News

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Seventh-graders in the Mississippi Delta are discovering career opportunities in a place they least expect -- home.

A collaborative project between Mississippi State University and the Delta Health Alliance is motivating these students to dream big, study hard and return as doctors, nurses, respiratory specialists, radiology technicians and other health-care professionals.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Lead poisoning is a real threat to Mississippi children, many of whom are exposed to the potentially deadly substance in painted surfaces in their homes.

Jane Clary, health specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said high levels of lead exposure can lead to the development of colic, kidney damage, anemia, muscle weakness and brain damage, which can cause death. Lower levels of lead exposure can affect the blood, development and behavior.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

At a recent garden and patio show, several gardeners were asking what blue flowers I recommend for the long summer ahead. It seems we just can't get enough blue in the garden.

I always favor the various blue salvias and, of course, the Wave petunias. But one little plant that I still treasure for its rare clear blue is the Blue Daze evolvulus. It's hard to believe it has been a dozen years since it was selected as the first Mississippi Medallion award winner.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Climbing plants really add a vertical dimension to the landscape. Adding this new element to a garden causes a transformation that almost no other type of plant can accomplish.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- An upcoming workshop will offer hope and guidance to entrepreneurs with a variety of business interests that they want to base in their homes.

The home-based business workshop will be linked with video conferencing technology and will take place April 16 in Biloxi, Cleveland, Raymond, Verona and on the Mississippi State University campus. The registration deadline is April 7. The fee is $20 per person.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Fee fishing, fee hunting, agritourism, trail riding and wildlife watching are examples of outdoor recreational businesses based on natural resources commonly found on Mississippi private lands.

A one-day workshop for farmers, landowners and resource managers will provide attendees with the resources to start and manage a natural resource enterprise. This April 24 event will be held in Benndale  in George County. Benndale is located at the intersection of Highway 26 and Highway 57, just west of Lucedale.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Scientists have known for decades that animals are good stand-ins for humans in research, and one Mississippi State University veterinarian was on the front lines of the fight to protect the welfare of laboratory animals.

Dr. John Harkness retired in 2005 from his position as laboratory animal veterinarian at MSU. He began his career in the early 1970s, just seven years after federal legislation mandated the kind of care laboratory animals must receive.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Bats in the backyard are a good way to keep mosquito numbers down, but bats in the attic are a problem.

Ben West, wildlife specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said Mississippi is home to eight of the 40 kinds of bats native to the United States.

“Bats are great mammals to have around your property because they really help control mosquitoes,” West said. “Bats are so effective at mosquito control that many people place bat houses on their property to encourage bats to live nearby.”

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The Mississippi State University Extension Service has launched a one-stop information shop on the MSUcares.com Web site focusing on imported fire ants.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Few events focus the need for saving money like a sudden job loss or a personal catastrophe. Unfortunately, by then it is too late.

“Most people know they need to save money for retirement or for their child's college education, but any number of crises that require emergency funds can occur before those anticipated needs arrive,” said Bobbie Shaffett, family resource management specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Understanding colors can really help in creating awesome gardens.

There was something magical about how we got color at the newspaper my family owned when I was growing up. As the pressman made his adjustments -- a little more color here, a little less there -- he achieved what was known as process color.

Every conceivable color came from three primary colors.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

A new series called Cora is about to put the joy back into growing periwinkles.

For the past few years, I have had the opportunity to see research on new flower varieties by Goldsmith Seed Co. in California. One of the most exciting things was watching the evolution of the Cora vinca, or periwinkle.

By Robert H. Wells
Delta Research and Extension Center

STONEVILLE -- With soybean seed in short supply in 2008, Mississippi soybean growers are facing increased production risks including unproven varieties and poor-quality seed.

Mississippi State University Extension Service specialists recommend producers research available varieties to minimize these risks.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Lionel “Bo” Beaulieu, director of the Southern Rural Development Center at Mississippi State University, is the first recipient of a special award presented at an annual conference hosted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s  Economic Research Service.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- For more than two decades, Mississippi State University’s veterinary college has welcomed thousands of school children to its annual open house, and people of all ages will enjoy the 2008 event.

MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine will open its doors from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. on April 4 and 5 for the 24th annual open house at the Wise Center, located on the south side of campus off Spring Street.

VERONA -- On Feb. 20, the nation’s oldest group of its type met for the 55th time at the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center in Verona.

The North Mississippi Producer Advisory Committee has met every year since 1953 and its purpose has remained the same -- to tell Mississippi State University Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station personnel the research and education needs of agricultural producers in 27 north Mississippi counties.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A donation of old-but-functional computers from the Mississippi State University Extension Service will soon give local law enforcement, intelligence and public safety agencies connectivity for sharing information.

MSU Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine Vice President Vance Watson said many emergency management agencies in small towns lack adequate computers. Extension’s donation will give these agencies additional communication tools to respond to criminal activities, natural disasters and emergencies.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University’s Extension Service has named Trey Koger as the state specialist to assist Mississippi’s soybean growers.

Koger most recently served at MSU’s Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, where he operated cotton research program focusing on weed control, herbicide resistance, agronomic systems, and growth regulator and defoliation practices for Mississippi cotton production systems. His new job responsibilities will include coordinating educational programs for soybeans and other oilseed crops.

By Patti Drapala
MSU Ag Communications

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Senior citizens are more likely than people in other age groups to report fraud, but they remain attractive targets because of life situations that scam artists can exploit.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

One of the hottest plants at last year's garden and patio shows in Mississippi was the Senetti Blue pericallis. The blue is truly electrifying.

The Senetti Blue has a wonderful fragrance, but it is the rare shade of blue that has everyone mesmerized.