The overarching goal of the program is to restore roseau cane (phragmites australis) stands in the mississippi river delta

This Cooperative Agreement award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care Federal Grant Program (CFDA 10.025) aims to restore Roseau cane (Phragmites australis) stands in the Mississippi River Delta.

The $778,745 award supports two applied research projects over a 2-year period from September 2024 to September 2026. The first project focuses on understanding the microbial communities and shared pathogens between taro (Colocasia esculenta) and Roseau cane, evaluating the impact on plant growth and the Roseau cane scale (Nipponaclerda biwakoensis), and developing protocols for restoring sites invaded by taro. The second project involves monitoring the health of existing Roseau cane stands, tracking the Roseau cane scale density, and establishing restoration trials using diverse Roseau cane genetic populations. This includes developing a web-mobile application to count Roseau cane scale densities.

The prime awardee is Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, which is also issuing a $497,268 sub-award to Louisiana State University to support research on the plant-soil interactions and competition between taro and Roseau cane.

This INI tiative includes two applied research projects. The first project focuses on understanding the microbial communities and shared pathogens between taro (colocasia esculenta) and roseau cane, evaluating the impact of these pathogens on plant growth and the roseau cane scale (nipponaclerda biwakoensis), and developing protocols for successful restoration of sites invaded by taro. The second project involves monitoring the health of existing roseau cane stands, densities of roseau cane scales, and establishing extensive restoration trials using diverse genetic populations. In this project, we will use image analysis and machine learning to develop a web-mobile application to count the densities in the roseau cane scale along stems. The restoration efforts will be conducted across multiple sites with varying environmental conditions to evaluate the success and impact of these efforts. Deliverables will be specific for each project. They will include final reports, figures, tables, and maps highlighting key results and their implications for roseau cane scale management and restoration of stands. Efforts will benefit the sustainability of the mississippi river navigation channel which is a major transportation route of agricultural products. In addition, protecting roseau cane stands will slow the impact of storms and hurricanes to new orleans. Other beneficiaries include oil and gas industries located in the mississippi river delta, and business associated with duck hunting and fishing.