Mississippi Landmarks March 2017

Volume 13, Number 1

MARCH 2017

Planting Wildflower Trails of Mississippi ‌ page 18

Research, Education, and Extension in the Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine Mississippi State University

Contents Vo l u m e 1 3 , N u m b e r 1

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March 2017

On the Cover Wildflower Trails of Mississippi could soon attract both pollinators and tourists with statewide roadside plantings of colorful, native wildflowers and grasses. (Photo by Susan Collins-Smith)

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Understanding Equine and Human Asthma Horses and humans alike could benefit from an investigation by College of Veterinary Medicine researchers.

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An Example of Socially Responsible Design The Smithsonian Institution recognized a pavilion conceived by the Department of Landscape Architecture as an example of an innovative, collaborative community-centered design.

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Seed Tech: From Bin to Bag A short course provides a holistic approach to seed-processing education for agricultural consultants and row-crop producers.

11 MSU Visits China MSU representatives spent 2 weeks in China building relationships that can benefit international trade and research in Mississippi.

14 Birds Help Gauge Forest Health College of Forest Resources research links the presence of certain birds to conditions suitable for restoration of historic longleaf-pine forests.

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16 Choctaw Students Learn About Outdoor Careers Members of the Choctaw Youth Conservation Corps spent part of the summer working to beautify important cultural landmarks and learning about natural resources in a protected area of Nanih Waiya.

26 Organization Promotes Diversity Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences focuses on recruiting, retaining, and developing the professional skills of minority students and faculty in the Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine.

18 Planting Wildflower Trails of Mississippi MSU experts are working with Keep Mississippi Beautiful to help beautify the state’s roadsides.

27 County Profile Bynum Mounds, an important Native American ceremonial complex near the Natchez Trace Parkway in the Tombigbee National Forest, is a major attraction in Chickasaw County.

20 Turning Waste into a Valuable Resource Forest and Wildlife Research Center scientists examined the possibility of turning logging residues left behind after timber harvest into a viable source of biofuel.

22 Market Study Helps Producers Manage Livestock MAFES researchers are working to provide quantifiable data on how certain cattle traits influence price premiums and discounts on sale day.

24 Testing a Better Tactic to Scare Predatory Birds Researchers are using a remote-controlled quadcopter to better control fish-eating birds on Mississippi Delta catfish farms.

28 News Notes DAFVM takes note of faculty, staff, and student accomplishments.

30 Development Corner The Charles E. and Viola G. Bardsley Endowed Scholarship in Veterinary Medicine will benefit talented students in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Vice President’s Letter Research, Education, and Extension in the Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine

Mississippi LandMarks is published quarterly by the Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University.

PRESIDENT Mark E. Keenum VICE PRESIDENT Gregory A. Bohach DIRECTOR, MSU Extension Service Gary B. Jackson DEAN, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences DEAN, College of Forest Resources DIRECTOR, Forest and Wildlife Research Center DIRECTOR, Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station George M. Hopper DEAN, College of Veterinary Medicine Kent H. Hoblet Mississippi LandMarks is produced by the Office of Agricultural Communications.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Elizabeth Gregory North ASSOCIATE EDITORS Robyn Hearn Keri Collins Lewis GRAPHIC DESIGNER Annette Woods WRITERS Vanessa Beeson Linda Breazeale Amy Cagle Bonnie Coblentz Susan Collins-Smith Nathan Gregory PHOTOGRAPHERS Megan Bean Kevin Hudson Kat Lawrence Tom Thompson

For a subscription to Mississippi LandMarks or an address change, call (662) 325-2262.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Available on the World Wide Web www.dafvm.msstate.edu/landmarks

New calendar years often begin with new resolve. As we embark on 2017, leaders in the MSU Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine look to the needs of our clients and stakeholders. For decades, Mississippi producers have met with DAFVM scientists to plan research and education programs based on current issues. One way we foster this process is through annual Producer Advisory Council meetings at our Research and Extension Centers.

This year, just in time for these important sessions, two experienced Extension and research professionals began new administrative roles in the division: Dr. Jane Parish, head of the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center based in Verona; and Dr. James Henderson, head of the Coastal Research and Extension Center based in Biloxi.

Our goal is to deliver high-quality, scientifically validated information that makes our agricultural partners—who are also our neighbors—more profitable, productive, and sustainable in their endeavors. In response to the ongoing financial challenges across our state and nation, we are prioritizing programs to serve Mississippians effectively and efficiently. One program that reaches more and more people each year is the Row Crops Short Course, which hosted more than 600 producers , crop consultants, and other agricultural professionals for an intensive 3-day meeting in December.

Preliminary estimates of agricultural commodity values in 2016 show a slight increase over 2015, with a predicted total of $7.36 billion. Poultry continues to hold the top spot among the state’s commodities, with an estimated farm-gate value of $2.93 billion. Other commodities that performed well this year were timber, soybeans, cotton, sweet potatoes, and peanuts, which all set record or near-record production values or yields.

Strong relationships with our state’s agricultural organizations and key legislators make it possible for the division to continue delivering the high level of targeted academic, research, and outreach programs our units are known for. From state and federal legislators to county supervisors to 4-H volunteers and parents to farm and commodity organizations, we rely on collaboration, teamwork, and a shared sense of purpose to propel Mississippi into a successful future. Thank you for your continued support!

In each issue of Mississippi LandMarks, we strive to share the fascinating people, places, and projects we are privileged to have in DAFVM. Sometimes, division personnel serve as unofficial ambassadors when they travel for professional development, such as the large group of faculty, students, and staff who traveled to China in 2016 (see page 11). In other instances, we are able to share our passion for education with new audiences and invite them to explore new career options while learning about the world around them; for example, see the article about the Choctaw Youth Conservation Program on page 16. No matter what our roles are, we are proud to represent Mississippi State wherever we go!

Best wishes for a fantastic 2017,

Gregory A. Bohach

EQUINE ASTHMA RESEARCH Can Benefit Human Health

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Dr. Jackie Bowser (left), an assistant professor in the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine Department of Clinical Sciences; and Margaret McKibben, an undergraduate in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences and summer intern in the Translational Respiratory Research Laboratory, work with a patient suffering from equine pasture asthma.

Mississippi LandMarks March 2017

Dr. Cyprianna Swiderski, a native “Mississippi has a high inciof Maryland, did not know how much dence of severe and uncontrolled a move to the Southeast could impact asthma among its human populaher research career, now aimed at tion,” she continued. “Could there helping horses and people who suffer be a connection between people and from asthma. what horses experience in the state’s A few weeks into her equine medpastures?” icine residency at Louisiana State Recent discoveries have prompted University in 1989, Swiderski treated a renaming the barn-associated form of patient with an asthma-like disease the disease from “recurrent airway that strikes certain horses while they obstruction” to “equine asthma.”

Dr. Cypriana Swiderski (front left), an associate professor in the CVM are grazing pastures in the Southeast.

Based on her work at MSU, Swiderski Department of Clinical Sciences; Caitlin Wenzel (back left), a master’s “The signs were nearly identical to student in veterinary medical science; Dr. Jackie Bowser; and Margaret advocates the term “equine pasture a disease that is common in horses McKibben work in the Translational Respiratory Research Laboratory. asthma” for the Southeastern disease. housed in dusty, moldy barns in colder Early support for Swiderski’s interned with Swiderski and studied climates,” Swiderski said. “My first pony program came from CVM and the pasture asthma extensively in the course developed the barn-associated disease but Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry of her doctoral research at LSU. improved by being kept outside.”

Experiment Station. She conducted RNA “Today, Dr. Swiderski is considered Affected horses on pastures show sequencing on surgically excised lung the leading expert on this disease,” Costa signs of heaves as they struggle to breathe samples from horses with pasture asthma. said. “Others are working on barn-associduring warmer months when grass pollen Her goal was to determine if the similariated asthma, but she is the doctor other and fungal spores are more prevalent. ties to asthma that she saw clinically could veterinarians turn to for guidance on Symptoms typically decrease or disappear be identified at the molecular level in the pasture asthma treatments and research. during the cooler months. lung samples.

“There are many aspects of the disease “I was very disturbed by the suffering Swiderski was careful to explain that that needed attention,” she added.

“Dr. of my patient,” Swiderski said. “There the condition is not necessarily an allergic Swiderski’s lab has characterized the was no effective way to remove him from reaction. pathology of the lungs of affected horses these agents in the pasture air that were “People with asthma and our horses and identified lesions that mirror those of making it difficult for him to breathe.” are over-responsive to airway stimuli,” she human lungs with asthma. In fact, horse At LSU, Swiderski began looking at said. “This may or may not be truly allergic. asthma is more similar to human asthma the immune responses of affected horses.

There are large gaps in our understanding than any other animal model. Dr. By the time she joined the faculty at of why a diseased animal over-responds to Swiderski also has active projects to identhe MSU College of Veterinary Medicine the exact environment that fails to elicit tify medications that will help, and has also (CVM) in 2004, medical knowledge about these signs in a normal animal. developed a test for horses in remission.” asthma was changing.

