The tropical and subtropical climate in Louisiana creates conditions that support mosquitoes year-round. Mosquitoes are not only a nuisance but, more important, can transmit several diseases to people and domestic animals when biting for a blood meal. Louisiana is historically host to several viral mosquito-borne diseases such as St. Louis encephalitis, eastern equine encephalitis and LaCrosse-California encephalitis.

Gene Burris (standing in striped shirt), a professor at the LSU AgCenter’s Northeast Research Station at St. Joseph, La., explains to farmers gathered for a field day about the research he is conducting to determine how to use technology to better control nematodes.

News briefs covering a range of topics including personal digital assistants as research tools, Nematode-tolerant cotton and endowed professors.

A new wheat variety developed specifically for Louisiana growers and adapted to Louisiana and surrounding states has been released by the LSU AgCenter.

Most people don’t think about mosquitoes much during the winter, but LSU AgCenter faculty members aren’t like those people.

Sometimes uninvited guests just don’t know when to leave. That’s the case with two invasive plants in the state, giant salvinia and hydrilla. But LSU AgCenter scientists are trying to give the eviction notice to these two aquatic weeds with herbicide and biological controls.

Russell bermudagrass hay is proving to be a profitable crop for Rex Wilhite of Ringgold.

LSU AgCenter scientists are gearing up to participate in the search for alternatives to termite-preventing wood treatments. The search has become critical because the most predominate treatment – chromated copper arsenate, also known as CCA – soon will be taken off the market.

Off-flavor in pond-cultivated catfish is a problem for Louisiana catfish producers. One of the compounds most commonly cited as responsible for earthy and musty tastes and odors in water and the cause of off-flavor in catfish is geosmin, which is a substance produced by blue-green algae and bacteria. Although it is not a health hazard, geosmin in water can be absorbed in fish tissue, making fish taste bad and impossible to sell.

Southern blight, caused by the fungus Sclerotium rolfsii, is a serious disease that attacks many plant species, including most vegetables grown in home gardens. The most obvious symptom of the disease is the sudden wilt or collapse, near or at mid season, of all the above-ground parts of the plant (Figure 1). The mycelium of the fungus is often visible as a white, cottony growth around the base of the stem near the soil line (Figure 2).