News

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The odds of being hit by lightning may seem remote, but the threat is real, and outdoor -- and some indoor -- activities should be altered when thunderstorms are nearby.

Mike Brown, associate professor in geosciences at Mississippi State University, is a seasoned storm chaser. When he is educating new storm chasers, he emphasizes the threats that come from lightning.

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Participants at Mississippi State University’s Intergenerational Summer Camp on insect and plant ecology may attend because of the bugs, but they soon discover that looking for plants is equally interesting.

Among the camp’s goals are the exploration of the interactions between plants and insects. These relationships, whether positive or negative, can reveal how nature stays in balance said camp director John Guyton of the MSU Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture.

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Equipped with latex gloves and masks, participants at Mississippi State University’s Intergenerational Summer Camp for basic entomology and plant ecology became forensic scientists for an hour.

By Karen Templeton
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Many pet dogs encounter venomous snakes during the hot summer months, but tragic consequences can be avoided when owners know what to do when their dogs get bitten.

“More dogs and snakes are out in warmer summer months, creating a situation where they will encounter each other,” said Dr. Kari Lunsford, assistant professor with Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “Dogs, curious by nature, agitate snakes and can end up getting bitten.”

I read once that many flowering plants we use in our landscapes are really only one or two steps out of the ditch. This is especially true of some of the new varieties being introduced to the market.

Purslane is one of the newer plants that I have been interested in that is really an old plant. It is a succulent that thrives in high summer temperatures. Purslane has long been regarded by many as a garden weed, and I have removed many of these from the garden and landscape.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi’s small wheat crop was nearly harvested by the second week of June, and farmers brought in lower-than-average yields.

Erick Larson, grain crops agronomist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said individual wheat fields varied greatly in bushels produced.

“The state’s yield should average about 50 bushels an acre, which is a little lower than average, but some producers may harvest yields as high as 80 bushels or more an acre,” Larson said.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi’s young cotton crop has already faced a list of challenges including flooding, late planting, insects and now drought.

“It’s been a challenge from the word go,” said Darrin Dodds, cotton specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. “We went from an almost perfect planting season last year to one that seems to have continually fought us this year.”

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Researchers at Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine investigate diseases and wellness strategies to improve pets’ lives, but many of their discoveries may ultimately advance human health care, too.

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

OXFORD – Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi have teamed up to make Oxford and the surrounding community an even more beautiful place through an educational partnership.

Mississippi Master Gardeners is an educational exchange program offered through the county offices of MSU’s Extension Service. Individuals who have an interest in plants and gardening sign up for the program, go through basic training, and receive certification in horticulture and its related areas.

By Karen Templeton
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The Mississippi Entomological Museum is poised to identify destructive invaders -- taking the form of seemingly harmless bugs -- sneaking into the country and threatening significant damage to U.S. agriculture.

If you’re looking for a way to keep your flowerbeds pretty after your pansies have worn out, consider using lantanas as your transition. They will provide fantastic color through the hottest temperatures.

Lantana has been selected twice as a Mississippi Medallion winner. The very first medallion plant in 1996 was New Gold lantana, and its bright, golden-yellow flowers are outstanding. The second Medallion win came in 2003 to Sonset lantana, whose flowers start as yellow and transition through orange, red, magenta and purple.

BAY ST. LOUIS – An upcoming conference will offer tips on how rural communities can increase their tourism and thrive during these challenging economic times. 

The fifth annual Regional Tourism Summit of the Miss-Lou Rural Tourism Association can help community leaders, small business owners and tourism professionals identify local opportunities and design creative marketing plans to bring visitors to small, rural areas.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi State University is offering two deer management workshops in late July and August to hunters, land managers and foresters working with white-tailed deer populations.

Register by July 9 for the first course, offered July 24 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Forrest County Extension Office in Hattiesburg. Register by Aug. 13 for the second course, offered Aug. 28 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Thompson Hall on the campus of MSU. The $50 fee for the course covers lunch and educational materials.

STONEVILLE -- Football great D.D. Lewis will be the keynote speaker at the July 15 Agronomic Crops Field Day at Mississippi State University’s Delta Research and Extension Center.

A former Dallas Cowboy linebacker, Lewis was an All-American and Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in 1967 at Mississippi State and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- After three years of depressed timber markets, prices are increasing because of strong demand for forest products and low inventories of logs following the year’s wettest months.

David Jones, assistant forest products professor with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said the first half of 2010 showed a marked increase in demand for a number of forest products and price increases in most timber product categories.

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

FRANKLIN, Tenn. – Although she looks for symptoms and clues when examining her animal patients, Mississippi State University veterinary alumna Paula Ann Schuerer never suspected the real reason when a former instructor called with questions.

The MSU College of Veterinary Medicine was considering Schuerer as its 2010 Alumnus of the Year. The college’s feline specialist, Dr. Sharon Grace, needed to complete the nomination about Schuerer and her veterinary practice in Franklin, Tenn., a town on the outskirts of Nashville.

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

COLUMBUS – The Culinary Arts Institute at Mississippi University for Women kicked its cuisine up another notch after partnering with Mississippi State University to restore the program’s overcrowded herb garden.

The garden still features many common herbs, such as sage, oregano and thyme, but it now includes several varieties of each one. In the works are plans to add fruit trees and other plants that will broaden students’ knowledge of the preparation and presentation of food.

The Chastetree has begun flowering, and its brilliant blooms are causing many to stop and take notice.

The native range of Chastetree is the low woodlands of southern Europe and western Asia. It was first introduced to the United States by settlers in the 1500s. Known botanically as Vitex agnus-castus, the name dates back to ancient Greece, when Athenian woman lined their beds with the leaves during the feast of Ceres. It also known as chasteberry and monks pepper.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – An army of scientists and experts are closely monitoring the Gulf of Mexico oil leak and local conditions to ensure that seafood being sold in Mississippi is safe for consumers.

Dave Burrage, a marine resources specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service in Biloxi, said the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and the Mississippi Health Department are guarding the safety of seafood being caught and sold.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Spring rains have been kind to most Mississippi farmers, and conditions are offering cotton one of its best starts in recent years.

Darrin Dodds, cotton specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said most of the state’s crop has been slightly ahead of schedule.

“The weather has not caused a significant amount of replanting, but there are always exceptions, and if you are one of those farmers, it is significant,” Dodds said. “We also have had some fields needing replanting because of herbicide damage.”