News

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Today’s economy means people are eating out and purchasing meat products less often, but cattle and hog producers have learned to make the most of tough times.

Livestock producers reduce their cattle herd sizes and hog numbers to reduce the amount of meat on the market and bolster the product prices, which remain at the mercy of the economy.

John Michael Riley, a Mississippi State University Extension Service agricultural economist, said producers work hard to keep their product affordable when money is tight.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Therapeutic riding, like other medical treatments, has come a long way in recent decades.

Therapeutic riding is a specialized equine activity that provides physical, emotional and psychological benefits to people with cognitive and physical disabilities.

Anthony Busacca, a master’s level instructor with the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, has more than 20 years of experience in therapeutic riding. He said the advancements can be seen in every aspect of the therapy.

By Alicia Barnes
For MSU’s Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Until a few weeks ago, Jason Edmonds had not eaten beef in nearly three years.

Citing concerns over animal welfare, his personal impact on the planet, and added hormones and antibiotics, Edmonds adopted a vegetarian lifestyle for years, until finding access to local farmers who share his concerns.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A Mississippi State University study has confirmed the success of a new technique to reduce nutrients in runoff water and protect downstream waters, including the Gulf of Mexico.

Weirs, also known as check dams, are small dams used to collect water runoff from agricultural fields. Weirs are often the size of a drainage ditch, with a 2-foot channel in the center for water drainage. The weirs are concrete can be moved to various locations in a drainage ditch.

Deadheading is an important garden maintenance activity, but many gardeners overlook the importance of removing spent flowers.

We deadhead flowering plants to extend the bloom period, to remove the seed source of species that could become weedy and to maintain the health of flowering garden plants.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi forage producers are experiencing a major invasion of fall armyworms for the second consecutive year in pastures and hay fields across the state.

Blake Layton, a Mississippi State University Extension Service entomologist, said fall armyworm populations were unusually heavy last year with treatable populations reaching north Mississippi relatively early in the year and eventually extending into Tennessee. In 2010, the southern part of Mississippi needed treatments starting in early June.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- In 1985, a young and energetic Mississippi State University forest products professor began testing a new treatment on railroad crossties. At the time, Terry Amburgey had little notion that his experiment would change railroad infrastructure almost 25 years later.

By Karen Templeton
MSU Office of Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Focusing on safety, developing life skills and teaching good sportsmanship have made Mississippi’s 4-H Shooting Sports program popular with youth.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A veterinary student at Mississippi State University doing grant-funded research on the immune system of dogs received the highest award given for her presentation in an international competition.

Claire Fellman, a fourth-year MSU College of Veterinary Medicine student from Ocean Springs, received a Morris Animal Foundation Veterinary Student Scholars grant last year to study immunosuppression in dogs.

What relative of the morning glory makes an ornamental ground cover featuring beautiful, colorful foliage?

If your answer is ornamental sweet potatoes, then you are right. Ornamental sweet potatoes, known botanically as Ipomoea batatas, are actual sweet potatoes selected for their vivid and attractive leaves. The plants produce a flower that resembles a morning glory but is hidden by the foliage. They also produce edible tubers.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Delayed planting and high summer heat have not kept Mississippi’s soybean crop from looking good as of mid-July, though fields ranged from just planted to nearly ready to harvest.

Trey Koger, soybean specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said the crop was planted a little later than usual statewide, but many acres in northeast Mississippi were not planted until almost July.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Rain barrels are gaining popularity, as they can save both pocket change and the environment.

“There are a lot of good reasons to use rain barrels,” said Tom Cathcart, professor of environmental engineering in Mississippi State University’s Department of Agriculture and Biological Engineering. “Generally, for a residential property, it is the house that creates the large majority of displaced stormwater during a rain event. Managing this displaced water at the source is the best management practice we have.”

MISSISSIPPI STATE – When Julian Watson decided to turn his erodible farmland into a tree farm, he had no idea that 24 years later he would be so widely recognized for his efforts.

Watson’s grandparents purchased the land in 1872. When Watson inherited it, he focused on trying to prevent erosion. The 1,100-acre parcel was washing away at a rate of 30 to 50 tons of topsoil per year.

Gardeners who want color in the landscape usually concentrate their efforts on flowering annuals and perennials, often overlooking plants with colorful foliage like caladiums, striped cannas or gingers.

But plants with colorful foliage can be used instead of flowering bedding plants or even in the shrub border. They have always been popular with some gardeners, but there seems to be a growing interest in these colorful foliage plants.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – The castor plant thrives in Mississippi and produces great quantities of valuable oil in its seeds, but it has a reputation that a team of researchers at Mississippi State University are trying to address.

Castor oil is the highly desirable, plentiful product of castor beans. The oil is used to produce everything from cosmetics and paints to jet aircraft lubricants and certain plastics. Generations ago, it was given by the spoonful as a laxative and used as a home remedy to treat a range of maladies.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Individuals interested in learning about the latest research and development of plant materials into biofuel should attend Mississippi State University’s 2010 Biofuels Conference Aug. 12-13 in Jackson.

The annual conference will be at the Hilton Jackson Hotel, located at the intersection of I-55 and County Line Road. Participants can register online at http://www.biofuelsconference.msstate.edu/registration.

By Karen Templeton
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Favorable early conditions got Mississippi’s corn crop off to a good start, but most parts of the state could use more rain to make this year a successful one.

Corn is in the later stages of maturity, and harvest is slated for early August through September if conditions are right.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – The apartments of many college students may not look like they contain wealth, but students who have had to replace everything after a loss face a significant financial burden.

Bobbie Shaffett, family resource management specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said a large majority of renters, a group that includes many college students, do not carry renter’s insurance.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi schools should benefit from all they learned during last year’s H1N1 pandemic flu.

Jane Clary, health specialist with Mississippi State University’s Extension Service, said even though the worst of the pandemic appears to be behind us, schools should keep flu prevention efforts in place for the upcoming season.

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – More Mississippi youth will have access to after-school programs because of an effort by Mississippi State University’s 4-H program to train providers who can reach these children.