This is very bad news for all in the citrus industry.

I got this email this mornning. I thought you might want to copy and
paste it for me on the forum. I dont think Lee Sharp would mind. The
disturbing part is that Dr Wayne Bourgeoius has died. He was the breeder who gave us La Early and St Anne Satsuma. He was kind enough to send budwood to me for those two when they had just been released. He died of Pancrease Cancer less than 3 months after it was diagnosed. All of his work at Port Sulphur Research station was pretty much destroyed by Katrina. Wayne died before Katrina hit so I guess it worked out good that he didnt have to see his lifes work destroyed. Stan


Hi All,
I ask Joey at the Hammond Station for an update on the after affects of
Katrina on the Port Sulphur Station. His reply below.

Lee

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Hi Joey,

Tell me about the Citrus Research Station at Port Sulphur. What was the storm damage like there and what about the recovery? Will it be back as the primary location for Louisiana citrus research? Do you know how many of the new cultivars brought from China by Auburn are now
established by LSU?

Lee


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Where to start? News is not too good. The station was completely flooded under, in some spots as much as 8-10 feet of water, maybe more. The new office they just dedicated was not moved into yet and got destroyed. They're gutting out to the metal studs and rebuilding. The station will come back, they're in the process now of cleaning up and trying to get power restored. Dr. Dick Parish was named interim director and is supervising the recovery. All equipment and vehicles were ruined and they're replacing them. The bad news - all the trees were flooded and some of them died. I don't know the extent of the damage but I heard every tree was affected. Last I heard, they will come back with some citrus research but on a much smaller scale. Who will lead the research? I don't know. I also don't know what research will be done on citrus. The industry and the AgCenter will have to get together and powwow. The station is also involved in termite research and coastal restoration efforts - I think these projects will be the main thrust of the station. That's all I know for now, but I think things are up in the air now with the state budget problem. Looks like Auburn may have to take the lead on the southern citrus program because LSU suffered a huge loss with the death of Dr. Wayne
Bourgeois.



Joey

LSU citrus researcher Dr. Wayne Bourgeois
Thursday, June 02, 2005
From staff reports
Dr. Wayne John "Boudin" Bourgeois, a professor and research coordinator at the Citrus Research Station for the Louisiana State University Agriculture Center in Port Sulphur, died Monday of cancer at Meadowcrest Hospital. He was 56.
Dr. Bourgeois was born in Lockport and lived in Terrytown for the past 23 years.
Dr. Bourgeois made several important contributions to the Louisiana citrus industry during his 25 years with LSU. He developed a sprinkler system to protect citrus trees during a hard freeze and an underground drainage system to reverse the harmful effects of salts in the soil. Dr. Bourgeois helped develop three satsuma varieties, the Brown Select, the Louisiana Early and the Early St. Ann. He worked on the release of predator wasps to control the leaf miner and on many projects concerning insects, mites and diseases that affect citrus crops.
Dr. Bourgeois graduated from Nicholls State University and earned master's and doctorate degrees from the LSU School of Horticulture. He was a member of the Florida State Horticulture Society, Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry, LSU College of Agriculture Board of Directors, American Society of Horticultural Science, Mississippi/Louisiana Blueberry Growers Association and Deep South Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association.
Survivors include his wife, Debra B. Bourgeois; two daughters, Kimberly Nicole and Amy Elizabeth Bourgeois; his father, Claude T. Bourgeois; two brothers, Gene and Royce Bourgeois; and a sister, Brenda Bascle.
A Mass will be said Friday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church, 3101 Eton St. Visitation will be today from 5 to 11 p.m. at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. Burial will be in Metairie Cemetery.
As published in The Times Picayune on 02 June 2005

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/communications/authors/WBourgeois.htm