STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Cogongrass was introduced to Mississippi 100 years ago as a new forage crop, but it is now an invasive weed landowners and managers are trying to destroy.
John Byrd, weed scientist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said it was thought that this perennial grass had potential to benefit rural families.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Success in school depends more on the 16 hours spent outside the classroom than many parents may realize. Physical, emotional and social factors at home contribute significantly to academic success.
Students who eat breakfast perform and behave better in school, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Children under 11 need one or two daily servings of fruit and two to four daily servings of vegetables.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Groups of agricultural professionals from three countries visited Mississippi State University over the last month to take advantage of training opportunities offered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service.
BILOXI, Miss. -- Evidence showing the effects of climate change on coastal wetlands has been hard to come by, so a new study method developed by a team of Southeastern researchers is making waves in the environmental science community.
One of my goals for this column has always been to promote the planting of ornamental varieties -- and to some extent vegetable varieties -- in our Mississippi landscapes and gardens. Sometimes, these plants are tried and true favorites of mine; other times, they are new to market and deserve a chance to shine and be enjoyed.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The cold, wet spring slowed cotton development by about 10 days, and now producers are battling plant bugs, bollworms and dry weather to bring their crops to harvest this year.
Darrin Dodds, cotton specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said bolls on most of the cotton across the state should begin to open by mid- to late August.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Freezing vegetables can be a tiresome and difficult task, but the end result is always worth the effort.
Natasha Haynes, an agent in Rankin County for the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said one important step is often forgotten when freezing vegetables. Before freezing, vegetables need to be blanched, which means scalding them in boiling water before cooling them down quickly.
RAYMOND, Miss. -- Parents know car seats are essential for children’s safety, but the task of choosing and installing one can be overwhelming for even the most savvy moms and dads.
“There are many different types of car seats, and parents should do a little research before going to the store,” said Lydia Bethay, associate director of the Mississippi State University Extension Service Early Learning Network. “The most important thing is to get the right seat for your child and to use it properly every time you get in the car, even on short trips.”
During the annual dog days of summer, it’s a really good thing to have reliable plants in the garden and landscape. One of my hot summer go-to plants is the lantana with its nonstop color.
Lantanas are versatile plants that will thrive in the heat and humidity, like the 118-degree heat index we had in Ocean springs this past week. Whew! There are many great lantana selections available for our gardens, from 4-foot specimens to sprawling ground-cover choices, which come in too many colors to list.