“We are looking for the links between Costa pointed out that horses in “We knew the disease appeared human asthma and equine pasture asthma, remission could be sold to unsuspecting nearly identical to human asthma, except with the primary goal to prevent the new owners, only to suffer flare-ups when for one important thing,” she said. “The problem before it starts,” Swiderski continseasonal conditions change. inflammation in the airways of affected ued. “Our work positioned us to examine “An important start for our program horses contained a different cell type from this question at the molecular level in a were the lung samples that Dr. Costa human asthma—at least as asthma was way that will impact this basic knowledge passed on to me from her PhD work,” described back then—leading to the while also identifying novel therapies.”

Swiderski noted. “She is a meticulous and general assumption that these horses did The lab’s collective findings allowed talented researcher whose samples not have asthma.

Swiderski to earn a grant from the USDA founded our expanding library of samples “In those 15 years since my residency, National Institute of Food and Agriculture we use for our research. the body of knowledge was recognizing to continue this research. MSU’s effort in “I am absolutely fascinated with this that certain asthmatics, particularly those this study is enhanced with the addition disease,” she said. “In addition to our with more severe asthma, had the same of Dr. Jacquelyn Bowser, a coinvestigator work on what triggers this disease and type of inflammation in their lungs that we on the grant team. how to effectively manage the condition, see in our horses with pasture asthma,” Material in this article is based on information continues to emerge that she added. work supported by the USDA National increases the relevance of our work to These clinical similarities led Swiderski Institute of Food and Agriculture under human asthma.” and her team of students to carefully award number 2015-67016-23172.

The solution to this mystery holds examine horses with the disease for other important ramifications for Mississippians, similarities to severe human asthma.

Swiderski said. Horses and humans alike By Linda Breazeale • Photos by Tom Thompson Dr. Lais Costa, a staff veterinarian at can benefit from the MSU investigation. the University of California, Davis, 5

All for One,

Designed by All

MSU Design Featured in Smithsonian

“It is educational in its design, as a demonstration for the community and as a laboratory for students. It was created to teach the community about water-use management and reuse of materials.”—Cory Gallo

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Mississippi LandMarks March 2017

Associate professor of architecture Hans Herrmann (left) and associate professor of landscape architecture Cory Gallo led their students in a long-term collaboration with the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum.

As with many creative projects, the rain garden at the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum began with a problem.

In 2008, storm-water runoff was causing damage beneath the museum, so museum officials asked landscape architecture faculty members in the MSU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to find a solution. Landscape architects Wayne Wilkerson and Cory Gallo proposed building a rain garden, which evolved into a multiphase, multiyear project.

In an effort to reimagine the facility’s outdoor space, museum officials collaborated with the university’s Department of Landscape Architecture and School of Architecture. The space’s crown jewel, a 600-square-foot, super-use pavilion, attracted the attention of the Smithsonian Institution.

The pavilion is featured in an exhibition named “By the People: Designing a Better America.” Organized by Cynthia E. Smith, curator of socially responsible design, this exhibition is housed at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City. The Smithsonian selected 60 projects across the U.S. as examples of innovative, collaborative communitycentric designs.

“The Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum rain garden is a student-driven project focused on community,” explained associate professor Cory Gallo, who led the landscape architecture component of the design effort.

“It is educational in its design, as a demonstration for the community and as a laboratory for students,” he added. “It was created to teach the community about water-use management and reuse of materials. The length of the effort speaks to how much was done. More than 100 students worked year-round for more than 5 years to realize this vision.”

That project included a 700-square-foot rain garden, a 200-square-foot sand filter, a 1,000-gallon rainwater cistern, 1,000 square feet of plants, and a museum entrance compliant with the American Disabilities Act. The pavilion anchors the site.

Design team members wanted the pavilion to meet two objectives. They wanted to create a demonstration roof garden and an outdoor gathering space.

Out of necessity imposed by a limited budget, the team sought resources they could repurpose and reuse.

Hans Herrmann, associate professor of architecture, obtained a steel structure to use as the pavilion’s roof. A local business owner donated a pump canopy from a gas station. Team members upcycled the frame, reinforced the steel, and turned the structure into the bed of a roof garden. The team refurbished a salvaged church staircase and installed it to provide roof access. They installed donated LED lighting in the ceiling. Designers worked with the materials they had to create the space they envisioned.

While the Friends of the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum worked to raise funds, students and faculty members found ways to connect and innovate. Several businesses across Mississippi donated time, money, materials, and expertise.

The space has earned several awards since its completion, including national awards from the American Society of Landscape Architects, the American Institute of Architects, and the Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, it has earned several statelevel accolades.

“It is a low-tech suggestion for how we can accomplish the goals we’ve set for trying to save the planet,” Herrmann explained, pinpointing the factor that distinguishes this design. “To me, it was a way

to demonstrate to people, if you just look at what is at your fingertips and find a way to make it useful again, you can get an amazing result.

“I think people like that, and they like the inclusiveness of it,” he added. “Everyone coming together to make it happen, sharing a vision, and appreciation for what we are trying to do, resonates with people.”

Sara Lamb, who graduated with a master’s degree in landscape architecture in December 2015, helped build the project.

She described it as a labor of love.

“I was part of a summer design/build class that erected the pavilion,” she said. “I had recently taken a theoretical class about grading. On the first day of class, Cory handed the plans over to me and said, ‘You just finished grading. Figure out where our footing is supposed to go.’ It was a real practical application of what we had just learned. We set up the transits, shot grades, and did the math to figure out what height the top of the footing would be.”

Her master’s thesis examined the impact of the pavilion on local wildlife, comparing the urban green roof to green roofs in rural settings. Lamb said lessons from the project help her now as she pursues a doctoral degree at Virginia Tech.

“That summer, I learned the value of hard work; being out there in the heat, I learned I was tough,” Lamb said. “We developed a strong sense of camaraderie working together to accomplish a shared vision. The experience emphasized the importance of getting involved in the community. Being a part of that project inspired me to continue to find ways to better my community.”

According to information presented in the Smithsonian exhibit, the ideas used in the museum landscape could have significant environmental impacts if they saw widespread adoption. If all of the approximately 120,000 gas-station canopies in the U.S. had green roofs, they would create 15 square miles of habitat for birds and insects.

These green-roofed canopies would also improve watershed health by filtering pollutants and retaining more than 3.6 billion gallons of rain per year. They would mitigate air pollution by absorbing more than 15 tons of carbon per year, offsetting the carbon dioxide emissions of 11,000 cars.

By Vanessa Beeson • Photos by Megan Bean

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Bin Bag From to

Short Course Takes Systems Approach to Seed Industry The process a seed goes through before it reaches a warehouse or store shelf involves much more than watering and harvesting.

Larger issues come into play, including laws, regulations, and seed quality.

Industry and academic authorities at each step of a seed’s journey offered their expertise to consultants and seed industry personnel last year at “Seed Tech: From Bin to Bag,” a short course presented by the MSU Extension Service and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES).

Dr. Jason Ward, a former assistant Extension professor and program organizer, said the annual conference provides a holistic approach to seed-processing education. Experts covered basic procedures such as seed cleaning, separating, and sorting, but they also discussed testing, labeling, litigation, color sorting, intellectual property, and legal issues.

“Other seed-based programs focus on specific seed types or specific approaches,” Ward said. “I believe our course is unique in that it takes a systems approach to issues in the seed industry.

“We don’t believe you can solve issues you need to manage on a day-today basis by being an expert in one thing,” he added. “We’re at this nexus of machinery, seed, and environment and have to be able to speak to all sides of that in order to ensure we can make a quality product that meets the needs of the user.”

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Mississippi LandMarks March 2017

MSU President Mark Keenum told attendees their work is critical in assisting developing countries as they address food insecurity and malnutrition.

“Other seed-based programs

focus on specific seed types or specific approaches. I believe

our course is unique in that it

takes a systems approach to issues in the seed industry.”

Dr. Jason Ward

“I tell students at Mississippi State that by the time they reach my age, we’re going to have about 10 billion people on the planet,” Keenum said. “The challenge for all of us as a society is how we’re going to feed another 3 billion people at our global dinner table in the next three-plus decades. Meeting those needs is going to happen through the work of this university and others like it across the nation, and through innovative industries that have an interest in food security.”

Edgar Cabrera, a senior consultant at DuPont Pioneer and former seed-processing agronomist at MSU, focused on postharvest storage, a critical aspect of maintaining high-quality seed. He reviewed key issues, such as the role of proper aeration in stabilizing seed for

storage and accomplishing quality results in the field. Excess moisture causes seed to deteriorate, while overdrying can have similar effects.

“Drying is a time-dependent process and doesn’t occur linearly,” Cabrera said.

“Because damage to seed can be done by high temperatures, the risk is biggest at the beginning of drying. Airflow is necessary in storage units to keep seeds from deteriorating. If seeds sit there for a long time, it’s like keeping them in an accelerated aging chamber. Good air-flow rates prevent drying too fast or overdrying.”

