Mississippi Landmarks November 2016 by Mississippi State University Extension Service

Volume 12, Number 4

NOVEMBER 2016

MSU Works to Protect the State’s Water Resources… page 16 Research, Education, and Extension in the Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine

• • • Mississippi State University

Contents On the Cover

Mississippi’s water resources are crucial to industry and everyday life in the state, and they must be protected for future generations. Many efforts at Mississippi State University are underway to sustain the quality and abundance of the state’s streams, rivers, and aquifers. The most famous example of these resources is the Mississippi River, shown on the cover at the Natchez–Vidalia Bridge. (Photo by Kat Lawrence)

Top 10 in Ag Research Spending MSU supports Mississippi’s $8 billion agricultural industry with a $99 million research program.

Training Tomorrow’s Physicians Rural Medical Scholars Program works to recruit more primary-care doctors for Mississippi.

Twenty-Five Years of Growth Celebrating their silver jubilee, Mississippi Master Gardeners are proud of impressive growth since 1991.

Putting a New Timber Product to the Test Sustainable bioproducts researchers study how well a cross-laminated timber product stands up to the harsh environmental conditions of the South.

Endowment Enables Critical Care Expansion Veterinary training and client services are improved in the expanded Joe Ann Ward Internal Medicine and Critical Care Unit.

Mississippi’s Abundant Water Resources MSU has multifaceted research, extension, and academic programs to protect and preserve the state’s valuable water resources.

Better Decisions for Timberland Owners Findings from a study in the Forest and Wildlife Research Center will help landowners in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley make better-informed decisions.

Encouraging Future Scientists The Undergraduate Research Scholars Program allows students to experience science outside the classroom.

County Profile Rankin County boasts a variety of natural resources, including access to Ross Barnett Reservoir.

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

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Development Corner Jimmy and Kay Bryan establish the Bryan-Burger Endowment for Bobwhite Habitat Restoration to promote a legacy of conservation.

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

• Dear Friends, In the pages of Mississippi LandMarks, we share with you a small portion of the research, teaching, and extension conducted by members of the MSU Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine. We value the investments made in our people and programs, so we strive to be transparent, accountable, and informative. We also work hard to convey our gratitude by delivering practical, needs-based, real-world solutions to Mississippi’s greatest challenges. In the classroom, at field days and turn-row talks, through publications, and via online sources, our goal is to honor the commitments made to our students, our clients, and our stakeholders as we all work together to build a strong and vibrant future for our state, region, nation, and world. As 2016 draws to a close, we celebrate the harvest and look forward to collecting data related to agricultural production and economic impact. We are proud to be part of Mississippi’s largest industry and strive to help producers become ever more sustainable in their production practices. Our researchers constantly study ways to leverage our valuable state products and make the best use of available resources. For example, on page 12, you can read about a new project in the College of Forest Resources Department of Sustainable Bioproducts related to using small trees and existing timber industry byproducts to create a viable construction material. We also celebrate our role in MSU’s record-breaking enrollment of 21,622 students in fall 2016. DAFVM colleges enjoyed a total enrollment of 3,558 students, a 4.2 percent increase over 2015. Each college set enrollment records: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 2,440 students; College of Forest Resources, 576 students; and College of Veterinary Medicine, 542 students. Global food security continues to be a high priority for MSU President Dr. Mark Keenum and for the division. Mississippi growers export a high percentage of their crops to feed the world’s growing population. The lack of rain at key points during the 2016 growing season reinforced the importance water plays in our lives, and we encourage you to read about MSU’s involvement in a variety of water-related initiatives in the Focus Section beginning on page 16. In addition to expressing my thanks for the ongoing support offered to all of the units in the division, I want to thank everyone in the division for contributing their best efforts to our work. Just before the semester began, we were able to honor division employees through our annual awards program. DAFVM launched the Stellar Staff Awards, which will recognize one professional and one support staff member each year. With the support of Regions Bank’s ongoing funding, we also recognized the talent, hard work, and dedication of professors in five key areas with Regions Bank-DAFVM Superior Faculty Awards (see News Notes on page 28). With warm wishes for a bright holiday and happy new year,

Gregory A. Bohach

•

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

President

Gregory A. Bohach

Vice President

Gary B. Jackson

Director, MSU Extension Service

George M. Hopper

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

Kent H. Hoblet

Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine

Mississippi LandMarks is produced by the Office of Agricultural Communications. Elizabeth Gregory North Robyn Hearn Keri Collins Lewis

Executive Editor Associate Editor Associate Editor

Annette Woods

Graphic Designer

Vanesa Beeson Linda Breazeale Bonnie Coblentz Susan Collins-Smith Nathan Gregory Addie Mayfield

Writers

Russ Houston Kevin Hudson Kat Lawrence Kenner Patton Tom Thompson

Photographers

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

• • • NOVEMBER 2016

Supporting Mississippi’s Largest Industries

NSF Ranks Mississippi State in the Top 10 for Agricultural Research Spending

Bohach said the recent Agriculture and forestry are NSF ranking is a reflection of considered the largest sectors “Our faculty and staff are working to improve the hard work, talent, and of the Mississippi economy, dedication of faculty, staff, employing nearly 30 percent of animal health and commodity production and and students throughout the the state’s workforce and gendivision. erating a total farm-gate value to maximize the usage of natural resources “Time and again, our facof $8.03 billion in 2015. while training the leaders of tomorrow through ulty members and scientists Farming has always been a receive recognition for being challenging endeavor, but proacademic pursuits and research and Extension leaders in their fields,” Boducers face increasing pressure opportunities.” hach said. “From internationto maximize yields while deal and national awards to creasing costs and protecting prestigious fellowships to the environment. It is only MSU President Mark E. Keenum published articles, our faculthrough technology and innoty, researchers, and Extension vation that producers can meet personnel represent the best these mandates. Fortunately, a of the best. Similarly, our students win national and international major source of innovation is based in the state’s land-grant insticontests, participate in study-abroad programs, and serve as untutions, which deliver cutting-edge resources in research, educadergraduate research scholars. To date, more than 100 students tion, and outreach to help producers increase efficiency, improve have been selected as undergraduate research scholars.” profits, and become better stewards of the environment. MSU President Mark E. Keenum, a Mississippi State agriculOne confirmation of the level of support Mississippi State tural economics alumnus, understands firsthand how agriculture gives the state’s largest industries can be found in the annual Nadrives state, national, and global economies. Keenum served as tional Science Foundation ranking of university research and deundersecretary of agriculture for farm and foreign agricultural velopment expenditures. NSF recently ranked MSU eighth services in the U.S. Department of Agriculture before he became nationally in agricultural research spending with expenditures of the university’s 19th president. more than $99 million. “As a land-grant institution, our mission is threefold as we “MSU has been ranked in the top 10 for 17 consecutive years,” focus on research, teaching, and service,” Keenum said. “We desaid Dr. Gregory Bohach, vice president of the MSU Division of Agrivelop relevant, real-world solutions that not only contribute to the culture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine, which conducts much of Mississippi producer’s bottom line but also advance the health the university’s agricultural research. “When grants and contracts and well-being of all Mississippians.” awarded are combined with state- and federal-appropriated funds, Keenum noted that Mississippi State has expertise across a it allows the division to remain in the top 10 nationally in research broad spectrum, including crop production, postharvest processand development expenditures in the agricultural sciences.” ing, livestock, aquaculture, food policy, water resources, geospatial DAFVM is home to three academic units: the College of Agritechnologies, and biofuels—to name just a few. culture and Life Sciences (CALS), College of Forest Resources “Our faculty and staff are working to improve animal health (CFR), and College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). Research in the and commodity production and to maximize the usage of natural division is conducted through the Mississippi Agricultural and resources while training the leaders of tomorrow through academForestry Experiment Station (MAFES) and the Forest and Wildlife ic pursuits and research and Extension opportunities,” he said. Research Center (FWRC). Through the MSU Extension Service, the Following are a few examples of how MSU researchers, edudivision delivers the latest science-based information to all sectors cators, and Extension personnel strive to help producers feed, of the state.

