News

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Now is the time to prepare land for pine tree planting, and a new tax law change will affect landowners with both small and large acreage.

Debbie Gaddis, a forest taxation specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said tax incentives for planting pine trees changed in October. In general, this change is beneficial to landowners with large acreage and unfavorable for small landowners.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Lulu's parentage was questionable -- part Labrador, part collie ... maybe. What was certain was the bond she shared with Delta farmer Malcolm Mabry Jr.

Fifteen years ago, Mabry and neighbor David Cook found Lulu near the edge of a wheat field on Mabry's farm near Dublin in Coahoma County. The abandoned pup was cold and frightened. Luckily for her, she was too weak to run away.

Mabry, a former state lawmaker, took the dog home, bathed her and provided a meal of warm milk and bread. That was the beginning of a 15-year relationship.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The holiday season offers many opportunities for parents to teach their children the benefits of giving as well as receiving.

"The holiday season is a great time to step back and really focus on how you and your family can help those in need. When children see parents helping others and getting joy out of doing so, they learn the season is not all about getting presents," said Louise Davis, child and family development specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Americans can be grateful for the stewardship of their ancestors who took steps to protect wildlife for future generations to enjoy.

Ben West, wildlife specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said unlike many countries, wildlife is prevalent and considered public property in the United States. However, access to ample wildlife is by design, not luck.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Long hours of practice paid off for Mississippi State University's Dairy Products Evaluation team at the International Collegiate Dairy Products Evaluation Contest.

The MSU undergraduate team placed first among 18 U.S. and Canadian teams at the Nov. 6 event in Lakeland, Fla. The win marked more than a dozen times Mississippi State students have taken top honors in the event.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

The prolonged fall with no frosts has made this a banner year for Angel's Trumpets. It seemed those at the Truck Crops Experiment Station were a little behind others at first, but now I see these pre-holiday treasures everywhere.

The giant, trumpet-shaped flowers in apricot yellow, pink or white gracefully hang along branches in Mississippi landscapes as if waiting for Gabriel to choose one for an upcoming announcement.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Every season brings its challenges to beef producers, and the winter weather means it's time to supplement what cattle graze on their own.

Brian Rude, beef nutritionist with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, urged beef cattle producers to make thoughtful preparation for feeding during the winter months. Cattle often need supplements to meet their winter nutritional needs when grazing or eating stored hay.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Agriculture officials confirmed the existence of soybean rust in Mississippi Nov. 16 after the fungus was found in one field in Adams County.

Rust was confirmed in Louisiana Nov. 10, and officials immediately increased systematic efforts to search for the soybean disease in Mississippi. The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce announced its finding Nov. 17. Florida also confirmed rust on Nov. 17.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

This past weekend I was giving a program in Tuscaloosa and noticed the Japanese maples were starting to show their first hints of fall color. The trees were really healthy and exquisite in form.

Another great town for Japanese maples is Brookhaven, which may be the garden spot of our state. They not only have many lace-leaf or dissected types, but also some of the oldest non-dissected Japanese maples.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Before the area was settled, Mississippi's pine forests managed themselves naturally and provided excellent wildlife habitat.

Today, those forests are overrun with mid-story hardwood species, which compete with timber production and take away the thick growth of grasses, legumes and other herbaceous vegetation that wildlife species need to survive.

Ben West, wildlife specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said a process called Quality Vegetation Management benefits both timber production and wildlife habitat.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- East and east central Mississippi soybean and corn growers will gather on Dec. 16 at Mississippi State University to take part in the first production meeting since the recent discovery of soybean rust in the state.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Beef and dairy producers can save on time and travel costs as they learn the latest recommendations in cattle reproduction during a short course available through distance learning in January.

Mississippi State University's Extension Service and College of Veterinary Medicine are sponsoring the day-and-a-half-long course beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 11 and concluding at noon the next day.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Poinsettias in all shades of red, pink and white, as well as a few novelty-type plants, will be on display during Mississippi State University's annual horticulture open house from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Dec. 3.

The Holiday Open House will take place in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences' greenhouses behind Dorman Hall on Stone Boulevard. In addition to the many poinsettias on display, the event will feature educational seminars and a workshop. The student horticulture clubs on campus also will be selling poinsettias, wreaths and garlands.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Cotton growers and consultants can get the latest in production recommendations from top agricultural specialists, economists and researchers Dec. 8-9 at the Mississippi State University Extension Service's 21st annual Cotton Short Course.

Cotton is one of the mid-South's most important industries and keeps hundreds of millions of dollars turning over in the region's economy. Even after record-producing years, growers need the most current recommendations for planting and managing next year's crop.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University's newly established Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion will afford faculty and students more opportunities to address growing health concerns in the state, nation and world.

Peter Rabideau, MSU vice president for academic affairs, said he believes the new department has potential to aid the state and improve the quality of life for its citizens.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

One of the most picturesque small trees is blooming all over Mississippi and filling the air with a tantalizing fragrance. If the winter is mild, the creamy white flowers will yield a real delicacy for the table. The tree I am talking about is the Japanese loquat, or Japanese plum, known botanically as Eriobotrya japonica.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Soybean rust, a devastating fungal disease, was discovered Nov. 7 in the United States, but officials have not yet detected it in Mississippi.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced Wednesday that it had confirmed Asian soybean rust in two Louisiana State University research plots near Baton Rouge. The disease was spotted Sunday and officially confirmed three days later. This is the first appearance of rust in the United States, which previously had not been found closer than Central America.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Speakers usually don't like captive audiences, but two Extension agents in South Mississippi are happy with theirs.

Marcia McLeod and Liz Sadler teach life skills, parenting, health and nutrition classes on a regular schedule to inmates at the Mississippi Department of Corrections facility in Greene County. McLeod is the Greene County 4-H agent with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, and Sadler is an Extension area health agent working out of Lamar County.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A chill in the air often makes its way into homes and offices, prompting the use of a potentially dangerous heat source.

Herb Willcutt, a safety specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said portable space heaters are safe when used properly. Incorrect use can cause damage to homes and offices, or even deadly fires.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Weather conditions made 2004 a challenging year for the state's Christmas tree growers, but Mississippians should have no problem finding top quality, affordable trees to decorate their homes this holiday season.

Steve Dicke, forestry specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said choose-and-cut tree sales reached 100,000 last year in Mississippi. Similar sales are expected this year.