Randy Vaughan, assistant director of MAFES Foundation Seed Stocks, said principles of seed separation remain unchanged despite technological advances. The goal of seed cleaning has always been to remove as much foreign material as possible and to separate out bad seed.

“The success in separation of weed seed from crop seed can vary from simple to difficult because seeds and their associated contaminants come in all shapes, sizes, weights, and colors,” Vaughan said.

“Seed producers separate undesirable material by exploiting the differences in one or more physical characteristics of seeds or contaminants.

“Principles of seed separation are applied in practice when a rough seed mass is ready to be brought into a seedcleaning facility,” he said. “Analysis of a representative rough seed sample should

Participants of the 2016 Seed Technology Short Course view a demonstration of the aspirator donated to MSU by LMC Manufacturing Company of Donaldsonville, Georgia. This equipment separates various types of seed from their associated contaminants. Used as a precleaner of rough seed, it complements existing equipment dedicated to the MAFES Foundation Seed Stocks program.

be conducted first before developing a strategy to clean out the contaminants based on the various separation principles. Lastly, it is necessary to identify and utilize the available commercial equipment capable of exploiting the needed principles to achieve the desired seed-separation goals.”

Other speakers emphasized specific pieces of seed-cleaning equipment and how to best optimize their performance.

LMC Manufacturing sales engineer Myles Mosely discussed precleaning the seed, which removes inert matter from good seed before cleaning, as well as gravity separation, which breaks up particles based on their density.

The most common and effective precleaners, he said, are aspirators because they remove light, unwanted material through separation by density and aerodynamic profiles. Modules that classify particles according to mass are known as “decks.” Major adjustments that can be used in gravity separation are deck height,

product in-feed rate, eccentric speed, air control, discharge rate, and bed depth.

“Eccentric speed and air control is where rubber meets road on gravity separation,” Mosely said. “The most common problems with gravity separators are inexperienced operators, lack of size consistency, and exceeding the capacity of the deck. You have to know what it is doing and not just sit in the control room.”

Tim Cummings, parts sales manager at Carter-Day International, discussed calibrating machinery used to grade and size seed according to length and width. Disc machines measure by length, and sizers grade by width.

“It’s important that you’re not overfeeding shells when you’re using sizers because the product won’t have an opportunity to drop through perforations, and you have inefficient width-grading application at that point if you’re over capacity,” Cummings said. “The velocity of the incoming product can be critical when you’re feeding seeds through a

piece of equipment. Adjusting the cylinder speed can improve this process.”

Next, speakers addressed new tools that deliver added value and performance to seed. Chip Graham, Bayer Crop Science technical development specialist, said coatings, colorants, and inoculants have taken on significant roles in seed treatments, which help plants establish solid roots and reach full yield potential. Some cotton seeds, for example, receive up to nine coatings.

“Coatings have given us ability to keep products and enhancements on the seed, and they are better for the environment and for nontarget pests than spraying a round of insecticide or foliar spray,” he said. “A buzz word in seed treatment is ‘drought tolerant.’ We don’t always know what our water situation is going to be, so any product that helps withstand drought has huge potential.”

Seeds are stringently evaluated to ensure they are ready to perform, and they are clearly labeled to inform growers

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LMC Manufacturing Company sales engineer Myles Mosely (left) talks with Bill and Cathy Booth of Buck Island Seed Company of Tunica, Mississippi, about the new aspirator.

of exactly what they are getting. Fabian Watts, director of Mississippi Seed Testing and Inspection, discussed seed testing and labeling.

Samples are passed through mechanical dividers to test purity composition.

Results provide the information needed for seed labeling. Distributors must secure permits each year before they can sell seed and are required to put the type and variety on each label.

“Seed count is subject to regulation under truth-in-labeling laws, so you are not subject to the laws unless you put the seed count on your label,” Watts said.

“Labels must have the origin and percentage by weight of weed seed, which you cannot have more than 1 percent of in each unit. You also can’t sell more than 9 months after the test was completed between the germination test date and time the seeds are offered for sale.”

Dr. Brent Turnipseed, South Dakota State University plant science professor, covered stress and vigor testing. He said these tests determine the likelihood of uniform emergence of large quantities of seed after planting.

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Mississippi LandMarks March 2017

“Standard germination tests can be inadequate because they determine how seeds will produce under optimum conditions,” Turnipseed said. “Soil moisture, water availability, rainfall, temperatures, and nutrients affect environment and fertility. Moisture stress during seed maturation can cause seed to shrivel.”

Steve Malone, program manager for the USDA Organization for Economic Cooperation Development Seed Schemes division, discussed how the Federal Seed Act supports states in enforcing seed laws.

“The truth-in-labeling law makes sure what’s on the tag is in the bag,” Malone said. “It promotes accurate labeling of seed, protects seed customers, and creates a level playing field for companies.”

Modern transgene seeds are considered technology and are protected through utility patents, which means growers need to understand the rules of seed saving. Jim Mitchell, a licensing associate with the MSU Office of Technology Management, discussed the role of the Plant Variety Protection Act in protecting owners’ seed marketing rights.

“This act incentivized private institutions to accelerate rapid development of

new seed varieties,” he said. “It became a change agent when it was passed because everything was formerly brown-bag seed that producers caught and saved. The act restricts users’ rights and protects owners’ rights.”

With assistance from the Extension Center for Technology Outreach, the 2day course was posted on the Seed Technology Short Course website, along with archives of MSU research.

Proceedings from short courses from the 1960s to the 1990s are being digitized with the help of MSU Libraries.

“We will continue to make this content available to producers and Extension, as well as the industry, because we believe that trained partners drive delivery of a better product,” Ward said. “We have a public duty to increase knowledge and understanding and to drive behavior change that allows the seed industry to continue to be the first step in feeding the world. We expect growers to do so fully within the scope of their agreements with industry partners and to respect the technology that makes modern farming possible.”

By Nathan Gregory • Photos by Kevin Hudson

BUILDING GUANXI

Deep South Goes to the Far East

When asked what they value most about international trade partners, Chinese agricultural and research officials start their answers with one word: “guanxi.”

Pronounced “gwan SHE,” this term refers to a network of relationships designed to provide support and cooperation among the parties involved in doing business.

Ten agents with the MSU Extension Service spent 2 weeks in Shanghai, Tai’an, and Beijing as part of an international trade training program in 2016. Their objectives included increasing knowledge of international trade for the benefit of Mississippi agriculture, analyzing how international trade systems work with U.S. agricultural exporters, and networking with international agricultural organizations.

Before the trip, more than 20 agents visited several Mississippi Delta and Gulf Coast ports and cold-storage facilities. Ten of the agents were invited to China based on a

rigorous application process. Joining them were several MSU students, including undergraduate chemistry majors and doctoral candidates in the MSU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS).

Dr. Susan Seal, codirector of the study tour and executive director of the MSU Center for Distance Education, said a major role of Extension is to help expand the state’s agricultural economy by helping producers.

“This in-service showed agents product export potential in one of the world’s largest trade markets,” she said. “It is developing connections between agents and the officials who can get Mississippi products there.”

By growing crops to meet the increased demand in expanding international economies, U.S. producers can offset the ups and downs of the domestic economy.

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“With 80 percent of the world’s buying power outside the U.S., Mississippi producers selling strictly domestically are only reaching a segment of their potential customer base,” she said.

“Agricultural exports have become a vital component of Mississippi’s economy, and recent trade agreements with other countries have created links between the U.S. and additional markets.”

One of those agreements with China fell into place not long after the agents’ trip. China, the world’s second-biggest beef importer, lifted its 13year ban on U.S. beef.

“China is a great market for producers to enter because many clients here see a lot of credibility in what America brings,” said Katherine Woody, deputy director of the Agricultural Trade Office branch at the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai.

“Events such as trade shows allow producers to provide samples of their goods, showcase them to potential clients, and find out where certain produce and goods are in high demand.”

A first step in encouraging producers to include exports in their business models is to promote state government services and marketplace resources that can help them, said Theresa Hand, Hinds County coordinator for the Extension Service.

“If we don’t know what foreign markets are looking for and the resources Mississippi agencies already provide to reach those markets, we can’t expect producers to know, and I think many of them would buy in once they saw how much buying power exists outside the state and the U.S.,” she said. “Extension agents develop relationships one-on-one in their counties, and taking that same approach with representatives in overseas markets can create a connection to our producers that would provide them a point of entry into exporting and possibly add jobs to our existing industry.”

In Shanghai, agents toured grocery chains, a seafood market, a deep-water port, and a state-ofthe-art cold-storage facility. They also toured a farmers’ market in Ta’ian and visited horticultural

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Mississippi LandMarks March 2017

Lawrence County Extension Coordinator Amanda Masholie (left), DAFVM Vice President Greg Bohach, Pearl River County Extension agent Monet Kees, Copiah County Extension agent Melissa Morgan, Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station research professor Guihong Bi, and Wayne County Extension Coordinator Lanette Crocker listen to a professor (center, white shirt) discuss tea research at Shandong Agricultural University.