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clothe, and shelter the world’s growing population. MSU experts help producers plant the seeds of success, enhance producer profits, improve animal production, leverage technology, and sustain environmental stewardship, all while training the leaders of tomorrow.

Planting the Seed Successful production begins with choosing the right crop variety for optimal performance in the different climates and soil types found in Mississippi. MAFES researchers constantly evaluate existing varieties and work to develop new ones. Two MAFES initiatives focused on these goals include the Official Variety Trial Program and the rice-breeding program. The variety-trial program evaluates commercially available corn, soybean, cotton, wheat, sorghum, oat, rice, peanut, and forage varieties. These trials provide unbiased data that help producers make informed decisions when it comes to variety/hybrid selection and management in Mississippi. Many Mississippi producers use MAFES variety-trial results as a decision tool. Like other plant-breeding programs at MSU, the MAFES ricebreeding program seeks to meet the needs of Mississippi farmers by developing new and improved varieties that are locally adapted for the state’s production systems, climate, and soils. The breeding program is focused on developing high-yielding rice varieties with consumer-preferred grain quality. In 2016, the program released Thad, named after U.S. Senator Thad Cochran, as a highyield alternative to the high-amylose rice varieties currently available. Rice high in amylose, a component of starch, is loose and fluffy when cooked. It is used in common parboiled products.

Several MSU scientists have made advancements and developed and tested best practices at the field level to help producers improve production efficiency and increase profitability. For example, MSU irrigation experts showed producers that the use of surge valves could increase irrigation efficiency by 20–25 percent, which meant a savings of $10 per acre. MSU plant pathologists determined that a once-routine fungicide application was not economically beneficial for corn growers. Because of this research, many producers saved money when they stopped automatically applying the treatment. MSU entomologists spent the last few years on the front lines finding ways to protect grain sorghum, a $41 million crop in Mississippi, from sugarcane aphids. MSU crop specialists and weed scientists discovered that zinc deficiencies in corn in the Mississippi Delta were being misidentified as herbicide injury. The team showed producers how to identify and correct the deficiency, saving time and money.

Increasing Producer Profits Scientists in the Experiment Station and the Extension Service work together to ensure research results are passed along to producers in a timely manner and to keep abreast of emerging issues and concerns that producers want addressed in future research. MSU research findings are disseminated to producers through field days, short courses, producer advisory councils, and the Mississippi Crop Situation Blog, which provides timely information on crop issues producers are facing.

Photo by Kat Lawrence

Improving Animal Production Animal production is a big part of Mississippi agriculture. In fact, poultry is the state’s largest commodity, totaling $3.25 billion in production value in 2015. From poultry to aquaculture to cattle

• • • NOVEMBER 2016

to horses and more, MSU researchers strive to develop and improve efficient, humane, and cost-effective animal production systems that optimize environmental stewardship. MAFES poultry researchers are working to combat a bacterial pathogen called Mycoplasma gallisepticum, which costs the global poultry industry approximately $780 million a year. Researchers at the Thad Cochran National Warmwater Aquaculture Center have developed feed formulations and costeffective disease and production management programs currently used by catfish producers. Recent advancements include the development of a vaccine for a common catfish disease that could affect every catfish fingerling in the Mississippi Delta. The vaccine has tremendous potential to improve the profitability of catfish farming. MAFES and CVM researchers are studying how stocker cattle producers can improve livestock health. Their findings suggest that cow/calf operators have economic incentives to vaccinate and deworm cattle before marketing them. Stocker operators place a higher value on calves that have been castrated, dehorned, vaccinated, and dewormed at an earlier stage.

The poultry industry is the state’s largest agricultural enterprise, totaling $3.25 billion in production value in 2015. (Photo by Kat Lawrence)

Leveraging Technology Division scientists are continually leveraging technology to enhance research methods and find ways to improve production systems. FWRC researchers are developing a mobile device software application that would help carpenters select the stiffest, strongest pieces of lumber at the point of sale. The app could improve not only the quality of thousands of homes and structures each year, but also the value of Southern forests, a multibillion-dollar industry that includes 125,000 Mississippi landowners. Faculty and staff in the Extension Center for Technology Outreach have developed two apps for cattle producers and several apps for landowners interested in managing natural resources. MAFES and FWRC researchers are using unmanned aerial vehicles for a number of projects including research on everything from row crops to forestry to wild hog control and more. MAFES scientists also are evaluating other precision-agriculture tools. For example, researchers are studying the use of ground-based reflectance sensors to manage nitrogen applications. Another study is focused on using geospatial data from global-positioning-system collars on beef cattle to learn more about animal movement and behavior.

Dr. Jane Parish serves as an Extension beef cattle specialist and a MAFES scientist. She conducts research on applied beef cattle production systems. She helped develop MSUES Cattle Calculator, a free app for mobile devices that aids in beef cattle decision-making. (Photo by Kat Lawrence)

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Louis Wasson, left, a senior Extension associate with the Geosystems Research Institute, and Sean Meacham, unmanned aircraft system (UAV) flight coordinator, prepare a UAV for flight. MSU researchers study the advantages of using UAVs for a variety of purposes—from precision row-crop production to wildhog control. (Photo by Kevin Hudson)

Enhancing Environmental Stewardship Many DAFVM programs focus on promoting environmental stewardship. Two of these initiatives are the Natural Resource Enterprises program and the Research and Education to Advance Conservation and Habitat (REACH) program. Both programs help Mississippi landowners improve efficiency and maximize profitability while protecting the environment. Natural Resource Enterprises is a research and outreach program of MAFES, FWRC, Extension, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The program teaches landowners how to supplement the income from their property through outdoor recreational businesses such as agritourism operations, hunting leases, and nature trails, and it offers guides on the best wildlife habitat management practices. REACH works to create a network of cooperative Mississippi farms that use a variety of agricultural practices. The program’s goal is to demonstrate the advantages of implementing conservation practices. Participating farms exemplify how agriculture can be highly profitable while also enhancing landscape stewardship and sustainable production. REACH collaborators include MAFES, FWRC, CFR, Extension, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, the Mississippi Water Resources Research Institute, and the Environmental Protection Agency Gulf of Mexico Program. Whether it’s a partnership at the field level or a collaboration at the regional, national, or global level, MSU agricultural research focuses on solving the problems of today and tomorrow by improving efficiencies, improving producer profits, protecting the environment, helping to feed the world, and training the next generation of agricultural experts.

