News From 2018

An application of peanut fungicide costs $15-20 per acre, so growers are relieved when they catch a year like 2018 when disease pressure is low.

While statewide peanut acreage is down significantly from last year -- about 25,000 acres compared with 42,000 in 2017 -- the crop benefited from good growing conditions, with average yields of 2 tons per acre.

A commitment to improving public health issues in Mississippi has brought David Buys to the presidency of the organization dedicated to similar goals.

Mississippians can do their part to combat the national opioid crisis and protect their home environments by dropping off unused medications at take-back sites around the state on Oct. 27.

BILOXI, Miss. -- Floral enthusiasts can enhance their design skills in a new horticulture course intended to enhance skills and inspire community volunteerism.

The 14-week Master Floral Designer course begins Jan. 10. Classes will be held once a week from 1 to 4 p.m. The course is a program of the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A Mississippi State University Extension Service turf grass expert will lead the Extension portion of a multistate effort to address herbicide resistance in a common weed.

Jay McCurdy, who has served as Extension turf specialist since 2014, is part of a $5.6 million grant project involving researchers and Extension specialists in a 16-state effort to limit the impact of annual bluegrass.

Those of you who keep up with Southern Gardening know that I’m a real fan of salvias.

One reason I like them is there are so many different types to choose from. I particularly like salvia farinacea, commonly called mealy cup sage or blue sage, for its landscape performance. These are tough plants, perfect for our Mississippi landscapes.

Thinning timber, prescribed fire and planting wildlife food plots are the most common tools in wildlife management, but there is another, often overlooked practice: using light disking to disturb the soil.

Summer weather allowed Mississippi pumpkin growers to have a good harvest, but there still are not enough pumpkins grown in the state to meet fall demand for this colorful crop.

Forty-three Mississippi State University Extension Service 4-H members were recognized recently during the annual Mississippi Congressional Award ceremony for their self-development accomplishments.

Extra sweets around the house for Halloween can haunt anyone’s good intentions, but a few healthy tricks can make this holiday fun for everyone.

Plant diversity is critical to the health of an ecosystem, but a single landscape can significantly enhance biodiversity.

The 40th Fall Flower and Garden Fest at the Mississippi State University Truck Crops Branch Station in Crystal Springs is behind us, and I have to say that it was one of the best I’ve ever attended.

Mississippi sweet potato fields that missed needed rains in June and July are experiencing favorable harvest conditions in October.

Jamie Earp, president of the Mississippi Sweet Potato Council, said yields are “fair, at best” at the halfway point in the 2018 harvest season.

Fall is a great time to walk in the woods and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the season. Leaves will soon change to their vivid fall colors, and deer, turkeys, squirrels and birds are stirring as the air gets cool and crisp.

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Community engagement and its role in higher education was the focus of a Mississippi State keynote and workshop this week by one of the nation’s leading authorities on engaged scholarship.

Elizabeth Gregory North, head of the Mississippi State University Extension Service Office of Agricultural Communications, is the newest member of the Southern Public Relations Federation’s Hall of Fame.

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State is supporting students from areas impacted by Hurricane Michael and urging them to make safety their top priority – especially regarding travel decisions during the university’s upcoming fall break Thursday and Friday [Oct. 11-12].

Finally, we’re going to start enjoying some cooler weather, and just in time. I’ve wanted to start writing about the fantastic cool-season color, but I’ve had to wait until the summertime heat starts to cool.

Mississippi producers can learn how to serve the farm-to-school market at an Alliance of Sustainable Farms event Oct 19.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service has received national recognition for a Healthy Homes Initiative marketing campaign.

The National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences presented Extension with the first-place Marketing Package Award for its Healthy Homes Initiative promotional efforts.