Cooperative Extension at LSU

Impact of Research

Bill Cochran

Bill Cochran: [The] insect control people in plant pathology was having a problem with controlling ratoon stunting disease. And the method that they were using was referred to as heated air applied to the sugar cane to kill the disease. Well, they approached us. It could have been the extension people. No, it was the plant pathology people that approached us for some help in developing a system. So to make a long story short we developed what we called an aerated steam system where we applied steam to the heated air and they would kill the disease. It being steam, the water transferred the heat more efficiently and effectively through the treatment box or whatever it was doing. And compared to hot water, well the water was such that it actually killed the buds on the seedlings. So we were kind of in between with the aerated steam. So that was one instance to where . . . then some of the farmer . . .the extension people introduced this to co-ops and the farmers and even manufacturers and it was used within the industry.