By Vanessa Beeson

The MAFES rice-breeding program develops new and improved varieties adapted for production in Mississippi. In 2016, the program released Thad, a high-yielding variety with excellent milling qualities. Dr. Ed Redoña is the rice breeder and a MAFES professor at the Delta Research and Extension Center. (Photo by Kenner Patton)

• • • NOVEMBER 2016

Dr. Edward Hill discusses an X-ray with rural medical scholar Kaylee Jacobs, a senior at Oakhill Academy in West Point. (Photo by Linda Breazeale)

Rural Medical Scholars Program Photo by Kevin Hudson

Works to Produce More Primary-Care Doctors for Mississippi

“I remember the shadowing experience as being very helpful when I was making career decisions.” Dr. Deke Barron, 2003 Rural Medical Scholar

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Dr. Deke Barron works alongside veteran practitioner Dr. Edward Hill as they allow future medical students to shadow their activities in the Family Medicine Residency Center in Tupelo, Mississippi. When Barron was a rising high-school senior considering a medical career in 2003, he took part in the MSU Extension Rural Medical Scholars (RMS) Program. The Hernando, Mississippi, native returned as an RMS counselor in 2007 and 2010. The 5-week summer program at Mississippi State seeks to identify and encourage the state’s future primary-care doctors. “I remember the shadowing experience as being very helpful when I was making career decisions,” said Barron, a 2014 medical-school graduate who is completing his third year of residency at the North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo. Hill is not surprised to hear Barron’s positive review of the RMS Program. He has supported the program since its first year in 1998 by recruiting doctors to be shadowed by participating scholars. “Most doctors are very willing to participate because they recognize the importance of the shadowing experience,” Hill said. “Watching a doctor is totally different from the classroom experience and certainly impacts decisions on the type of medical career the student wants to pursue.”

Additionally, Hill pointed to the Hippocratic oath that all doctors take. The second line in the oath calls for doctors to “gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.” “Mississippi has a critical need for primary-care doctors, which include family practitioners, pediatrics, internal medicine, and obstetrics/gynecology,” Hill said. “We can reduce medical costs and provide higher quality of care when we have adequate numbers of physicians to serve all our communities.” Hill’s commitment to the RMS Program extends to future needs. To improve the overall health of Mississippians, he wants to see efforts that reach younger students with messages that will guide them to healthy lifestyles and possible medical careers. “The earlier you start, the better,” Hill said. “We need health education from prekindergarten on up. The need for more primary-care doctors goes hand in hand with public health. Plus, when there is a shortage of doctors, there is a greater chance of burnout.” Barron does not have as many years of experience as Hill, but he recognizes the need to continue learning from veteran practitioners. He also remembers the process of making career decisions.

A 2012 RMS participant, Abby Matthews of Summit, Mississippi, worked this summer as one of the two counselors for the 2016 scholars. She said the program and counselors stress the value of students focusing on rural communities. “We want to convince them that rural communities are worth the effort,” she said. “Ideally, rural communities need people who already appreciate small-town living.” Matthews received a competitive scholarship from the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program, which provides funding for medical school and academic enrichment, along with faculty and physician mentoring. She learned about the scholarship program when she participated in RMS and applied during her college undergraduate years. Matthews, working as the RMS Program’s female counselor, guided the scholars around the MSU campus, to doctors’ offices, and through college biology and sociology classes. The scholars pelt their counselors with questions such as, “What’s the MCAT like?” or “How do you improve your medicalschool application?”

• • • NOVEMBER 2016

Rural medical scholars (top, left photo) work with a simulation dummy at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine Simulation and Interpersonal Education Center. The lab is used to simulate various emergencies to train medical students. (Photo Submitted)

Dr. Steven Brandon (top, right photo) of The Family Clinic in Starkville talks to Tyler Wilson, a senior at Columbus High School, during a shadowing experience. (Photo by Kevin Hudson)

Abby Matthews (bottom photo) was a 2012 rural medical scholar and returned to serve as a counselor in the 2016 program. (Photo by Kevin Hudson)

Both of those questions are high on Matthews’s list, as well. She will earn her undergraduate degree in May 2017 and has already been accepted to early-entry admissions status for medical school. “It can be overwhelming for them when they consider all they need to do to get into med school—good grades, shadowing experiences, campus involvement, and volunteer work,” Matthews explained. “We try to reassure them that it’s possible to manage their schedules, be involved, and keep their grades up.” Ben Rushing, a 2013 medical scholar, returned this year to assist students as their biology tutor. “My job was to review their lessons with them until they felt comfortable with the material, but we also talked a lot about the college experience,” Rushing said. “They need to understand that good grades will get their foot in the door, but then they need to be active in other areas to be well-rounded.” Rushing said he tried to listen to each scholar and understand individual struggles and successes. “It was fun to see the program from another level,” he added. “As a scholar, you can’t see the big picture. Now, I see a little more but know there will be more to come. It was also interesting to see what it takes for the program to accomplish its goals. I’m glad participants didn’t just benefit from the experience, but they also enjoyed it.” The Monticello, Mississippi, native said he hopes the program convinced the future medical professionals to return to rural communities across the state. “The Rural Medical Scholars Program engages quality Mississippi high school students in an effort to interest them in primary medical care,” said Dr. Will Evans Jr., head of the MSU Department of Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion. “The goal of RMS is to increase the number of ‘home-grown’ rural medical physicians in Mississippi.”

By Linda Breazeale

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CLT Timber Products:

Do They Spell

“TLC”for Mississippi Industries?

Kelly Magee and Dr. Beth Stokes examine wood samples in the field. Magee, a freshman sustainable bioproducts major from Jackson, works with Stokes as part of the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program in the College of Forest Resources. (Photo by Kat Lawrence)

“CLT products could be grown in America, made in America, and used in

America to benefit our manufacturing companies, our forest product industries, our timber growers, and our construction companies.”

