Audubon Sugar Institute on June 11 to learn more about alternative fuel development in Louisiana.

(Distributed 06/16/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU College of Agriculture has named Jenna Tedrick Kuttruff, a 26-year veteran of the textiles, apparel design and merchandising program, as the head of new Department of Textiles, Apparel Design and Merchandising (TAM).

(Distributed 06/13/14) ABBEVILLE, La. – A group of 4-H Club members presented the Vermilion Parish Police Jury recently with a proposal for improvements at the local extension office to strengthen it against hurricanes and other major weather events.

(Distributed 06/13/14) Luna hibiscus comes in four colors and is a hardy hibiscus for Louisiana. It was named a spring 2014 Louisiana Super Plant.

(Distributed 06/13/14) ALEXANDRIA, La. – The LSU College of Agriculture is partnering with LSU of Alexandria to offer a concentration in agriculture within the biology degree program at the Alexandria campus.

(Distributed 06/13/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU AgCenter is always buzzing with research, and this project is no exception – literally. Entomologists Kristen Healy and Jim Ottea are studying how insecticides used for mosquito control affect honeybees.

(Distributed 06/13/14) HAMMOND, La. – Gardeners have long desired flowers that are low-maintenance in their landscape. But they also want these flowers to last spring through fall.

(Distributed 06/13/14) ALEXANDRIA, La. – Glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth, first confirmed in Louisiana in 2010, continues to spread south in Louisiana, said LSU AgCenter weed scientist Daniel Stephenson. But Louisiana farmers have learned from their peers in other states that early control can be the answer to preventing widespread distribution of this persistent weed.

(Distributed 06/12/14) BOSSIER CITY, La. – Agricultural producers can help ensure precious water resources remain clean by implementing management practices that reduce runoff and pollution, according to LSU AgCenter water quality expert Changyoon Jeong.

(Distributed 06/12/14) CROWLEY, La. – Rice farmers learned about LSU AgCenter research being conducted to help them control weeds during the Acadia Parish Rice and Soybean Field Day on June 12. Eric Webster, LSU AgCenter weed scientist, said he is testing nine different experimental herbicides.

(Distributed 06/12/14) DELCAMBRE, La. – Louisiana coastal residents were able to see the elevation and flooding threat for their property and residences at the Delcambre Seafood and Farmer’s Market on June 7 at a booth staffed by the LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant.

(Distributed 06/12/14) CROWLEY, La. – The Louisiana Master Farmer Program will offer Phase I training June 23 at the Rice Research Station.

(Distributed 06/12/14) HAMMOND, La. – Horticulture enthusiasts and landscape contractors alike attended the Second Annual Margie Jenkins Azalea Garden Horticulture Lecture Series and Industry Open House at the LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station on June 5.

(Distributed 06/11/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Nationwide and in Louisiana, the Cooperative Extension Service is celebrating its 100th anniversary, having been founded in 1914 with the passage of the Smith-Lever Act. For half of those years, a Louisianian, Leodrey Williams, has worked in extension, serving in a variety of capacities at both Southern University and in national leadership positions.

(Video 06/11/14) LSU College of Agriculture students were spending the first part of their summer in the woods. The students were part of a wildlife habitat field study class and learning about plant identification. LSU AgCenter correspondent Tobie Blanchard tagged along for a trek through the forest. (Runtime: 1:40 seconds)

(Video 06/11/14) Louisiana farmers are harvesting the state’s wheat crop. LSU AgCenter correspondent Tobie Blanchard reports that despite winter freezes during the growing season, wheat yields are promising. (Runtime: 1:22 seconds)

(Distributed 06/10/14) BOSSIER CITY, La. – Smart irrigation technologies could help agricultural producers lower costs and use water more efficiently, according to LSU AgCenter economist Naveen Adusumilli.

(Distributed 06/06/14) NEW ORLEANS – When most urban dwellers see the word GAP, it’s highly unlikely that anything related to food comes to mind. But urban fruit and vegetable growers understand that Good Agricultural Practices are now a part of their lives.

(Distributed 06/09/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Members of the LSU AgCenter’s International Programs office recently hosted a delegation from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand as a future partner in research through an agreement between the two organizations and the LSU Baton Rouge campus.

(Distributed 06/06/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – More than 1,500 Louisiana 4-H members are expected to participate in 4-H University, set for June 17-20 on LSU's Baton Rouge campus. This annual event gives 4-H'ers between the ages of 13 and 19 a chance to compete in contests, win prizes and explore careers.

(Distributed 06/06/14) Frost Proof gardenia is a great plant for home gardens and deserves more consideration.

(Distributed 06/06/14) HAMMOND, La. – New varieties of crape myrtles are currently available in abundance. Developers have introduced new varieties over the past few years with an emphasis on smaller growth habits, dark foliage colors, earlier bloom and more.

(Distributed 06/05/14) FENTON, La. –Developing a new variety of rice sometimes requires eliminating a good breeding line that once showed promise but isn’t quite good enough. That’s the scenario Steve Linscombe, LSU AgCenter rice breeder, described at the Southwest Rice Field Day held on June 5.

(Distributed 06/05/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Nitrogen and phosphorus can help farmers improve yields, but when these nutrients make their way into streams and rivers, they can also contribute to a low-oxygen, or hypoxic, zone in the Gulf of Mexico. To help reduce this type of pollution, the LSU AgCenter and 11 other land-grant universities recently joined the Environmental Protection Agency’s Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Task Force.

(Distributed 06/04/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – Horse owners should prepare for tropical weather instead of waiting until the last minute just before a storm, advised LSU AgCenter equine specialist Neely Walker.

(Distributed 06/04/14) BATON ROUGE, La. – It’s not every day that Louisiana residents are looking for ways to get rid of crawfish in the lawn. But it does happen, and there are effective ways to get the job done.