LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station

10/08/2026

🏗️🌾 Exciting Progress at the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station!

We are excited to see the framework going up for our new maintenance shop!

This new facility is being made possible through the generous support of the Louisiana Rice Research Board and the LSU AgCenter. The maintenance shop is a critical piece of the station’s infrastructure, providing our staff with the facilities needed to maintain and repair the farm and research equipment essential to the timely and efficient ex*****on of rice research and foundation seed production.

We are extremely grateful to the Louisiana Rice Research Board and LSU AgCenter administration for their continued investment in the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station. Investments like this help ensure that our faculty and staff have the infrastructure and resources necessary to continue providing world-class research and service to Louisiana’s rice industry.

We look forward to watching the progress and putting this new facility to work! 🌾🔧

10/08/2026

🦞 Listening to Louisiana’s Crawfish Industry

On October 6, the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station was pleased to host the LSU AgCenter Statewide Crawfish Advisory Committee.

Organized and coordinated by Todd Fontenot, ANR Crawfish Agent, the advisory committee provides an important opportunity for crawfish producers and other industry stakeholders to share the challenges and issues currently facing Louisiana’s crawfish industry.

Input from these meetings helps the LSU AgCenter ensure that its research, extension, and outreach efforts remain focused on the needs and priorities of the industry.

We sincerely thank everyone who participated and shared their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Your input is invaluable in helping strengthen LSU AgCenter programs that support Louisiana crawfish producers and the crawfish industry.

Representing the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station were Dr. Tyler Musgrove, Rice Extension Specialist, and Dr. Kurt Guidry, Economist and Assistant Resident Coordinator.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the meeting a success! 🦞🌾

10/07/2026

🚁 Agricultural Drone Conference Coming to the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station! 🌾

Interested in learning more about how drone technology is being used in agriculture? Join the LSU AgCenter Southwest Region for an Agricultural Drone Conference on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station South Farm.

📅 Tuesday, October 20, 2026
📍 H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station – South Farm
🕔 5:00 p.m. – Trade Show Begins
🕕 6:00 p.m. – Conference Program Begins

The evening will feature a trade show followed by presentations covering a variety of topics related to agricultural drone technology and its applications in production agriculture.

✅ No preregistration required
✅ No registration fee
🍽️ Meal provided
📚 CEU credits approved

Producers, landowners, drone operators, agricultural professionals, and anyone interested in agricultural drone technology are encouraged to attend!

👉 See the attached flyer for additional information and program details.

We hope to see you there!

10/01/2026

🌾 Welcoming Purdue University to the Rice Research Station! 🌾

Dr. Connor Webster, Rice W**d Scientist, and Dr. Adam Famoso, Resident Director and Rice Breeder, recently welcomed a group from the Purdue University W**d Science Program to the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station.

During their visit, Drs. Webster and Famoso shared information about the research and outreach activities conducted at the station and provided an overview of rice production in Louisiana. The group then headed to the field to see ratoon rice firsthand and learn more about several ongoing research projects.

We always enjoy welcoming colleagues and students from other universities, sharing the work being conducted at the Rice Research Station, and showcasing Louisiana rice production.

👏 Thanks to the Purdue University W**d Science Program for visiting us in Crowley! We enjoyed having you!

09/24/2026

📢 The latest edition of the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station Quarterly Newsletter is now available!

This edition provides a look back at the 2026 rice production season, with articles recapping the rice crop, reviewing the disease situation and environmental conditions experienced during the season, and discussing important considerations for the ratoon crop.

🌾 You’ll also find a Graduate Student Highlight from our Rice W**d Science Program featuring research on new herbicides with different modes of action that are expected to become available to rice producers in the future.

👥 This issue also spotlights a member of our Rice Breeding Program and introduces a new member of the Rice Pathology Program.

📸 Finally, take a look at some of the many research, Extension, educational, and industry activities that our faculty and staff have been involved in over the past quarter.

We invite you to check out the latest newsletter and learn more about the people, research, and activities happening at the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station!

