Cattle farmers are going back to school to learn how to improve their herds and possibly their income through the new Louisiana Master Cattle Producer program.

Our society has a strong interest in the green industry, defined as the production, sale and maintenance of ornamental plants and their allied goods and services. During the 1990s, consumers’ incomes increased significantly for most demographic groups. They used some of this income to improve their homes, including lawns and gardens.

Stalk borers are becoming more of a problem in corn, grain sorghum and rice fields in Louisiana. The most common insect borer species found in these crops include the southwestern corn borer, the sugarcane borer and the European corn borer.

Although prehistoric textile remains have been recovered in South Louisiana from Avery Island (Iberia Parish) and Bayou Jasmine (St. John the Baptist Parish), no examples of prehistoric footwear or bags are known from Louisiana. However, European accounts and illustrations of Louisiana natives indicate their use here, and examples have been found in dry caves and bluff shelters in Arkansas and Missouri.

Boethel named new research director. LSU AgCenter establishes natural resource policy center. First sweet potato patents awarded. Rice farmers get more weapons to fight pests. Technology center to emerge from barn site.

Research on livestock reproduction has been given a boost through the expansion and remodeling of one of the country's top facilities - the LSU AgCenter's Embryo Biotechnology Laboratory.

Few people know crawfish come in several colors besides the traditional red or brown. Ray McClain, crawfish researcher at the LSU AgCenter's Rice Research Station in Crowley, said he had heard of pure white and has seen a few sky-blue crawfish over the years.

The most ubiquitous internal parasites in horses on well-managed farms in the United States are the nematodes known as small strongyles, cyathostomes or, more recently, cyathostomins. Learn about the research being conducted on this problem.

It might seem like that buckaroo who rides off into the sunset was born in the saddle. But the truth is he had to learn equestrian skills, either by chance or instruction. An LSU AgCenter program, Master Horseman, is underway to pass along that knowledge.

Richard Latiolais gazed over the emerald field of an emerging wheat crop near Palmetto in St. Landry Parish.“This is all fresh ground,” he said. “We precision-leveled it last summer.” He is a participant in the LSU AgCenter's Master Farmer Program directed by Carrie Mendoza.