Agriculture

Freeze damage to crops, livestock, crawfish assessed

The LSU AgCenter is surveying agricultural producers to estimate damage totals resulting from last month’s freezing weather. The recent freezing weather came just as farmers were getting back on their feet from last year’s disastrous hurricane season.

Hold off on pruning freeze-damaged plants

The entire state of Louisiana, along with many others, just got an unusual dose of ice, sleet and snow. Despite our valiant efforts to cover and protect plants, some will still be lost to the recent hard freezes.

Lafitte the Crawfish granted pardon

Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, along with the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, granted an official pardon to Lafitte the Crawfish during the Fifth Annual Pardoning of the Crawfish event.

State Fire Marshal warns of heat lamp dangers after horses die in barn fire

The State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFM) is calling on Louisiana residents to reconsider the use of heat lamps to warm pets in cold, outdoor conditions following several similar fires this week, including the latest in north Louisiana that claimed the lives of seven horses.

Potato-planting time arrives

For those of you who keep a vegetable garden, it’s time to get those potatoes in the ground. Potatoes are easy to cultivate and provide many essential vitamins such as calcium, iron, vitamins B6 and C, and potassium.

Branch farmer named to La. Ag Hall of Distinction

Three fixtures in Louisiana agriculture will be inducted into the Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction during a ceremony at L’Auberge Hotel in Baton Rouge on March 4.

Pinpointing what is wrong with your plants

We all start out with good intentions and grand ideas when it comes to our gardens and houseplants.

Turfgrass specialist offers advice to repair storm-damaged lawns

For many Louisiana homeowners, a devastated lawn is just one more grim reminder of the terrible 2020 hurricane season. Lawns have been damaged by fallen trees and heavy equipment needed for cleanup and for making home repairs.

LSU AgCenter plans winter sugarcane meetings

The LSU AgCenter is participating in a series of sugarcane meetings to help farmers prepare for the 2021 growing season. A meeting for Bayou Teche area growers will be held Feb. 9 at 9 a.m. To join that virtual meeting, contact LSU AgCenter county agent Blair Hebert at bherbert@agcenter.lsu.edu.

Farmers wrap up record sugarcane season

The 2020-21 Louisiana sugarcane crop is almost complete after four months of grinding, and it appears the crop will set a record. “We’re going to produce almost 2 million tons of sugar. That’s a record for Louisiana,” said Kenneth Gravois, LSU AgCenter sugarcane specialist.