News

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

The popularity of Mexican Heather exploded in the 1980s, and this plant, also known as false heather, is still an excellent choice. Other species and varieties from Mexico are tough, good looking and unique enough to possibly interest your children or grandchildren in gardening.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- With most of Mississippi's soybean crop in bloom, it's time for farmers to think about making late-season management decisions.

Alan Blaine, soybean specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said growers need to check to see if fields need late-season insecticide or fungicide applications.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Changes in clientele needs, technological advances and tighter budgets are prompting a major restructuring of the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

Joe McGilberry, director of the MSU Extension Service, said in-depth plans for restructuring have been developing for more than a year. The plans will enable the Extension Service to continue to deliver quality educational programs and assistance throughout the state.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

An old-fashioned plant at the New Orleans Botanical Garden recently just blew me away with its beauty. It was an old cosmos variety called Sensation. Cosmos are native to Mexico and related to coreopsis and rudbeckias.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Hot weather, sunshine and long days without school invite young people outdoors, but play can turn dangerous if adults don't provide proper supervision.

According to the National Safe Kids Campaign, nearly 3 million children ages 14 and under are taken to emergency rooms each summer for serious injuries. More than 2,500 of these children die from their injuries.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Schools get the blame when a child can't read at a young age, but experts say literacy begins in infancy.

Louise Davis, child and family development specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said the ability to read and communicate actually begins before birth.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- April rain interrupted rice planting and will create two rice harvests a few weeks apart, but both crops appear to be doing very well near mid-season.

Joe Street, rice specialist at Mississippi State University's Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, said most of the state's rice was planted in April, but rains delayed the rest until May.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

It seems that unless a plant is a flashy bloomer like New Gold lantana, then it really doesn't get the recognition it deserves. One such plant is the bluebeard, known botanically as Caryopteris x clandonensis, and called caryopteris by most gardeners who grow it.

By Jeanie Davidson

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The quality and quantity of Mississippi's melon crop this year may have depended in part on growers' use of irrigation.

Many growers in Greene County, one of the state's leaders in fruit production, use irrigation and black plasti-culture to produce melons. These costly and time-consuming techniques help prevent sunburned or misshapen melons and accelerate harvest by about two weeks, but growers need higher sale prices to offset the expense.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Scientists at Mississippi State University are counting corn borers to see why the numbers are so high and to determine better ways to control the pests.

Don Parker, entomology specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said monitoring for the Southwestern corn borer has intensified this year. The corn pest has become a bigger problem in recent years as Mississippi farmers are planting more corn.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Shrimp harvesters in Mississippi's Gulf waters are reproducing last year's above-average catch, but they have little reason to celebrate as prices run about 20 percent lower than in 2001.

Brown shrimp season opened in Mississippi June 6. Shrimpers landed about 1 million pounds in Biloxi ports during the first week of the season. Shrimp in 2002 are smaller than those caught during the opening of the 2001 season, which was an excellent year for production.

By Ned Browning

JACKSON -- Mississippi's predominantly rural communities must respond to a new economy with redoubled educational efforts, according to a just-released report "Mississippi: A Sense of Urgency."

Gov. William Winter and other state leaders discussed the Southern Rural Development Center white paper at the Stennis Institute Capitol Press Luncheon on June 10 in Jackson.

By Charmain Tan Courcelle

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Supplementing poultry diets with activated carbon or other odor absorbers may help take the stink out of chicken manure.

Russell Bazemore, aroma chemist with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, is working on methods to control the odor of poultry manure using absorbers, deodorizers and other chemical compounds. His research may provide relief from unwanted odors for farmers and their neighbors.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Gardeners, get your checkbooks out and start shopping for daylilies. Ideal planting time was a couple months ago, but daylilies are blooming everywhere now, and this will aid you in making your selections.

I'll confess that in the past, I have looked at daylilies with tunnel vision. I have only wanted those that give the best landscape impact for massing as a bedding plant. For this type of use, one has to admit that Stella d Oro is No. 1.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Most of the state's corn is entering a critical growth period in serious need of water, but a good rain now still can help boost yields at harvest.

Erick Larson, grain crop specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said most corn was in the pollination stage by mid-June.

"Corn has the highest demand for water during pollination," Larson said. "Rainfall now could significantly improve corn yield potential in most of the state."

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The changes brought by the new Farm Bill will be the subject of four informational meetings held around the state the week of June 17.

Mississippi State University's Department of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi Farm Bureau and the Mississippi Natural Resource Conservation Service are sponsoring the informational meetings. Each will run from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

This time last year I accepted a new challenge, horticulturally speaking, when my family moved into another home with a sun-challenged yard. Shade inspired us to plant azaleas, hostas, ferns and cast-iron plants like crazy, but some of the most enjoyable flowers have been the impatiens, especially the Fiesta double or rose-form impatiens.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Youth from 77 Mississippi counties came to Mississippi State University the first week of June to continue a 78-year-old tradition of competition, socialization and service.

4-H Congress was held June 4 through 6 in Starkville. Susan Holder, state 4-H program director with MSU's Extension Service, said 456 4-Hers ages 14 to 18 attended Congress, with the support and assistance from 89 volunteers and 85 4-H staff from across the state.

By Bethany Waldrop Keiper

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Faith Hill, Archie Manning and Morgan Freeman -- what could these Mississippi success stories possibly have in common? They all share a four-leaf bond -- 4-H.

Since its beginnings in the early 1900s, 4-H offers youths from farm or working-class families the opportunity to develop important life skills.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- With prices about 25 percent lower than they were last year, dairy farmers are having a difficult time making a profit, but they will soon get government assistance.

Bill Herndon, agricultural economist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said prices are as bad now as they were in 2000, which was a very tough year for the dairy industry.