September 2016 Articles

Archives by Months

God Bless Football

Spiritual Corner”

God Bless Football This past weekend was a big weekend for a lot of people, my family included. It was the opening weekend of college football—such... read more

Just Rambling September 2016

Just Rambling: “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” This quote was by President John F. Kennedy in his inaugural address on January 20, 1961. How do you think this statement would be received today? I don’t think... read more

Managing Calves through the Fall Forage Ga

Managing Calves through the Fall Forage Gap—In the southeast, approximately 55% of cow/calf herds calve during the spring (approximately 65% nationwide) which means over 50% of our calves are weaned in the fall. There are many ways we can market weaned calves; however, deciding on which marketing strategy is often times dependent upon several factors such as facilities, labor, and forage and feed resources. With the downward turn in the cattle market over the last 12 months, premiums now play... read more

Rice, soybeans take hit from recent flooding

Rice, soybeans take hit from recent flooding
Writer: Bruce Schultz at 337-788-8821 or bschultz@agcenter.lsu.edu
(08/26/16) PORT BARRE, La. – This is Samuel Buller’s first year to farm on his own, and the 21-year-old was looking at a good rice crop. But recent flooding changed that.
Buller’s yields are reduced, grain quality will suffer, and about a third of the plants in a 280-acre field fell over and sprouted. “It was some of my best looking rice,”... read more

Farmers told to expect flood disaster aid

Farmers told to expect flood disaster aid Writer: Bruce Schultz at 337-788-8821 or bschultz@agcenter.lsu.edu
(08/26/16) OPELOUSAS, La. – A series of meetings throughout south Louisiana were held by Mike Strain, commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, to assure farmers that state and federal aid is available to help them get through the flooding... read more

Cotton crop suffers damage from flooding rains

Cotton crop suffers damage from flooding rains Writer: Craig Gautreaux at 225-578-5673 or cgautreaux@agcenter.lsu.edu
(08/30/16) ALEXANDRIA, La. – Cotton farmers did not escape unscathed by the flooding rains of mid-August. LSU AgCenter cotton specialist Dan Fromme has seen the damages caused by several days of heavy rain and excessive humidity.
“We’ve seen a lot of boll rot that... read more

Researchers must wait to see how flood affects crawfish

Researchers must wait to see how flood affects crawfish Writer: Johnny Morgan at 225-578-8484 or jmorgan@agcenter.lsu.edu

(08/24/16) The impact of the recent widespread flooding on the upcoming season will depend on many factors according to LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant aquaculture and coastal resources specialist Mark Shirley
“We really won’t know the extent of damage until we get into... read more

Importance of Pregnancy Detection

Importance of Pregnancy Detection—According to 2007-08 National Animal Health Monitoring System data, only about 20%
of beef cow-calf producers check for pregnancy in their herds. Beef cows need to become pregnant, deliver healthy calves and
wean productive calves in order for producers to make their operation economically profitable. However, every year beef
females fail to become pregnant for numerous reasons including anestrous, pre-puberty, disease (more open cows than expectedread more

Louisiana corn, grain sorghum crops suffer losses during flood

Louisiana corn, grain sorghum crops suffer losses during flood
Writer: Craig Gautreaux at 225-578-5673 or cgautreaux@agcenter.lsu.edu (08/23/16) BATON ROUGE, La. – While thousands of homes in Louisiana were being inundated by floodwaters, the rains that caused the flooding also damaged the state’s corn and grain sorghum crops. “Virtually all of the grain sorghum left to be harvested is showing signs or has actually begun to sprout. This... read more

Utilize the Opportunity to Extend the Grazing Season

Utilize the Opportunity to Extend the Grazing Season
The unusually wet conditions in August this year should provide an opportunity for stockpiling some additional grass growth and stretching the grazing season later into the fall or winter period. Several studies have shown stockpiled bermudagrass can provide adequate nutrition to meet the requirements of late-winter or spring calving cows for several weeks after frost. Bahiagrass can be utilized as stockpiled forage but has been shown to be provide... read more

