News

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Occasionally I am guilty of pronouncing a plant a failure without giving it a second year or a better garden location. I preach otherwise, but it still happens. Probably you would admit to making this mistake, too.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Researchers at Mississippi State University are converting grasses and agricultural waste into energy, hoping to lower ethanol's cost enough to compete with gasoline as a fuel.

Researchers at MSU and Oklahoma State University are pursuing the conversion of biomass from switchgrass or agricultural byproducts into energy. This energy is in the form of either biofuels, such as ethanol, or electricity.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- An average crop may not seem worth bragging about without considering the obstacles growers faced along the way.

Mississippi's wheat harvest concluded in June much as it started last fall: in the rain. Growers posted yields near the five-year average despite rainy conditions all along the way.

MISSISSIPPI STATE --Developing responsibility, sportsmanship and self-discipline is the No. 1 priority of Mississippi's 4-H shooting sports program.

"Most people probably think our first goal is to teach kids to hunt and shoot," said Ben West, Mississippi State University Extension Service assistant wildlife specialist. "But that's not true. Our No. 1 goal is to teach discipline, concentration and other skills young people can use in the future."

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Yellow bells, or Gold Star esperanza, has become a hot plant in the past couple of years. As a testament to its showy nature, people are buying it despite not knowing much about it.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Plans for a new 30,000 square foot horticulture laboratory complex were unveiled during July 11 ceremonies at the South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station in Poplarville.

The $10 million Pearl River County facility will house research laboratories and offices for U.S. Department of Agriculture and Mississippi State University personnel. The laboratories will be used for ornamental horticulture and small fruit research. Construction will begin later this year.

HATTIESBURG -- South Mississippi cattle producers are counting on (market) strength in numbers as well as the quality of their heifers to bring a more satisfying experience for buyers and sellers alike at an upcoming sale.

With the aid of Mississippi State University's Extension Service, a group of 25 cattle producers are planning a bred and open heifer sale in the Southeast Mississippi Sale Barn at 1 p.m. on Aug. 30. The barn is on Highway 49 North in Hattiesburg.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Frequent rains and cooler-than-normal temperatures have presented challenges for this year's tomato crop, but consumers are finally enjoying these fruits of Mississippi growers' labor.

Much of Mississippi's $3 million commercial tomato industry experienced delays in planting and slow growth early in the 2003 season. The good news is that cooler temperatures enabled plants to continue setting fruit longer than normal.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- When Ashley Harris was accepted into medical school this year, organizers of a summer program for high schoolers saw results they've been waiting on for five years.

Harris, 21, participated in the Rural Medical Scholars program at Mississippi State University in 1999. He is just eight hours short of a biochemistry degree at MSU, and begins medical school at University Medical Center in Jackson in August. He will earn his degree from MSU after his first year of medical school.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine can once again boast about having the "best vet."

Dr. A. Wayne Groce, a professor assigned to the CVM Office of Special Programs and home-based in the Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, was named Veterinarian of the Year by the Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association for his contributions to the field of veterinary medicine. The award was announced at the 2003 MVMA annual summer convention in Gulfport.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A workshop in north Mississippi focuses on turning dreams into reality for anyone considering getting into a food-related business.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service is sponsoring Food as a Business Aug. 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the DeSoto County Extension office in Hernando. Registration for Food as a Business is $35 and includes lunch, breaks and conference materials. Speakers represent the Extension Service, the Mississippi Development Authority, the state Department of Health, manufacturing and retail.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

As I drive around Mississippi this summer, it seems the old-fashioned scarlet sage is still the showiest plant in the garden. Scarlet sage is our annual salvia known botanically as Salvia splendens.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- They may not look like the typical Mississippi State University "aggie," but two Grenada High School graduates are not letting stereotypes stop them.

Ashley Andrews and Teresa Bryan have joined a growing group of young women who are realizing agricultural and environmental sciences are not just for the boys. They are also adding diversity to a field of study typically dominated by men.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- North Delta farmers did not pass the referendum to continue a maintenance program battling boll weevils on the first vote, but a cotton insect expert wants growers to consider the alternative before the second referendum begins the first of August.

Blake Layton, an entomologist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said it would not take boll weevils as long to infest the entire state in this century as it did in the early 1900s when they first arrived from Mexico.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi's shrimp season has been on-again, off-again because of rain, but landings to date have been good.

Dave Burrage, Extension professor of marine resources at Mississippi State University's Coastal Research and Extension Center, said Biloxi saw about 1.4 million pounds of shrimp landed the first two weeks of the season. The shrimp season opened June 10, closed June 20, then the western portion reopened June 28.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Several years after their introduction, school uniforms are performing as expected. And as expected, many students don't like wearing them.

Their use has been credited with reduced behavioral problems and better learning environments. The U.S. Department of Education outlines their usefulness and regulations in an online manual on the subject.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Parents need to get an early start and stay involved when it comes to their children's education -- and their ability to develop good study skills.

Experts say parents can set a good learning example for their children to follow long before they reach school age.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Getting ready for the new school year can be expensive, but parents don't have to give up the budget in frustration when it's time to buy back-to-school supplies.

The beginning of the school year means children need seasonal clothes and a whole list of school supplies. Purchased at one time, the bill can be staggering, especially when shopping at the last minute or for more than one child.

By Laura Whelan

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- As children and teens head back to school this fall, they can feel comfortable sporting their own personal style.

"Fashion emphasizes a really mixed look right now. The rules of fashion are not as hard and fast as they used to be," said Wanda Cheek, assistant professor of apparel, textiles and merchandising in Mississippi State University's School of Human Sciences.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Extracurricular activities not only give children something to do in their free time, but involvement in these activities promotes a positive sense of self and decreases the chance a child will drop out of school.