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Dr. Beth Stokes

A new “super plywood” product—crosslaminated timber (CLT)—could be an environmentally friendly boon for the construction industry, but does it have what it takes to survive harsh conditions that can degrade wooden building materials in the South? Research supported by the Forest and Wildlife Research Center is testing the versatile, cost-effective, engineered wood panel. CLT is made of small pieces of lumber board glued together at 90-degree angles. Several layers of these boards are assembled into a glue-laminated mass timber product that is enticing contractors worldwide to take a second look at how wood can create more sustainable, environmentally friendly structures. The structural panels are being used to construct apartment buildings in Australia, corporate complexes in Wisconsin, and university buildings in Canada. Mass timber products sequester carbon, are made from a renewable resource, and offer numerous advantages in design, manufacture, and construction. In particular, they provide the option to build taller wooden buildings—in the five- to 15-story range—which is an entirely new market. However, Mississippi has a drastically different climate than the regions where CLT has been used, said Dr. Beth Stokes, an assistant professor in the Forest and Wildlife Research Center Department of Sustainable Bioproducts. She is putting the timber product to the test by subjecting samples to some of Mississippi’s most infamous foes, including termites and fungi. “The Southeast in general is in a higher degradation zone than anywhere this product has been used previously,” Stokes explained. “We want to expose CLT to all of the degradation systems we experience: heat, humidity, termites, beetles, and fungi—and we have some fairly aggressive fungi. Ultimately, we need to develop protection systems to make this product more durable.” Stokes said her goal is to make sure CLT can resist the conditions it would face before construction begins in earnest using this lightweight, durable, and versatile material. “This technology has been developing for the last decade in Europe,” she added. “Currently in North America, it’s being studied, manufactured, and used in Canada, Oregon, and Montana. CLT tests well in

Stokes examines a sample of cross-laminated timber in a CFR laboratory. (Photo by Kevin Hudson) many physical properties and has become very desirable to use by contractors. “MSU will be one of the first universities in the U.S. to investigate and attempt to improve the durability of CLT,” Stokes continued. “We’re partnering with the USDA Forest Products Lab out of Madison, Wisconsin. CLT has a lot of potential for innovation.” CLT products could be a great boon for the Southern forest industry, timber owners, and construction contractors, but it is vital to first determine how well the structural panels weather the region’s environmental conditions, she said. “Using CLT before being sure it’s durable and suitable for the Southeast’s climate could set back the timber industry several years,” Stokes said. “Imagine if people used CLT to build apartments, dorms, or other large buildings, and it failed— what a nightmare! Imagine if a huge construction company started using CLT panels across the South, with wide variations in hot, wet climates, and half of those buildings rotted in 10 years. That company would never touch a timber product again. “Our role is to address that issue today so that it does not become a problem later,” she explained. “We are confident it can work and want to be sure we can walk before we run.” Mississippi has a high inventory of pine and pineland, Stokes said. These resources could be ideal as a source of raw materials for producing CLT products.

“We have a lot of lesser value timber and underutilized trees that can’t be used for standard lumber,” she said. “Wouldn’t it be nice to cut shorter and thinner boards, use short sections to create cross-laminated products, provide a protectant, and develop an entirely new industry that creates a mass-panel production process?” CLT offers several advantages over other building materials, Stokes continued. Mass timber products are effective at insulating, and they are lighter and more environmentally friendly than steel or concrete equivalents. They have a high amount of fire resistance because they char instead of burn. CLT can be used to quickly construct entire buildings or select elements, such as roofs, floors, walls, or beams, she added. Large panels can be designed with precut doors, windows, service channels, and ducts for rapid installation projects. Plus, CLT panels are easy to integrate into existing construction processes. Wood is the material of choice for home building in America, but building codes usually limit its use to five or six stories, said Dr. Rubin Shmulsky, professor and head of the Department of Sustainable Bioproducts. “Mass timber and CLT can be used to build higher, which offers the possibility of taking on new markets, such as taller apartment buildings, light commercial construction, mixed-use developments, and others,” Shmulsky predicted. “The strong environmental performance, local availability, and rapid speed of construction are pulling this technology into the market. It’s a very exciting time to be in the timber business, and Dr. Stokes is at the forefront of this national research.” Shmulsky and Stokes both see this research as the perfect example of land-grant research benefitting the state, regional, and national economies. “CLT products could be grown in America, made in America, and used in America to benefit our manufacturing companies, our forest product industries, our timber growers, and our construction companies,” Stokes said. “This is something applicable to the Southeast region, and Mississippi in particular. We just need to take this existing idea and make it better, make it work for us.”

By Keri Collins Lewis

• • • NOVEMBER 2016

“We support patients during critical illness and work to minimize suffering and pain. Critically ill patients tend to be quieter, but we also try to minimize noise so they can have a quiet place to heal in a less stressful environment.”

鵻鵼 Dr. Marc Seitz

Dr. Theresa Smith and Dr. Marc Seitz perform an ultrasound on a patient in the newly expanded College of Veterinary Medicine Critical Care Unit. (Photo by Tom Thompson)

Improved Vet Training and Client Services: Critical Care Unit Expanded Under Ward Endowment

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At about 4:15 p.m., Dr. Marc Seitz begins cage-side rounds in the Joe Ann Ward Internal Medicine and Critical Care Unit with students finishing the day shift and staff scheduled to work the night shift. He listens to the students identify each patient, review its active problems, and offer updates on the day’s activities. Seitz asks students about symptoms they would expect to see to support possible diagnoses. As a team, they talk through options and argue for and against their ideas. They discuss what is “classic,” or typical, and what is more rare. As a result of this quiet but lively dialogue, both shifts have made discoveries and gained a greater understanding of their patients. The MSU College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) intensive care unit is a relatively quiet place—much quieter than a veterinarian’s waiting room or the clinic down the hall. “We support patients during critical illness and work to minimize suffering and pain,” Seitz explained. “Critically ill

patients tend to be quieter, but we also try to minimize noise so they can have a quiet place to heal in a less stressful environment.” As 5 o’clock draws near, more people arrive to check patients, get updates, and make notes. Seitz asks the night shift veterinarian if any emergency patients have arrived as the transition begins. The emergency room and the ICU share the same space physically, but they offer different services, depending on the time of day. The ER’s goal is to serve the general population by providing a place for after-hours pet care. It also accepts transfer patients from general practitioners. The ER is open from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. and on weekends.

“ER patients may or may not end up staying in the ICU,” Seitz said. “If we can fix them up and send them home, we do. Or we stabilize them and wait for the specialists to return. A good percentage of patients we see in the ER go home, but if a veterinarian sends a case, the patient usually stays in the ICU.” A wide variety of situations occur in the ER: abuse, burns, vehicular traumas, gunshot wounds, respiratory distress, and toxins from accidental ingestion, to name a few. “There is very little we can’t handle or help with,” Seitz said. Unlike ER patients that have been brought in by their owners, ICU patients are under the primary care of a specialist, such as a neurologist or an oncologist. Personnel in ICU provide support. Seitz offered a recent case as an example. “A dog came into the ER suffering from a broken leg due to a traumatic event—we assume it was hit by a car,” he said. “On the surface, it looked like just a break.” Further examination revealed the dog had multiple injuries: a broken femur, arrhythmia, gastrointestinal problems, and bruised lungs. Before specialists could perform surgery to fix the femur, the patient needed to be under constant surveillance in ICU for several days to stabilize. Typically, Seitz—whose training and experience make him best qualified for ER work—has the night shift. Dr. Brittany Thames, a trained criticalist, is the ICU service chief. They switch roles for a week each month. Thames began as a CVM faculty member and emergency and critical-care veterinarian in August 2014 after a 3-year residency at Texas A&M University in small-animal emergency and critical care. Since her arrival, she has worked with administration to redesign the ICU space to increase the capacity for serving patients and teaching students. An endowment from Joe Ann Ward made the ICU expansion possible. “We asked, ‘How can we make care better for the patient while also making the environment better for everyone who works in this space?’” Thames said. “Before the expansion, we used wet wipes to clean patients. Now, we have two sinks and a wet table. We installed a dishwasher to thoroughly clean food and water bowls to

