LSU AgCenter

What LSU AgCenter does

LSU AgCenter (legally Louisiana State University Agricultural Center) is the research, extension, and applied-technology arm of the Louisiana State University System, headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It operates as a state and federally funded land-grant institution with a statutory mandate to deliver agricultural research, extension education, and outreach to support Louisiana's $13 billion agricultural economy. Service delivery runs through a statewide physical network of 64 parish extension offices and 14 research stations, complemented by flagship programs such as the Audubon Sugar Institute, Hammond Research Station, Burden Museum and Gardens, and the long-running Rice Field Day (117 years). Primary constituent segments are Louisiana farmers and producers (precision agriculture, drone and AI technology transfer), home gardeners, youth participating in 4-H/FFA programs, and food businesses served through the Food Innovation Institute.

The product portfolio spans digital agriculture services (drone/AI precision application tooling, AgSummary data, Flood Maps, Weather, mobile apps, blogs), publications (Louisiana Agriculture Magazine, Get It Growing, Management Guides, Newsletters), laboratory services, youth development programs, and infrastructure-based research and field-day programming. Core agricultural research competencies cover crops, livestock, aquaculture, digital agriculture, food science, environmental management, and renewable natural resources. AI/ML capabilities include AI-enabled spray drones (marketed at $20,000–$60,000 versus $1M+ agricultural aircraft) with a documented yield uplift of 30 more pounds of sugar per ton in drone-treated sugarcane, and AI-supported satellite imagery for precise fertilizer targeting.

The revenue model is governmental: the institution does not operate as a commercial for-profit entity but is funded primarily through U.S. Department of Commerce and USDA federal grants and through State of Louisiana appropriations, with additional philanthropic support routed through the LSU Foundation. End-user services (extension advising, lab services, publications, apps) are delivered free or at near-zero cost, reflecting a public-good funding model rather than a fee-for-service GTM. Strategic positioning is reinforced by formal partnerships with USA Rice (multi-state Delphacid Task Force on EPA Section 18 emergency exemptions), Southern University Agricultural Center (collaborative research), and federal agencies (Commerce, USDA), as well as a parent-level LSU System restructuring (announced 2025) and the 2022 $1.5M Economic Development Administration grant expanding the Food Innovation Institute.

Name

LSU AgCenter

Legal name

Louisiana State University Agricultural Center

Website

https://lsuagcenter.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

LSU AgCenter is a federally designated land-grant institution that delivers agricultural research, extension education, and outreach to Louisiana farmers, food businesses, youth, and residents through 64 parish offices and 14 research stations statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Research and Extension Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Land-Grant Public Research Universities (EDAHAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agribusiness, Farm Management & Compliance (EDAOAOAN), Yield Optimization & Crop Performance Consulting (AFACABAC), Nutrient Management Planning & Fertility Programs (AFACABAB), Plant Tissue, Soil & Water Sampling Coordination (Agronomy-Focused) (AFACABAH)

Keywords

• Agricultural research
• Extension services
• Digital agriculture
• Youth development programs
• Food innovation research

Headquarters

HQ city

Baton Rouge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Grants: Primary funding from federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Commerce for facility expansion and research initiatives
2. State Funding: State of Louisiana appropriations as a land-grant institution supporting the $13 billion Louisiana agricultural economy

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

LSU AgCenter is Louisiana's public land-grant agricultural research and extension institution, providing research-based educational information, applied agricultural research, and technology-transfer programs to farmers, food businesses, families, and youth. Its core offerings include a statewide extension network (64 parish offices), 14 research stations, digital agriculture programs (drones, AI, precision agriculture), 4-H/FFA youth development, food innovation research, and consumer/community education through publications such as Louisiana Agriculture Magazine and "Get It Growing."

Product overview

LSU AgCenter is a university-affiliated research and extension institution providing a broad portfolio of agricultural products, services, and educational programs rather than a unified commercial product. Its offerings include Digital Agriculture services (drones, AI, precision agriculture), 4-H/FFA Youth Programs, Louisiana Agriculture Magazine publication, and various digital tools including AgSummary reports, mobile apps, blogs, flood maps, and weather services. Physical infrastructure includes 14 research stations (Hammond Research Station, Burden Museum and Gardens, Audubon Sugar Institute) and 64 parish extension offices statewide. The center organizes Field Days (such as the 117-year-old Rice Field Day) to disseminate research findings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Louisiana Ag Magazine: Louisiana Agriculture Magazine

