News

VERONA -- The North Mississippi Research and Extension Center will host a fall event for vegetable and flower gardeners.

Mississippi State University Extension Service and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station will host this yearly event on Saturday, Sept. 20, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. in Verona.

MSU horticulture experts will lead educational seminars, answer gardening questions, and offer walking and wagon tours of the vegetable and flower gardens at the facility located at 5421 Highway 145 South.

CARRIERE -- The Muscadine Field Day scheduled for August in Pearl River County has been moved to Sept. 13.

The field day will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Mississippi State University McNeill Research Unit near Carriere. The event will allow growers to learn from MSU researchers and examine the grape vines growing at the research unit.

I think hardy hibiscuses are must-have summer plants guaranteed to brighten our gardens and landscapes after a long, hot summer. But to many gardeners, the hardy hibiscus is a well-kept secret.

These plants are very different from tropical hibiscuses. The hardy hibiscus is winter hardy, and its foliage is not as glossy as the tropical hibiscus. Despite these differences, both varieties have bright, beautiful flowers.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Crops almost never go from potentially record yields one year to drastic acre reductions the next, but catastrophic aphid infestations coupled with low prices may force grain sorghum growers into that situation.

Erick Larson, grain crops specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said if not for the white sugarcane aphid, the state would have one of the largest grain sorghum crops in recent history.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Every July, waterfowl biologists from the Mississippi Flyway Council, comprised of 14 states and 3 Canadian provinces, look at many factors to predict the total number of ducks available for harvest in the fall flight forecast. Then they use this number to determine the framework of seasons, dates and bag limits for the fall hunting season.

This year we are expected to have an annual fall flight of 49.2 million birds, which is an 8 percent growth in population from last year and 43 percent higher than the long-term average for North American waterfowl.

STONEVILLE -- Mississippi producers and consultants recently received late-season updates and recommendations from Mississippi State University scientists as the 2014 growing season nears its end.

About 40 people toured fields at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville Wednesday, examining row crops and gaining information on late-season management.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Parents can help their children establish healthy food habits long before their toddlers spit out vegetables and beg for cookies instead.

David Buys, health specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said improving the health of Mississippians begins with healthy choices from infancy, through childhood and into adulthood.

JACKSON – A hands-on event designed to promote an interest in the natural world will be held on Saturday, Sept. 13 at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science in Jackson.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service is partnering with the museum and the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science Foundation to host the Mississippi BioBlitz, a 13-hour event that teams scientists, students, teachers and community members to track down and identify as many local species as possible.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University’s Center for Resolving Human-Wildlife Conflicts recently announced the addition of two new staff members to address the growing challenge of controlling the state’s wild hog population.

GOODMAN -- Fruit and vegetable growers can learn about extended production methods, risk management and insurance during an Aug. 15 field day in Goodman.

The Alliance for Sustainable Agricultural Production Demonstration Farm will host the field day.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Some students realize there is more to a college education and preparing for future careers than just going to classes.

Five Mississippi State University students on the floral design team recently took part in a competition and symposium revealing insights into the variety of paths their careers could take.

Five horticulture majors -- Madeline Hawes, Renee Wright, Jena Koren, Kailie Dunlap and Camille Tedder -- competed in the Student Design Competition of the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) in Chicago in July.

VERONA -- Row-crop farmers and agricultural consultants heard reports on some of the challenges researchers are studying at the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center during the Aug. 7 field day.

Irrigation decisions, variety selections, planting dates, crop residue management and tillage were a few of the issues addressed.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Conservation land management practices have made the Pleasant Lake Plantation in Leflore County a model of sustainability and functionality.

Pleasant Lake has about 1,700 acres near Greenwood. The plantation includes about 500 acres in row crop production, 600 acres in timber, 110 acres in Conservation Reserve Program grassland, along with a 50-acre lake and lowlands that are prone to flooding.

Some of the garden vegetables I miss in the summer are leafy greens.

High temperatures cause undesirable bitterness in the greens, and I don’t like high temperatures, either. But there is a way you can enjoy fresh-grown greens in the summer and not even leave the air conditioning: You can grow your own microgreens.

Growing microgreens is a fun way to add fresh flavors and a tender crunch to your dishes. I have been growing microgreens for about five years, and they are easy for the home gardener to grow.

JACKSON -- Locally grown produce continues to increase in popularity on Mississippi’s kitchen counters, grocery shelves and restaurant menus as consumers seek fresher fruits and vegetables.

To get them, they often turn to the state’s truck crops growers, who traditionally sold their specialty items, such as tomatoes, berries, nuts and sweet corn, from the beds of their pickup trucks.

By Sid Salter
MSU Office of Public Affairs

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Largemouth bass are one of the most popular sport fish in Mississippi, and many anglers chase these beasts on the Magnolia State’s medium to large reservoirs every day.

With a little help from the pond owner, though, smaller bodies of water -- one acre and larger -- can also produce trophy bass consistently.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Winter wheat producers in five Mississippi counties can add a Supplemental Coverage Option to their crop insurance for 2015.

Growers in Bolivar, Coahoma, Sunflower, Tallahatchie and Washington counties are eligible for the Supplemental Coverage Option that was authorized in the Agricultural Act of 2014.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – The National Association of County Agricultural Agents recognized six Mississippi State University Extension Service experts for their skill in connecting with clients.

MSU personnel won top honors in four of the 14 categories in the association’s Communications Awards Program.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- While many students took a break this summer from the rigors of college life, one Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine student spent her time researching amoeba-related diseases.