Grenada County Extension agent Jan Walton (left), Center for Distance Education Executive Director Susan Seal, and Melissa Morgan are shown at the Dai Bei Farmers’ Market in Ta’ian.

MAFES research associate Judson LeCompte (left), MAFES associate professor Shien Lu, MAFES research associate Jason Morris, MSU student Oliver Wang, Monet Kees, MSU student Jacob Oakley, Hinds County Extension Coordinator Theresa Hand, and Pearl River County Extension Coordinator Eddie Smith listen to a tour guide (fourth from left) in Shouguang, known as China’s “Home of Vegetables.”

crop-production systems in nearby Shouguang to learn about production in protected environments.

Learning about export opportunities for Mississippi producers was a prime objective, but strengthening partnerships between MSU and like-minded universities in China was another major goal. Agents met with faculty and students at Shandong Agricultural University (SDAU) in Ta’ian, which has a memorandum of understanding with MSU. SDAU research includes studies in horticulture, plant protection, and row-crop and animal production.

Two codirectors of the study tour are SDAU graduates: Dr. Guihong Bi and Dr.

Shien Lu, who are now CALS professors and MAFES scientists.

Dr. Jiwang Zhang, an SDAU professor of agronomy, said his university can learn more about long-established models for Mississippi 4-H programs to create an equivalent of 4-H in China.

“We need more young people in China to be exposed to agriculture,” he said. “Like in the U.S., many of our producers are older. Because production costs are relatively high for producers, a lot of young people don’t want to farm and seek manufacturing jobs in cities. We have to improve our technology and promote agricultural development to get more young people involved in the profession.”

In Beijing, the group toured the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences plant factory and germplasm collection and met with faculty and students at China Agricultural University.

Visiting universities abroad that conduct research similar to that done at MSU provided the opportunity to compare and adopt some new approaches, said Judson LeCompte, a MAFES research associate and doctoral student in floriculture and ornamental horticulture.

“This trip has connected me to scientists who can collaborate with future research,” he said. “It has also given me many ideas for future research and methods that I can take to Mississippi farmers.

“Due to the large population, and less and less arable area, the Chinese farmers have to take full advantage of the land to grow crops,” LeCompte added. “They use terraces to increase production, and it can also increase the soil’s ability to hold water and take in nutrients. The result is greatly improved land-use efficiency and a reduction of waste and resources.”

Story and photos by Nathan Gregory

“This in-service showed agents product export potential in one of the world’s largest trade markets. It is developing connections between agents and the officials who can get Mississippi products there.”—Dr. Susan Seal

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Some Birds Indicate Healthy Longleaf-Pine Forests

Forest structures associated with the historic longleaf-pine range were positively associated with the red-cockaded woodpecker.

“Wildlife managers, conservationists, landowners, and birds can greatly benefit from this research because when the presence of these two species is detected, we can develop specific management objectives that can be realistically met to aid restoration.�

Taylor Hannah

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Mississippi LandMarks March 2017

Scientists know birds are excellent indicators of ecosystem health, and recent MSU research proves certain species can help landowners with efforts to revitalize oncedominant longleaf-pine forests.

Stretching from southeast Virginia to eastern Texas, the historic longleaf-pine forest was one of the richest and largest ecosystems in the world. Its strong, massive pines and park-like understory created the ideal habitat for a diversity of wildlife. However, the forest disappeared about 150 years ago after mature trees were harvested for lumber and wildland fire was suppressed.

Taylor Hannah, who earned a master’s degree in wildlife science from the MSU College of Forest Resources in 2015, collected data on the relationship between forest structure and four different bird species at 148 randomly selected points in Mississippi’s historic longleaf-pine range. The four birds were the Bachman’s sparrow, red-cockaded woodpecker, northern bobwhite, and brown-headed nuthatch.

“We wanted to know if we could link birds generally associated with longleaf pine to specific forest-structure conditions to better inform open-pine restoration efforts so that restored areas will provide suitable habitat for priority bird species,” Hannah said.

At each selected location, she collected data on forest structure and vegetation, including canopy cover, midstory density, understory density, herbaceous density, leaf-litter density, tree-species composition, stand density, and tree diameter at breast height. She also counted numbers of each of the four bird species.

“Measuring these variables helped tell us what forest conditions were correlated with priority bird species occupancy and avian species richness,” said Hannah, who is now pursuing a PhD in wildlife biology at Utah State University.

Her research also retested Open Pine Decision Support Tool, a geographic information system program that helps scientists and wildlife managers identify forests that can be successfully restored.

Submitted

Photo by Kat Lawrence Taylor Hannah (top photo) earned her master’s degree at MSU after studying the relationship between forest structure and four different bird species. Dr. Scott Rush (bottom photo) was Hannah’s faculty adviser.

The tool detects usage, urban density, land ownership, and priority bird populations.

Hannah found that forest structures associated with the historic longleaf-pine range were positively correlated with Bachman’s sparrows and red-cockaded woodpeckers. Both species prefer the habitat created by the open canopy with sparse tree density, little or no midstory, and thick, herbaceous groundcover.

Dr. Scott Rush, an assistant professor in the MSU Forest and Wildlife Research Center Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, said open-pine forests create an ideal living space for these birds.

Red-cockaded woodpeckers excavate cavities into live trees and need the resin pines provide around the opening to help keep out predators. They live in families and like the sparse placement of the pines so they can be together without being too crowded. Prescribed fire suppresses the understory growth that helps predators reach woodpecker nests.

Prescribed fire makes way for the groundnesting Bachman’s sparrow.

“Taylor’s research also revealed that when both of these species are present, the number of other avian species present is higher,” Rush said. “That increased avian richness is an excellent indicator of ecosystem health because birds will be some of the first animals to respond to an unhealthy environment because of their fast metabolism.”

Although the presence of these birds provides only a snapshot of forest health, it is a good gauge for deciding whether the open-pine habitat can be reestablished in an area.

“Wildlife managers, conservationists, landowners, and birds can greatly benefit from this research because when the presence of these two species is detected, we can develop specific management objectives that can be realistically met to aid restoration,” Hannah said.

Results from Hannah’s thesis appeared in the journal Forest Ecology and Management in 2016.

By Susan Collins-Smith

15

Several people squealed in disgust and moved backward when Isias Joe approached them with a nonvenomous speckled king snake. The energetic 16-yearold just grinned and kept moving.

“I used to think the only good snake was a dead snake,” he confessed. “But now I understand the good they can do.

This is the kind of snake you want to have around.”

Isias is one of 14 members in the revitalized Choctaw Youth Conservation Corps who spent part of the summer working to beautify an important cultural landmark and learning about natural resources. The corps, originally established in the 1970s, created the trail this year’s group rehabilitated.

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The Best OfficeYou CanGet

Partnership with Choctaws Promotes Natural Resource Careers

Through a grant from the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act, several partners collaborated to develop a summer program curriculum tied to environmental science and career exploration. Willa Brantley, education division director for Choctaw Tribal Schools, said she and her staff selected students who had participated in the environmental science camp and who had good attendance and behavior records.

“We wanted the kids to learn about science and careers, but also about their heritage and culture while they beautified the Cave Mound,” she explained. “Mitzi Reed is our tribal biologist and the director

MSU Extension associate Steven Tucker (man in white shirt), who specializes in human-wildlife conflicts, shows Choctaw Youth Conservation Corps (CYCC) participants how to monitor a wild-hog corral trap from a smartphone.

Mitzi Reed (left), tribal biologist and director of Choctaw Wildlife and Parks, participates in a wildlife demonstration with Destiny Graham of Neshoba County.

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Mississippi LandMarks March 2017

CYCC participant Isias Joe (left) works with Tim Pauls, Choctaw Wildlife and Parks wildlife officer, to construct a wild-hog corral trap.

of Choctaw Wildlife and Parks, and she is the ideal person to lead this program because she’s such a strong role model.”

Reed opted to structure the days to feature conservation efforts in the morning and educational sessions after lunch. The location— a protected area of Nanih Waiya not open to the public—also offered opportunities for sharing cultural practices.

“We were able to share our art and culture, such as basket weaving from swamp cane, and blow gun creation and demonstration,” Reed said. “They got to learn more about outdoor cooking of traditional foods, including banaha, which is like a boiled tamale, and walakshi, which are dumplings made with blackberries and blueberries.

“We focused on clearing the trails, which were overgrown, and removing fallen trees,” she said. “They cut grass, pulled weeds, and encountered a lot of wildlife. After learning more about snakes, they became intrigued by the snakes we came across in our work, and they know which ones to approach rather than immediately running away.”

For several of the afternoon workshops, Reed turned to longtime collaborator Jim McAdory, an agent with the MSU Extension Service who works with the tribe. McAdory delivered programs about managing land for wild turkeys, greenhouse production, land measurement, and high-tunnel vegetable production.

