News

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Preparing beef, pork or chicken may be routine to some people, but catching on to the tricks of cooking seafood that is delicious and safe can be a bigger challenge than the catch itself.

Overcooked seafood can become rubbery and tasteless, while raw or undercooked seafood can pose many health risks. With a little extra care, seafood can be a delicious and safe addition to a family's menu.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Many gardeners want plants that will bloom all summer right up until fall. The first option always seems to be New Gold lantana. Believe it or not, there is a tropical vine that will bloom until the first freeze as well. It is called Brazilian Jasmine, or Mandevilla.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A short-term study of a common catfish pond treatment suggests copper sulfate is an environmentally sound procedure for controlling off-flavor problems.

John Hargreaves, Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station aquaculture biologist with the Thad Cochran National Warmwater Aquaculture Center, completed a study of the effects of copper sulfate applications to catfish ponds over three years.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Finally, dairy producers have something more than a nutritious product to celebrate during National Dairy Month: milk prices.

"Milk prices should average about $2 more per hundredweight than last year," said Bill Herndon, agricultural economist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service. "That's about a 15 percent increase over 2000."

Herndon said prices will likely remain strong throughout the summer and peak-usage period in early fall. Class I milk prices have the potential of record prices this fall.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Dairy products are among the best sources of calcium and many other nutrients, but not everyone consumes the recommended amounts of these products daily.

Health experts recommend that Americans eat three servings of dairy products daily. This quantity helps the body receive the calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, riboflavin, protein and vitamins A and D that it needs daily.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Gardeners everywhere seem to be searching out vines for that special fence, trellis or arbor. The passionflower, one of my favorites, is not only one of the most beautiful and exotic blooms in the world, but the fruit also yields one of the favorite flavors in tropical fruit juices.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Dry conditions in April and May, especially in the Delta, played havoc with Mississippi's corn crop this spring, leaving the root systems confounded about which way to go.

Erick Larson, corn specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said wet conditions delayed planting some, but most of the crop was in the ground by the end of April.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Students typically come to teachers for education, but technology is enabling the education to come to students, especially in rural areas.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- In a state where insects outnumber humans, it may be surprising that only a few Mississippians get sick every year from diseases carried by insects.

Dr. Mike Williams, entomologist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said the best way to avoid getting an insect-borne disease is to prevent pests from biting.

"Watch the time of day you're outside and wear insect repellant," Williams said. "There are some diseases that are possible to get from insects we have in Mississippi."

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

The firebush, known as hummingbird bush and scarlet bush, is a Texas Superstar plant that would qualify in Mississippi as well. The Texas Superstar designation is similar to our Mississippi Medallion award.

By Charmain Courcelle

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A search for alternative fuels may uncover an additional source of income for Mississippi farmers and provide a solution to the waste disposal problems encountered by the state's agricultural industry.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi youth are doing what it takes to earn gold medals, but these awards are for personal improvement and service, not athletics.

Seven Mississippians are being honored with the gold Congressional Award, the U.S. Congress' only award given to recognize the outstanding achievements of youth. Seven other state youth received silver and bronze medals in the same program.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi farmers have the rest of the season to wait and see if the state's earliest soybean planting ever will pay off in a good crop this year.

Ideal spring planting conditions enabled state farmers to get about 85 percent of the crop in the ground by the middle of May, a pace that was 30 percent ahead of normal. Much of what remains to be planted will go onto fields that are double-cropped with wheat or are waiting on much-needed moisture.

By Bonnie Coblentz

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Insects and humans seem to have the same idea about the nice weather in Mississippi since both are out in number when temperatures are pleasant.

Mosquitoes, wasps, horseflies, deerflies, chiggers and ticks are abundant in the state from late spring to mid-summer. These nuisances make their presence known at picnics, walks outside, swimming holes and other places people like to congregate and relax.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Like most lessons in life, children develop their eating habits by what they experience at home.

"When children are exposed to certain foods (healthy or not) in the home, they are much more likely to accept the same foods later," said Melissa Mixon, human nutrition specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service. "Exposure may need to be as many as 18 to 20 times before a child accepts the food."

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

As you drive down Mississippi's highways and by-ways, don't lament that we don't fare well with blue bonnets, because this year our own wild phlox, coreopsis, Queen Anne's lace and Indian Pinks have been as pretty as a painting.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Researchers at Mississippi State University's Agribusiness Institute are in the process of determining consumer attitudes to genetically modified foods.

Genetic modifications of food are typically done to make the item easier for the farmer to produce or to make it more desirable for the consumer because of new or enhanced traits. For example, tomatoes have been modified to stay fresh on the shelf longer, a benefit to consumers, and soybeans have been developed to be resistant to a common weed killer, a benefit to farmers.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Harvest conditions are about the only bright spots in the hay and pasture outlook in Mississippi.

Timing is everything in hay production. Pastures and fields need rain for growth, and producers need sunny days to preserve the quality of hay cuttings. Hay harvests are running ahead of schedule, but the lack of rain and cool nights are slowing pastures and second cuttings.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Gardeners anticipate each spring as a time to get their plants off to a good start, but problems with weather can put a damper on the season.

Spring is usually a wet time in Mississippi, but this year was dry across much of the state. Gardeners trying to get a good start to their flowers and vegetables may have been disappointed. Specialists with Mississippi State University's Extension Service said the season is not lost even if it got off to a poor start.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The call an umpire makes in a close game pales in comparison to the call parents often must make when their child wants to quit sports.

Sports can teach youth teamwork, coordination, discipline and many other life skills. Early involvement in sports can set them on the road to life-long physical fitness and introduce them to something they'll continue to enjoy the rest of their life. Sports is also a great way to meet new people and make friends.