avoid potentially transferring infectious diseases. We increased our capacity to serve patients, both in number and in size—we can now serve 35 patients instead of 20, and we invested in a stand-alone, large animal enclosure for large-breed dogs.” On this particular day, a Great Dane is sprawled across the bottom of the enclosure, fully using the space. Thames and the CVM team planning the expansion also invested in medical equipment. “We have two oxygen cages, one of which is portable, plus we can deliver oxygen to every cage in the unit if needed,” Thames explained, pointing to a row of pull-down equipment fastened to the ceiling. “We also have syringe pumps for delivering a constant-rate infusion of medications, which is a more accurate way to provide pain control.” A glass-walled feline ward allows cats to heal in a reduced-stress situation, but it can also be used for dogs. “The ultrasound machine is a huge advantage when we see emergency patients,” Thames added. “We can more quickly see air and fluid in places where it should not be, which speeds diagnosis.” The ER/ICU team uses a Cubex secured dispensing system for medications. “It’s like having our own pharmacy,” Thames observed. “It reads our fingerprints, requires approval for students to take out medicine, and charges each client. It allows us to serve patients more efficiently.” In addition to improved client services, teaching opportunities are also enhanced in the expanded unit, said both Thames and Seitz, who are CVM alumni. “Brittany is on days, and I’m on nights or vice versa, so we are capable of teaching two-thirds of the day,” Seitz observed. “We have time and space to interact with students more, and the students have been very receptive. Teaching is one of the main reasons I came back to Starkville. Being a clinical teacher similar to the ones I had when I went through brought me back to CVM.”

By Keri Collins Lewis

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FOCUS on H20: Protecting Our Vital Water Resources Is a Top Priority at MSU Mississippi’s water resources support life, business, and recreation. Fresh water flows inexpensively from taps in homes, while migratory birds, alligators, and other wildlife find homes in Mississippi wetlands. Waterways transport commodities, and agricultural producers pump what they need to grow their crops. Lakes, rivers, and streams provide plentiful opportuni-

ties for boating, hunting, and fishing. Water is so abundant in Mississippi that many people take it for granted and underestimate the need for ongoing efforts to conserve and protect it. Mississippi State University stands committed to safeguarding this life-giving resource and ensuring its quality and abundance for generations to come.

Since 2014, California and other Western states have suffered from a drought that has forced municipalities to cut water use by as much as 25 percent. According to a 2013 United Nations report, nearly 780 million people worldwide do not have access to clean water, and in developing countries, as much as 90 percent of wastewater flows untreated into rivers, lakes, and other waterways. Water use is one of the most significant and controversial topics of the 21st century. Mississippi State recognizes the importance of this essential natural resource and invests significantly in its conservation. The Mississippi Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI), located at MSU, leads these efforts in the state. Dr. Bill Herndon, WRRI interim director, said the institute is part of a nationwide network of similar water centers, located primarily at land-grant universities, charged with conducting research and outreach activities related to water issues. “Our institute partners with numerous state and federal agencies, along with agricultural, industrial, and municipal organizations and universities to address water issues in Mississippi,” Herndon said. “Despite being in a water-rich region, we still have water-quality and quantity concerns.”

From managing stormwater to storing water for later use, the challenges are diverse and pressing. MSU leverages the expertise of a variety of scientists to engage in water-related teaching, research, and Extension efforts across the state. For example, WRRI is a key participant in efforts to restore Catalpa Creek, which runs through the MSU campus before meandering through Oktibbeha and Lowndes Counties. As part of that effort, the university established the Watershed Demonstration, Research, Education, Application, Management, and Sustainability Center at the H. H. Leveck Animal Research Center. The center will showcase watershed management strategies through activities and best management practices in the Catalpa Creek Watershed. In addition to demonstrating interventions, researchers work to quantify the economic value of conservation efforts. One strategy developed at MSU is the creation of locationbased, whole-farm budgets that assimilate financial information related to implementing statewide nutrient-reduction strategies. These analyses help producers better understand the impact of adopting best management practices.

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FOCUS

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

“Our institute partners with numerous state and

federal agencies, along with agricultural, industrial,

and municipal organizations and universities to

address water issues in Mississippi. Despite being in a water-rich region, we still have water-quality and quantity concerns.”

Dr. Bill Herndon, Interim Director, Water Resources Research Institute Photo by Kevin Hudson

On-Farm Conservation Efforts Showcase Stewardship Agriculture is the largest component of Mississippi’s economy, posting an annual value of production of more than $8 billion. Maintaining a plentiful water supply and using it efficiently are essential to the state’s economic health. Delta producers rely heavily on the Mississippi Alluvial Aquifer for farm irrigation. After years of constant and ever-increasing demand, the level of this once seemingly unlimited source is declining. To begin reversing the aquifer’s decline, researchers required hard data on water use. In 2014, Mississippi producers voluntarily began to meter irrigation wells in the Delta. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) oversees this measurement program, which provides valuable information used to more carefully manage water resources. “This was an important first step in quantifying water use with the goal of increasing irrigation efficiency and protecting the aquifer,” Herndon said. “With the collaboration of key partners, Delta producers met the goal of 10 percent voluntary metering in February 2016.” In addition to monitoring the water supply, farmers are becoming more efficient in their use of water. For example, the RowCrop Irrigation Science Extension and Research (RISER) program provides side-by-side comparisons of irrigation practices. RISER is a program of the Extension Service and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES). Participating producers manage production using traditional decision-making processes, while RISER personnel oversee production on adjoining fields using best management practices for irrigation.

Dr. Jason Krutz, who serves as the Extension irrigation specialist and as a MAFES researcher, leads the RISER program. After harvest, Krutz compares irrigation decisions, water usage, expenses, and yields to determine water and cost savings realized from the RISER practices. Since 2013, approximately 15 different Mississippi farmers have participated in this program each year. Data shows that the producer-managed and MSU-controlled fields produced similar yields, but the RISER fields used up to 40 percent less water. “It sounds absurd to say that you can apply half the water you normally apply, maintain or improve your yield almost guaranteed, and improve your profitability by cutting way down on your water cost,” Krutz commented. “But we’ve done it repeatedly.” The tools to make it happen are soil-moisture sensors, surge irrigation, and a computer program that calculates the proper hole size and distribution for polypipe to furrow irrigate row crops efficiently. The Research and Education to Advance Conservation and Habitat (REACH) program is another MSU effort aimed at improving agricultural water-use efficiency in the state by improving land management. REACH is a collaboration of Extension, MAFES, and the Forest and Wildlife Research Center (FWRC). “The REACH program asks farmers what they need help with and then suggests ways to solve problems in ways that benefit both agriculture and conservation,” Herndon explained. “Then we showcase the fine job these growers are doing with land stewardship, so other producers can see for themselves how these strategies work.”