“Some of these kids have really absorbed the information and were genuinely interested in it,” he shared. “Every time I would chat with them, I would try to tie the culture of the tribe back into natural resources. They’re very proud of their tribe, take a lot of ownership in their culture, and learning more in-depth how natural resources ties into that culture is something we’ve tried to relay to them throughout the program.”

Dr. Blake Layton, Extension entomologist, was among the Extension faculty members invited to share their expertise. He worked with students to identify and appreciate insects in the area, such as dragonflies, which help control mosquitoes. Dr. Jason Gordon, associate Extension professor of forestry, taught tree identification. Extension associate Steven Tucker brought a wild-hog trap and worked with the participants to set it up and see firsthand how it works and why wild hogs are such a problem.

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Reed and McAdory also brought the students to MSU for a tour of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

“It’s a great opportunity to get the most innovative instructors to come from MSU and give the kids the most knowledge they can get about a subject, and it gives them access to people actually doing the work,” Reed observed. “We want to pique their interest in a career in natural resources. We tell them up front they won’t make much money, but they’ll love what they do.”

That message hit home with Isias, whose enthusiasm for the program was infectious.

“I’m leaning more toward a career in science now—look at this,” he said, gesturing to the tree-lined Nanih Waiya Creek, trailhead, and pavilion. “It’s the best office you can get.”

Alice Keats, a rising junior at Choctaw Central High School, was proud of what she learned and accomplished during the program, from running a weed eater to cooking over an open fire.

“Our goal is to eventually connect the trail between these two mounds—Cave Mound and Mother Mound—as it was in the past,” she said. “We have to map the trail, clear it, and connect the two places. Everyone should be able to walk here, to the mound and back, to preserve our heritage and see what we’ve done.”

By Keri Collins Lewis • Photos by Kevin Hudson

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I used to think the only good snake was a dead snake. But now I understand the good they can do. This is the kind of snake you want to have around.

Isias Joe

Isias Joe holds a nonvenomous speckled king snake while delivering his presentation on what he learned about reptiles during the summer program.

17

An MSU researcher is helping turn Mississippi roadsides into eye-catching pollinator habitats and tourist attractions.

Dr. Brett Rushing, an assistant Extension and research professor at the MAFES Coastal Plain Branch Experiment Station in Newton, supports Wildflower Trails of Mississippi in its effort to fill available and suitable property across the state with colorful, native wildflowers and grasses. Coordinated by Keep Mississippi Beautiful, this project began in 2015.

Rushing, whose focus is on native grasses and conservation crops, provides the knowledge base to get the right species planted and to keep the areas maintained.

He studied native wildflower and grass varieties and put together a custom seed blend that performs well in Mississippi’s climate.

“Every year at conventions, I see pictures and presentations of other states’ beautification and pollinator projects,” said Sarah Kountouris, executive director of Keep Mississippi Beautiful. “Many states, like Texas, have had wildflower projects for years, and I thought that it would be great to get something going for Mississippi.”

For help with the logistics of choosing flower varieties, planting sites, and maintaining established plots, Kountouris recruited the MSU Extension Service, Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, Mississippi Department of Transportation, Mississippi Association of Conservation Districts, Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission, Garden Clubs of Mississippi, and U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“In Mississippi, we have a knowledge gap on wildflowers,” Rushing said.

“Wildflowers are a whole different suite of plants. They can’t compete with traditional sod grasses and are very sensitive to certain herbicides. For Mississippi to have a successful wildflower program, we need to learn what planting methods and management practices work best.”

To find these answers, Rushing planted test plots at the Coastal Plain station in April 2016 using three different planting methods. On one plot, he broadcast seed on top of a prepared seedbed where preexisting vegetation was controlled with herbicides. On another, he planted seed with a no-till drill into a stale

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Mississippi LandMarks March 2017

WILDFLOWER

PROJECT Brightens Mississippi Highways

Photo by Susan Collins-Smith

seedbed. On the third, he broadcast seed onto a prepared seedbed where preexisting vegetation was not sprayed. He is analyzing the effectiveness of different herbicide rates, active ingredients, and application timing.

“On the test plots and on the areas planted around the state, we’re looking at what works and what doesn’t,” Rushing said. “For example, we want to determine

if planting seed with a no-till drill results in a higher rate of establishment success as compared to broadcasting seed on top of the ground.”

Extension Publication 3000, Wildflower Trails of Mississippi, details the project and can help state, county, and municipal agencies maintain the planted sites across the state.

The general public can use the information to successfully plant and maintain wildflowers in their yards and communities.

Rushing said he wants to cultivate Mississippi-bred wildflower seeds through the project.

“A majority of the species we are planting come from outside the state,” he said. “Ultimately, we would like to develop our own sources of germplasm that are adapted to Mississippi’s climate.”

Wildflower Trails of Mississippi planted several sites across the state in 2016 and is preparing many more sites for planting in 2017. Participating cities include Hattiesburg, Winona, Tupelo, Ridgeland, Cleveland, Raymond, Magee, Mendenhall, Clinton, Crystal Springs, and Madison.

“I’ve been overwhelmed with the response from cities and communities across the state,” Kountouris said. “A lot of people are interested in this project, and I am so happy that people want something like this here. We wouldn’t be where we are with this project without our partners.

We are so appreciative of their help.”

Kountouris said she hopes the ongoing project will boost tourism and Mississippians’ pride in their state.

“The Texas bluebonnets draw a huge ecotourism crowd, ranking third among the reasons people visit Texas,” she said.

“In time, with the right planning and management, I think Mississippi could experience the same kind of benefit. I also hope that people will not throw litter out in these or other areas.”

For more information on Wildflower Trails of Mississippi, visit the project website at http://www.mswildflowers.org.

By Susan Collins-Smith Dr. Brett Rushing (center) works to support Wildflower Trails of Mississippi, a program coordinated by Keep Mississippi Beautiful. Also pictured are Neeley Norman (left) and Sarah Kountouris, assistant director and executive director, respectively, of Keep Mississippi Beautiful.

“Wildflowers are a whole different suite of plants.

They can’t compete with traditional sod grasses and are very sensitive to certain herbicides. For Mississippi to have a successful wildflower program, we need to learn what planting methods and management practices work best.”—Dr. Brett Rushing

Photo by Kat Lawrence

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EYESORE or OPPORTUNITY?

Logging Residues Could Serve as an Energy Resource

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Mississippi LandMarks March 2017

Photo by Kevin Hudson

Where landowners see an eyesore or time-consuming mess to clean up, two MSU Forest and Wildlife Research Center scientists see an economic, social, and environmental opportunity.

In fact, Dr. Raju Pokharel and Dr. Robert Grala foresee a time when logging residue left behind after timber harvest will be a valuable source of biofuel that could reduce carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels. Other residues, such as mill-generated sawdust or remnants from furniture construction, could also be used as fuel to generate electricity. Grala is an associate professor in the FWRC. Pokharel, who was working on his PhD at the time, spent about 3 years analyzing survey data collected from mills in 12 Southeastern states to determine their capacity for processing woody residues, the distribution of logging leftovers by county compared to the mill locations, and the economic viability of using the material to produce biofuel or generate electricity.

“The first reason we want to use wood-based residues to produce bioenergy is to reduce carbon emissions,” Pokharel explained. “Woody residues are a renewable energy source, and right now they’re just going to waste. Secondly, leaving logging residues on the forest floor increases the risk of wildfires and pest infestations. If we can take out the residues, we can reduce certain risks and reduce the cost for landowners clearing land to replant.”

Before pursuing his doctorate in forest resource economics at MSU under Grala’s direction, Pokharel earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in environmental science in Nepal, his home country. After earning an MBA from the University of Sunderland’s London campus, Pokharel sought an opportunity to tie together all of his interests. He found it at the MSU College of Forest Resources, where his research combined environmental stewardship with economics.

One key discovery is the need to establish a supply-chain system to generate landowner income, as well as additional revenue for mills. Such a system would make it economically feasible for business owners to institute the changes needed to adopt the practice of processing timber residues. Now, mills

that use residues—primarily pulp mills rather than saw mills—are already using almost 91 percent of their available processing capacity.

“Economically, that means if you want to increase use, you have to increase the capacity through equipment upgrades or system improvements to use more residues,” Pokharel said. “That requires capital investments, which are very expensive.”

Research suggests the current cost of using residues to generate electricity is 40 cents per kilowatt hour, which is almost six times more than the cost of using hydropower or coal-powered plants. Thus, it was not surprising the use of logging residues is very low. Only 4 percent of responding businesses said they used them. Generally, mills will use wastes they produce on site, but they do not seek out logging residues.

Availability is another reason residue use is low. Most loggers simply do not have the time or financial incentive to deal with the low-quality residues, which include noncommercial trees and other debris left behind.

“There are very few loggers willing to collect right now, because they need to log, not collect residues from which they’ll make nothing,” Pokharel commented. “Interestingly, though, transportation cost was not a significant factor in the mills’ willingness to use residues. They are more interested in the costs associated with increasing capacity and upgrades.”

