Labs also contain a starch analyzer, two nitrogen analyzers, several gas chromatographs with different detection systems and a liquid scintillation counter for conducting experimentation involving radio nuclides. Research is also conducted in several greenhouses located on the campus and at nearby research farms and branch research stations. The 20 field research stations throughout the state are well equipped with specialized research equipment. A number of faculty also conduct field plot research on farmers' fields when it is appropriate and have cooperative projects with researchers located at other state or federal facilities. LSU is located in Baton Rouge, a Sun Belt City with a metropolitan-area population of about 500,000.
Baton Rouge is the state capital and a major financial and petroleum processing center.
The region is culturally diverse and features festivals and fine food. The semitropical climate makes outdoor activities popular throughout the year. LSU is the state's only comprehensive university. Enrollment is more than 26,000, with a faculty of about 1,300. The 2000-acre campus is located in south Baton Rouge and is bordered on the west by the Mississippi River.