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May 21, 2001 - Filed Under: Lawn and Garden

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

As you drive down Mississippi's highways and by-ways, don't lament that we don't fare well with blue bonnets, because this year our own wild phlox, coreopsis, Queen Anne's lace and Indian Pinks have been as pretty as a painting.

May 21, 2001 - Filed Under: Agri-business, Agricultural Economics

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Researchers at Mississippi State University's Agribusiness Institute are in the process of determining consumer attitudes to genetically modified foods.

Genetic modifications of food are typically done to make the item easier for the farmer to produce or to make it more desirable for the consumer because of new or enhanced traits. For example, tomatoes have been modified to stay fresh on the shelf longer, a benefit to consumers, and soybeans have been developed to be resistant to a common weed killer, a benefit to farmers.

May 18, 2001 - Filed Under: Forages

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Harvest conditions are about the only bright spots in the hay and pasture outlook in Mississippi.

Timing is everything in hay production. Pastures and fields need rain for growth, and producers need sunny days to preserve the quality of hay cuttings. Hay harvests are running ahead of schedule, but the lack of rain and cool nights are slowing pastures and second cuttings.

May 14, 2001 - Filed Under: Irrigation

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Gardeners anticipate each spring as a time to get their plants off to a good start, but problems with weather can put a damper on the season.

Spring is usually a wet time in Mississippi, but this year was dry across much of the state. Gardeners trying to get a good start to their flowers and vegetables may have been disappointed. Specialists with Mississippi State University's Extension Service said the season is not lost even if it got off to a poor start.

May 14, 2001 - Filed Under: Children and Parenting

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The call an umpire makes in a close game pales in comparison to the call parents often must make when their child wants to quit sports.

Sports can teach youth teamwork, coordination, discipline and many other life skills. Early involvement in sports can set them on the road to life-long physical fitness and introduce them to something they'll continue to enjoy the rest of their life. Sports is also a great way to meet new people and make friends.

May 14, 2001 - Filed Under: Seafood Harvesting and Processing, Food

By Allison Matthews

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A lack of uniform freshness standards in the seafood industry and an intriguing visit to Dauphin Island, Ala., led Mississippi State University food science professor Douglas Marshall to brainstorm methods of improving seafood testing.

May 14, 2001 - Filed Under: Lawn and Garden

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

With spring bedding plant season in full swing, many gardeners are faced with trying to add beds of color to shady areas of the yard. There are a lot more choices than most gardeners realize.

The first plants to consider for these areas have to be impatiens. Impatiens are impressive with their vibrant colors that can yield tremendous floral displays from now until fall if watered thoroughly throughout the summer.

May 11, 2001 - Filed Under: Rice

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Rice acreage is inching back toward 1999 levels, and April conditions helped propel the crop to a strong start for the 2001 growing season.

Mississippi growers planted 323,000 acres of rice in 1999 before poor market prices caused a 30 percent decline last year. This year, the prediction is for growers to plant 225,000 acres, about 5 percent more than in 2000.

May 7, 2001 - Filed Under: Insects

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Entomologists and exotic food connoisseurs alike are anticipating the arrival of the 13-year cicada in southwest Mississippi.

These insects live underground for 13 years before emerging for an adult life that lasts about two weeks. Brood 22 of periodic cicadas is expected to surface in Adams, Claiborne, Jefferson, Warren, Wilkinson and possibly Rankin counties in mid- to late-May.

Some people considered them a delicacy. The newly emerged adults can be fried, either battered or plain, dipped in sauce and eaten.

May 7, 2001 - Filed Under: Animal Health

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi veterinarians are sending scientific books, surgical instruments and X-ray machines to help an Albanian veterinary college recovering from the 1997 civil riots.

May 7, 2001 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Sages or salvias represent some of Mississippi's finest plants for the perennial garden, or for those who are seeking the cottage garden look. Their future looks even brighter based on Mississippi State University trials.

May 7, 2001 - Filed Under: Children and Parenting

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Training opportunities and internet access are coming to several unlicensed home child-care providers across Mississippi in a project offering educational support on how best to care for their young clients.

May 4, 2001 - Filed Under: Agricultural Economics

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Recently revised estimates indicate that last year's Mississippi farm and forest products values continued their three-year decline from 1997's high of $5 billion.

The total estimated value of Mississippi agricultural and forestry production for 2000 was $4.7 billion, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Instead of showing a 2000 crop value increase from the previous year as earlier predicted, the state came in 1.2 percent lower than the $4.76 billion value registered in 1999.

April 30, 2001 - Filed Under: Community

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Some veterinary students are going the extra mile academically and experientially to prepare themselves for careers improving food animal production.

Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine is in its sixth year of a dual-degree program designed to prepare future animal health leaders. Dr. Skip Jack oversees the program that allows students to earn their doctorate of veterinary medicine and a master of science degree together in five years, rather than separately in six.

April 30, 2001 - Filed Under: Children and Parenting

By Allison Matthews

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Children need the summer break away from school to relax and get re-energized before the next term, but learning doesn't have to stop with the classroom lessons.

Louise Davis, child and family development specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said a variety of fun enrichment programs encourage learning throughout the summer months.

April 30, 2001 - Filed Under: Youth Projects

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Youth looking for a first job can improve their chances of being hired by dressing the part and carrying a well-written resume to all interviews.

When the lure of having spending money outweighs the appeal of a leisure time, high school youth often turn to part-time employment. Landing that first job can be hard, but with a little preparation, youth can improve their chances of being hired.

April 30, 2001 - Filed Under: Lawn and Garden

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center 

Purple coneflowers, known botanically as Echinacea, may be named after a hedgehog or a sea urchin, but these wonderful Mississippi natives are one of my favorite perennials.

April 27, 2001 - Filed Under: Fruit

By Allison Matthews

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Plenty of cold weather this winter and a steady upswing of temperatures this spring helped secure a prosperous season for Mississippi's blueberry crop.

"We're looking forward to an excellent season because by the end of April we've had no damage from late cold spells. We'll have as close to a 100 percent crop as we've ever had," said Waynesboro grower Jerry Hutto.

April 23, 2001 - Filed Under: Environment, Natural Resources

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Many teachers across the state are using natural resource conservation as a means to teach their students skills in topics such as math and science.

This summer and for the last 37 years, the Mississippi Forestry Association has gathered cooperators to offer a week-long Teachers Conservation Workshop. This residential class is giving educators a way to emphasize the importance of conservation of natural resources while teaching the basic skills required in the state curriculum.

April 23, 2001 - Filed Under: Insects

By Allison Matthews

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Good and bad insects in the garden may look all the same to some growers, but understanding differences between bugs can help prevent vegetable losses.

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