Agriculture

Old blankets cover tender shrubs during a freeze. Notice the pieces of wood holding the cover down at the ground. These ensure the cover doesn’t move, sealing in warmth. (LSU AgCenter file photo)

Old blankets cover tender shrubs during a freeze. Notice the pieces of wood holding the cover down at the ground. These ensure the cover doesn’t move, sealing in warmth. (LSU AgCenter file photo)

Here’s how to protect your plants ahead of forecasted freezes

Olivia McClure / omcclure@agcenter.lsu.edu
Friday, January 3, 2025
Temperatures in Louisiana are predicted to dip below freezing this week. If you’re worried about your plants, there are a few things you can do to help keep them safe from the cold.

Aspirin, a superpower for plants

From the Eunice Bulb & Blossom Garden Club
Friday, December 27, 2024
Aspirin, a well-known pain reliever for humans, has interesting effects on plants. Gardeners have discovered that salicylic acid in aspirin helps plants boost their immune system and promotes growth.
LSU AgCenter horticulturist Ed Bush holds a tree branch with mistletoe growing from it. Photo by Anna Ribbeck/LSU AgCenter

LSU AgCenter horticulturist Ed Bush holds a tree branch with mistletoe growing from it. Photo by Anna Ribbeck/LSU AgCenter

Mistletoe brings kisses for some, headaches for others

From The LSU AgCenter
Friday, December 27, 2024
Say the word mistletoe, and many of us think of the holiday tradition of receiving a kiss underneath a cluster of green leaves. But if you mention mistletoe to a horticulturist, you might get a different response. That’s because mistletoe isn’t exactly all fun and games.
Bryan Gueltig, the Pesticide Safety Education Program coordinator for the LSU AgCenter, reacts to a taste test question after drinking coffee during a study at the Sensory Services Laboratory. Photo by Kyle Peveto/LSU AgCenter

Bryan Gueltig, the Pesticide Safety Education Program coordinator for the LSU AgCenter, reacts to a taste test question after drinking coffee during a study at the Sensory Services Laboratory. Photo by Kyle Peveto/LSU AgCenter

LSU AgCenter Sensory Services Lab marks 10 years of consumer-focused food studies

Kyle Peveto / kpeveto@agcenter.lsu.edu
Friday, December 27, 2024
Before they hit grocery shelves with labels that shout, “New and Improved!” or “Lower in Calories,” some foods first pass a gauntlet of everyday Louisianans who taste, smell and scrutinize the product in a lab in Baton Rouge.

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AgCenter veterinarian urges caution amid rise in bird flu cases

Tobie Blanchard / tblanchard@agcenter.lsu.edu
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
Louisiana has recorded the nation’s first severe human infection of H5N1, also known as highly pathogenic avian influenza or bird flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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2024 rice harvest started fast but faded late

Kenneth Gautreaux / LSU AgCenter
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
It was a tale of two crops this year for Louisiana rice farmers. Rice planted and harvested early had excellent yields. The ones that were planted and harvested later, not so much.
The New World screwworm is the larvae of the fly Cochliomyia hominivorax. It was recently detected in Mexico near the Guatemala border and could have devastating impacts on livestock and wildlife in the United States, said Christine Navarre, LSU AgCenter extension veterinarian. Adobe Stock photo

The New World screwworm is the larvae of the fly Cochliomyia hominivorax. It was recently detected in Mexico near the Guatemala border and could have devastating impacts on livestock and wildlife in the United States, said Christine Navarre, LSU AgCenter extension veterinarian. Adobe Stock photo

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Livestock, wildlife threatened by New World screwworm

V. Todd Miller / vtmiller@agcenter.lsu.edu
Friday, December 13, 2024
As many know, typical fly larvae, or maggots, only feed on dead tissue. But that is not the case of the New World screwworm larvae, which feed on live tissue.
Anna Timmerman, left, an LSU AgCenter horticulture agent in Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes, recently was a guest on a Get It Growing TV segment about citrus. Get It Growing is hosted by AgCenter horticulturist Jason Stagg, right. (Photo by Randy LaBauve/LSU AgCenter)

Anna Timmerman, left, an LSU AgCenter horticulture agent in Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes, recently was a guest on a Get It Growing TV segment about citrus. Get It Growing is hosted by AgCenter horticulturist Jason Stagg, right. (Photo by Randy LaBauve/LSU AgCenter)

Plant citrus when the time is right for your location

From The LSU AgCenter
Friday, December 13, 2024
Citrus trees are abundant at retail garden centers during fall and early winter. They make beautiful holiday gifts, and they are one of the most popular types of fruit to grow in Louisiana home gardens.