News From 2012

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Plastic storage crates in a sunny lab at Mississippi State University are the new homes of 52 endangered Boreal toads, native to the Colorado Rockies.

Boreal toad numbers have dwindled to dangerous levels in recent years, and MSU has partnered with the Memphis Zoo to find a way to increase the population.

Coral bells are perpetual favorites, and their colorful foliage can add interest and texture to any garden.

The first coral bells had green foliage, but these days, green foliage selections can be hard to find. New selections have purple, red, and white marbling and different colored venation. You will often see foliage colors of bright gold, orange and brown. Still others have different colors on top and bottom, so the colors flash when the wind blows.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics selected a Mississippi State University student to serve as a delegate to the national organization.

Jesse Pace, a senior from Flowood majoring in Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion with a concentration in nutrition, was elected to serve a one-year term on the academy’s advisory committee. The committee consists of seven elected positions and one appointed position and includes students from universities across the United States.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi State University is “beating the bushes” for high school students with horticultural interests for a June 3-6 camp on campus.

Designed for students age 15 to 17, the 43rd annual Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Summer Camp will offer a variety of educational and fun activities.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi’s top agricultural commodity weathers economic storms by responding quickly to shifts in demand, and economists at Mississippi State University predict 2012 will be a year of recovery.

In 2011, Mississippi ranked fourth in the nation in broiler production, with more than 765 million birds produced on 1,478 farms. The broiler industry represented over $2.21 billion in value for the year.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Not many 17-year-olds spend their free time doing stem cell research, but an interest in helping special-needs children brought Brenna Nye to Mississippi State University to do just that.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – A handful of Mississippi State University entomology students spent their spring semester learning how to be crime scene investigators or expert witnesses in a courtroom.

Their teacher, Jerome Goddard, has been an expert witness on both sides of court cases and understands the importance of knowing details to defend or challenge crime scene findings.

As graduation ceremonies come to a close, many high school seniors are preparing for their senior trips. Whether they are headed to big cities, sandy beaches or overseas, smartphone apps can help young travelers navigate their grand adventures.

STONEVILLE -- Mississippi State University has hired a new irrigation specialist for its Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville.

Jason Krutz began his dual appointment with the MSU Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station May 1.

Krutz has worked in irrigation management and water quality and quantity research for almost 10 years.

STONEVILLE -- A Mississippi State University researcher has been selected for a national leadership training program.

MSU research professor Tim Walker, an agronomist and rice breeder at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, will participate in Leadership for the 21st Century, or Lead21.

Each year, Lead21 trains 80 participants from land-grant institutions and their associates, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

STONEVILLE – Mississippi State University is making several changes this year to the field day schedule in Stoneville to accommodate participants’ needs.

Steve Martin, head of MSU’s Delta Research and Extension Center, said they are breaking with tradition by splitting the event into two days with two crop focuses. They also have changed meeting times from mornings to afternoons.

The July 19 field day will focus on soybeans and corn. The July 31 event will highlight rice.

MISSISSIPPI STATE –Mississippi State University Extension Service’s 4-H youth development program will pay tribute to America’s military heroes with the Welcome Home Garden project, sponsored by Burpee Seed Co.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – The Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station recently honored several faculty and staff members for their research, publications and commitment to excellence.

Dan Reynolds, a MAFES researcher and professor in MSU’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, received the 2012 Excellence in Research award for his work on herbicide application and weed control for crops grown in Louisiana and Mississippi.

PICAYUNE – Two thousand swamp gum seedlings are taking root in the Crosby Arboretum’s Gum Pond exhibit after an Earth Day celebration and planting party.

New South Access and Environmental Solutions donated the trees, and 24 employees and their family members volunteered to plant them into the arboretum’s Gum Pond educational exhibit on April 28.

The tree planting will help the arboretum to meet its mission of conservation and education, said Bob Brzuszek, associate professor of landscape architecture at Mississippi State University.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine honored its first graduating class in the four-year veterinary medical technology degree program with a special pinning ceremony April 27.

Dr. Allison Gardner, clinical instructor in CVM’s veterinary medical technology program, said veterinary technologists make important contributions in the field of animal care.

One spring-blooming shrub that garners almost as much attention as the azalea is the gardenia. The fragrance of the gardenia flower is beyond description, as it is both heady and strong.

The gardenias for our landscapes are known botanically as Gardenia jasminoides. They were brought to the Southeastern United States in the late 1700s from their native range in Japan and China. Some home gardeners refer to these plants as Cape jasmine.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Soybeans are usually an early-planted crop, but an unseasonably warm March gave some growers a chance to get in the fields a little ahead of the typical April 1 start date.

Trent Irby, Mississippi State University Extension Service state soybean specialist, said the crop was on track at the end of April.

“Many parts of the state got planted about two weeks earlier than normal,” Irby said. “Several places remained too wet to plant until mid-April, but overall, we’re slightly ahead of schedule.”

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and children both young and old are beginning the search for the gift that tells her she is the best mom ever.

Most people do not buy technology-based gifts for their mothers. Instead, they buy more sentimental items, such as flowers or perfume. However, as technology becomes more and more prevalent in our day-to-day lives, there is room to mesh the sentimentality of the day with technology.

By Rebekah Ray
MSU Delta Research and Extension Center

STONEVILLE -- Scientists at Mississippi State University’s Delta Research and Extension Center are researching new ways to reduce aflatoxin in infected corn.

Corn is one of the state’s leading row crops, but it is susceptible to aflatoxin, a fungus that can reduce profits and hurt marketability.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Youth interested in outdoor fun and hands-on learning experiences can register for two different summer camps focused on natural resources.

High school students curious about careers in natural resources are invited to attend Mississippi State University’s Natural Resources Summer Camp June 10 to 14. Any high school student entering ninth grade in 2012 or older may attend. This includes 2012 graduating seniors.