One scenario for increasing logging residue use is focusing on mills located in forest-business clusters, Grala said.

“Their close proximity to each other and opportunities for resource pooling might help them overcome some of the obstacles, such as equipment upgrades,” Grala observed.

“Some changes in the timber supply chain might be needed to streamline logging-residue recovery, and perhaps some logging operators could specialize in this activity.”

Grala said the value of the MSU logging-residue research is its focus on identifying new market opportunities and helping diversify forest landowner income.

“Logging residues are utilized to a very small extent, and we are hoping to identify a viable use for them so their use can generate additional income,” he explained.

A grant from the USDA Cooperative Research and Extension Services funded this research through the Forest and Wildlife Research Center.

By Keri Collins Lewis

Dr. Raju Pokharel, a researcher in the MSU Forest and Wildlife Research Center, analyzed Southeastern mills’ capability of processing logging residues into biofuel. (Photo by Kat Lawrence)

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MARKET STUDY

Helps Cattlemen Earn Premiums at Auction Fans of bull riding know a lot can happen in 8 seconds. The rider must analyze several factors simultaneously to accomplish what he or she set out to do in the arena.

Researchers in the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station can relate. In a cattle-auction market study, they had just seconds to score 35 traits on a cow before the gavel fell, the gate slammed, and the next animal entered the ring. Researchers observed about 80,000 animals in stockyards across the state.

“Depending on the situation, we’d have between 6 and 30 seconds to score an animal,” explained Dr. Jane Parish, former head of the MSU Prairie Research Unit and now head of the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center. “They come into the ring, you make a judgment, and they go out. It takes away some bias. You have to trust that first impression.”

Sponsored by the Tylertown and Hattiesburg stockyards, the Mississippi Beef Council, and the Mississippi Beef Cattle Improvement Association, the cattle-auction study is one of the

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Mississippi LandMarks March 2017

The Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station cattle-auction market study found that heifers consistently sold for less than steers at all weights and sold for less than bulls except at very heavy weights.

biggest projects Parish and her team have conducted. For a year, the entire Prairie staff, along with trained contract workers, attended weekly auctions at seven Mississippi stockyards. The team evaluated all bulls, cows, and calves that came through each auction.

They rated 35 different characteristics, including temperament, coat, color, weight, and body condition.

Their goal was to provide a clear, unbiased snapshot of cattle being sold in Mississippi and assign economic values to various traits. This information will help the state’s 16,000 cattle producers determine how individual traits contribute to premiums and discounts on sale day.

“This is quantifiable data that show producers how certain traits influence price,” Parish said. “Whether producers are chasing a premium or trying to avoid a discount, the data will help them prioritize short- and long-term management decisions in their operations. If you see that improving a particular trait brings a premium, and that trait is related to animal health or nutrition, you can change

Prairie Research Unit team members Monty McIlwain (left), Wesley Rogers, Dr. Jane Parish, and Tim Best discuss plans to sort the Experiment Station’s feeder calves into various marketing groups to capture the most value from the recently weaned calf crop.

score of three or less,” said Dr. your management to improve that Brian Williams, an assistant in the short term.

“This is quantifiable data that show producers Extension professor who partici“Even if it is something long pated in the data-analysis phase. term, like a trait that requires how certain traits influence price. Whether Producers also might want to changing up breeding, this helps producers are chasing a premium or trying reevaluate dehorning, he added. producers head in the right directo avoid a discount, the data will help Cattle with horns pose a greater tion,” she added. “They will be risk of injury to handlers and more prepared by starting to incorthem prioritize short- and long-term other cattle, which can lead to trim porate changes now as opposed to management decisions in their operations.” loss. Trim loss occurs when a finding out they need to shift their bruised animal is harvested before breeding program 2 years down the bruise heals; the meat around the road.”

Dr. Jane Parish the bruise cannot be used and has This data also creates a muchto be discarded. needed big picture of Mississippi cattle, Parish explained, and it “Based on 2014 values, cattle with horns have a discount of points to areas where improvement is needed. about 14 cents a pound, so dehorning calves brings value to the “I think that the quality of cattle and the level of management sale,” Williams explained. that occurs in Mississippi are not being recognized adequately on a “With this model, we found about a half a cent increase in the national scale,” she said. “For a long time, we’ve needed quantifiprice per pound for each additional animal in the lot size,” he conable evidence that shows what a good job our producers are doing. tinued. “Because 90 percent of the lots in the data set were single These data sets show that cattle sold at public auction throughout lots, the value might even be higher. This is something producers the state are representative of good, healthy herd programs with could address without much trouble, simply by selling cattle in very low rates of illnesses and injuries. groups.”

“We learned that we could be doing a better job on traits like The agricultural economists will next focus on breeding stock udder suspension and teat size,” Parish added. “That’s something data, which includes replacement heifers, bred cows, and cows with producers can incorporate into their breeding programs.” calves.

After the team’s data collection, faculty in the MSU Department “This is the first time breeding data in this setting on this scale of Agricultural Economics built models for specific data sets. They has been collected in Mississippi, and there hasn’t been much done first modeled the feeder calf data set, which includes observations nationally, either,” Williams said. “We are excited to explore of about 36,000 animals. It showed that body condition scores have unknowns there.” a significant impact on price.

“Based on 2014 values, a body condition score of six would bear a premium roughly 35 cents per pound more than a body condition

By Vanessa Beeson • Photos by Kevin Hudson

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Unmanned Aircraft Used to Scare Birds from Fish Ponds Research at MSU could usher in a new era for aquaculture. Ciera Rhodes, a graduate research assistant in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture in the MSU Forest and Wildlife Research Center, is examining the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to control fish-eating birds.

In field tests at six sites across the Mississippi Delta, she hopes to determine if this method is more effective than traditional techniques.

The project is a collaboration between her department, the USDA National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC), and the MSU Geosciences Research Institute (GRI).

Ciera Rhodes (center), a researcher in the Forest and Wildlife Research Center, directs the flight of a quadcopter along with unmanned aerial systems flight coordinators David Young (left) and Sean Meacham of the MSU Geosystems Research Institute.

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Mississippi LandMarks March 2017

“The method farmers are using currently involves bird chasers, who are people catfish farmers hire to drive around pond levees in a truck attempting to scare birds away,” Rhodes said. “While driving, the chasers use shotguns or pyrotechnics, which can be shot out of a small pistol with a cap to make a loud noise.”

Other devices—such as balloon wires across ponds and large, inflatable effigies that flail in the wind—have produced mixed results.

“None of these methods worked over long-term periods,” Rhodes said. “We want to find a better method than what is already in place.”

Feed costs and foreign competition helped drive the state’s catfish production from its peak of 110,000 pond acres in the early 2000s to less than 40,000 today. Predatory birds— mainly the double-crested cormorant and American white pelican—also took a bite out of the industry.

“These birds are smart,” Rhodes said. “When chasers are driving around ponds, the birds figure out a gun’s effective range. If the birds see a truck, they normally fly away and come right back when the truck leaves.”

Rhodes gathered data over two springs when migrations brought larger numbers of birds to the Delta. On mornings and evenings, she hid inside a camouflage blind while directing UAS flights. She repeated the routine using only chasers to observe how many birds returned to the ponds an hour after they were harassed.

“We want to make sure the birds don’t associate the drone with a human, so we sit in the blind 30 minutes to let them get used to the blind’s presence,” she said. “This way, we know it is the drone that is scaring the birds and not the blind. Drones do seem to be more effective at chasing birds as of right now.”

Also in the blind are UAS specialists Sean Meacham and David Young of GRI, who pilot a remote-controlled quadcopter to scare the birds. Rhodes records observations.

“The idea of using UAS for wildlife research and surveying animal habitats has been going on for several years, but no one has looked into whether inexpensive machines could be used to harass unwanted wildlife,” said Tommy King, an NWRC research wildlife biologist who oversees the project.

The quadcopter may be flown to resemble an eagle in flight. Rhodes said she hopes the quadcopter will be effective due to this ability. Eagles are the primary predators of the two problematic bird species.

“Eagles are the only thing they are afraid of, other than a human, so we wanted to use something that mimics their natural predator,” Rhodes said. “We also thought it could possibly take them longer to get habituated to the UAS if we shifted flight patterns and techniques to keep it new or fresh in the bird’s mind.”

The quadcopter is a less-expensive UAS model, making it easier for producers to afford. If it proves useful as a mainstream tool for fending off birds, modifications may be necessary, King said “Currently, the two limiting factors are battery life and range,” he explained. “As quickly as the technology is advancing, what farmers would like to see is having cameras set up on fish ponds and someone inside an office on the farm watching. When the birds come in, the UAS is in the docking station preprogrammed to fly a specific route, then it comes back to the dock and recharges.”

Pond owners in Inverness, Moorhead, Rolling Fork, and Yazoo City participated in the study. King said he is hopeful future funding will help expand the study.