🔗 Read the latest edition here: https://www.lsuagcenter.com/profiles/lblack/articles/page1774545160276

09/03/2026

🌾🌾 Behind Every New Rice Variety is a Lot of Seed and a Lot of Patience! 🌾🌾

This week, our rice breeding team is busy threshing and cleaning seed increases that will be planted next season as part of the LSU AgCenter rice variety development program.

While new rice varieties often get attention when they are released to producers, much of the work happens years before a variety ever reaches a farmer's field. One of the most important steps in that process is seed increase production.

After breeders identify promising experimental lines, they must carefully increase seed supplies over multiple generations while maintaining genetic purity and seed quality. A single promising rice plant may only produce a small amount of seed. Through successive seed increases, that small quantity gradually becomes enough seed to support research trials, foundation seed production, and eventually commercial seed production.

The seed being threshed and cleaned today represents years of breeding and selection work. These seed increases will be planted next year and continue moving through the development pipeline, bringing us one step closer to identifying future varieties with higher yields, better disease resistance, improved grain quality, and enhanced performance for Louisiana rice producers.

This process may not be as visible as planting or harvest, but it is a critical link in ensuring that new varieties can successfully move from the research field to the farm.

🎥 Check out our team in action as they thresh and clean seed increases destined for next year's plantings.

08/18/2026

🌾 Rice Research Station Open House 🌾

Join us for the next Rice Research Station Open House on Wednesday, August 26, from 10:00 a.m. to Noon at the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station in Crowley.

This month's open house will focus on ratoon crop management. Participants will have the opportunity to view and discuss:

• Ratoon crop regrowth across rice varieties and planting dates
• Stubble management research plots
• Potassium and phosphorus fertility trials

These open houses are designed to provide a casual, interactive learning experience where participants can walk through research plots, ask questions, and have one-on-one conversations with LSU AgCenter researchers and extension specialists about current rice production issues.

Whether you're a producer, consultant, industry representative, or simply interested in rice research, we invite you to join us and see the latest work being conducted at the Rice Research Station.

We hope to see you there!

📍 H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station
📅 Wednesday, August 26
🕙 10:00 a.m. – Noon

07/24/2026

Exciting things are happening at the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station as our Foundation Seed Program harvests a foundation seed field of one of the station's newest rice varieties, PVL05! This is one of 13 different varieties that the Foundation Seed Program has in foundation seed production this year.

The Foundation Seed Program plays a vital role in ensuring the success and reliability of rice production across Louisiana. Serving as the critical link between rice breeders and farmers, the program maintains the genetic identity, purity, and quality of new rice varieties before they are multiplied into certified seed and eventually planted on farms across the state.

Every acre of foundation seed harvested today represents years of research, breeding, and careful stewardship. By preserving the integrity of promising new varieties like PVL05, the Foundation Seed Program helps ensure Louisiana rice producers have access to high-quality seed that delivers the performance, consistency, and reliability they depend on.

07/07/2026

🌾📖 The Latest H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station Quarterly Newsletter Is Now Available! 📖🌾

Stay up to date on the latest research, production practices, market developments, and station activities by reading the newest edition of the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station Quarterly Newsletter.

This issue features articles covering the current status of the 2026 rice crop, including the role of solar radiation in rice growth and development, as well as an update on the disease situation affecting this year's crop. Readers will also find information on the use of sodium chlorate as a harvest aid, a rice market update and outlook, and a recap of the 117th Annual H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station Field Day held on June 24.

In addition, this edition highlights graduate student research evaluating the probability of generating economic returns from fungicide applications for sheath blight management, providing valuable insights into disease management decisions. The newsletter also includes faculty and staff news, employee highlights, and other updates from across the station.

We invite producers, consultants, industry representatives, researchers, and all those interested in Louisiana rice production to explore the latest edition.

📲 Access the newsletter here:

Quarterly publications from the LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station with current activities and research updates for 2026.

06/30/2026

A productive morning for the LSU Rice Breeding Program as the F1 population was successfully planted in the field. 🌾