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FOCUS

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

Watersheds and the Human Element: The Ripple Effect

Rainwater runoff from urban landscapes is a significant source of water pollution. (Photo by Kat Lawrence)

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Through watersheds, the water-management activities on one farm or in one town may have ripple effects on others far away. A watershed is the entire region drained by a river or stream, or the area that drains to a single point. Running water carries with it whatever nutrients, sediments, or contaminants it has picked up along the way. Water used to wash a car, drained from a swimming pool, or sprayed on a field, as well as rain that falls on a chemically treated lawn, eventually ends up in the watershed. It mingles as runoff and flows through ditches, culverts, and low spots. Without human interference, geography directs this water to a central point by natural means, such as creeks, streams, and tributaries. Curbs, storm drains, and other types of infrastructure also route water. In Mississippi and several other states, water eventually ends up in the Gulf of Mexico, carrying with it whatever materials it may have picked up along the way. Over the years, the buildup of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, has created a zone of hypoxia—a dead zone—in the Gulf. These nutrients cause the growth of excessive algal blooms that prevent sunlight from penetrating surface waters. Bacteria break down dead algae, depleting oxygen during the decomposition process and causing the death or migration of marine life in the zone. Through WRRI, MAFES, FWRC, and Extension, Mississippi State is one of 12 land-grant universities in Southern Extension and Research Activities Committee 46 (SERA-46), which works in partnership with the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force. This consortium brings together researchers and Extension specialists to develop state-level strategies to curb nutrient loading and Gulf hypoxia. SERA-46 members focus on a number of issues, including soil conservation, water quality, and nutrient movement through waterways. Scientists and policy experts work to put science into practice by providing educational programs for farmers, businesses, and conservation and watershed management professionals. Some MSU scientists are looking for ways to reduce the amount of nonpoint-source pollution entering the waterways. According to Extension water specialist Dr. Mary Love Tagert, facilities such as factories and wastewater-treatment plants can be point sources of pollution; in other words, pollutants sometimes flow directly from these sources into waterways. However, it is harder to track down nonpoint sources, which are spread out over a wider area. For example, fertilizers spread on home lawns or farm fields can be washed away by rainfall and flow into the watershed. “There are various sources of nonpoint-source pollution, which include sediment, nutrients, pathogens, and some pesticides,” Tagert explained. “Sources are not just from agriculture but from land use in general. Some communities are reluctant to put in restrictions on land use, and that sometimes has negative impacts on the environment.” In Mississippi, the Big Sunflower Watershed is a priority-designated watershed that includes the Porter Bayou Watershed. MSU researchers are addressing nutrient concerns in water coming from agricultural fields in this area.

FOCUS

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

Dr. Mary Love Tagert studies on-farm water-storage systems, which collect water runoff from irrigation and rainfall and store it for reuse in future irrigations. (Photo by Kevin Hudson)

Since 2011, MSU has studied on-farm water-storage systems through a USDA grant. These systems collect water runoff from irrigation and rainfall and store it for reuse in future irrigations. “On-farm water-storage systems provide two benefits,” Tagert said. “They have some major nutrient-reduction benefits, but they also provide water for irrigation. Farmers are installing them because they need water, especially in the Delta where the aquifer is declining, and in northeast Mississippi where groundwater is not really an option farmers have for irrigation.” In the summer, the evapotranspiration rate—the rate of evaporation, combined with the amount of water used by plants—is significantly higher than rainfall rates, so farmers need to irrigate to maintain profitable yields, Tagert said. “If we can catch and store rainwater in the winter when we don’t need it, it would be available for irrigation in the summer,” she concluded. “We have been monitoring three on-farm water-storage systems to measure and quantify the nutrient-reduction benefits and determine how much water can be stored. So far, the farmers we’ve been working with have been pleased with these systems.” For several years, MDEQ officials have monitored nutrient levels in agricultural waters to determine reasonable nutrient standards. To reduce the nutrients running off fields from irrigation or rainwater, farmers are using tailwater-recovery systems and storage ponds. Tailwater refers to water that has run all the way through the furrows of a field without being absorbed. Jason Krutz said eliminating tailwater runoff is the goal. Water that leaves the field has the potential to transport sediment and nutrients away from the field and into nearby creeks and streams. “If you have water in the ditch, the plants you are growing can’t use it,” he observed. “Our goal is to become efficient in irrigation and not apply more water than the plants can use. Using tailwater-recovery systems is a way to allow that water to be recycled and used again. The water stays on the farm, and the next irrigation event has the opportunity to use that water.”

A Cup of Cold Water: It’s Complicated Mississippians take for granted the ability to turn on a faucet and get plentiful, safe water. About 90 percent of the state’s residents are on public water systems, and most drinking water comes from underground sources. A few public surface-water systems operate in the state, including Jackson and Tupelo. Groundwater is often cheaper to use than surface water. “In Mississippi, we’re fortunate that we have good soil and good groundwater, and we’re able to drill a hole and get water just about anywhere,” said Dr. Jason Barrett, an assistant Extension professor working with community water issues and policy. Municipal systems make up about a quarter of the water systems in the state and serve more than half the population. Rural

associations, utility districts, and privately owned water systems cover the remaining water needs. For many years, the majority of the state’s population was on private wells. After the initial setup cost, well owners had unlimited access to water for the cost of operating the pumps that draw it out of the ground. The federal government made a significant effort in the 1950s and 1960s to move people onto public water supplies, where quality could be more carefully monitored for safety. Low cost was the selling point to convince people to leave their private wells and move onto the public system.

