News

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Savvy U.S. consumers want to know the pedigree of the products they buy, a trend that is driving change in American production and industry, and Mississippi's forestry industry is no exception.

A nationwide market is developing for forest products produced in an economically, ecologically and socially sustainable manner. Products such as lumber produced under these standards are sold as certified forest products.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The Environmental Protection Agency is examining air emissions from livestock and poultry operations, and producers must decide soon if they will take part in the agency’s two-year study.

Mark Crenshaw, swine specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said producers should study all aspects of the issue before signing the Air Emissions Consent Agreement, but the July 1 deadline to sign is quickly approaching.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Garden centers have had a good supply of one of my favorite plants, the gomphrena. Known botanically as Gomphrena globosa, this Joseph's Coat relative is native to Panama and Guatemala.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Good prices and lower feed costs are helping catfish producers after they suffered nearly four years of high production costs and low market prices.

Terry Hanson, Mississippi State University Extension agricultural economist, said catfish producers are receiving 70 to 75 cents a pound, and prices have been above 70 cents since October. Market prices in 2002 and 2003 dropped as low as 55 cents a pound. Prices may be helped by increased U.S. interest in eating catfish.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Home vegetable gardeners have a better chance of success if they take steps to prevent or control common insect pests.

Blake Layton, an entomologist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said vegetable gardeners can avoid insect problems if they know what to look for and how to react.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Internet scams are becoming more sophisticated and harder to recognize, even for the experienced Web surfers.

Before the Internet, grifters were criminals who moved from town to town, seeking easy targets for money scams. Today, they find their victims using mass e-mails designed to trick people into sending money or disclosing financial information. The technique is call phishing.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

At the Jackson Garden and Patio Show, a new group of hibiscus made its debut and wowed everyone. Called Cajun hibiscus, this series comes in colors you only dreamed about. I got two at the show -- one called Black Dragon that is a deep burgundy with swirls, and then a yellow and red blend called Fais Do Do. Both are extremely large, measuring 9 inches at least.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Agricultural policy and the state of the agricultural industry will be the topics of the Mississippi Agricultural Economics Association annual symposium in Starkville.

The 31 st annual symposium will be held June 2 and 3 at Mississippi State University in the Forest Products Auditorium. The public and those representing the ag industry, business and finance are invited to attend. A $20 symposium fee covers the Friday meeting and lunch.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi's rice crop is fighting off the challege posed by early cool temperatures, and growers are preparing to battle weed problems and high fuel costs.

Mississippi growers made record rice yields three of the last four years, and they would like this year's crop to make it three years in a row. State growers posted yield records in 2001 and 2003, then topped it last year with the current record of 6,900 pounds per acre.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Every day can be a day full of learning opportunities for children if parents and caregivers seize opportunities in the routine to teach lessons.

Micki Smith, area child and family development agent with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said homes are filled with wonderful learning opportunities for children.

"Everyday routines such as bathing, dressing, meal preparation, eating, cleaning, sorting laundry and making beds can be rich learning experiences for kids," Smith said.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Strong leadership in rural communities often is hard to find. But one Stone County woman stepped up to the challenge and now serves as president of the Mississippi Homemaker Volunteers Inc.

Jean Colwart coordinates the efforts of the MHV board and encourages leadership skill development among club members. Her goal as president is to involve all homemakers in the walking program she developed to go along with the current MHV wellness theme.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Dead birds in Mississippi are attracting attention as careful observers look for the first indication West Nile virus has again appeared in their county.

Dead birds that test positive for the virus indicate West Nile has arrived in an area. Humans and horses can get the virus after being bitten by disease-carrying mosquitoes. The best prevention for humans is good insect repellent and up-to-date vaccinations for horses.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi pecan growers can learn more about production and marketing issues at a June 30 workshop in Raymond.

Registration for the free workshop begins at 8:30 a.m. at Mississippi State University's Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center. The morning educational programs will address worker protection standards, a pecan insect update, calibration of air-blast sprayers and the "Make Mine Mississippi" marketing program.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

The future looks bright for pentas, one of our best groups of annuals. I've just returned from the California Pack Trials, and almost every company is introducing new series. This should be a delight to butterflies, hummingbirds and gardeners alike.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Cattle producers are expanding their herds as prices remain strong during the first months of 2005.

John Anderson, an agricultural economist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said cattle producers are expanding their herds rather than sending them to feed lots. Most expect prices to remain strong throughout the year.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Many products Mississippians use every day are made from wood, and some of these can create extra income for forest landowners.

Butch Bailey, a forester with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said most homes in the United States are built with wood, and the average home is built from about 25 trees. But people use other items on a daily basis that they probably do not realize are made from forest products.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

If you feel like spring is racing by and you haven't planted anything, don't fret. Today's annuals can give flowerbeds the pick-me-up you need. No other group of plants provides as much color as quickly and economically as annuals.

Prepare beds by adding 3 to 4 inches or organic matter such as compost, humus, pine bark or peat moss, and 1 or 2 inches of sharp sand if the soil is really heavy.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Ask gardeners why they start growing roses, and you'll get a range of answers that usually fall into a couple of categories. Many will say that they began a rose garden because the queen of flowers provides such beauty, while others love the fragrance.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Twenty-three sentinel plots circle the state, standing watch for the anticipated reappearance of soybean rust in Mississippi.

Soybean rust is a devastating fungal disease spread by spores. It can be carried by wind for hundreds of miles, transported on people or machinery, or spread by infected plant material. Left untreated, it completely defoliates and often kills a plant, reducing yields by as much as 80 percent. It was identified in the state Nov. 17, and already has been spotted this year in Florida and Georgia.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- High school and middle school teachers have an opportunity to learn how to teach financial matters during an upcoming conference in Jackson.