News Filed Under Agriculture

Mississippi rice producers and crop specialists are optimistic about the state’s 2022 harvest despite a high population of rice stink bugs that were difficult to treat.

If you’re a homeowner who loves your bermudagrass lawn, be on the lookout for fall armyworms. These caterpillars can eat voraciously, devouring yards within just a day or two. These pests show up every year from late summer to early fall, and you never know exactly when or how many there will be.

Having healthy soil in your garden results in healthy plants. Whether you’re planting vegetables, flowers, grass, trees, shrubs, or anything in between, a soil sample is the first thing to check off the list. Gathering a soil sample from your landscape and having it tested by MSU Extension’s Soil Testing Lab should be the initial step in any gardening adventure. Plus, it’s pretty easy to do!

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The condition of Mississippi’s soybean crop in early August literally depends on where you stand.

“We have some really good-looking irrigated soybeans that were planted in the optimum planting window and have made it to this point of the season with very few issues, other than extreme heat,” said Trent Irby, soybean specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. “We even have some nonirrigated soybeans that could fall into that same description after catching several timely rains.

Mississippi pastures, hay fields and lawns are threatened annually by fall armyworms, and close observation and quick action are the only ways to successfully battle the pests again this year. Keith Whitehead works in Franklin County with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. He said no one knows each year how bad the fall armyworm problem will be or when the insects will show up.

The state’s sweet potato growers will have a wealth of information available to them in a half-day event Aug. 25 in Pontotoc. The Mississippi State University Extension Service and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station are hosting the 2022 Sweet Potato Field Day at the Pontotoc Ridge-Flatwoods Branch Experiment Station. There is no cost to attend. Registration begins at 8 a.m., with the station tour starting at 8:30.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Though monkeypox is not as easily spread as COVID-19, it has become a public health concern as documented case counts approach 4,000 nationwide.

The monkeypox virus is part of the same family of viruses as smallpox. Monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms but milder. Infections in this outbreak are from the West African type, which has an infection fatality rate of 1% and is considered the milder of the two types of the virus.

Following last year’s significant fall armyworm outbreak, hay producers should be careful not to overlook another important pest -- the Bermudagrass stem maggot -- while watching for armyworms. While farm armyworms attack hay fields, home lawns, golf courses and more, the non-native Bermudagrass stem maggot is primarily a pest of hay fields.

A producer with 40 years’ experience growing high-quality rice using environmentally sustainable practices has been named Mississippi’s 2022 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year. Mike Wagner grows top-quality rice while preserving the soil and environment on his Two Brooks Rice farm in Tallahatchie and Leflore counties. He also grows non-genetically modified soybeans.

CARRIERE, Miss. -- Individuals interested in muscadine production can attend an upcoming field day dedicated to the fruit. The 2022 Muscadine Field Day will be held Aug. 25 at the Mississippi State University McNeill Research Unit.

Catfish producers in Mississippi are receiving good prices for their products, but their continued profitability faces challenges from high heat and high costs for feed and fuel. Mississippi has 34,100 acres of catfish ponds found mostly in the Delta, with some scattered in Noxubee, Lowndes and Chickasaw counties in east Mississippi.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Seed industry representatives, agricultural professionals, producers, crop consultants and research scientists are encouraged to attend the Seed and Agricultural Technology Short Course at Mississippi State University Aug. 15-16.

Hosted by the MSU Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, the short course will be held at the Bost Extension Conference Center at MSU.

STONEVILLE, Miss. – Hunter Bowman has been named rice specialist for the Mississippi State University Extension Service

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- For the first time, Mississippi’s top soybean growers can compete with their peers and win money for producing the highest yields.

The Mississippi Soybean Promotion Board (MSPB) has announced the launch of the “Grow It. Show It. Win It. Mississippi Soybean Yield Challenge.” Mississippi State University Extension agents will serve as yield contest officials.

Farmers markets are multiplying across the state as they combine two of the things that Mississippians value most: fresh produce and socializing. The concept of a central place for area farmers to sell their goods has been around for decades, but the recent, increased focus on shopping locally has caused an uptick in the number of farmers markets across the state.

STONEVILLE, Miss. -- An irrigation specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service has gained national recognition for his outreach related to water conservation practices.

SHAW, Miss. -- Mississippi State University scientists will cohost a collaborative field day in the Mississippi Delta on July 13 to share information about cover crops, soil and water health, and irrigation automation and efficiency. 

The Soil and Water Stewardship in Row-Crop Systems field day runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and begins at Mosco Farm at the southwest of 813 US-61 in Shaw. Attendees will travel to Clements Farm and finish the event at the West F.A.R.M. Pavilion. A complimentary catfish lunch is included for registered participants.

For as long as many people can remember, summertime Tuesdays and Fridays has meant it is time to shop the Itawamba Farmers Market for fresh, local produce and goods. This farmers market is held at the Cypress Pavilion on the campus of Itawamba Community College twice weekly from 2-4 p.m. from June until football season begins in September. This year, a brief fall farmers market is also planned at a time and place to be determined.

There is always a crowd each week at the West Point Farmers Market as shoppers gather to purchase fresh, local produce and goods from neighbors and area farmers. The West Point Farmers Market is held each Thursday in June and July from 4-5:30 p.m. at the Mossy Oak Outlet on Highway 45 Alternate. Vendors set up their wares under the pavilion, with overflow space available in a grassy area under nearby trees.

Shoppers in downtown Macon have a chance twice monthly to socialize and buy fresh produce and goods from area merchants at the new Noxubee Farmers Alliance Market. The market operates on the second and fourth Saturdays from June through August on the Noxubee County Courthouse lawn. Vendors are available from 7-11:30 a.m. to sell a variety of produce, homemade breads, honey, greens and more.