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FOCUS

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

Dr. Jason Barrett helps communities address water issues and policies, and he works with homeowners across the state to improve the use of private wells. (Photo by Kat Lawrence)

serve and keeping costs for those services affordable. Tunica “With public supply, customers are essentially paying for inMayor Chuck Cariker and the northwest Mississippi town’s board frastructure and quality of water getting distributed to their of aldermen knew recently that enhouse,” Barrett explained. “It’s in terprise fund revenues were becomthe ground and free, but you’re selling availability, access, and ing insufficient to support the water “In Mississippi, we’re fortunate that we quality.” and sewer services they provided. have good soil and good groundwater, Cariker credited the ExtenGovernment subsidies kept sion Center for Government and costs artificially low as Mississippiand we’re able to drill a hole and get Community Development with ans were moved from private wells water just about anywhere.” helping the city streamline its budgto public water systems. Although eting process to generate the revwater is still plentiful, infrastrucDr. Jason Barrett enue required to provide the ture costs are high. services its citizens need. In the past “The true cost of water to resiyear, the center has assisted more than a dozen municipalities and dents is about $5 to $5.25 per thousand gallons in Mississippi, even rural water associations by conducting studies comparing them though we pay less than that,” Barrett said. to peer size systems and providing local leaders with information Agricultural economists calculate the cost of water based partthey can use to achieve that balance. ly on plant and system size, as well as condition of the treatment After examining the city’s rate structure, Barrett found that and distribution facilities. The cost of sustaining the water supply Tunica’s enterprise fund was operating at a $424,000 deficit each often exceeds this estimate in various systems around the state. year. He and Extension associate Hamp Beatty compared the city’s Local governments and water associations often face the balrates to similar systems in five other Mississippi cities. ancing act of meeting infrastructure needs of the residents they

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Research, Education, and Extension in the Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine Based on this research, city leaders adjusted the number of gallons covered by the minimum base fee from 6,000 gallons per month to 4,000. This adjustment had no effect on the 45 percent of consumers who were using only 4,000 gallons or less, and the city was able to make up its revenue shortfall by the cost increase to those who used more water. “If we do a rate study in house, it becomes political and without an expert,” Cariker said of Tunica’s efforts. “We get asked why the current rates need to be adjusted and whose idea it was to consider doing that. The Center for Government and Community Development studies those situations for municipalities around the state. Our citizens looked to them as experts because they were an independent group with experience in evaluating water and sewer rate structures.”

Barrett also works with homeowners across the state who have private wells. In September, Extension held a program in Poplarville that allowed private well owners to get their water tested for bacteria, along with a well-management workshop to teach well owners how to sample their wells, interpret results, and protect wells from contamination. “The majority of Mississippians get their water from municipal supplies or rural water associations, but there are thousands of homes in rural areas that depend on private wells,” Barrett observed. “In fact, an average of 12 percent of households in the state’s 82 counties rely on private wells. In four of those counties, more than 40 percent of homes have private wells.”

Beneath the Surface: The Impact of Reservoirs on the Economy Dr. Kevin Hunt planned to be an engineer like his father, who served as the head civil engineer of the nation’s second largest water-distribution system, located in Fairfax County, Virginia. In the Hunt household, water had one purpose— human consumption—and anything that complicated the process of providing a high-quality, clean product for the community was a problem, including recreational fishing. But when he was in high school, the younger Hunt became so enamored with fishing he made a decision that changed the path of his entire career. Hunt confessed that he became a fisheries biologist to counteract his father’s antifishing perspective. As a professor in the FWRC Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Hunt has spent years investigating the social and economic impact of recreational fishing at reservoirs to show how much they are worth to local and state economies. The three primary purposes of reservoirs in the U.S. are hydroelectric, flood control, and water supply for human use. Recreation typically is considered a secondary benefit. But in rural Mississippi, the potential for reservoir-related recreation is significant.

Photo by Kat Lawrence

“It may not be important to those who manage the reservoirs from a technical standpoint, but to the communities, it’s their lake,” Hunt explained. “It provides them a sense of place, it brings new money into their local economy, it creates jobs, and it has an economic impact as they adapt to support users of that resource.”

Recreation is a big business, but the jobs it creates are not all in one building. This distinction makes it difficult to recognize the economic impact of these jobs. “The economic impact is spread around the community, especially in rural communities, with ‘Mom and Pop’ businesses that sell equipment, supplies, ice, and beverages, and with local rentals or hospitality-related businesses,” Hunt said. “Fishing is the second most popular outdoor recreation activity among adults 25 years old and older, and fourth among those younger than 25 in America. Mississippi is capitalizing on that.” In addition to fishing, Mississippi waterways and adjacent areas offer recreational boating, jet skiing, kayaking, swimming, camping, birding, and wildlife watching, as well as hunting and trapping opportunities. The results of a national survey conducted every 5 years by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirm the increasing interest in these activities, said Dr. Steve Grado, George L. Switzer Professor of Forestry and FWRC economist. “The most recent report is from 2011 and found more than 90 million U.S. residents age 16 and older participated in some type of wildlife-related recreation,

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FOCUS

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

Participants in an MSU Extension boating and sun safety event enjoy canoeing on Lake Pushmataha in Neshoba County. (Photo by Kevin Hudson)

which was up 3 percent from the previous 5 years,” Grado observed. “They spent $144.7 billion in 2011, which is 1 percent of the gross domestic product. This is a significant amount of money, and Mississippi has the natural resources to be able to capitalize even more on this growing interest.” Water quality plays a big part in the recreational value of reservoirs and lakes, he stressed. “Everyone says they hate litter and pollution, yet they don’t think throwing out a can or cigarette butt, or pouring oil or chemicals down a storm drain, is going to impact their experience,” Hunt observed. “But everything is connected. Water quality affects fish and wildlife populations, which in turn affects people using the reservoir for recreation. Loss of fish production means fewer fish, which means people go elsewhere. Good water quality is imperative for quality recreation.” Leaders in Mississippi, Texas, and Puerto Rico have used Hunt’s work quantifying the social and financial benefits of recreation to guide important economic development decisions. “If someone wants to change a land-management practice upstream of the reservoir that might affect fishing, pollute the water, or put a lot of soil into the system, tourists will find somewhere else to go,” he said. “If you show the dollar impact of potential developments and how it might hurt recreation, then show the impact that losing one-half of the fishing efforts at the reservoir would create, you can show impact on jobs and the economy.”

By Bonnie Coblentz, Nathan Gregory, and Keri Collins Lewis

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“Based on knowledge from other forest types, such as pines, timber production over time may be lower for some forest types and stand conditions if managed using uneven-aged silvicultural approaches as compared with even-aged management for commercial timber production.” Sunil Nepal

Landowners Can Now Make Better Hardwood Timber Management Decisions Landowners and forest managers with property in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (LMAV) now have new information that can help them decide how best to manage their bottomland hardwood forests. Sunil Nepal, a graduate student in the MSU College of Forest Resources (CFR), conducted a simulation study to compare the economic differences between even-aged management and uneven-aged management of bottomland hardwood forests in the historical flood plain of the lower Mississippi River. Managed even-aged forests contain trees of similar age and height and are ideal for oaks and other commercially important species. Unevenaged forests contain trees of at least three different ages, providing structural diversity that can offer vital wildlife habitat. Dr. Brent Frey, assistant professor of silviculture in the CFR Department of Forestry and one of Nepal’s faculty advisors, said new management approaches advocated by wildlife-oriented groups have fueled renewed interest in bottomland management. Some wildlife habitat managers prefer uneven-aged management. “Unfortunately, there is limited guidance or economic analysis that compares the economic tradeoffs between the two management styles in bottomland hardwood forests,” Nepal said. “This study allows people to better understand how much economic gain or loss they may realize by adopting one of these forms of management.” Landowners generally choose to manage forests for wildlife habitat or timber production. The decisions they make depend on initial stand conditions, including tree species composition, average tree diameter, stand density, and stocking levels, Nepal said. “Based on knowledge from other forest types, such as pines, timber production over time may be lower for some forest types and stand conditions if managed using uneven-aged silvicultural approaches as compared with even-aged management for commercial timber production,” Nepal said. “The management ap-

