The domestic production of sugar in the U.S. originates from sugarcane harvested in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas and sugarbeets harvested across the Upper Midwest, Central Plains, Mountain states, Pacific Northwest, and California.
Sugarcane is harvested from October to March and sugarbeets are harvested in the late summer through fall, except for California where sugarbeets are harvested in the spring through the summer.
Read MoreIn a pocket of central Louisiana, a surprising crop for that area is taking root — sugarcane.
Sugarcane, a tropical crop, has traditionally been limited to south Louisiana. But by using precision breeding techniques, LSU AgCenter researchers are developing sugarcane varieties that can withstand colder temperatures.
Read MoreThe April WASDE report was neutral with no major surprises. Perhaps the most noteworthy piece of information was the estimate of U.S. ending stocks for the 2023/24 crop year. Prior to the release of the April report, the trade’s attention focused on the USDA’s estimates of the South American corn and soybean crops. Specifically, the difference between the USDA and CONAB estimates of the Brazil soybean crop (USDA’s 155 MMT versus CONAB’s 146.5 MMT).
Read MoreThe Congressional Budget Office’s February 2024 baseline for USDA Mandatory Farm Programs and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program revealed projected outlays for Farm Bill-related programs at $1.46 trillion over the 10-year window from fiscal years 2025 to 2034 – this latest baseline projection is 3.5% lower than the previous 10-year baseline of $1.5 trillion.
May 2023’s baseline remains the Farm Bill scoring baseline until directed otherwise by the budget committees. In addition to this February baseline, CBO will release a new spring baseline following the release of the President’s fiscal year 2025 budget request.
Read MoreThe Louisiana sugarcane industry has persevered for more than 225 years, even though it is a tropical crop is growing in a temperate environment. Growers regularly face a challenging climate, which includes the threat of early winter freezes before the crop is harvested.
Read MoreA national group of scientists — including two from the LSU AgCenter — has released the Fertilizer Recommendation Support Tool, or FRST, a decision aid providing an unbiased, science-based interpretation of soil test phosphorus and potassium values for crop fertilization.
The FRST project is a collaboration of more than 100 soil science and agronomic professionals representing nearly 50 universities, four divisions of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, several nonprofit organizations and one private sector partner. This diverse partnership underscores the collective effort and expertise invested in the development of FRST.
Read MoreThe LSU AgCenter will hold its annual wheat and oat field day April 23 at the Tom H. Scott Research, Extension and Education Center in Winnsboro.
The event will be from 8 a.m. to noon, and a sponsored lunch will be provided.
Read MoreLSU’s best kept secret might not be the underground tunnels, the abandoned Huey P. Long pool or the Dairy Store, but rather the AgCenter’s Food Innovation Institute.
This game-changing resource center, also known as FOODii, is where food businesses and entrepreneurs can learn the essential steps to start and grow a legitimate food business. The institute educates and supports business owners in areas like product development, food testing, labeling, marketing products, food safety, security and storage.
Read MoreMichael Deliberto hates public speaking.
The agricultural economist is most at home in his office at LSU in Baton Rouge surrounded by stacks of file folders and note pads, his base for writing newsletters and articles about the ways weather, global forces and policy decisions affect Louisiana agriculture.
Read MoreFire ants are formidable pests in gardens and landscapes. They’re known for their painful bites and stings due to venom. When disturbed, fire ant mounds can unleash swarms of sterile female worker ants that sting and inject venom within seconds, potentially causing severe allergic reactions or dangerous medical issues in some individuals.
Read MoreLSU AgCenter entomologist Rodrigo Diaz has been named director of the AgCenter’s Center for Research Excellence for the Study of Invasive Species. The center is working to advance the understanding of destructive nonnative insects, weeds, wildlife and disease-causing microorganisms.
Read MoreEmma Stelly, a McNeese State University freshman who grew up on a family farm in Vermilion Parish, has been selected to complete an internship at the LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station this summer.
Read MoreWith farming communities across America facing challenges ranging from the economic to the environmental, developing a talent pipeline of young people interested in solving these problems is critical to the future of agriculture.
That was the message Xochitl Torres Small, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, shared when she visited the LSU campus
Read MoreThe Louisiana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has named LSU AgCenter nutrition and community health agent Becky Gautreaux its 2024 Outstanding Dietitian of the Year.
Gautreaux, who has worked for the AgCenter for 11 years, works in Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes. She was nominated by the dietetic internship director at Nicholls State University, which proved to be an important factor in Gautreaux’s win.
Read MoreAccording to Dow Jones' survey of market analysts, USDA is expected to announce 92.0 million acres of corn plantings in 2024, down from 94.6 million acres in 2023. For soybeans, 86.3 million acres are expected to be planted in 2024, up from 83.6 million acres in 2023.
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