What the Sugarcane Field Day Is
The Annual Sugarcane Field Day is the LSU AgCenter's yearly briefing for Louisiana cane growers, held at the Sugar Research Station in St. Gabriel. Breeders, entomologists, weed scientists, soil specialists and industry leaders report on what the station's trials have found, announce new varieties when there are any, and warn growers about the pests and weeds heading their way. The 43rd annual field day was held on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Who It Is For
Sugarcane farmers, consultants, mill and industry representatives, researchers and agency staff. The event has grown: the 2025 field day drew more than 300 people, the coordinator's estimate, and set an attendance record for the second year in a row.
What the 2026 Edition Covered
- Invasive pasture mealybug. The main concern of the day. It was first detected in the United States the year before, spreads by wind, storms and unclean mowing equipment, and has been found in 14 parishes, including major cane parishes Iberia and Pointe Coupee, and is now appearing in the River Parishes. Some fields show up to 80 percent canopy yellowing, which can lead to dieback. It is not known as a sugarcane pest in its native Australia, so there is no established control playbook. Growers can use two insecticides, Sivanto Prime and Admire Pro, under a Section 18 emergency exemption.
- Disease. Presentations on the disease triangle and soilborne pathogens such as the lesion nematode, and on sugarcane viruses such as mosaic that are spread by vectors like aphids.
- Breeding technology. Early measurement of brix and sucrose.
- Weeds. False ragweed, not yet a problem in Louisiana sugarcane but a cause of allergies and asthma in people.
- Varieties. No new varieties were introduced in 2026. L 01-299 remains the leading variety.
- The crop. USDA projected a harvest 5,000 to 6,000 acres larger than the year before, with a clearer estimate due in August.
Looking Back: the 2025 Field Day
The July 2025 field day announced the release of a new USDA variety, HoCP 18-803. After 12 years of testing and more than 200 samples analyzed, it performed statistically better than L 01-299 in tonnage, stalk size and sugar, has borer resistance and grows faster, though it is slightly more susceptible to rust and mosaic and its yields drop somewhat in the second and third stubbles. Speakers that year covered an invasive vine, Luffa quinquefida, found in St. John the Baptist Parish; West Indian canefly outbreaks; biochar and residue management for soil health; and the Louisiana crop outlook. Dr. Kenneth Gravois, the AgCenter sugarcane specialist, was named endowed chair by the American Sugar Cane League that year. Promising varieties could be released in the following two or three years.
Hours
Doors and program run from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Sugar Research Station.
Where
LSU AgCenter Sugar Research Station, 5755 LSU Ag Road, St. Gabriel, Louisiana 70776.
Questions
Is there a fee?
No admission charge or registration was announced for the 2026 field day.
Will there be a new variety?
Not every year. 2026 introduced none, while 2025 announced HoCP 18-803.
When is the next one?
The field day is held every July; the most recent edition was July 15, 2026.
Who is the contact?
Megan Stelly is the contact on the LSU AgCenter events calendar.
Official Links
- LSU AgCenter events calendar: date, time, address and contact
- For Louisiana sugarcane producers, huge harvest tempered by arrival of invasive insect: 2026 field day report
- New variety, new threat take center stage at record-breaking sugarcane field day: 2025 field day report
Other Upcoming Events Nearby
- State Fair of Louisiana
The 120th State Fair of Louisiana fills the Louisiana State Fairgrounds in Shreveport for eighteen days, with livestock shows, midway rides and food. The fair has run since 1906.
3701 Hudson Ave., Shreveport, LA 71109 | Organizer: State Fair of Louisiana Official event details - Allen Parish Fair
Four-day parish fair at the Allen Parish Fairgrounds on Tiger Lane in Oberlin, with general and agricultural exhibits. Held each year; the 2025 fair ran Nov. 12-15 and the 2026 fair is set for Nov. 11-14.
Tiger Lane, Oberlin, LA 70655 Official event details - Port Barre Cracklin Festival
Four-day festival in Port Barre built around Louisiana cracklin, the fried pork rind. Held each year; the most recent dates were November 12-15, 2026 at Veterans Memorial Park.
- Christmas Time at the Farm
Holiday farm day in Bossier City on the LSU AgCenter events calendar, set for December 12, 2026.
Bossier City, LA | Organizer: LSU AgCenter Official event details - Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival
Three-day April festival celebrating Louisiana's state fruit in Memorial Park, with local growers selling berries on Farmers Row, strawberry-eating contests and a Saturday parade; the next dates are April 9-11, 2027.
Listing checked Nov. 11, 2026 against this source. Details can change; confirm with the organizer.