News From 1998

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Next to the leaf of the palm, the leaves of the banana tree are perhaps the most decorative for lending a touch of the tropics to our backyard.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Hot, dry weather across most of the state for about a six-week period this summer slowed grass growth and hay production in Mississippi.

Dr. Lamar Kimbrough, Mississippi State University Extension Service forage specialist, said many of the state's hay producers have made fewer cuttings than normal due to the drought through June and early July.

"Much of the state got enough rain around July 12 to meet the moisture needs," Kimbrough said. "We made some hay after that, but we're running out of water again."

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

When the heat and humidity have taken their toll on our psyche and our gardens, we start thinking about how nice an early freeze in mid-September would be. But just about this same time each year Mother Nature shows us her beauty.

By Marcela Cartagena

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Children's imagination can invoke monster or ghost images in the closet, under the bed or somewhere in their bedroom, but experts say parents can explore alternatives to help them cope with fear.

Dr. Jan Cooper Taylor, a professor of human sciences at Mississippi State University, said children develop their imagination as they grow.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Financial survival after sudden drops in incomes from job loss, medical expenses, death of a spouse or divorce will depend largely on a person's budgeting ability.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- High levels of aflatoxin have devastated much Mississippi corn, and while producers will want to salvage something from the crop, feeding it to wildlife is not a good option.

Dean Stewart, wildlife specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said low levels of aflatoxin, a toxic chemical byproduct of grain mold, can kill some birds, while larger animals can tolerate much more.

"Don't put aflatoxin corn out for the deer even though it probably won't kill them, because it can kill smaller animals that get into it," Stewart said.

By Marcela Cartagena

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi's graduates in veterinary medicine have higher salaries and more job options than in past years.

"Our graduates' total annual salaries have surpassed the $40,000 national average," said Dr. Mikell Davis, student affairs coordinator at Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. "Job offers and the career opportunities this profession offers to our graduates are tremendous."

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A severe infectious bronchitis virus outbreak among Mississippi broilers was quickly subdued last winter with the help of improved tests run by Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine.

Infectious bronchitis virus causes coughing and sneezing in broilers, slows the birds' growth and can kill the broiler or cause it to be condemned at the processing plant. This disease causes about $1.7 million annual losses in an industry valued at more than $1.2 billion in 1997.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- High nighttime temperatures have left farmers concerned about yields, but they won't have long to wait as harvest has already started in some areas.

Dr. Joe Street, rice specialist with Mississippi State University's Delta Research and Extension Center, said the 1998 rice crop looks pretty good.

"It was hot and dry this summer and we're not yet sure what the high nighttime temperatures will do to yield," Street said. "We're in the wait-and-see mode."

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Even though the dog days of summer make many of us cast a wishful eye toward the Arctic for relief, late summer is also when gingers really strut their stuff.

Scads of books will tell you that ginger can only be grown in coastal areas which have the mildest winters. Yet as I travel through Mississippi and other Southern states, it is definitely clear that much of Zone 7 and 8 can grow gingers with the best of those gardeners in Zone 9.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Few catfish producers had reason to complain about this summer's heat as high temperatures have been good news for their industry's bottom line.

Jim Steeby, district aquaculture agent with Mississippi State University's Extension Service in Stoneville, said catfish eat more when the water is warm and put on weight quicker.

"We're 10 to 15 percent ahead of last year's feeding," Steeby said. "That means we'll have bigger catfish to take to market."

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

The bright orange-red fruit on the roses mystified gardeners at last year's Fall Field Day at the Truck Crops Experiment Station in Crystal Springs. Since most gardeners have opted for hybrid teas, they have never seen anything but flowers on roses. While peaches, plums, apricots, apples and blackberries are all from the rose family, we hardly consider the fruit of the rose itself.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi beekeepers continue a decade-long battle against mites that devastated hives nationwide in the late 1980s, and drove many owners out of business.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A second-year program is educating farmers in how to make good management and marketing decisions under the freedom granted them by the last Farm Bill.

Managing Profitability in Agriculture in Changing Times, developed by Mississippi State University's agricultural economics department, coordinates with MSU's Extension Service to teach farmers how to improve their operation by focusing on the basics.

By Marcela Cartagena

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- To rent an apartment, experts say the first and most important thing to do is to read and understand the lease to avoid conflicts between the renter and landlord.

"A lease is a binding contract between the renter and the landlord," said Dr. Frances Graham, housing specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service. "Before signing a lease, the person must read the entire lease and understand it, because once they sign it they have agreed to accept the landlord's rules."

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Parents with obligations during school hours can't always be visible in their child's classroom, but they can still be involved in their education.

Dr. Louise Davis, child and family development specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said many parents have limited flexibility in their schedules.

By Marcela Cartagena

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- One of Mississippi's oddest looking pests can tear up a lawn in a night, but experts say not much can be done to prevent the armadillo from doing it again.

"These animals are not serious pests, but they can be a nuisance and people should treat them as any other wild animal," said Dean Stewart, associate of wildlife and fisheries at the Mississippi State University's Extension Service.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi's cotton was on the road to success in early July until weather stress, insects and diseases forced the crop to take a detour.

Dr. Will McCarty, cotton specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said the August crops are a far cry from the fields a month earlier.

"I don't know if I've ever seen a crop develop this fast and then back up just as fast," McCarty said. "We had the motherload of crops until hot, dry weather, insects and diseases took their toll."

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Three-foot tall Country Girl chrysanthemums, six-foot tall Indigo Spire salvias and five-foot Mexican bush sages should have been pretty awesome for my garden last year. Unfortunately, there was not a single bloom despite all the lush green foliage. The blooms were practically nonexistent on my goldenrods and Joe Pye weeds, too!

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- As if the drought wasn't hard enough on this year's corn crop, growers now prepare for harvest with the threat of yield-reducing corn borers and a drought-related fungus.

Dr. Scott D. Stewart, assistant Extension entomology specialist in Raymond, said most of Mississippi's crop has damage from corn borers, especially in the Delta counties.