News

JACKSON -- Whether families head to the local park or an out-of-town destination, veterinarians advise them this summer to take steps to ensure pets stay safe and healthy as they travel.

Dr. Joey Burt, assistant clinical professor and director of the Animal Health Center at Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, said before setting out on any trip, pet owners should make sure their pets are comfortable with riding in an automobile. Burt suggested taking pets on short trips to gauge their tolerance.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Preparing for the 2013 hurricane season is wise, even if no major storm strikes the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Susan Cosgrove, an area family resource management agent in Newton County with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said the steps taken to prepare for a hurricane will help whenever an unexpected disaster strikes.

If you’re looking for a plant that is attractive now but looks its best in the cooler months, you may be interested in the Dianthus. This is a group of versatile flowering plants that look good year-round.

Dianthus is called by many names, but the common name “pink” really is a good description. Colors include pink and red, but there are also nice white and lavender selections.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi State University’s new livestock judging team coach invites young people and coaches interested in sharpening their livestock judging skills to one of two camps.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A week of mostly ideal weather allowed Mississippi producers to more than double the acreage planted in cotton, but they remain behind schedule with this year’s crop.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated the cotton crop went from 36 to 77 percent planted in the week ending June 2, and many days were favorable since then. The state typically has 93 percent of its cotton acreage planted by this time, but the situation is not quite as bleak as it had been.

By Karen Templeton
MSU College of Veterinary Medicine

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A group of veterinarians at Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine is working to better understand cancer in dogs, work that will likely also advance knowledge of human cancer.

MSU scientists said there is little difference between cancerous tumors found in dogs and humans, and the opportunity to help both human and canine patients is growing.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Four representatives of Mississippi State University’s Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine will participate in a national program targeting future agricultural leaders.

MSU faculty selected to participate in Leadership Development for the 21st Century: Linking Research, Academics and Extension include

Much like personal computers and 2-year-old children, Android smartphones can throw their own versions of temper tantrums. Mine recently slowed to a crawl and became increasingly unresponsive.

Before I decided to send it off to that great e-waste landfill, I made one last attempt to revive its broken spirit. To begin with, I turned it off, waited a few moments, and then turned it back on. While an obvious first step, most of us forget that our phones run constantly.

BILOXI -- Many frustrated gardeners have noted how plants often look their best on retail shelves, but ongoing tests at Mississippi State University helps these gardeners figure out which flowers will meet expectations.

Gary Bachman, horticulturist with the MSU Extension Service at the Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi, said the university currently tests flower selections at two sites. Plans are underway to conduct flower variety testing at five locations around the state soon.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- When veterinarian Dr. Alicia Olivier arrives for work every day, she isn’t greeted by wagging tails and nervous meows. Instead, she spends her days behind a microscope to help better understand disease processes and therapy development.

Olivier is a member of a diverse set of veterinary scientists who conduct a variety of biomedical research that impacts animal and human health.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Paring, slicing, dicing, and cubing are a few of the activities that young chefs will learn at Mississippi State University’s seventh annual Fun with Food Camp.

The five-day camp will be June 17-21 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m on MSU’s Starkville campus. The camp is open to children entering third through sixth grades and provides an opportunity for hands-on food experiences.

If there is one herb my wife and I love to grow more than the rest, it has to be basil. There is nothing better for the hot months because it is gorgeous in the landscape and delicious in fresh summer meals.

Many of the gardeners I have talked to think we have taken basil growing to the extreme.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Nine teenaged 4-H leaders addressed current issues and shared their passions in hopes of winning a spot on a team representing Mississippi at the national 4-H conference in Washington, D.C.

Selected delegates will spend April 5-10, 2014, working with their peers in round-table discussions to prepare presentations for federal agencies on a variety of topics, such as texting while driving and obesity.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Many Mississippi farmers celebrated Memorial Day in their tractor seats as they took full advantage of about a week of good weather to make significant strides in planting.

A nearly unbroken string of rains kept farmers mostly out of the fields through the early-spring planting window. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s May 26 Crop Progress and Condition Report shows their efforts to catch up.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A well-respected and popular professor in Mississippi State University’s Department of Agricultural Economics has received a national award for his excellence in student advising.

Randy Little is a professor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences who has formally guided the career paths of more than 300 undergraduate students since he began at MSU in 1990. He has informally advised more than 1,000 students during that time as students value his wisdom and seek his guidance.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi’s major land-grant university recently hosted a delegation from the Philippines who wanted to learn more about the Extension Service -- everything from federal funding to local county programming.

Mississippi State University Extension Service Director Gary Jackson provided an overview of the state’s programs and arranged for a visit to the Oktibbeha County Extension Office.

Mississippi’s Commissioner of Agriculture Cindy Hyde-Smith speaks to Boys State 2013 participants in Lee Hall’s Bettersworth Auditorium. (Photo by MSU University Relations/Megan Bean)

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Cindy Hyde-Smith, the state’s leading advocate for Mississippi agriculture, touted the nation’s food supply as the safest and most affordable in the world when she spoke Tuesday [May 28] at the 2013 Boys State.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Evidence of a healthy national economy may be found in the strength of the timber industry.

Forestry is a billion-dollar industry in Mississippi and the state’s second-largest agricultural commodity. A depressed national economy in recent years had negative impacts on housing construction and furniture manufacturing, which hurt the forestry sector, but industry experts are seeing signs that a recovery is at hand.

When you think of summer blooms in the home landscape, it’s hard not to think about zinnias.

A lot of attention has been given to the Profusion and Zahara series of zinnia in summer and fall landscapes. Profusion is a Mississippi Medallion winner and both are All-America Selections. They provide fantastic summer color.

But I like the old-fashioned zinnia elegans with the big, pompom flowers on long stems that are perfect for cutting and bringing inside. And guess what? Some of these are All-America Selections, too.