News From 2002

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Gas heaters that don't work well aren't just a cold annoyance, they can also be a health hazard.

Herb Willcutt, safety specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said malfunctioning gas heaters can kill an entire household by releasing deadly amounts of carbon monoxide. What could be prevented by regular maintenance usually takes several lives across the country each year.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- As if farmers need one more thing to worry about after struggling to harvest much of the state's crops in wet conditions, they now need to be extra cautious when drying their grain in bins.

Herb Willcutt, safety specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said burners intended to dry grain in bins can cause fires when not maintained or used properly. He said Arkansas reported three bin fires in three weeks as farmers tried to dry their crops.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

As we get closer to the holiday season, we hear words like fir, Scotch pine and spruce mentioned in association with Christmas trees. But I want you also to think about spruce as one of the most beautiful native pines for the landscape.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The holidays would not be the same without colorful poinsettias decking the halls and rooms across this country.

A native of Mexico, poinsettias were first brought to the United States by Joel Poinsett, an ambassador to Mexico in 1825. Once known as Flores de Noche Buena (Flowers of the Holy Night), most people know them by color, not variety. The colorful parts of the poinsettias are modified leaves known as bracts. The true flowers are the small yellow buttons in the centers of the bracts.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- When another roasted turkey doesn't sound appetizing for Thanksgiving, many adventuresome cooks in recent years have turned to frying.

The goal is not a greasy dish similar to the Southern delicacy of breaded, fried chicken. This kind of frying is an outdoor venture that uses a large kettle of hot oil over an open flame to cook a whole turkey to a golden brown.

Melissa Mixon, food safety specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said frying works if the turkey is completely thawed and is not stuffed.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Winter's chill sends people scurrying for the thermostats and space heaters to stay warm, but these comfort items can turn deadly if not operating properly.

Nearly every winter brings stories of individuals or families killed or sickened by overnight carbon monoxide poisoning in closed spaces. In these situations, even those who attempt to rescue them can become ill or die unless the area is ventilated before they enter.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- For all the hype about "right conditions" to yield the best fall foliage, the key to outstanding tree color is likely the species itself.

Mississippi trees often enter the fall after experiencing a dry season and that means relatively cloud-free days as well. These conditions typically bring vibrant colors. However, this year's weather situation has been drastically different after two tropical storms and days of overcast and rainy conditions.

 MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Fruit and vegetable growers will converge on Biloxi Dec. 4 through 6 to learn the tricks of the trade to make them better producers in the future.

The Deep South Fruit and Vegetable Conference will take place at the convention center in the President Broadwater Towers Hotel on Beach Boulevard. Conference participants from Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi will attend with an expected crowd of 500 people.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Shishi Gashira is without a doubt the finest landscape camellia on the market, and it has been chosen as a 2002 Mississippi Medallion award winner for the fall. These drop-dead gorgeous camellia sasanquas are waiting for you now at your local garden center.

Their waxy, leather leaves coupled with blooms that are as pretty as roses reveal that these camellias are not only good as shrubs but also for use as foundation plantings.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

The snapdragon is one of the most beautiful plants for cool season color, and it thrives through winter until late spring or early summer heat arrives. Snapdragons love temperatures in the low 40s at night and low 70s by day, which make them ideally situated for fall in the South.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Not enough Mississippians give blood to save the lives of people in need, but even fewer have committed to giving their organs and tissue to save someone's life after their own has passed.

The Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency is the federally designated organ procurement organization for most of the state. They report that more than 75,000 people nationwide need organ transplants, and 16 of these die each day waiting for the organ that will save their lives.

By John Hawkins

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Rural health care providers in Mississippi are getting assistance from a state program that emphasizes the economic importance of local health care.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- State Christmas tree growers had an excellent growing season this year and have high hopes for a happy holiday.

Steve Dicke, Christmas tree specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said the trees were able to use nearly all the heavy rains that came throughout the year.

"We hope it dries out sometime so the customers can get out in the fields and cut their own trees, but until harvest, we're not really concerned about it," Dicke said.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Growing row crops, turf and ornamental plants is big business in the state, and supporting these industries through research and education is a high priority at Mississippi State University.

Because of Mississippi's climate and growing conditions, the state produces a wide variety of crops. Some of these, such as cotton, soybeans and rice, have a significant impact on the state's economy individually. Others crops, such as pecans, flowers and home garden vegetables, are smaller but still significant to the state when considered as a whole.

By Charmain Tan Courcelle

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Spatial technologies have provided producers and agribusinesses new methods to manage their crops, animals and land, but the same technologies have also presented a number of challenges, including how to manage the information generated.

Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station scientists are working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help growers face these problems.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

As you shop for daffodils and pansies, pick up a flat or two of dianthus. The new hybrid pink dianthus offers months of cool-season color for the landscape. They would be a worthy purchase even if they are annuals, but many gardeners find these newer varieties will give three, four or more seasons of bloom.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi pecan growers are harvesting a mixed bag this year as weather, diseases, insects and poor market prices leave little incentive for the harvest effort.

James Chiles of Clarksdale is president of the Mississippi Pecan Growers Association. He said growers in some parts of the state are reporting crop failures due in part to dry conditions near the end of July that caused trees to shed nuts. Insects and diseases also have been a problem in some orchards.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Top quality beef cattle will move through the auction ring Nov. 21 as Mississippi State University releases more than 100 surplus cattle and 26 horses to the highest bidders.

MSU and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station will host the 20th annual Production Sale at the Mississippi Horse Park, AgriCenter and Fairgrounds, which is located on Poorhouse Road south of Starkville. Lunch will be served at noon, and the sale will begin at 1 p.m. Cattle can be viewed beginning Wednesday afternoon and continuing until the time of the sale.

By Charmain Tan Courcelle

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station researchers are determining whether fungi are responsible for some of the seedling diseases and low grain yields seen in Mississippi.

Larry Trevathan, MAFES plant pathologist, is identifying fungal species common to corn production systems in Mississippi and looking for a link between fungal occurrence in the roots of this crop and subsequent seedling disease.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Fall and winter gardens need color to liven up landscapes, and local garden centers are loaded with great new selections that will do just that.

If you haven't tried Redbor kale or Red Giant mustard, then you have missed some of the best. Look also for new pansies like Ultima Apricot Shades or Delta Fire.

Redbor kale is a large selection producing wavy, deep burgundy leaves. Red Giant mustard produces foliage in burgundy and green that is beautiful and edible.