“I greatly appreciate the catfish farmers volunteering their time and land,” Rhodes said. “The ultimate goal for all of this is to provide fish farmers with a reference manual for how to scare off fish-eating birds using drones. We hope this research can quantify the difference between using UAS compared to traditional scaring methods and give landowners an extra option that could help them improve their harvests.”

“The farmers we’ve talked with are extremely enthusiastic about this,” King said. “Right now, it looks like the UAS is going to be a promising new tool for them in the near future.”

Rhodes said a future goal is to perform a cost-benefit analysis to compare the use of drones with traditional bird chasers.

By Nathan Gregory • Photos by Kat Lawrence

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MANRRS: Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences Founded in 2001, MANRRS is the only organization in the MSU Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine with a primary focus on recruiting, retaining, and developing the professional skills of minority students and faculty. As one of the most diverse universities in the Southeastern Conference, MSU values inclusion. Mississippi State listed its MANRRS chapter as a key initiative of the Diversity Strategic Plan.

MANRRS promotes the inclusion of ethnic and cultural groups that are underrepresented in agriculture, natural resources, and related fields, but it is open to students in all majors, said Dr. Kevin Hunt, one of three MANRRS cosponsors and a professor in the College of Forest Resources. It draws students primarily from the colleges of Forest Resources, Veterinary Medicine, and Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), but students from the colleges of Education and Arts and Sciences also participate.

“Our plan is to continue to focus on increasing membership, offering internships and cooperative training, facilitating professional and scholarly development, attending regional and national conferences, and getting our students more involved in regional and national MANRRS leadership positions,” Hunt said.

MANRRS positively impacts professional development and career trajectories, said cosponsor Dr. Scott Willard, CALS associate dean and professor.

“Those who get involved develop a ready network of academic and industry contacts that become the basis for internship opportunities and future job placements,” Willard said.

Cosponsor Dr. Derris Burnett, an assistant professor in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, has been a member of MANRRS since 2001, when he was a student. He served as a chapter president and national officer.

“The professional relationships that I have developed in the organization have endured over this time period and have provided me access and opportunity to pursue my career goals,” Burnett said. “I was recruited for my postdoctoral position because of my role as a national officer in MANRRS and have since had the privilege of helping aspiring students to develop their professional networks. As a faculty member, I continue to cultivate these relationships, and they have served as a viable conduit to recruit qualified graduate and undergraduate student scientists for my research program.”

To learn more, visit http://manrrs.org.msstate.edu.

Doctoral student Christien Russell (left) of Louisville, Kentucky, and junior Makayla Brister of Raymond, Mississippi, are members of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences, a network of minority students and faculty members. Brister serves as president of the MANRRS chapter at MSU. (Photo by Kevin Hudson)

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Mississippi LandMarks March 2017

1/82:

Chickasaw County MSU in Chickasaw County: 415 Lee Horn Drive, Suite 4 Houston, MS 38851 chickasaw@msstate.edu

Archaeologists believe Bynum Mounds were built by people of the Woodland period over a 200-year span between 100 B.C. and 100 A.D. They served as burial mounds and fulfilled other ceremonial purposes.

(Photo by Kat Lawrence)

County seat:

Houston/Okolona

Population:

17,311

Municipalities:

Houston, Okolona, Houlka, Woodland

Communities:

Thorn, Enon, Trebloc, Shake Rag, Leotis, Sparta, Buena Vista, Pyland, Atlanta, Van Vleet, Egypt, McCondy, Old Houlka, Shilo, Sonaro, Anchor

Commodities:

sweet potatoes, vegetables, cotton, corn, soybeans, wheat, sorghum, timber, beef cattle, forages, catfish, pork, chicken

Industries:

Natural resources: Attractions:

furniture, cardboard products, PVC pipe, agricultural supplies, farm equipment dealers, shipping containers, cabinets, steel fabrication timber, limestone, natural gas, oil

History notes:

Chickasaw County was created on February 9, 1836, from the Chickasaw Cession. The first courthouse was located in Houston in 1837. Chucatonchee Creek divides the county diagonally from the northwest to the southeast. Frequent spring floods prevented residents around Okolona from registering land transactions. Residents asked the Legislature to split the county and allow a new courthouse to be built in Okolona. The Okolona courthouse was built in 1858.

Did you know?

The first Carnegie Library was built in Houston in 1909. Okolona built a Carnegie Library in 1915.

Houston is the home of the world champion Sundancer Solar Car. The word “Chickasaw” means “Rebellion” or “He-Who-Walks-Away” and is supposedly a derivative of the name of the Native American leader Chisca.

Bynum Mounds, Owl Creek Mounds, Davis Lake, Tanglefoot Trail, Tombigbee National Forest, Chickasaw County Agri-Center, Natchez Trace Parkway, Chickasaw Wildlife Management Area, Witch Dance, Stinkin’ Jim’s Horse Park

“Chickasaw County’s greatest asset is its people. They are warm, caring, and dedicated ”

to working together to resolve any issue that arises. Chickasaw County residents work hard every day to improve the quality of life for themselves and those around them.

Scott Cagle, MSU Extension County Coordinator

Editor’s note: 1/82 is a regular feature highlighting one of Mississippi’s 82 counties.

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NEWSNOTES Unexpected findings from a study involving an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology are featured in a recent edition of Science.

Dr. Federico G. Hoffmann and collaborators in the U.S. and Denmark examined genetic adaptations of hummingbirds to life at high altitudes, where oxygen is less Dr. Federico G. Hoffmann available. In the article featured in the journal’s October 21 issue, Hoffman described how team members focused on hemoglobin in 28 pairs of high- and lowaltitude lineages of bird species to determine how different species evolve. While hemoglobin from species adapted for life at high altitudes had a higher affinity for oxygen, researchers found that genetic paths leading to those hemoglobin adaptations varied. Using computational methods, they were able to travel back in time 100 million years by reconstructing protein present in the birds’ ancestors. “This work helps us to better understand that there are multiple ways in which evolution solves problems,” said Hoffmann, a bioinformatics specialist who has been on the MSU faculty since 2011.

Dr. Keith Coble, head of the Department of Agricultural Economics, spoke at the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Data Science in Agriculture Summit in Rosemont, Illinois, in October.

He was invited to delve into the future of data in agriculture in a speech on data challenges as perceived by the public.

Because of the vast quantity of data being Dr. Keith Coble collected in agriculture, Coble sees producer privacy as one of the largest challenges to overcome. This huge influx of data in modern agriculture is largely thanks to precision agriculture, which has made it possible to collect data on a very fine scale. Data collection in agriculture will enable producers to find the most streamlined way to produce food, which is usually correlated with being cheaper and more environmentally friendly. An expert on this topic, Coble is the lead author of a white paper for the Council on Food, Agricultural, and Resource Economics that investigates the topic of big data in agriculture. He conducts research through the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.

A sophisticated new facility in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences allows students to have “real-field” experiences to master the complex demands of 21st century careers.

Dr. Amelia Fox Dr. T. J. Bradford Opened in fall 2016 in Dorman Hall, the Precision Agriculture Laboratory is equipped with 21 high-speed workstations that enable students to take academic theories learned in university classes and apply

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them to real-world situations. Primary support by Monsanto facilitated the lab’s creation. Precision agriculture includes the use of global positioning, geographic information systems, and remote sensing to collect and analyze site-specific data used to resolve crop, soil, and related issues. Dr. Amelia Fox and Dr. T. J. Bradford wrote a curriculum for the lab tailored to MSU students. Fox, a 2015 MSU doctoral graduate in agricultural remote-sensing technologies, is now a visiting scholar. Bradford, also an MSU alumnus, is a plant and soil sciences instructor who teaches in the lab.

Dr. Scott Willard, associate dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, was among 52 administrators and faculty members selected as 2016–17 Southeastern Conference Academic Leadership Development Program (ALDP) Fellows.

Since its inception in 2008, the professional development program has worked to identify, prepare, and professionally advance Dr. Scott Willard academic leaders for key roles at each of the 14 SEC member universities. Through this initiative, the SEC works to sponsor, support, and promote collaborative higher education programs and activities involving administrators, faculty, and students. Providing an online platform to showcase achievements of these individuals on regional, national, and international levels is among its primary missions.

Designated by provosts at the respective institutions, ALDP liaisons serve as the conference’s primary points of academic contact. A 17-year MSU faculty member, Willard first served as a professor of reproductive and environmental physiology in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences and later became head of the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Rhode Island, Kingston, and his doctorate at Texas A&M University.

The newly established Thad Cochran Agricultural Leadership Program developed by the MSU Extension Service is open to Mississippi’s next generation of agricultural leaders—young professionals including farmers, ranchers, and agribusiness owners and operators—as well as extended agricultural industry specialists, such as foresters and conservationists. The Dr. Laura Greenhaw program will develop leadership skills, enhance understanding of policy-making, and increase communication and collaborative abilities. Extension will deliver the educational activities and content for nine intensive seminars over the 2-year course. Sponsored by Mississippi Farm Bureau, the program is named in honor of the 38-year veteran U.S. senator who has championed agriculture in Mississippi and around the country for decades. The leadership course was in development for about 3 years under the guidance of program director Dr. Laura Greenhaw, an assistant Extension professor who joined MSU in 2013. Greenhaw said the first class will begin the program in fall 2017.