Products and services

• Digital Agriculture Program Applied research and extension program integrating spray drones, AI-enabled satellite imagery, and precision agriculture tools into Louisiana farming practices, with documented outcomes including a 30 pounds-per-ton sugarcane yield gain versus traditional aerial application.
• 4-H/FFA Youth Development Programs Statewide youth development programs in agricultural education and leadership, delivered through Louisiana parish offices and FFA partnerships, including 4-H clubs and youth leadership programs.
• AgSummary (Louisiana Summary of Agriculture and Natural Resources) Annual data publication providing statistical summaries of Louisiana agriculture and natural resources, serving producers, policymakers, businesses, and researchers.
• Flood Maps Interactive flood-risk mapping service providing Louisiana residents and property owners with location-based flood risk information for emergency planning and property decisions.
• Weather Services Louisiana-specific agricultural weather information and forecasting tools supporting producers and residents with localized conditions, forecasts, and ag-relevant weather decision support.
• LSU AgCenter Apps Suite of mobile and web applications delivering agricultural decision-support tools, educational content, and reference information to farmers, agents, and Louisiana residents.
• Louisiana Agriculture Magazine Quarterly publication showcasing Louisiana agricultural research, innovations, news, and AgCenter programming for producers, stakeholders, partners, and the general public.
• Laboratories (Labs) Agricultural testing and analysis laboratory services supporting producers, food businesses, and researchers with soils, crops, livestock, and food-related testing capabilities.
• Field Days (Research Field Day Program) Annual on-station demonstration and technology-transfer events (including the long-running Rice Field Day and Hammond field day) where AgCenter researchers present applied findings to farmers, stakeholders, and the public.
• Food Innovation Institute One-stop facility in Baton Rouge providing food businesses with food processing infrastructure access, product development support, and research into alternative food sources; expanding with federal grant support.
• Get It Growing Media Initiative Multi-channel media initiative providing Louisiana-specific gardening, lawn care, and landscape education and guidance to home gardeners and consumers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 more pounds of sugar per ton yield improvement with drone technology
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• USA RicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSA Rice coordinated the Delphacid Task Force comprising researchers and farmers from southern rice-producing states to advocate for EPA emergency exemption for insecticide to control rice delphacid infestations affecting Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas rice production.
• Southern University Agricultural CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partnership with Southern University Agricultural Center on agricultural and environmental research initiatives, including joint commitment to civil rights and equal opportunity in extension and research programs.
• Louisiana Farmers and Agricultural StakeholderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLSU AgCenter works with Louisiana farmers to research and implement new technologies including spray drones and AI for precision agriculture to address challenges facing the state's $13 billion agricultural economy.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Service: Land-grant research and extension arm of Texas A&M, operating a statewide network of county offices and research centers covering crops, livestock, and digital agriculture — the most direct functional peer to LSU AgCenter in mission and structure.
• Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences / Virginia Cooperative Extension: Virginia's land-grant research, teaching, and extension unit with a statewide network — comparable in integrated three-part mission and digital agriculture programming.
• NC State Extension: North Carolina's land-grant extension arm with county centers and applied research stations covering agronomy, livestock, and food systems — directly parallel in mission, scale, and integrated university structure.
• Auburn University College of Agriculture / ACES: Auburn's Agricultural and Extension Engineering counterpart covering Alabama row crops, livestock, and aquaculture with research stations and county offices — directly comparable as a Southern land-grant peer with shared crop and farmer profile.
• Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center: 1890 land-grant institution in Louisiana that operates alongside LSU AgCenter in extension delivery — they are formal collaborative partners covering small farmers, urban extension, and underserved communities, sharing the same geographic footprint.
• University of Georgia Cooperative Extension: Land-grant extension service operating across 159 Georgia counties with research-driven programming in row crops, livestock, and food safety — comparable structure and outreach model, though with broader crop and geographic scope.
• University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service: Arkansas's land-grant extension service with county offices and applied research, including the row-crop, rice, and aquaculture focus areas that overlap with LSU AgCenter's Louisiana portfolio.
• University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS): Florida's land-grant agricultural research, extension, and teaching unit, with county extension offices, research and education centers, and a strong digital agriculture program — directly comparable in integrated research-extension-teaching model.
• Mississippi State University Extension Service: Neighboring land-grant extension service with a parallel statewide county office network and applied research focus on Southern row crops, livestock, and aquaculture — overlapping crop profile and farmer base with LSU AgCenter.

Emerging players

• Climate LLC (Bayer): Major commercial digital agriculture platform delivering AI-driven agronomic recommendations to row-crop farmers. Represents the private agtech competitive threat to land-grant extension services in precision agriculture, though it lacks the parish-level physical network and government-trust layer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LSUAgCenter
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/LSUagcenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/LSUAgCenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/lsuagcenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LSU AgCenter