Feature Story

STONEVILLE, Miss. -- Corn, cotton and soybean producers have to strike a balance between risk prevention and wise spending to achieve good profits each year.

Insects that feed on recently planted crops can substantially reduce yields, but planting seeds pretreated with insecticides is one method of controlling these early-season pest problems.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The heart is the most vital organ in the body, and keeping it healthy can mean a better and longer life.

BILOXI, Miss. -- A national organization dedicated to improving the beef industry will hold its annual meeting on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in June and bring together cattle producers from across the world.

The 2015 Beef Improvement Federation Convention, themed “Rebuilding a Cowherd,” will take place June 9-12 at the Beau Rivage Hotel and Conference Center in Biloxi. The annual conference allows participants to discuss issues involving genetic improvements, new technologies, and management practices to aid profitability in beef production.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- The Mississippi State University Extension Service recently launched a new video series to help Mississippi families make informed choices about food, nutrition and healthy lifestyles.

“The Food Factor” offers research-based information on topics such as home canning, food safety, emergency preparedness and nutritional science.

Host Natasha Haynes, an Extension food and nutrition educator for 15 years, also provides viewers with healthy recipe ideas and family friendly tips on food preparation.

JACKSON, Miss. -- Exhibitors in the annual Dixie National Sale of Junior Champions learn important lessons about livestock through their projects, but one family discovered just as much about people.

Tyler Owen, 13, and Jacob Owen, 10, of Jones County qualified to participate in the sale with their reserve champion light heavyweight goat, Splits. Their journey to this coveted sale of market animals began when each was about 5 years old and their parents, Jennifer and Matt Owen of Moselle, encouraged them to show livestock.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Gary Bachman, host of the multimedia series Southern Gardening, began a one-year term as president of the Southern Region of the American Society for Horticultural Science on Feb. 1.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Two weed science graduate students from the Mississippi State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences earned top honors at the 2015 Beltwide Cotton Conference held Jan. 5-7 in San Antonio, Texas.

Beltwide, a forum coordinated by the National Cotton Council, is considered one of the best cotton technical conferences worldwide. It is a consortium of 11 concurrent cotton technical conferences.

MSU agronomy doctoral student Chase Samples and agronomy master’s student Andrew Denton placed highly in the conference’s visual display competition.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Greenhouse tomato growers and other interested individuals can learn all aspects of production during the 25th annual Greenhouse Tomato Short Course March 3 and 4 in Raymond.

Experts from the tomato industry, the Mississippi State University Extension Service, the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, and Auburn University will present the latest production information.

The workshop will be held at the Eagle Ridge Conference Center at 1500 Raymond Lake Road in Raymond.

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Growers across 13 counties in southeast Mississippi have an upcoming opportunity to learn about the challenges and benefits of fruit and vegetable enterprises.

The informational meeting will take place from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. Feb. 21 at the Forrest County Extension Office, located at 952 Sullivan Drive.

JACKSON, Miss. -- When the Dixie National Quarter Horse Show kicks off during the 2015 Dixie National Rodeo Feb. 16, a group of young horse enthusiasts will have already made it through a round of competition to participate in an unusual career development program.

The Mississippi 4-H Dixie National Equine Shadow Program connects 4-H’ers from across the Southeast with a variety of horse show professionals who convene at the State Fairgrounds for several days of competition and exhibition.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Noted conservationist Reed Noss will present a lecture at Mississippi State University on Feb. 17.

Noss is a provost’s distinguished research professor at the University of Central Florida and president of the Florida Institute for Conservation Science.

The public lecture begins at 3 p.m. in the Tully Auditorium of Thompson Hall.

Noss will speak on concepts and themes of modern conservation with examples from his recent book, “Forgotten Grasslands of the South: Natural History and Conservation.”

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Two critical 2014 farm bill deadlines are approaching fast, and Mississippi State University experts encourage producers to take action now.

Landowners must update yield history and reallocate base acres by Feb. 27. By March 31, producers must decide between two new programs designed to help manage risk: Agricultural Risk Coverage, known as ARC, and Price Loss Coverage, known as PLC.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State University experts will share the latest research on managing unseen soybean yield killers at five seminars across the state in February.

The goal is to heighten awareness of soybean-management issues that often go unseen but can severely impact yield. These issues include nematodes, soil fertility and fertilizer management, and soil crusting and irrigation-infiltration problems. The seminars are sponsored by the MSU Extension Service, Mississippi Soybean Promotion Board and Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Cogongrass will not be in bloom for at least another two months, but now is the time for people who suspect they may have this weed on their property to find out for sure.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State University faculty members and students received top honors at the Southern Branch of the American Society of Agronomy meeting in Atlanta earlier this month.

Normie Buehring and Christian Baldwin, faculty members in the MSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, were awarded for research and teaching, respectively.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State University researchers are preparing for the day when unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones, can be used commercially in agriculture.

Their size, cost and capabilities make UAVs useful for a wide range of jobs. Some MSU researchers are already using these vehicles, and many others are examining their potential applications.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Small-business owners and entrepreneurs can participate in an upcoming workshop to help them establish, develop and grow their businesses.

The Mississippi Small Business Forum will be March 17 at the Mississippi State University Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center in Raymond.

The MSU Extension Service, Alcorn State University Extension Program and Hinds Community College Entrepreneurship Business Development Program will deliver 12 educational sessions and help business owners understand the resources available from these colleges.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State University Extension Service agricultural economists will hold a series of workshops related to the Agricultural Act of 2014 in February.

“Farm Bill Summary, Analysis and Decision Aids” will address six topics related to the new farm bill. Workshops will cover the fine points of the legislation and how the state’s crop producers will be affected. Topics include agricultural risk coverage, price-loss coverage, supplemental coverage option, stacked-income protection plan, farm bill analysis and decision aids.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A unique, annual competition at Mississippi State University is designed to match graduate students in applied production agriculture with industries seeking to hire new employees.

The third annual Future of Agriculture Graduate Student Competition will be Feb. 5 at the Bost Extension Center. Nearly 40 masters and doctoral degree students working in production agriculture will present the results of their research to a panel of farmers, consultants, industry personnel and academic professionals.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi Saves will launch its second America Saves Week campaign on Feb. 23 to promote financial responsibility throughout the state.