News From 2013

Recent national tragedies have reminded us once again how important it is to stay in touch with loved ones and emergency response officials for breaking news. Being technology-ready before disaster strikes is critical to saving lives, connecting friends and family, and assisting first responders.

By Kaitlyn Byrne
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University faculty take their knowledge and expertise around the world as they conduct research and teach through the Fulbright Scholarship program.

Two of the program’s most enthusiastic supporters, Phyllis Miller and Stephen Cottrell, have each received three Fulbright scholarships.

MSU apparel, textiles and merchandising professor Phyllis Miller has traveled to Bulgaria, India, and — most recently — Mauritius, a small island nation in the Indian Ocean, just east of Madagascar.

JACKSON -- Fourth-graders from Jackson area schools recently got a new appreciation for the clothes on their backs and the food on their tables at AgVentures.

The event, held at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum, provided hands-on, educational activities designed to teach children the role of agriculture in daily life. Mississippi State University Extension Service and several partner organizations sponsored the program.

BROOKHAVEN – Horticulture enthusiasts can attend educational presentations, workshops and tours during the Mississippi Master Gardener State Conference May 14-16.

The event is sponsored by the Lincoln County Master Gardeners and the Mississippi State University Extension Service. The conference is open to Master Gardeners and the public.

TYLERTOWN -- Cattle producers in Mississippi and Louisiana can learn about cattle health issues and forage weed control measures during a May 18 event in south Mississippi.

The Mississippi/Louisiana Beef and Forage Field Day will begin with registration at 8:45 a.m. at the Livestock Producers Sale Barn on Highway 98 East in Tylertown, Miss.

Featured speakers are Dr. Jaques Fuselier, of Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Brandi Karisch, Rhonda Vann and John Byrd, all with Mississippi State University’s Extension Service.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi State University professor Donald Grebner is the lead author on a new forestry and natural resources textbook.

Introduction to Forestry and Natural Resources provides a general overview of the forestry and natural resources profession, as well as the history of forestry, landowner objectives, forest disturbances, ecosystem services and urban forestry.

Grebner, professor in MSU’s College of Forest Resources, spent three years writing the 508-page book, in collaboration with University of Georgia colleagues Pete Bettinger and Jacek Siry.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A Pearl River County family learned that 4-H robotics’ “no experience required” policy opened doors to new skills they never expected.

Jill Bordelon’s three children, Emily, Eric and Alex, became interested in robotics when 4-H first offered the activity in their county in 2009. Led by their mother, the children formed a team with interested 4-H’ers to construct a robot and compete against other robotics teams.

“None of us had done anything like this before,” Jill Bordelon said. “We got a kit and muddled through. We all learned at the same time.”

Has the search for blue flowers left you feeling blue?

Mississippi has a long tradition of being famous for blues music. In fact, the Mississippi Blues Trail has markers all across the state telling the story of the blues.

Mississippi gardeners also have a long tradition of wanting blue flowers for their gardens and landscapes. Blue is a coveted color in the landscape, and plant and seed catalogs try every year to meet the need for the color blue.

By Karen Templeton
MSU College of Veterinary Medicine

MISSISSIPPI STATE – When producer and consultant Dr. Gordon Hazard answers his phone, it is often in the middle of a pasture.

Hazard has been raising cattle for more than 75 years, and his boots-to-the-ground approach is what helps him make a profit each and every year. He knows what Mississippi cattle producers are up against.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – The impact of last year’s drought on feed costs is not the only challenge poultry growers face in 2013.

Production costs, expansion issues, waste regulations, competition from other meat sources and the next grain crop are major factors impacting the poultry industry this year.

“Some of the corn produced last year had to go to ethanol, so supplies are even tighter and have driven up feed costs,” said Tom Tabler, poultry specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

CORINTH -- Marcia Ann Glisson believes in the power of youth.

That’s why she has spent more than 50 years as an Alcorn County 4-H volunteer. And she has no plans to give it up anytime soon.

“It’s just something that is in my blood,” said Glisson, who currently serves as a member of the Alcorn County 4-H Advisory Council. “I was in 4-H, and all four of my children were in 4-H.”

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Springtime’s soggy fields are no guarantee that summer’s row crops will have the moisture they need to thrive until harvest in the fall.

Jason Krutz, irrigation specialist with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, said winter and spring rain helps recharge the soil profile, but moisture must be replenished during the growing season.

“In the Delta in the summer, we’re always 10 days from a drought,” Kurtz said. “If you go 10 days without rain, your row crops are in trouble and you will have to irrigate.”

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Some people celebrate Earth Day with a trip on April 22 to the city park, but soil scientists get daily opportunities to see the importance of protecting the environment.

Mississippi State University Extension Service agronomy specialist Keith Crouse said an inexpensive soil test is one of the easiest ways to be a good steward of the earth and enjoy all the land has to offer. As coordinator of the MSU Soil Testing and Plant Analysis Lab, Crouse has seen test results prevent growers from applying unnecessary fertilizers.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Louisiana is shrinking. According to new information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 25-35 square miles of land off the coast of Louisiana disappears into the water every year.

Mississippi State University environmental economist Daniel Petrolia understands how important the disappearing wetlands are to commercial fisheries, storm surge protection and wildlife.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi is home to a wide variety of creatures, and warmer spring temperatures bring many of them -- including snakes -- out into the sun.

“We have 35 species of nonvenomous snakes and just 6 species of venomous snakes,” said Adam Tullos, who specializes in wildlife management with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. “We also have snakes that are protected and endangered. Snakes benefit people by keeping insect, reptile and small mammal populations under control.”

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Farmers, landowners and resource managers will find the newest tools to establish and manage a natural resource enterprise at a one-day workshop in Yazoo County.

The May 2 event will begin at 8 a.m. at Field Quest Farms in Benton. The morning presentations include revenue potential, liability and legal concerns, and marketing an outdoor recreational business.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – One of local government’s oldest and most essential jobs is being recognized for its services during an upcoming week of local, national and international activities.

The 44th annual Municipal Clerks Week will be observed May 5 – 11. During this week, municipal clerks in many of Mississippi’s cities, towns and villages will take part in activities to increase the public’s awareness of municipal clerks and the vital services they provide for local government and the community.

With spring in the air and our landscapes waking up from their long winter’s nap, Mississippi gardeners jump into the many chores needed to get gardens off to the right start.

One of the first decisions to be made is what to plant. We flock to garden centers looking for inspiration and new plants to enjoy in the coming year. Sometimes we forget to look in our own gardens for the options we already have.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi’s strawberry producers may be few in number, but they deliver one of the state’s sweetest and most popular crops.

Growing strawberries in the South is especially challenging because of its variable weather, like that seen this spring.

Wayne Porter, Mississippi State University Extension horticulture specialist in Lauderdale County, said the strawberries struggled because of excessive rain.

PICAYUNE -- Louisiana botanist Charles Allen acquired a taste for native plants as a child in his grandmother’s kitchen.

The mountain mint she used in her pork sausage sparked Allen’s interest and led him on a 35-year journey of learning about and preserving native plants that sustain the ecosystem of the Gulf South. Many of those plants are edible and useful around the house.