News From 2009

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Professionals who help troubled adults and youth can enhance their effectiveness by attending the 12th annual Families and Communities Together Conference Oct. 6 at the Summit Center in Tupelo.

The conference is also open to the public. The Summit Center is on North Gloster Street.

Conference sponsors are the Mississippi State University Extension Service and other service agencies in north Mississippi that assist families.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

The vegetable garden looks to be “Sweet ‘n’ Neat” next year, thanks to some new varieties of tomatoes by that very name.

More and more urban dwellers are joining in the latest trend of growing their own produce, and tomatoes are the No. 1 choice of those growing edibles.

By Shoshana Herndon
MSU College of Forest Resources

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The lakes of the Mississippi Delta offer numerous recreational uses throughout the year. However, too many invasive aquatic plant species can create a less-than-optimal environment for fish and people.

A project in Mississippi State University’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center is looking at two different management practices to improve the habitat and increase public use of lakes for fishing, hunting and other recreational purposes.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Although the economy is sluggish throughout the country, a new study shows Mississippi’s forestry industry is staying strong.

Forestry production ranks second in the state, behind poultry, generating $1.08 billion in revenue in 2008 and providing $17.37 billion to the state’s bottom line. A recent Mississippi State University report shows just how much of the state’s economy is rooted in the 19.6 million acres of forestland.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi’s timber owners are keeping a close watch on the national housing market with hopes that the worst economic times are behind them.

“Recovery in the U.S. housing market is key to Mississippi’s sawtimber markets, and it appears that the beginnings of a recovery are emerging,” said James Henderson, forestry specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. “Pending home sales and single-family construction have increased most months in 2009.”

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- With the transfer of the fabled leather harness from father to son during pregame festivities at Davis-Wade Stadium, Mississippi State University’s new bulldog mascot Champ stepped into a role he was born to assume.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The weak economy and high costs of production have given poultry companies a strong incentive to curtail production in spite of increased prices.

Feed accounts for about 70 percent of the cost of broiler production. As feed prices have stayed high, production has lowered, reflecting a loss in revenue for the state’s growers.

““Compared to last year, fuel costs are down, but the general cost of doing business is making tight margins even tighter,” said Michael Kidd, head of Mississippi State University’s poultry science department.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Only in its second year, a student association at Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine was awarded top honors at the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior conference this summer in Seattle.

The society sponsors veterinary student chapters in efforts to enhance knowledge of animal behavior. Student chapters are responsible for arranging events and speakers to share knowledge about animal behavior with their fellow students and the public.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – The bonds between animals and people will be the topic of an upcoming lecture series at Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

The second annual Human-Animal Bond Lecture Series will take place Oct. 19-23. It will celebrate the unique interdependence between people and animals -- companion, production, lab animal and wildlife. The series is sponsored by Nestle Purina PetCare Co.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi State University’s Crosby Arboretum in Picayune hopes to be overrun, not with bugs, but with youth and adults looking for insects as part of Bugfest Sept. 18 and 19.

The two-day event will include insect collecting, identification and mounting for display; a “Buggy Midway;” and educational seminars on various insects and collecting techniques. The Bugmobile from the New Orleans Audubon Insectarium will make a special appearance Saturday afternoon, with presentations at 1 and 2 p.m.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A $150,000 grant will enable Mississippi State University students to gain international exposure as they study a technology that makes it possible to grow crops for longer than a typical season allows.

“Season extension technology” allows a crop to be grown earlier or later than weather typically allows. One method is to construct an unheated, Quonset-shaped greenhouse that captures heat.

By Rebekah Ray
Delta Research and Extension Center

STONEVILLE – Two researchers at Mississippi State University’s Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville are continuing a centennial study begun in 2004 to examine the long-term effects of rotations on crop yields.

“We plowed the first plots for the study when the Delta station observed its 100th anniversary in 2004, and we refer to it as the Centennial Rotation,” said Wayne Ebelhar, the study’s organizer and a researcher specializing in soil fertility and cotton, corn and soybean production.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Given the recent economic conditions, there has been a lot of talk of “bean counters.” It was no different at the Hot to Trot Pot Competition in Hattiesburg. Beans were literally counted, and a kaleidoscope of colorful succulents earned the most.

The Mississippi Nursery and Landscape Association created the first Hot to Trot Pot Competition at this year’s Hattiesburg Garden and Patio Show, a friendly competition showcasing Mississippi’s best mixed container designers.

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi State University’s 4-H program staff want to reduce the number of accidents and deaths occurring from the misuse of all-terrain vehicles by training 4-H agents as certified ATV safety and education instructors.

By Karen Templeton
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Though heavy rains this spring delayed some of the state's rice planting, warm, sunny days in June and July helped the crop along, and by late Aug., Mississippi farmers were pleased with the results.

Optimal planting for rice is before May 1, and 75 percent of the state’s crop made it in by that date. The remainder was late because of excessive rains during the first few weeks of May.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – As the “green” movement expands, Mississippians can now turn to two Mississippi State University experts for advice on using green technology to roof their homes and buildings.

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Abundant natural resources and a good infrastructure give Mississippi a competitive advantage as a major supplier of renewable energy, and Mississippi State University is conducting research and connecting with industry to help the state reach its potential.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- What can be “greener” than Mississippi forests? Find the answer when Mississippi forests and their products are managed with all of the environment’s best interests in mind.

Glenn Hughes, Extension forestry professor at Mississippi State University’s College of Forest Resources, said a growing number of wood product and forest managers are seeking official “green” certification.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Red is a color that many gardeners want in the landscape but find very difficult to use successfully. The secret, however, may lie in your accent features.

It seems strange to think that red may be hard to use. There are red roses, red zinnias, red petunias and scores of other red flowers, but if you place them near each other, a wave of nausea may sweep over you.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Families that do not venture outside miss what the outdoors can teach them about conservation and natural resource management, but Mississippi State University offers a summer camp series that combines fun and excitement with science and career exploration.