NEWSNOTES José Santos Portugal III, an MSU doctoral student, was among five who received research grants in 2016 from the medical, urban, and veterinary entomology section of the Entomological Society of America (ESA). A Euless, Texas, native, Portugal is pursuing his degree in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology under José Portugal the direction of Dr. Jerome Goddard, a former state medical entomologist who is now an Extension professor. Portugal’s research is focused on medical entomology, the study of insects and other arthropods that transmit pathogens.

Specifically, he studies a tick species known to transmit animal and human pathogens. By gaining a better understanding of the ecology and behavior of this species, Portugal hopes to better implement plans in public health to keep the pathogens from spreading to people and pets. In addition to research achievements, the ESA scholarship program recognizes a student’s teaching experience and service work.

MSU agribusiness student A. J. Bland is among 21 U.S. students who received National Black Farmers Association (NBFA) scholarships. These $5,000 scholarships, supported by the charitable foundation of FCA US (formerly the Chrysler Corporation), are awarded to help students pursue agriculture-related degrees. Bland, a Tunica native who grew A. J. Bland up on a family farm, is the only Mississippian in the 2016 cohort of NBFA scholarship recipients.

In addition to studying agribusiness, Bland is pursuing a minor in accounting. NBFA is a nonprofit organization that represents African American farmers and their families in the U.S. Its education and advocacy efforts have focused on civil rights, land retention, access to public and private loans, education and agricultural training, and rural economic development for black farmers and other small farmers. Bland’s father, Anthony Bland, works as an MSU Extension agent in Tunica County. He regularly shows his farm to 4-H students in the area.

Beginning February 1, two experienced scientists joined the division’s administrative team as research and Extension center heads. Forestry economist Dr. James Henderson leads the Dr. James Henderson Dr. Jane Parish Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi. He came to MSU in 2007 and has been an associate Extension professor and Extension coordinator in the MSU Department of Forestry. Henderson earned his bachelor’s degree in forestry from Louisiana Tech University, followed by master’s degrees in forestry and business administration from MSU. He received his doctorate from Louisiana State University.

Dr. Jane Parish, a research and Extension professor, worked at the Prairie Research Unit before accepting the position as head of the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center in Verona.

She has conducted extensive research and outreach related to beef cattle since coming to MSU in 2003. Parish earned her doctorate in animal and dairy science from the University of Georgia in 2001, her master’s from Texas Tech University in 1998, and her bachelor’s from Texas A&M University in 1997.

Additionally, she recently received her master of business administration from MSU. A new partnership between MSU and the USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services program has made the university home to a national training academy. The Wildlife Services National Training Academy is the nation’s first academy dedicated to providing a comprehensive, standardized, and integrated training program for personnel involved in safely resolving human-wildlife conflicts and safety-related risks. Based in the MSU Center for Resolving Human-Wildlife Conflicts, the academy can train up to 1,200 Wildlife Services personnel currently tasked with responding to human-wildlife conflicts across the U.S. MSU will serve as the physical and virtual home for human-wildlife conflict training, outreach, and continuing education. Human-wildlife conflicts in the U.S. cause an estimated $22 billion in damage annually to agricultural crops and man-made infrastructure.

Student members of the Society of American Foresters (SAF) at Mississippi State again have been awarded first-place honors among their U.S. peers. The group last earned this honor in 2011. This award marks the 18th consecutive year they ranked among the top three of nearly 40 student chapters from across the U.S. The first-place honor is based on accomplishments throughout the academic year, with an emphasis on campus and community service and outreach programs. Professional engagement and organizational management also are considered. Pictured are (front row, from left) Dr. George Hopper, dean of the College of Forest Resources; Jason Warner, conclave chair; Clayton Cooper, secretary; Daniel Harrison, vice president; William Griffin, junior representative; and Dr. Robert Grala, who has served as SAF Student Chapter faculty since 2007; (back row, from left) Austin Gentry, senior representative; Savannah Fenaes, president; and Steven Gray, treasurer.

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DEVELOPMENT

CORNER

Bardsley Estate

BeneďŹ ts Veterinary Students

The Bardsley legacy will be forever connected to students who are beneficiaries of their scholarships in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

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Mississippi LandMarks March 2017

Charles and Viola Bardsley were longtime animal lovers and veterinary education advocates. Over the course of their lifetimes, the couple planned carefully to ensure their legacy would continually inspire student success in the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM).

After years of faithful annual support to the college, the Bardsleys granted an estate gift that will provide scholarships in perpetuity for the most talented students.

The Bardsleys, who were residents of Ocean Springs in their later years, began supporting Mississippi State in 1996 with the creation of an annual scholarship for CVM academic scholars. The scholarship is awarded to a fourth-year senior student who has attained the highest cumulative grade point average during the veterinary professional program. “Our college gratefully appreciates and will uphold the wishes of the

Bardsleys to educate promising students and make available scholarships to those with potential who may need financial assistance,” said CVM Dean Kent Hoblet. “The students receiving the benefits from their generosity will address the health and well-being of animals and associated human and environmental health issues through modern veterinary-medical science.”

Charles Bardsley shared a rich history with MSU. A native of Newport, Rhode Island, he received a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from the University of Rhode Island in 1948 and earned master’s and doctoral degrees from Mississippi State in 1950 and 1959, respectively.

An accomplished trumpet player, he wrote and arranged music for a number of bands, including MSU’s Famous Maroon Band.

Bardsley had a distinguished career in pesticide development and related work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He was vice president of the Agritec Company in Houston, Texas, and a research manager with Mallinckrodt Chemical Company in St. Louis, Missouri.

Bardsley also taught and directed graduate research at Clemson University, and he was a research associate with American Can Company in Wisconsin. He held two patents and authored 48 scientific articles and book chapters.

Viola Bardsley was a native of Litchfield, Illinois. She held a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree from the University of Missouri. She taught chemistry at the college level and was a senior chemist and technical associate with Mallinckrodt Chemical Company.

Along with their annual gifts, the Bardsleys established gift annuities that benefited them and the university. After Charles Bardsley’s death in 2003, his widow continued funding the annuities, which total 24 in all.

Following Viola Bardsley’s death in 2015, the remainder from the annuities and a bequest through her will created the Charles E. and Viola G. Bardsley Endowed Scholarship in Veterinary Medicine. The estate nearly doubles the college’s overall endowment, and earnings from the endowment will continue the scholarships the couple held dear.

“Because of the way the Bardsleys’ bequest was structured, CVM has more than $7 million in a new endowment,” said Jimmy Kight, the college’s director of development. “The earnings from the endowment will result in significant yearly support of our students.”

The Bardsleys used two popular methods to support the university: charitable gift annuities and an estate gift.

Charitable gift annuities, which are available in most states, provide a donor with lifetime income and do not require a large donation. In exchange for an irrevocable gift of cash, stock, bonds, or in some cases, other assets like real estate or timberland, a donor will receive fixed income payments for life, as well as a charitable income tax deduction in the year of the gift. When the annuity terminates, the remaining assets are used by MSU in accordance with the donor’s designation.

Another popular way to support MSU is through a will or bequest.

Alumni and friends are encouraged to notify the MSU Foundation if considering the university as a beneficiary of any part of their estate plans. For more about specifically supporting the College of Veterinary Medicine, please contact Kight at (662) 325-5893 or email him at jkight@foundation.msstate.edu.

For More Information 鵻鵼 Jud Skelton College of Agriculture and Life Sciences/Real Estate Giving (662) 325-0643 jskelton@foundation.msstate.edu http://www.cals.msstate.edu/ Charlie Weatherly Director of Development Emeritus for Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine (662) 325-3471 cweatherly@foundation.msstate.edu http://www.cals.msstate.edu/ Jeff Little College of Forest Resources and The Bulldog Forest (662) 325-8151 jlittle@foundation.msstate.edu http://www.cfr.msstate.edu/ Jimmy Kight College of Veterinary Medicine (662) 325-5893 jkight@foundation.msstate.edu http://www.cvm.msstate.edu Will Staggers College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and MSU Extension Service (662) 325-2837 wstaggers@foundation.msstate.edu http://www.cals.msstate.edu

By Amy Cagle • Photos by Tom Thompson

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Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Birmingham, AL Permit No. 1776

Box 9625 Mississippi State, MS 39762

Volunteers help remove litter and debris from coastal beaches and waterways, including Deer Island, during the Mississippi Coastal Cleanup. The Mississippi State University Extension Service organizes and implements the Coastal Cleanup in partnership with the Mississippi Marine Debris Task Force. About 2,400 volunteers collected approximately 10 tons of trash in the last cleanup. (Photo by Kevin Hudson)