USDA is directing an additional $500,000 to Louisiana State University to research the pasture mealybug, an invasive pest that LSU AgCenter scientists first confirmed in Louisiana sugarcane in 2025 in Vermilion and Iberia parishes.

The grant is a rapid-response award announced by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins during a visit to the Louisiana Sugar Cane Cooperative in St. Martinville. Gov. Jeff Landry and Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain joined her at the cooperative.

What is the pasture mealybug doing to Louisiana cane?

The pest first surfaced in Vermilion and Iberia parishes and has since been documented in additional cane parishes. LSU AgCenter researchers have linked infestations to severe yellowing and yield losses.

The insect spreads by wind, storms and contaminated equipment. Researchers are still measuring exactly how the mealybug drags down cane tonnage and recoverable sugar at the mill, leaving growers with more questions than answers as the harvest rolls forward.

How will the $500,000 be spent?

The federal money targets:

• Improved pest detection and diagnostics
• Accelerated research
• Coordinated outreach with state officials
• Development of management and mitigation strategies

LSU will run insecticide efficacy trials in commercial Louisiana fields and coordinate with USDA's Agricultural Research Service, including the Sugarcane Research Unit in Houma, alongside researchers at other universities.

"I'm pleased to announce that USDA will award today, with potentially more coming, an additional $500,000 rapid response grant to the great Louisiana State University," Rollins said.

USDA separately designated the pasture mealybug as a priority pest for the upcoming fiscal year under the Plant Pest and Disease Management Program. That designation routes the mealybug into USDA's broader survey and response infrastructure for invasive species. Funding for the underlying plant-pest program rose from $75 million to $90 million.

How worried are growers?

Louisiana's sugarcane harvest is underway, giving growers and researchers a first wide read on how infestations have played out in commercial fields. LSU AgCenter sugarcane specialist Kenneth Gravois said the industry still lacks a clear picture of losses.

"Until we start getting well into the harvest season, it's just hard to know how the pasture mealybug will affect yield in the field and recovery at the mills," Gravois said.

John Hebert of the Louisiana Sugar Cane Cooperative said growers entered harvest carrying real anxiety about what mealybug damage could mean for both tonnage and sucrose recovery.

"I think basically everyone in the industry this year has had a pit in their stomach over what they expect from the results of pasture mealybug infestation," Hebert told Louisiana TV station KLFY.

Early readings from the St. Martinville mill, however, have been "satisfactory," Hebert added — a more encouraging result than some in the industry anticipated.

What comes next?

USDA's stated objective is eventual eradication of the pasture mealybug. Federal and university researchers will continue management and mitigation work beyond the current harvest. The LSU AgCenter, the Houma research unit and state officials plan to track infestation levels as the harvest progresses and adjust recommendations as data accumulates.