News

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- When Australia native Fiona McCarthy arrived three years ago to begin work at Mississippi State University as a biocuration specialist for the College of Veterinary Medicine, she felt an innate connection with home.

McCarthy grew up in Queensland, a state in Australia that is located in the northwest corner of the country close to the equator. The area is known for its hot climate, rural lifestyle and reverence for sports. Aussies refer to it as part of the Deep South.

By Karen Templeton
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Gray hair, stiff joints, poor teeth and weight changes are not just signs of aging in humans; they afflict horses as well.

Molly Nicodemus, an associate professor of animal and dairy sciences at Mississippi State University, said horses often display noticeable signs of aging. Although they vary from horse to horse, these indicators can appear as early as 15 years of age.

Nicodemus said owners may notice graying hair, loss of muscle tone and stiffness in their horses.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

I've decided to go where no garden writer I know of has gone before and give a “Family of the Year” award for 2008. Time magazine recognizes people of the year and Barbara Walters lists her 10 most interesting. I want to recognize the Acanthus family as my “Family of the Year.”

I was inspired to give this award this fall when a couple from Brookhaven sent me a photo of a 4- to 5-foot-tall plant with the most amazing blooms I have ever seen. They wanted me to identify it.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

At this time of the year, some people look back and reflect and others look to the future. Joey, a hot new plant from Australia that is coming this spring, will have us looking to the future.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

2009 looks to be the Year of the Begonia. This is not an official proclamation but my expectation of the incredible new begonias that will debut this spring. From hanging baskets to the landscape, begonia lovers can rejoice.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Agricultural economists are predicting Mississippi's 2008 crop values will reach a record $5.9 billion, but cost-of-production increases have dampened most year-end celebrations.

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The continuing decline in housing construction was supposed to decrease the value of Mississippi's timber harvest for the third consecutive year, but an increase in pulpwood demand kept that from happening.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Soybeans rode increased acres and high prices to a second straight year as Mississippi's top row crop, increasing 15 percent to bring an estimated $604 million to producers in 2008.

Mississippi farmers planted 2.1 million acres of soybeans, 35 percent more than was planted in 2007.

“The increase was primarily due to excellent prices for soybean,” said Trey Koger, state soybean specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. “The other commodity crops had lower prices and high costs for inputs, especially for cotton and rice.”

By Karen Templeton
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – With an estimated production value of $2.3 billion in 2008, poultry remains Mississippi's No. 1 agricultural commodity.

“When following agricultural commodity trends for the past several years, we see that poultry stays at the top of the leader board,” said Vanessa Kretzschmar-McCluskey, an assistant professor of poultry science at Mississippi State University. “Poultry will likely remain a big producer as Mississippi ranks fourth in U.S. broiler production and 13th in egg production.”

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Plant waste offers a nearly unlimited supply of raw material for biofuel production, but the substance that stands in the way of its use is the same one that makes the plants stand.

By Karen Templeton
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Everyone is looking for ways to save on fuel costs these days, and poultry growers are no exception. Fuel used for heating poultry houses during the cold winter months can be very costly.

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service and Mississippi State University's poultry science department have explored ways to reduce energy usage and improve energy efficiency in poultry houses.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

A few Pennies can make your winter landscape look like a million bucks.

I'm not talking about the proverbial penny saved or even the penny found lying on the sidewalk. The Penny I am talking about is not copper-colored but perhaps a rich orange, deep blue or one of more than 20 other colors.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Wheelchairs and crutches are not common sights at most horseback riding classes, and laughter is not always heard at physical therapy sessions, but all of these can be found at the Mississippi Horse Park.

The therapeutic riding program available at the horse park near Starkville offers children and adults with physical challenges a chance to develop skills atop a living, breathing animal.

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The experience of bagging sweet potatoes and boxing jelly for food pantries this semester has taught Mississippi State University students who focus on food and health issues that helping others is a sweet gift, too.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A working relationship that began 40 years ago has led to international recognition for a pair of Mississippi State University entomology graduates.

James H. Tumlinson and W. Joe Lewis are recipients of the 2008 Wolf Prize in Agriculture for their contributions to the field of chemical ecology. The Israel-based Wolf Foundation gives Wolf Prizes in the areas of medicine, agriculture and the arts. The Wolf award is considered agriculture’s equivalent of a Nobel Prize.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Shardendu Kumar Singh, a former Mississippi State University graduate student, was honored by the Association of Agricultural Scientists of Indian Origin as its 2008 Outstanding Graduate Student Award winner.

The association includes agricultural scientists, faculty, post-doctoral fellows and graduate students of Indian origin. The group provides development opportunities for new scientists and graduate students. Singh received his award at the association’s annual meeting in Houston in October.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A Mississippi State University program recently was honored for its early childhood training workshops.

The MSU Extension Service Child Care Resource and Referral Network received the 2008 Swimmy Award during the Mississippi Early Childhood Association’s annual conference held in October in Jackson. The Swimmy Award is based on the children’s book “Swimmy” by Leo Lionni, an internationally known author and artist. The award is presented to organizations for their collaboration, teamwork and dedication to Mississippi’s youth. 

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

With few flowers blooming, our landscape's main interest at this time of year comes from differing textures.

I recently stumbled on a combination planting that featured natives in an awesome show of texture. Had I kept my eyes open, I would surely have seen Mother Nature, rather than a landscape architect, do it first. Nevertheless it struck me as a partnership worthy of writing about and photographing.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Titles like “You Want To Put What, Where?” and “We Don't Just Shoot 'Em Anymore” put a light-hearted spin on some complex science in an attempt to recruit students to a new class that offers a look at veterinary medicine.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A shortage of research veterinarians has prompted a new degree program that allows a student to earn a veterinary degree and a doctoral degree at the same time.

Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine is responding to a growing demand for researchers needed to study environmental impacts on human and animal health.