News

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Newlyweds believe their future is rosy, but before they know it, the bloom can wither and dissatisfaction can dominate the relationship.

Problems often arise unexpectedly because couples do not prepare well for marriage. Some have not invested enough time in getting to know the person they are marrying or have not explored their individual philosophies about family, fidelity, finances and fighting.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Flames are dancing in the fireplace and I know an arctic blast is on its way, but I am looking at photos of Cotton Candy, Wine and Cheese, and Roccoco, which sounds like a delightful chocolate. These tasty-sounding names are all new selections of verbenas.

While we're stuck inside waiting for warmer weather to arrive and the rain to stop, this is a great time to plan which plants you will use this year in your landscape and mixed containers.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

A lot of people dread winter because the landscape starts looking a little like Siberia, but it doesn't have to be that way if you remember the “three Bs”: bones, berries and bark.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Extensive, lingering rains have turned much of the state into a soggy mess while replenishing rivers and lakes and recharging groundwater stores.

Charles Wax, state climatologist at Mississippi State University, said 2007 was the worst year of the recent, multi-year drought the state experienced. The end came in 2008 when above-average rainfall came in August and heavy rains began in late November.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Volunteers, instructors, therapists and an ideal facility came together in 2008 to earn reaccreditation for Mississippi State University’s 4-H therapeutic riding program.

Now in its eighth year, the 4-H Therapeutic Equestrian Activity Member program offers horseback riding to children and adults who have challenges ranging from autism to spinal injuries.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A Feb. 11-13 workshop hosted by the Mississippi State University Extension Service will help restore the whistle of the bobwhite to properties throughout the Southeast.

Designed for landowners, the intensive workshop includes detailed information on bobwhite biology and management. The on-campus workshop in Tully Auditorium at MSU’s Thompson Hall will give landowners the tools to manage their property for bobwhite quail.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The Mississippi State University Extension Service is recruiting people interested in becoming trained Smart Aging: Healthy Futures volunteers to help promote well-being among seniors in their communities.

Training sessions have been set up in Oxford and Natchez. Those in the northern half of the state can receive this training Jan. 29 from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. in Oxford at the Lafayette County Extension Office at 101 Veterans Drive. The registration deadline is Jan. 27.

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.