Consumption of Crops Exposed to Flood Waters

Consumption of Crops Exposed to Flood Waters
Baton Rouge, LA (August 17, 2016) – Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., says pay close attention to the Federal Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) warnings pertaining to crops exposed to flood waters.
According to the FDA, the edible portion of a crop exposed to flood waters is considered adulterated under section 402(a)(4) (21 U.S.C. 342(a)(4)) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and should not be... read more

Environmental Groups Hamper Endangered Species Conservation

Environmental Groups Hamper Endangered Species Conservation Source: www.beefusa.org WASHINGTON (August 23, 2016) – Today, the Center for Biological Diversity along with other radical environmental groups threatened to sue the Department of Interior and Fish and Wildlife Service to force action on 417 proposed listings under the Endangered Species Act, all stemming from a massive lawsuit settlement brokered behind... read more

New Web Page Focuses on Beef Education Tools

New Web Page Focuses on Beef Education Tools
WASHINGTON, D.C., September 1, 2016 - The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has launched an updated beef resources web page dedicated to sharing nationally focused beef education tools with teachers, volunteers, farmers and ranchers. The site features a new video highlighting the Foundation's 2016 On the Farm STEM event and its impact on district- and university-level STEM coordinators.
"We are excited to debut this online... read more

Farm Bureau Asks USDA for Emergency Dairy Assistance

Farm Bureau Asks USDA for Emergency Dairy Assistance
WASHINGTON, D.C., August 11, 2016 -- Against a backdrop of plummeting farm-level milk prices and farm cash receipts for milk sales, the American Farm Bureau Federation this week asked the Agriculture Department to provide emergency assistance for the nation's dairy farmers.
In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, AFBF President Zippy Duvall said AFBF supported a recent request from 61 members of Congress... read more

Prevent further damage to your flooded home and your health

Prevent further damage to your flooded home and your health Editor: Linda Foster Benedict at 225-578-2937 or lbenedict@agcenter.lsu.edu
(08/15/2016) BATON ROUGE, La. – A flood-damaged home requires special attention to avoid further damage and health hazards from molds, other fungi, algae and bacteria. Wetness and high humidity spur their growth within two to three days, so it’s essential to act... read more

USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic H5N2 Avian Influenza in a Wild Mallard Duck in A

USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic H5N2 Avian Influenza in a Wild Mallard Duck in Alaska

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) in a wild mallard duck from a state wildlife refuge near Fairbanks, Alaska. CDC considers the risk to the general public from these HPAI H5 infections to be low. No human infections with Eurasian H5 viruses have occurred in the United States. As a reminder, the... read more

Fertilize, prune before colder weather

Fertilize, prune before colder weather
Editor: Rick Bogren at 225-578-5839 or rbogren@agcenter.lsu.edu
By Dan Gill, LSU AgCenter Horticulturist
(09/02/16) We will soon begin to move into fall, and that influences what we do in the garden now. It’s time to finish up fertilizing a variety of landscape plants as well as time to prune many shrubs, cut back overgrown tropicals and trim some bedding plants.
Fertilizing
You may fertilize your lawn, shrubs and ground covers that are still actively growing... read more

Chicken and Rice Casserole

Chicken and Rice Casserole
I have used an easy Chicken and Rice Casserole for years but this one’s rice is better.
Chicken, cut up ( I use breast strips) 4 T margarine
1 cup uncooked rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 pkg brown gravy mix... read more

National 4-H Week to be held Oct. 2-8

National 4-H Week to be held Oct. 2-8 Writer: Craig Gautreaux at 225-578-5673 or cgautreaux@agcenter.lsu.edu
(09/01/16) BATON ROUGE, La. – 4-H youth across Louisiana will engage in activities focusing on science, citizenship, healthy living and technology during National 4-H Week, Oct. 2-8. This year’s theme is “4-H Grows Here.”
Nearly 200,000 students across the state and more than 9,000 volunteers... read more

Northeast Louisiana Beef & Forage Field Day

Northeast Louisiana Beef & Forage Field Day - In its 4th year, the LSU AgCenter will be hosting a beef & forage field day at Goldmine Plantation in south Richland Parish. We’ve got an excellent program with planned topics including: ● Replacement Heifer Selection ● Replacement Heifer Development ● Parasite Control ● Herbicide Selection for Pastures & Hay Meadows ● Rotational Grazing ● Value of Ryegrass ●... read more