Louisiana Sugarcane Fertility Update for 2024
Dr. Rich Johnson of the USDA-ARS Sugarcane Research Unit in Houma, La. discusses fertilizer and other soil recommendations at the January 2024 LSU AgCenter sugarcane growers meeting in Napoleonville.
There's also a link to The Sugar Bulletin, the League's monthly magazine, and its advertising rates and subscrption information. The Sugar Bulletin has been published since 1922 and you can research the sugar industry archives by clicking here or in the drop list to the left. The American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists archives are also available.
Dr. Rich Johnson of the USDA-ARS Sugarcane Research Unit in Houma, La. discusses fertilizer and other soil recommendations at the January 2024 LSU AgCenter sugarcane growers meeting in Napoleonville.
The Louisiana Sugarcane Industry has now completed 229 years of commercial sugar production. Considering it’s the northernmost sugarcane growing region in the world, that’s certainly something to be proud of. Growing a tropical crop in Louisiana’s temperate environment has always been a challenge. Success hasn’t come easy. We are thankful to the dedicated scientists, engineers, inventors and other men…
The Mississippi River levee in front of retired sugarcane farmer George “Scrap” Hymel’s Gramercy, Louisiana home has been the site of a Christmas Eve bonfire for 53 years. Hymel saw his last bonfire in 2022; he passed away on December 30, 2022. But for the Hymel family to not participate in the annual tradition of building the holiday bonfire…
The vision of the 1922 founders of the American Sugar Cane League was to seek out the best scientific research available. They forged a partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture and Louisiana State University. Louisiana’s sugarcane industry found new vigor after the establishment of this “three-way agreement.” Because of this scientific cooperation we’ve managed to increase raw…
The Alma Sugarcane Mill in action during the 2023 Louisiana sugarcane harvest. The mill makes raw sugar from sugarcane juice.
On Saturday, October 14, the American Sugar Cane League alongside the collective national sugar industry will celebrate the people and the plants that make real sugar possible on the second annual National Real Sugar Day. Last year, the American Sugar Cane League (which represents the Louisiana sugarcane producers and millers), together with the Sugar Association and its other members,…
With the 2023 Louisiana sugarcane harvest in full swing, sugarcane producers should advise their drivers of proper railroad crossing safety. Railroad crossing safety is always an important matter and Union Pacific Railroad is saying "Call before you haul" and “Find the blue and white to save your life” in a series of English and Spanish language public service announcements…
Louisiana’s sugarcane farmers and millers found it hard to take national political commentator George Will’s “Sugar protectionism may sour holidays” column seriously. Will recently published his “sour holidays” in the Washington Post, Baton Rouge Advocate and other major newspapers. In it, Will puts forth the idea that some candy manufacturers may not be able to fill Halloween candy orders…
As these horrid drought conditions persist, the state has issued a total burn ban and suspended the law that allows for agricultural field burning. Prescribed burn protocols do not allow field burning under these conditions. In prior burn bans agricultural field burning using the prescribed protocol was allowed, but with the potential for any fire to become catastrophic, all…
James “Jim” Simon of New Iberia was honored as the recipient of the Kermit Coulon Sr. Outstanding Service Award at the 62nd St. James Appreciation Supper held in Vacherie at the Westbank Reception Hall July 27. Leonard “Lenny” Waguespack, committee chair of the St. James Parish Agricultural Tour, said Simon was an obvious choice. “Jim has been a tremendous…
The 2023 Assumption Parish Sugarcane Field Day was hosted by the LSU AgCenter in Napoleonville on July 11. Enaux A. Rivere Jr. was the recipient of the U.B Simoneaux Distinguished Service Award while Brett Thibodaux was named the "Outstanding Young Farmer." Field research talks were hosted at the Palo Alto Farm in Donaldsonville managed by Robert "Bubba" Lemann Jr…
By now most Louisiana farmers know that the United States Department of Labor (DOL) has implemented a change in the way that wages are set for the H-2A guest worker program. It means an unprecedented wage increase for certain groups of guest workers. In some sectors of the American economy, management would simply say, “That’s a problem but we’ll…