News

By Kaitlyn Byrne
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- While hunters may see Mississippi’s 1.75 million white-tailed deer as potential antlers on their walls, many farmers see reduced crop yields instead.

Bronson Strickland, associate Extension professor in the Mississippi State University Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, said the impact of Mississippi’s deer population varies depending on who is asked.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi’s farmers showed their ability to adapt when wet spring weather forced many of them to change their planting intentions from corn, cotton and soybeans to late-planted grain sorghum.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- As summer ends and fall begins, homeowners who don’t want host neighbors from the natural world should begin preparing their houses for cooler weather.

Most people think of certain insects and mice as the critters looking for a cozy spot to spend the winter. But as natural habitats decline, bats are also looking for suitable homes.

Bats are nocturnal and prefer to roost in dark places during the day. While they like caves and big, hollow trees, those natural roosts can be hard to find.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – An apparel designer for a prominent national retailer told Mississippi State University students that the clothing industry is a good career choice since about 25 percent of the global economy is involved in it.

Ellen Sheppard is the lead apparel developer for Recreational Equipment Inc., commonly known as REI, and oversees its sportswear collections. She was on campus Oct. 2 and 3 telling students in the MSU School of Human Sciences what it takes to create a successful career in this field.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – When water runs clear and fast from a tap, it’s often hard to believe there could be a challenge for individuals, farmers and communities to keep it clean and plentiful.

Joe Street, associate director of the Mississippi State University Extension Service, warned that water supplies could be depleted, even in the South, where rainfall, rivers, streams and lakes are plentiful. This problem can already be seen in the Mississippi Delta, where producers must drill deeper to tap the Mississippi River Valley’s alluvial aquifer.

PICAYUNE – “Endangered,” “nocturnal” and “habitat” might not be words that appear on every second-grader’s vocabulary test. But West Hancock Elementary School teacher Teri Borne said insects help her teach everything from science to language arts.

That is why Borne, an avid insect collector and nature lover, takes her class to Bugfest at Mississippi State University’s Crosby Arboretum every year.

One of the best horticulture field days in the Southeast has three extra benefits: It’s free, it’s in Mississippi and it’s scheduled just around the corner.

Clear your calendars now for the Fall Flower and Garden Fest at Mississippi State University’s Truck Crops Branch Experiment Station in Crystal Springs. The two-day festival on Oct. 18-19 will be fun for the entire family and will be an interesting and educational experience, whether you’re a garden novice or Master Gardener.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- In spite of recent rains, the state’s sweet potato growers have a lot to be excited about this harvest season.

“Growers set the majority of the crop back in late May and June under ideal conditions,” said Stephen Meyers, sweet potato specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. “We had good root set, which means the number of roots per plant has been good.”

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Landowners interested in maximizing the value of their investment need to plan for proper site preparation when replanting trees after harvesting timber.

John Kushla, a forestry specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service and MSU’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center, said this preparation involves manipulating the site to increase the survival and growth of seedlings. Proper site preparation also makes tree planting or seeding more efficient.

BELZONI -- Landowners who want to branch out and earn extra income can attend a Natural Resource Enterprises Business Workshop on Oct.16.

Hosted by Mississippi State University, the workshop offers attendees the opportunity to learn different ways to make more money from their land. Topics include recreational businesses, marketing, cost-share programs, liability reduction and wildlife management.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi State University will host two major horticultural activities for the public on Oct. 4.

Scott Kitayama, president of Greenleaf Wholesale Florist, will explain where retail flowers come from during a 3 p.m. seminar in the greenhouse classroom behind Dorman Hall. Then at 4 p.m., he will offer his vision for the future of the floral industry.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- People eager to learn about new plants and how to deal with challenging conditions can hear from experts at Mississippi State University’s annual landscape design event Oct. 16.

The 58th Edward C. Martin Jr. Landscape Design Symposium features three speakers, who will address practical topics:

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine invites children to use their creative talents in an art contest that celebrates the connection between humans and animals.

As part of the Human-Animal Bond Lecture Series, sponsored by Nestle Purina, the veterinary college encourages children in first through fifth grades to submit an original print, drawing or painting that fits within the theme “Arctic Adventure.” The artwork should be no larger than 11 inches by 14 inches.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- As hunters gear up for the Oct. 1 opening day of the state’s white-tailed deer archery season, scientists at Mississippi State University are announcing a new tool to help manage Mississippi’s most popular game animal.

MSU’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center recently launched the MSU Deer Lab website, http://www.msudeer.com. The site is based on four decades of research conducted by researchers in the university’s deer ecology and management laboratory.

CRYSTAL SPRINGS – Garden and landscape enthusiasts will flock to the Fall Flower and Garden Fest on Oct. 18 and 19 at the Truck Crops Branch Experiment Station in Crystal Springs for plant and health recommendations.

With fall officially here, many gardeners hooked on cooking with herbs may start to worry about how they’re going to cook once it’s too cold to grow herbs outside.

Although many gardeners still have herbs growing strong, others may dread reaching for the little red and white cans in the cupboard once it’s too late to go outside and snip something fresh from the garden. If that’s your worry, you can make some preparations now to keep you enjoying those fresh summer herbs during Mississippi’s winter months.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A machine designed by a group of Mississippi State University researchers could help sweet potato farmers reduce skinning injury to potatoes and speed up harvest.

The undercutter prototype, made from off-the-shelf components, shows early potential to help lower harvest and post-harvest losses caused by skinning, said Jason Ward, assistant Extension professor in MSU’s Agriculture and Biological Engineering Department. Problems stemming from skin abrasions that happen during digging and handling account for 20 to 25 percent of storage losses, he said.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi swine producers are discovering the only constant in their industry is change.

John Michael Riley, agricultural economist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said a variety of challenges have kept the state’s swine producers adjusting their strategies to avoid financial losses in recent decades. Just when producers adjust to overcome one hurdle, another one develops to drive prices down and the cost of production up.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A Mississippi State University professor and administrator is the new associate dean in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Scott Willard, head of the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, will assume the position of associate dean on Oct. 1.

Willard has been at MSU since 1999, first as a professor of reproductive and environmental physiology in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences before taking the helm in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2007.