News

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Extremely high temperatures and dry conditions combined to deliver the knockout blow to Mississippi's 1999 commercial pumpkin crop.

Dr. David Nagel, horticulturist with Mississippi State University Extension Service, said after growers planted pumpkins from late June through July, rain almost never fell in the North Mississippi fields.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- People who illegally harvest fish and wildlife jeopardize animal populations, hunters' reputations and public safety.

Conservation officers with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks are gearing up for an unofficial season as poaching activities increase in the fall.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Rural medical doctors across Northeast Mississippi recently made time in their busy schedules to encourage future physicians waiting in their shadows.

Dr. J. Edward Hill, director of the family medicine residency program at North Mississippi Medical Center, helped arrange the "shadowing" opportunity for participants in a special Rural Medical Scholars Program last summer. This was the second year for the six-week program designed for upcoming high school seniors considering careers in medicine.

By Norman Winter

MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Not too far from where I grew up in Texas, there is a huge bicycle race this time of the year called the "Hotter Than Hell 100." While I don't know the actual temperature of that southern destination, it does seem too hot here to ride a bicycle or to garden.

Nevertheless, this is the time to consider planting for some of our best fall color. Garden mums are ready for planting, and there are some huge advantages to making those purchases now.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Bacterial and fungal problems that can kill millions of catfish eggs a year can be kept under control with simple chemical baths, a practice that saves the industry thousands of dollars a year.

Mississippi State University's Extension Service is showing catfish hatcheries that some devastating disease problems can be solved by flushing egg masses twice daily with iodine or other antibacterial/antifungal compounds.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Depressed row crop prices prompted growers to plant more rice in 1999, but while growing conditions cooperated, the market did not.

Dwayne Wheeler, area agricultural agent with Mississippi State University's Extension Service in Tunica County, said the bleak soybean market was a big factor in growers planting more rice. However, since planting time, rice prices taken a turn for the worse and are running about 30 to 40 percent behind last year's figures.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Grants of nearly $240,000 are allowing Mississippi State University to partner with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agriculture Research Service to study a Mississippi environmental concern with national implications.

Dr. Larry Oldham, Mississippi State University Extension Service soil specialist, said land application of animal manures is one of the most important issues facing American agriculture.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Small communities' long-standing reputation as safe is being tarnished as big city crime makes its way to the rural South, a trend that is dropping but not as fast as crime in other areas.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

It was a fight worthy of a National Geographic special, but I was the only witness. Hummingbirds swept down from adjacent oaks to the deep-blue flowers of the anise sage only to be met with fierce resistance and a screeching warning from the protecting hummer.

I have always been a fan of the Blue Anise Sage (salvia guaranitica), but until I saw this fight for its nectar, I never fully appreciated all the attributes the plant offered.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Heat and drought are claiming another Mississippi casualty as hay production is way down in most areas of the state.

While some parts of the state have received ample rain, most are parched and facing severe hay shortages this fall.

John Wilson, Itawamba County agricultural program assistant with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said the commercial hay producers in his county are going to be at least one-third short on filling hay orders.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Officials working to advance the well-being of Southern states have named five areas of central importance to the region and are studying these issues to learn how to address them.

Land prices, national forests, welfare reform, workforce changes and telecommunications were the topics identified as key to the rural South.

Karen DeRosier, executive director of the Florida State Rural Development Council, said each state rural development council submitted areas of concern to their state.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Our long growing season lends itself to enjoying exotic flowers from tropical regions of the world. A coffee relative, Ixora, is a jungle-type plant that is ideal for porches or patios.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Most parents second-guess themselves enough without society planting doubts or creating more confusion as each family struggles with their individual choices.

"Employment opportunities and child-care decisions are the first major choices parents face as their family grows," said Dr. Louise Davis, family and child development specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service.

By Molly Kinnan

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- As most of the nation focuses on the Mid-Atlantic and Eastern states' drought, Mississippi farmers are struggling through a late-season drought of their own.

The first summer months looked promising to many Mississippi growers, but some crops have weakened due to a sudden lack of moisture in the area.

Dr. Alan Blaine, soybean specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service, said soybean production seems to be hardest hit by the changing weather.

By Denise Cosper
Southern Rural Development Center

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Former Mississippi Gov. William Winter told educators and job training program coordinators that continuing to move the rural South from "shadows into sunshine" requires building human relationships where people work together.

By Rebekah Ray

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- "Would you like soybeans with that order?"

Asians have long appreciated the taste and benefits of soybean protein in their diets, but most Americans have not rushed to purchase soy products. One Mississippi State University researcher has increased Western acceptance of this healthful food by blending soybean protein with yogurt.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Very few people know anything about abelia, but it has some outstanding qualities worthy of consideration in Mississippi landscapes.

Consider this, they bloom for months with clusters of flowers, the foliage is attractive and they have no pests. This should put this delightful shrub at the top of the list for those desiring a low maintenance garden.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Living in the water doesn't spare Mississippi's catfish from the effects of summer heat as recent daytime pond temperatures have reached the high 90s.

Jim Steeby, area Extension aquaculture agent with Mississippi State University's National Warmwater Aquaculture Center, said water temperatures in the Delta where he is located have stayed at 95 degrees in the afternoon since the last week of July. While catfish thrive in warm weather, this level is too hot.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

If there was a poster child for underused plants, the bottlebrush buckeye would be the spectacular winner.

The word bottlebrush should make you want to grow it, but when you consider the flowers are 4-inches wide and 12-inches long and produced in huge quantities, it really is time to go shopping.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Backyard chefs firing up the grill for another charbroiled feast should never overlook small details that can mean the difference between a delicious, outdoor meal and a safety disaster.

Each year, outdoor cookers cause many injuries to careless cooks or people too near the equipment. People who regularly use barbecue grills or smokers often become so familiar with the equipment and the cooking routine that they forget safety checks.