Research Emphasis at the Coastal Area Research Station Since Hurricane Katrina
| | Aerial view of the Coastal Area Research Station headquarters area in August, 2006. |
| | | Aerial view of the former citrus grove area on the Coastal Area Research Station showing the few remaining citrus trees and the open areas that will be converted to other projects. |
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Prior to hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Coastal Area Research Station was named the Citrus Research Station and was devoted primarily to research on citrus -- mainly Satsuma and navel oranges -- with some limited work on commercial vegetables, other fruit and termites. The station was almost completely destroyed by the hurricanes. Most of the buildings were destroyed and the rest were heavily damaged. Most of the citrus trees died due to the flooding and residual salt. Approximately 75% of the citrus trees were removed within a few months of the storm, and many more are dying. The primary activity at the station now is rebuilding the infrastructure so productive research can once again be conducted.
The primary research area currently envisioned for the station is development and evaluation of salt-tolerant coastal plants. These plants have been demonstrated to be capable of growing in brackish water and are quite effective at stabilizing eroding shorelines and marsh areas. Although coastal stabilization has long been recognized as important to Louisiana, the 2005 hurricanes revived interest in and support for research on coastal plants. The LSU AgCenter has been working in this field for many years at other sites, but the Coastal Area Research Station is an excellent site for expansion of this work. The ground is low (elevation of about 1.0-1.5 feet above sea level), the soil has high salt content and water from the Mississippi River is readily available. Plans are being completed for a series of ponds, elevated artificial sand dunes and a can yard to support expanded work in coastal plants.
Research on Formosan subterranean termites was underway at the Coastal Area Research Station before the 2005 hurricanes and has been expanded since. This station provides an excellent site for this research since the station was already infested with Formosan termites and is very isolated. Several projects on Formosan termites are currently underway at the station under the direction of project leaders from the Department of Entomology.
Citrus research will continue at the Coastal Area Research Station but on a smaller scale. The first project proposed for reactivation is a study of subsurface drainage to reduce the water table and reduce the salt content in the soil under rows of citrus trees. Prior work in this area is very promising. The drainage work will likely be complemented by flushing/leaching with either fresh water or river water.
The station will also continue to support research projects initiated by other faculty from the LSU AgCenter. Current examples include soybean sentinel plots to detect Asian soybean rust and a trial of ornamental sweet potatoes.
The specific emphasis of the Coastal Area Research Station may be changing, but the goal of providing useful research information to the people of Louisiana and specifically to Plaquemines Parish and other coastal areas remains the same.
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| Posted on: 9/15/2006 1:29:56 PM |
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