News

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Crop rotation benefits and market prices remain the driving forces behind farmers’ planting decisions.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s prospective plantings report, released March 30, forecasts 4.67 million acres planted in nine Mississippi crops, an increase of 3 percent from total acreage in 2011.

John Michael Riley, agricultural economist with Mississippi State University’s Extension Service, said farmers probably are making their decisions to plant or not to plant soybeans and corn based on rotational needs.

Older adults are sometimes hesitant to adopt smartphones, but smartphones can eliminate one of their most common cell phone problems: text too small to read.

By Kaitlyn Byrne
MSU Ag Communication

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Miss Dixie National and Miss Rodeo Mississippi are both current Mississippi State University students striving to raise awareness about the importance of livestock and agriculture.

Paige Nicholson, Miss Dixie National, is a junior agricultural information science major in the College of Agriculture and Life Science. Samantha Golden, Miss Rodeo Mississippi, is a sophomore pre-accounting major.

Nicholson said she hopes to use her education to lend a strong voice for agriculture.

BILOXI -- Mozambique’s farmers can now preserve and better market their mango harvest thanks to training provided by a Mississippi State University specialist.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University’s gardening public image has taken several forms over its 27-year history, but what is now known as “Southern Gardening” with Gary Bachman has a long history of impacting landscapes in Mississippi.

“Southern Gardening” is a weekly newspaper column, radio segment and television feature produced by the MSU Extension Service. Bachman, the current host, is a horticulture specialist at MSU’s Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Before heading down the trail on a nature hike, take time to protect yourself and your pets from ticks and the diseases they carry, advised Mississippi State University experts.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A charter faculty member of Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine has been inducted into the state’s veterinary profession’s Hall of Fame.

Dr. Clyde Taylor, a native of Natchez, was named to the Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association’s Hall of Fame at their recent winter meeting in Starkville. He spent his entire career in Mississippi, working first in the Department of Agriculture, then in private practice in Brandon and finally on the faculty at MSU.

Home gardeners show a growing interest in using native plants in the landscape, as these have a high tolerance for local environmental conditions. While they have a better chance of survival, they are sometimes limited in their ability to create excitement in the landscape.

I want to introduce you to some native plants that have no problem adding pizazz to a landscape. Two you should consider are butterfly weed and Virginia sweetspire. Both have been named Mississippi Medallion winners for their superior garden and landscape performance.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A winter that quit before it got started challenged the state’s wheat crop, resulting in a below-average crop as it enters the homestretch.

Erick Larson, grain crops agronomist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said warm winter temperatures pushed the crop’s development ahead of schedule. Harvest could begin a few weeks early, in mid-May.

PHILADELPHIA -- Every community has different needs, but poverty weaves a common thread that organizations are uniting to unravel.

Turning the Tide on Poverty is a regional initiative of the Southern Rural Development Center that works in 13 Southern states and is headquartered at Mississippi State University. As part of that effort, government agencies, community leaders and religious groups recently met in Neshoba County to advance the Strengthening Families and Communities Coalition.

BROOKHAVEN -- Twelve Mississippi business women completed 18 hours of training through Annie’s Project, a national program designed for women interested in agriculture-based enterprises.

The training was held in late winter at the Lincoln County Extension office through Mississippi Women for Agriculture and the Mississippi State University Extension Service. The curriculum is designed to empower farm women of all ages to be better business partners through networks and by managing and organizing critical information.

Many seniors can adopt technology to improve or enhance their quality of life.

Seniors (and others) can use an iPad to keep their minds sharp by playing Sudoko while waiting at the doctor’s office. Or iPads can be set up to remind them of scheduled activities or when to take medications. Home computers can be used to chat with grandchildren via Skype or to reconnect with old military buddies through Facebook or email.

A key barrier for many senior citizens wanting to use technology is the inability to see the monitor or smartphone display.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A new smartphone application allows growers, gardeners and landowners to get quick information about soil types and determine what to plant or where to build.

Larry Oldham, Extension professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at Mississippi State University, said helping clients in the field is easier than ever with the SoilWeb smartphone app developed by the Soil Resource Lab at the University of California-Davis.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Dr. Mark Lawrence, associate dean and professor at Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine has been honored for his efforts to increase diversity within the veterinary profession.

The Mississippi Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning recently presented Lawrence with the Black History Month Educator of the Year award for MSU’s Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine will open its doors from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. April 13 and 14 for its annual Open House at the Wise Center, located on the south side of campus off Spring Street.

The April 13 program is for pre-registered school groups, and the April 14 program is open to anyone in the community. School groups can register for this free event by contacting Brandi Van Ormer at (662) 325-0465. There is no cost to attend.

PITTSBORO -- The Calhoun County 4-H club will receive a $2,500 donation through the America’s Farmers Grow Communities program sponsored by the Monsanto Fund.

William “Rocky” Fleming registered for the program, which offered farmers a chance in a drawing to benefit their favorite community nonprofit organization. Fleming and his wife, Dot, selected the Calhoun County 4-H club based on their son’s active participation in 4-H, the youth development program of the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University is the result of historic legislation passed 150 years ago during the Civil War, and the state’s land-grant institution will mark the anniversary with activities throughout the year.

MSU assistant history professor James Giesen will present “History of the Morrill Act: The Mississippi Perspective” during a March 29 public event at the university. To begin at 3 p.m. in Thompson Hall’s Tully Auditorium, the program is the inaugural spring seminar of Gamma Sigma Delta. A reception follows at the location.

BILOXI -- An eight-week Mississippi Master Naturalist course will educate citizens about local natural resources and promote environmental stewardship.

Offered by the Mississippi State University Extension Service, the class will be held from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. every Thursday from April 26 to June 14. Classes take place at the MSU Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi. Field trips are also planned.

Every spring, I look forward to seeing wisterias bloom. It’s incredible how high these vines can climb into trees. They are a familiar sight along roadsides, and I really enjoy the 55-mile-per-hour flower show I get as I drive along the highways in Mississippi.

In this setting, these vigorous and aggressive vines seem to be out of reach for the ordinary home landscape. But wisteria vines can actually be used in a more confined space, assuming you are committed to keeping the vine in place through training and pruning.