News From 2016

NEWTON, Miss. -- Landowners and producers who want to learn more about alfalfa production can attend a workshop next month in Newton.

The Mississippi State University Coastal Plain Branch Experiment Station will host an alfalfa hay production and equipment demonstration May 19.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Researchers at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine pioneered a technique that can help advance the study of one of the deadliest foodborne bacteria in the United States.

Listeria monocytogenes, the bacterium that causes listeriosis, ranks No. 3 among the top five domestically acquired foodborne pathogens that cause death, according to 2011 estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

PICAYUNE, Miss. -- Gardening enthusiasts can learn how to attract pollinators during a two-part program at the Mississippi State University Crosby Arboretum on May 21.

Heather Sullivan, a botanist with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, will kick off the program with a habitat walk through the arboretum grounds from 10 to 11 a.m. On the tour, she will focus on the pollinators and native plants in each habitat.

TYLERTOWN, Miss. -- Cattle producers in Louisiana and Mississippi can learn about animal handling and health issues during the Mississippi/Louisiana Beef and Forage Field Day May 21.

The event begins with registration at 8:45 a.m. at the Livestock Producers Sale Barn on Highway 98 East in Tylertown, Mississippi.

Experts with the Mississippi State University Extension Service and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station will join industry professionals to discuss low-stress animal handling and new vaccination regulations.

One of the most fun parts of serving as the Southern Gardener is getting to share so many great plants with gardeners all across Mississippi and beyond. Some plants are new introductions, some are old reliable choices, and all get to be called my favorite from time to time.

POPLARVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi’s small towns and rural communities have a lot to offer visitors, and developing those tourism resources will be the focus of a two-day workshop at Pearl River Community College in Poplarville.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The Mississippi State University Extension Service will host a daylong queen-rearing workshop at the MSU Apiculture Lab on April 30.

The workshop will cover the benefits of raising queen bees, preparing a quality cell builder, troubleshooting problems with queen rearing, and grafting and non-grafting techniques. PowerPoint sessions will begin in the morning, followed by hands-on demonstrations and grafting practice in the afternoon.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Spring is a favorite time year for many people who enjoy watching the outdoors come alive with fields of flowers, groves of small budding trees, mixed forests exploding with new growth and the heavens filled with singing birds.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Frequent spring rains and standing water have kept farmers out of their fields, reducing expectations for the state’s corn crop.

Erick Larson, grain crops specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said growers are struggling to plant the amount of corn they intended. The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicted Mississippi’s corn acreage would be 800,000, up 57 percent from last year’s 510,000 acres.

From left, kindergarteners Garrison Baker, Knox Smith and Piper Graves learn about painted lady butterflies with Lois Connington, keeper of the Insect Zoo at Mississippi State University’s Clay Lyle Entomology Building on Thursday, April 14, 2016 in Starkville, Miss. (Photo by MSU Extension Service/Kat Lawrence)

COLUMBUS, Miss. -- The fear of being stung by thousands of swarming bees typically sends people running for a can of pesticide.

But swarming is a dramatic display of democracy in action and can be a source of wonder instead of panic for those who understand what is going on.

Reid Nevins, Lowndes County coordinator of the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said bees swarm as part of the natural process of establishing new colonies.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Riders involved in the Mississippi State University therapeutic riding program will demonstrate their skills in a special event April 19 at the Mississippi Horse Park.

About 46 riders will take part in the second annual Therapeutic Riding Expo, which begins at 6 p.m. The horse park is south of Starkville at 869 East Poorhouse Road. The event is free and open to the public.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Family service providers know that parenting is never easy, especially when the children are not your own.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service is teaming up with the Mississippi Department of Human Services Division of Family and Children’s Services to provide workshops on topics such as parent/child communications, helping children cope with change, and coping with stress, depression and anger.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- One major cost of producing a good crop is ensuring plants are fertilized well, an operational expense that may consume a significant part of farm budgets.

Bryon Parman, an agricultural economist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said nutrient application and replenishment may consume more than 13 and 14 percent of total operating expenses for cotton and soybeans.

“For crops with high nutrient demand such as corn, this nutrient cost may comprise more than 40 percent of variable costs,” Parman said.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- From the drought in California to lead contamination in Flint, Michigan, water is on the minds of many Americans, Mississippians included.

In workplaces and homes across the Magnolia State, one question floats to the top: How do we know if our water is safe?

Jason Barrett, an assistant Extension professor in the Mississippi State University Extension Center for Government and Community Development, said water system operators and the Environmental Protection Agency have regulations and guidelines in place for testing and reporting test results.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Purple Knight Alternanthera’s designation as Mississippi Medallion winner. That’s a reason to celebrate in our Mississippi gardens and landscapes.

By Evan O’Donnell
MSU Extension Service

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippians are blessed with some amazing public lands across the state that offer opportunities for families, organized groups and individuals to experience the beauty of the state and its many outdoor recreational activities.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Winter conditions did not significantly affect wheat development in Mississippi, but acreage of the state’s only cold-season row crop is expected to be much lower than normal due to poor planting conditions last fall.

Erick Larson, corn and wheat specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said 90,000 acres of wheat were planted last fall. The normal acreage is usually around 200,000 acres. Producers planted 230,000 acres in 2014 and 150,000 acres in 2013.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- New research techniques learned at Mississippi State University through a scholar exchange program will help a cattle veterinarian from Egypt as she pursues a doctoral education in food safety.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Brandy Barnes’ excitement is building, but she keeps a cool head at the firing range.

In the summer of 2015, the 17-year-old Hinds County 4-H member scored among the top five .22-caliber rifle participants at the state shooting sports competition. The accomplishment earned her a spot at the National 4-H Shooting Sports Championship set for June 26 to July1, 2016, in Grand Island, Nebraska.

“It’s really starting to hit me now,” said Barnes. “I’m very excited.”