THIBODAUX – Edison Chouest Offshore, a vessel service company based in Galliano, La., recently donated $100,000 to the Nicholls State University College of Business Administration.

 The gift will supplement the Capstone Fund, a permanent endowment established in October 2006. The interest earned from the endowment will be used at the discretion of the dean, under the direction of the college’s executive advisory board, to address the college’s greatest needs – including student development, scholarships, faculty/staff development, equipment and software.

“As a 1989 accounting graduate of Nicholls State University, I am proud to represent two generations of Chouest family members who claim Nicholls as their alma mater,” said Dionne Chouest, general counsel for Edison Chouest Offshore and member of the College of Business Executive Advisory Board.

By: Bobby Fletcher

April is the month that most outdoor plants growing in your landscape should be in full swing. It is also the month that you can fertilize your lawn! Many of you have been waiting patiently to do this and I commend you for waiting. You will have less disease and insect problems in your lawn by waiting until now to fertilize.

April is your last chance to apply dormant oils on your outdoor plants to control scale insects. Use the oils on camellia, hollies, variegated privet, magnolias and gardenias. Oil sprays are safe only when the temperature is below 85 degrees. So, if you miss April, you'll have to wait until late October or early November to apply them. Horticultural oils or summer oils are safer to use during the time of year when warm weather prevails.

April is the time to prepare hanging baskets. Many plants grow well and look good in baskets, but ferns are probably the most highly prized. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are especially attractive in these hanging planters.

By: Bobby Fletcher, Jr., Ph.D.

By David A. Bourgeois

Recreational fish ponds or farm ponds can serve many purposes. They offer a great sport fishing opportunity, a good swimming area, provide valuable soil to elevate other portions of your property, aesthetically enhance your landscape, provide valuable habitat for wildlife and can serve as a reservoir for livestock, irrigation or firefighting needs. Properly managed, ponds can be a beautiful addition to your lifestyle, but when they are neglected, they can become a weed-infested eyesore. Springtime in South Louisiana is a time for growth, especially for the aquatic weeds in a fish pond. Controlling these weeds is essential to maintaining the health of your pond.

Fisheries News

By David A. Bourgeois

Crawfish Outlook for 2007

Whether you like them fried, boiled or in a stew, crawfish are a Louisiana favorite. And for the next several months, crawfish can be found on dinner tables and in backyard boils across the state. For consumers, the good news is that 2007 has brought a new crop, which at this time is ahead of last year’s season.

Crawfishing in Louisiana conjures up images of people maneuvering boats through sloughs and bayous. In reality, most of Louisiana’s crawfish production comes from ponds located in southwest and south central Louisiana. About 1,200 crawfish producers cultivate more than 116,000 acres. About 70 million pounds of pond-raised crawfish are caught, with an economic value of more than $40 million. Much of the wild crawfish crop consists of catches in the Atchafalaya Basin. Nearly 1,100 fishermen harvest more than 8 million pounds of wild crawfish with an economic value of nearly $5 million.