The USDA-ARS Sugarcane Research Unit: Past, Present, and Future.

Authors: White, Paul

Submitted to: Sugar Journal
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2023
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: In 1919 Dr. E.W. Brandes of the USDA Office of Sugar Plant Investigations, Bureau of Plant Industry, identified mosaic disease in Louisiana. In 1923 Dr. Brandes came to Louisiana to study new cultivars, and stakeholders made arrangements that would eventually create the Houma Station, known today as the USDA-ARS Sugarcane Research Unit (SRU). The adoption in January 1926 of the 3-Way Agreement between the USDA, the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, and the American Sugar Cane League, Inc. (ASCL), formalized this testing work. The success of the partnership is substantial. Today the SRU conducts research in three broad areas: Breeding, Crop Production & Protection, and Integrated Water. Breeding includes both basic and commercial cultivar development. The crop production & protection area includes cultural practices, entomology, weed science, and plant pathology. The integrated water research includes soil science and plant physiology. Research is conducted at the historical Houma location and the Ardoyne Research Farm in Schriver. For the one hundred years of its existence, SRU research evolved to meet the needs of its stakeholders. This trend will undoubtedly continue in the future as remote sensing, the use of drones and robots for phenotyping, bioinformatics, and new technologies for measuring sugarcane traits and processing big data become available. What will not change is the dedication to stakeholder needs by providing timely research with impact to the Louisiana sugar industry.

Technical Abstract: In 1919 Dr. E.W. Brandes of the USDA Office of Sugar Plant Investigations, Bureau of Plant Industry, identified mosaic disease in Louisiana. In 1923 Dr. Brandes came to Louisiana to study new cultivars, and stakeholders made arrangements that would eventually create the Houma Station, known today as the USDA-ARS Sugarcane Research Unit (SRU). The adoption in January 1926 of the 3-Way Agreement between the USDA, the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, and the American Sugar Cane League, Inc. (ASCL), formalized this testing work. The success of the partnership is substantial. Today the SRU conducts research in three broad areas: Breeding, Crop Production & Protection, and Integrated Water. Breeding includes both basic and commercial cultivar development. The crop production & protection area includes cultural practices, entomology, weed science, and plant pathology. The integrated water research includes soil science and plant physiology. Research is conducted at the historical Houma location and the Ardoyne Research Farm in Schriver. For the one hundred years of its existence, SRU research evolved to meet the needs of its stakeholders. This trend will undoubtedly continue in the future as remote sensing, the use of drones and robots for phenotyping, bioinformatics, and new technologies for measuring sugarcane traits and processing big data become available. What will not change is the dedication to stakeholder needs by providing timely research with impact to the Louisiana sugar industry.