News

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- When parents and coaches set good examples, team sports do more for kids than teach them the rules of the game and get them in shape.

Playing on a team is one of the best ways for children to learn life lessons as they see responsibility, respect, fairness and sportsmanship modeled. Coaches are in the unique position to mold their athletes' character on and off the playing field, and parents on the sidelines can reinforce these positive messages.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Normally, hay growers do not get nervous about a drought until July, but this is not likely to be a normal year.

The last soaking rain is a vague memory for most growers and by mid-May, conditions were more like July.

By Rebekah Ray

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Seaweed may be an anomaly in North Mississippi, but animal researchers at the Prairie Research Unit in Monroe County are using this marine algae to improve production of the state's beef cattle.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- When Mississippians need information, the Extension Service is ready with a variety of tools to get the facts into their hands.

When personal knowledge falls short, they can turn to the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Extension is the arm of the state's land-grant institution responsible for taking the knowledge of the university to the people of the state. It does this through agents in each county, short courses, field days, demonstrations, workshops and Internet resources.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Every state has wildflowers they boast about, and Mississippi can certainly hold its head high in this category as well. Flowers like the coreopsis and spigelia, or Indian Pinks, have been awesome. The Stokes' Aster is one of my favorite wildflowers budding up now and showing color in many gardens.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Late freezes and a predicted light pecan crop are dampening prospects for Mississippi's fruit and nut growers, but growers haven't given up on the year.

Freddie Rasberry, horticulture specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said last year had the potential of being the state's best pecan year since the 1994 ice storm caused extensive damage to Delta orchards. Because pecans ordinarily are alternate bearing fruit, bumper crops are often followed the next year by much smaller harvests.

By Suzanne Berry

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Milk. It does a body good, especially a dairy calf's body.

Recently completed research at the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station's Coastal Plain Branch in Newton has shown that immunity levels of newborn dairy calves that were tube-fed colostrum at birth were higher than those that nursed their mothers.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

It seems the gardening world has gone crazy with arbors, trellises, towers, fences and more. Everyone is looking for perfect or unusual vines to drape or climb these structures. One of the best choices is the crossvine.

It is also called quartervine and is known botanically as Bignonia capreolata. It is hardy throughout the state. Bignonia comes from the name of King Louis IV's librarian.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Handing over a portion of profits may seem like bad business, but Mississippi farmers use checkoff programs to promote success in the future.

Checkoff programs are a form of self-tax that require producers by law to set aside a certain portion from each unit sold. This money is collected by the governing board and distributed for industry research and promotion.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Grass, something Mississippi's climate is well-suited for growing, has become a serious cash crop to turf producers taking advantage of booming population centers.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Better eggs mean better broilers, a fact that prompted one Mississippi State University researcher to look at what a hen must eat to lay these good eggs.

Mississippi's $1.5 billion poultry industry is the state's largest agricultural commodity. When even a small improvement is made in this business, the result is seen in millions of dollars.

By Rebekah Ray

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Historically plagued by Mother Nature and the whims of consumer demand, today's agricultural producers have more opportunities to receive advice on managing their risks and producing a profitable crop.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

It can be considered a thornless rose for the shade. It could be thought of as a rose with virtually no disease or insect problems, or as a rose that blooms all season and never needs deadheading. While there is no such rose, the plant I refer to is the rose-form, or double, impatiens.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- What blueberries lack in size they make up for in their economic impact in Mississippi's economy.

Jerry Hutto, a blueberry grower in Waynesboro, said he believes there is more money in blueberries per acre than in any other crop. He estimated that there are 2,000 acres of commercial blueberries in Mississippi.

"In a good year, growers may average 7,000 to 8,000 pounds per acre. This year, we may produce 3,000 to 5,000 because of the late freeze," Hutto said. "Two good years in a five-year period will more than offset the bad years."

By Suzanne Berry

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The overpopulation of domestic cats gone wild can cause health problems for humans and their pets, but with help from Mississippi State University's veterinary students, Tunica area residents can rest a little easier.

Non-sterilized domestic cats that have been abandoned by their owners produce wild offspring that likely never will have human contact. These wild offspring are referred to as feral cats.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi dairy and beef producers will benefit from efforts of Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station researchers attempting to synchronize ovulation in heifers to improve reproductive performance and increase profitability.

Methods are in place to synchronize estrous, or heat, but not to control ovulation, or release of the egg. Ovulation typically occurs 24 to 48 hours after a cow comes into heat.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

A Mississippi native has garnered top honors for the spring of 2000. When plants pour in from places like Australia, China and Japan, it is refreshing to announce one of the most beautiful shrubs in the United States, the oakleaf hydrangea, as a Mississippi Medallion winner.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi rice acreage is following national trends and dropping as prices for the crop being planted do not look better than they did last year.

Some farmers got into the fields to begin planting the second week of April, but rain postponed most state rice planting until the third week. Joe Street, rice specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service and rice researcher with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, said the crop was about 25 percent planted by Good Friday.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- When a family member dies or a couple divorces, the dog may be the last thing on anyone's mind, but the event can be life-shattering to this member of the family.

Dr. John Harkness, animal behaviorist at Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, said separation anxiety can be a big problem with dogs as they bond so closely with humans.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Dirty litter boxes and hairballs probably top most cat owners' lists as the most distasteful parts of having a cat.

Most cat owners know to watch their step when they hear the hacking of their cat, but many don't know that hairballs can be life-threatening, not just a nuisance.