News

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

KOSCIUSKO – The hydrangeas that were mainstays in grandma’s yard are making a comeback, and Mississippi State University research may help commercial growers shed production problems.

Purple coneflowers are native plants that look great in the prairie as well as in formal designs. I personally think the purple coneflower is one of the best plants you can use in your garden.

There are nine species of purple coneflower, or Echinacea, native to North America. The main species found in the trade is the Eastern purple coneflower. It grows up to 3 feet tall and wide, producing bright purple flowers with dark centers. The 2- to 4-inch diameter flowers bloom until frost. The foliage and stems have hairy surfaces that might remind you of medium-grit sandpaper.

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi’s 2010 corn crop is off to a promising start after recent sunny skies and favorable soil conditions gave farmers a chance to plant and manage their fields.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- On the surface, Mississippi and Northern Ireland are worlds apart, but Dr. Philip Robinson found that if he digs a little deeper, there are many similarities.

Robinson came to Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine as a Fulbright Scholar from Jan. 5 through April 9. He is a government veterinarian specializing in epidemiology in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

“We have many of the same animal diseases, similar economic difficulties in agriculture and a lot of producers who are part-time farmers, just like here,” he said.

Nemesia and erysimum are two plants you may have never heard of, but they can certainly deliver in your spring garden. 

Nemesia species are native to South Africa and look similar to snapdragons. Many of these have been selected for use as potted plants. There are colorful hybrids being developed for use as annual bedding plants for the spring and summer seasons.

By Karen Templeton
MSU Ag Communications

PASCAGOULA – It is not surprising to see an X-ray machine at a physician’s or dentist’s office, but research at Mississippi State University may help make them commonplace at seafood processing facilities and commercial produce operations.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – The Mississippi State University Extension Service 4-H program received a $13,500 grant to improve the state’s after-school programming by training 550 of its providers.

The MetLife Foundation and the National 4-H Council provided the grant to Mississippi and 10 other states. The grant is aimed at improving after-school programming offered across the state.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Mississippi State University is making several changes as personnel are shifted to take best advantage of their strengths.

Melissa Mixon, associate vice president of MSU’s Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine, remains the interim dean of the college, known as CALS. The duties of four people are being changed within the college.

By Karen Templeton
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE --  A cold winter may have delayed strawberry harvesting, but it did not affect the quality or taste of berries.

Mississippi strawberry harvest usually begins in mid-March, but this year, cold weather pushed harvest back to the second week in April.

“Temperatures were about 10 degrees lower than normal, which pushed planting back a week and in turn, delayed harvesting by a few weeks,” said Wayne Porter, Mississippi State University Extension Service agent in Lauderdale County.

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE –Many plants contribute to the beauty of Mississippi State University’s landscape, but no sight is more universally welcomed on campus than the daffodils bursting into bloom once a year.

“Daffodils are the harbingers of spring,” said Lelia Kelly, consumer horticulturist with MSU’s Extension Service. “After a long winter without much color, people enjoy the bright, yellow flowers that signal the appearance of even more flowers as plants establish and mature.”

MISSISSIPPI STATE –While the climate change debate is heating up worldwide, researchers at Mississippi State University are examining recent changes in duck migration patterns.

“In the past few years, we have observed that ducks are not migrating to southern latitudes in abundance or are doing so generally only during severe weather,” said Rick Kaminski, waterfowl ecologist and the James C. Kennedy Endowed Chair in Waterfowl and Wetlands Conservation.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – There is no known soybean rust in Mississippi thanks to the cold winter that killed kudzu, a common rust host, across the state.

“This is the first year since soybean rust was initially detected in the U.S. that we have essentially started at zero in regards to soybean rust,” said Tom Allen, Extension plant pathologist at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville. “None of us truly knows what to expect of the progression of the disease this season.”

Many folks have been waiting for this moment. It is after Easter, and it is time to plant our warm season vegetable crops. Let’s start with heirloom tomatoes. 

Heirlooms are not your typical grocery store tomato. They come in every shape, size and color imaginable. The fruits are treasured as having more flavor, increased nutritive value and greater natural beauty. 

What makes an heirloom tomato different?  In a word: tradition. 

When a plant with pretty flowers is advertised as easy to grow, it always catches the gardener’s eye. While plants may not live up to this billing, pinks deliver in the landscape.

You can call them cottage, cheddar or just plain pinks, but this group in the Dianthus genus are composed of several species and hybrids. Pinks are close relatives of the florist carnation and the wildflower Sweet William.

By Linda Breazeale
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Cotton will not be returning to the throne in Mississippi, but growers are slightly more enthusiastic about this former king than they have been in recent years.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture released its annual prospective plantings report March 31, and Mississippi producers are predicted to plant 340,000 acres of cotton. That is an increase of 11 percent from 2009 but is a far cry from the 1.2 million acres planted in 2005 and 2006.

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Well-kept yards and gardens require seasonal maintenance, a task that Mississippi State University horticulturists have simplified with a new online instructional video series.

The series, “Gardening through the Seasons,” addresses gardening tasks to be done at different times of the year. Each video is about 5 minutes long and features MSU horticulturists demonstrating techniques, examples and problem solving.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – When winter is finally over and warm weather sets in to stay, Mississippians can put their warm things safely away for next year by taking a few precautions.

Some people think of storing winter clothes as a simple task of moving items from one closet to another or placing them in a box in the attic. However, improper storage can lead to stains, insect problems and an unpleasant surprise when cold weather returns.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Nearly 200 Mississippi 4-H youth are learning science, technology and engineering skills as they work with robots and meet monthly via videoconferencing to learn new skills and take on new challenges.

Mariah Smith, an instructor with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, is coordinating the program for Mississippi 4-H. She said the youth learn basic science, technology and engineering concepts behind robots and make simple robotic elements out of non-traditional parts.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Research by the Southern Rural Development Center at Mississippi State University has been included in a new book about positive approaches to community development.

“Mobilizing Communities: Asset Building as a Community Development Strategy” includes a chapter by SRDC director Lionel “Bo” Beaulieu and his colleague Mark Harvey, assistant sociology professor at Florida Atlantic University. Harvey completed his post-doctoral work at SRDC and was an assistant research professor at MSU.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – When Nancy Bearden accepted a job at the Winston County Extension office in 1960, she never realized she would be a part of the Mississippi State University family for the next 50 years.

Bearden has the distinction of being the university’s longest-tenured employee. She will celebrate the anniversary in August, but she was honored Feb. 26 by throwing out the first pitch at the MSU versus Southeastern Louisiana baseball game. The event was part of MSU’s 132nd birthday celebration.