Feature Story

STONEVILLE – Mississippi State University scientists looking to help catfish producers keep costs low and quality high have found catfish can thrive for the first six weeks after hatching by feeding on naturally occurring zooplankton.

Several aquaculture researchers at MSU’s Thad Cochran National Warmwater Aquaculture Center compared the growth and survival of two groups of recently hatched catfish, called fry. Both groups were raised in ponds, but for six weeks, one group ate commercial feed daily while the other group did not.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A 4-H program created in the South is training the nation’s next generation of responsible landowners, land managers and wildlife professionals.

The Wildlife Habitat Education Program began in Tennessee in 1978 as a way to teach 4-H’ers the fundamentals of wildlife science and how to manage habitats to benefit different animal species. In addition to general information about wildlife and conservation, participants participate in contests to test their individual knowledge and their ability to work as a team to create a wildlife management plan.

RAYMOND – Former colleagues, friends and family members used the words loyal, genuine and humble to describe Frank T. “Butch” Withers Jr. during a naming ceremony in Raymond for the center he helped create.

Mississippi State University’s central Mississippi hub for research and Extension was renamed on July 10 for Withers, who served as head of the center from 1996 until his retirement in 2006.

JACKSON – After school, most kids raid the kitchen before they hit the books. If fruit is not one of their favorites, a few simple recipes and a little planning can help kids make better snacking decisions.

“Kids probably won’t choose to eat an orange if they have to do the work of peeling it before they eat it,” said Dawn Vosbein, registered dietitian and family and consumer science agent with Mississippi State University’s Extension Service in Pearl River County. “If there is cut up fruit already in the fridge, all they have to do is grab it.”

JACKSON – As the carefree days of summer vacation quickly come to a close, parents should take steps to keep their kids safe as they return to the routines of school.

“Parents should keep in mind there are precautions to take no matter how their child gets to and from school,” said Beth Bell, Tallahatchie County child and family development agent with Mississippi State University’s Extension Service.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Kids are not the only people feeling stressed about going back to school.

As families count down the days of summer, the idea of returning to schedules packed with work, school and extracurricular activities can cause a lot of tension.

Cassandra Kirkland, family life specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said getting organized now can help ease families into the required routines.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi schools are leading the national effort to reduce excessive sugar intake from beverages that can do students more harm than good, and parents can follow their example at home.

Becke Bounds, assistant director of child nutrition with the Mississippi Department of Education, said Mississippi schools eliminated all full-calorie, sugared carbonated soft drinks during the school day in 2007. Steps have also been taken to make all school food healthier.

JACKSON -- Playground antics, such as teasing, hitting, or name-calling, may seem just a harmless rite of passage, but when playing turns into bullying, it can cause serious, long-term effects for everyone involved.

Bullying is a dangerous form of youth violence that involves repeated, aggressive behavior with a real or perceived imbalance of power between the bully and the victim. Bullies create this imbalance of power by using their popularity, physical strength or embarrassing information to manipulate or harm the victim.

STARKVILLE -- A Mississippi State University forestry professor was recently honored by the Society of American Foresters.

The professional forestry organization named Donald Grebner a fellow for his contributions to the society and the forestry profession.

Grebner is a professor in the university’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center. His areas of research include bio-energy, carbon sequestration, forest protection and international forestry.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi State University’s beef cattle research unit in Pearl River County is hosting a summer field day Aug. 13 to display results of ongoing research projects.

The White Sand Unit of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station is hosting the half-day event specifically designed for cattle and forage producers. The event begins at 9 a.m. and concludes with a provided lunch. The MSU Extension Service is also helping make this event possible.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Some of Mississippi’s top young people will experience the business world through a four-day state tour known as the 2013 4-H Cooperative Business Leadership Conference.

The conference involves the state’s 4-H Leadership Team members and this year’s 4-H Congress first-place, senior-level competition winners. In a July 16-19 bus tour that begins and ends at Mississippi State University, participants will stop along the way at business cooperatives in Mayhew, Meridian, Jackson, Greenville, Scott and Greenwood.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A veteran Mississippi State University faculty member is the new associate dean in the College of Forest Resources.

Ian Munn, a forest resource economist and professor, will lead the university’s natural resources program. MSU is the only university in the state that offers a bachelor’s degree in forestry and a bachelor’s degree and wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture. As associate dean, Munn will coordinate all aspects of these undergraduate programs, including curriculum, student advising and scholarships.

STONEVILLE -- Rice producers, suppliers and consultants will benefit from an upcoming rice tour at Mississippi State University’s Delta Research and Extension Center.

Registration for the July 30 Rice Field Day begins at 2:30 p.m. in the Charles W. Capps Jr. Entrepreneurial Center.

Andy Morris, North America rice buyer for Mars Inc., will be the keynote speaker at the afternoon event.

Trailers will leave the building at 3:40 p.m. to tour research sites on rice agronomy, breeding, entomology, pathology and weed science.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – One small lightbulb can make a big difference.

Oohs, ahs and wows filled a room at Mississippi State University’s Montgomery Hall on Friday when a group of teen campers finished their first experiment in building circuits. A piece of foil, a battery and a lightbulb the size of a marble launched a lesson on energy and ultimately set the campers to building their own robots.

JACKSON – To most people, showing horses seems a lot like work because of all the feeding, watering, stall cleaning, grooming and training involved – not to mention the countless hours spent at shows. But to Mississippi 4-H’ers involved in the horse program, all that work is a lot of fun.

Each summer, young people ages 8 to 18 converge on the Mississippi State Fairgrounds for the 4-H Horse Championship to reap the rewards of a year’s worth of effort. This year, more than 600 4-H horse program members participated in six educational contests and 105 riding events.

BILOXI – The state’s county supervisors expressed concern about funding for essential services in numerous discussions at the 2013 Mississippi Association of Supervisors Conference.

Most of Mississippi’s 410 county supervisors attended the June 17–20 meeting at the Mississippi Coast Convention Center in Biloxi. Educational session topics during the conference included transportation funding, rural economic development and the expected impact on counties of new federal health care laws.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Faculty in Mississippi State University’s School of Human Sciences recently launched a journal to promote academic research and outreach in human sciences and Extension topics.

The Journal of Human Sciences and Extension is a peer-reviewed publication with articles about human development; family studies; agricultural education; leadership development; Extension; health and wellness; apparel, textiles and merchandising; agricultural economics; nutrition and dietetics; family resource management; and program planning and evaluation.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A recent Mississippi State University doctoral graduate received a top award sponsored by the International Forest Products Society.

Qi Li accepted the Wood Award at the society’s annual conference in Austin, Tex. for her research paper on the chemical composition of woody feedstock used in biofuel production.

Li's work at MSU’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center focused on finding suitable, fast-growing, renewable resources to replace the use of fossil fuels.

STONEVILLE – Corn and soybean producers as well as others involved in agriculture will benefit from the July 18 Corn and Soybean Field Day at Mississippi State University’s Delta Research and Extension Center.

Registration begins at 10 a.m. in the Charles W. Capps Building. Booths and vendors will showcase some of the latest tools in precision agriculture, irrigation efficiency and application technology until 2:30 p.m.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A Mississippi State University program for elementary students has been recognized for teaching environmental and natural sciences.

The Youth Environmental Science program received the third place Gulf Guardian Award in the Environmental Justice and Cultural Diversity category. The Gulf of Mexico Program, a consortium sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency, gives the award annually.