proach they choose depends on what they start with and their management goals.” In his Forest and Wildlife Research Center study, Nepal looked at four of the more common bottomland hardwood forest types found in the LMAV. These four forest types make up about half of the forest cover in the valley. He used U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis data that provide forest stand types and ages and diameters of trees in the LMAV. Nepal entered the data in the Forest Service Forest Vegetation Simulator software to mimic forest growth and yield. He then calculated the economic benefits of each management practice. Even-aged management produced higher timber revenue in most of the stands in each forest type. However, some stands produced higher revenue with uneven-aged management. Revenue differences depended on the initial stand conditions. Stands with higher average diameter and commercially desirable species produced higher revenue with even-aged management. “Both management types can offer timber and wildlife habitat values,” Nepal said. “These values vary greatly from one site to the next. This analysis defined the economic tradeoff in terms of timber production only.” However, the timber revenue tradeoff can provide some insight into wildlife habitat values, said Dr. James Henderson, an associate professor of forestry and Nepal’s coadvisor. “A landowner may see greater value in the wildlife habitat associated with uneven-aged management for their property than the higher revenue they could generate with an even-aged approach,” said Henderson, who also is an Extension economist. The LMAV contains 7.6 million acres of bottomland hardwood forests that support commercially important tree species and many wildlife species. By Susan Collins-Smith • Photo by Kevin Hudson

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Undergraduate Research Scholars Program

TRAINS SCIENTISTS OF TOMORROW More than 130 undergraduate students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and College of Forest Resources (CFR) have taken on the role of research scientists in the innovative Undergraduate Research Scholars Program since it began in 2013. The CALS program is funded in part by the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. The CFR program is funded in part by the Forest and Wildlife Research Center. Both programs

provide undergrads the chance to pursue research beyond the traditional classroom experience. “This program puts undergraduate students at the helm when it comes to developing and conducting original scientific experiments,” explained Dr. George M. Hopper, who serves as dean of both colleges and as the director of MAFES and FWRC. “This is a chance to train the researchers of tomorrow. Students develop the skills and learn the

methodologies necessary to succeed in their future fields.” Each research scholar is paired with a faculty mentor. Participating students engage in hands-on fieldwork, collect and analyze data, and formulate hypotheses. They also learn how to present the findings in a professional manner through conference presentations and the preparation of a peer-reviewed manuscript. Following are a few examples of work being done by the undergraduate scholars.

Optimizing Fertility in Beef Cattle

JACOB DIX

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Jacob Dix, a senior from Gulfport in the CALS Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, evaluated the reproductive cycle of beef cattle. Under the guidance of faculty mentor Dr. Jamie Larson, Dix’s study was part of a larger project focused on optimizing fertility in livestock. “Several follicles, which help nourish the oocytes they contain, grow and regress during a reproductive cycle of a cow,” explained Larson, an associate professor in animal and dairy sciences. “We believe that some contain a more fertile oocyte, or egg, than others. “We are trying to identify which follicles might contain these more fertile oocytes,” the mentor added. “The more fertile the oocyte, the more likely the cow will conceive and carry the pregnancy to term. Jacob’s project evaluated if the timing of follicular development might affect the fertility. “He specifically studied the exposure to progesterone and whether this affected the concentration of hormones in circulation in that cow or the concentration of enzymes in her liver that clear that hormone from her system,” Larson said. “His research

indicated that although concentrations of progesterone were different, the concentration of enzymes in the liver was similar and this did not seem to affect overall fertility of the animals.” Dix, who plans to attend the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine, said the experience helped bring the fundamentals he learned in the classroom to life.

“I am a hands-on learner, so being able to be out there every day and work with the cattle and see what enzymes were doing, what we could test for, and what we could control helped me understand scientific concepts we were learning in the classroom,” he said.

TERESA CHAPMAN

Understanding the Genes Behind Cotton Quality Teresa Chapman is a senior in animal and dairy sciences, but she studied cotton genetics in the CALS Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology. Chapman, a Madison native who also hopes to attend the veterinary college, said her background in biology and an interest in genetics led her to the cotton research project. Chapman studied cotton with a reduced expression of a gene called “phytochrome PHYA1.” Compared to other cotton plants, this line showed greater vegetative growth, flowered earlier, produced more flowers and bolls, showed earlier boll-maturing phenotypes, and exhibited improved fiber length, strength, and micronaire (finer fiber). “This cotton line served as a model to study how the suppression of one specific gene impacted plant yield and fiber quality,”

explained faculty mentor Dr. Din-Pow Ma, a professor in biochemistry, molecular biology, entomology, and plant pathology. “This foundational research was useful in understanding molecular mechanisms of fiber development and will hopefully help aid in the development of early-maturing and productive commercial cotton cultivars with superior fiber quality.” While she felt the experience was challenging, Chapman said all the hard work and effort paid off. “The research taught me more about genetics, which will help me in my major,” she said. “It was also neat that this research might eventually have real-world application. As a researcher, I learned that you have to have persistence and dedication. You just have to stick with it and keep trying in order to persevere.”

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JOSHUA BYERS and DR. HEATHER ALEXANDER

Examining the Benefits of Prescribed Burns Joshua Byers, a senior natural resources and environmental conservation major in the CFR Department of Forestry, studied ways to help struggling, young upland oak seedlings survive in the forest understory among their native competitors. In Kentucky, Byers collected data on how prescribed fire affects the survival and growth of upland oaks that are less than 3 years old. Oaks are valuable not only as a food source for wildlife, but also as a source of lumber for manufacturing a variety of commercial products. Upland oaks need strong sunlight and can be overcome by competing species, such as red maple. “Scientists are concerned about the rate of regeneration of upland oaks,” Byers said. “Mature oaks are plentiful, but the current number of young, growing upland oaks is very low. We will see an ecological and economic impact if these trees are lost.” Traditionally, prescribed fire is used in softwood forests, but it could play an important role in upland hardwood systems, as well. To help shed light on the topic, Byers compared data on unburned

stands and stands burned at different intervals and severities to determine what species fill in the understory after a prescribed fire. “The main question we want to answer is how do we prepare an oak forest for success,” Byers explained. “That’s been the standing question with lots of research projects over the last several years: looking at how to do that.” Dr. Heather Alexander, an assistant professor of forestry who has conducted prescribed fire research aimed at oak forests for several years, is Byers’s mentor. “Fire restoration may be a key management approach for upland oak sustainability, but there is still much we do not understand about the role of fire in current-day oak forests, including the requisite timing, frequency, and severity of fire,” she explained. “Josh’s research will tell us whether or not burning benefits oak seedlings during a critical part of their life cycles.”

By Vanessa Beeson and Susan Collins-Smith • Photos by Kevin Hudson

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1/82: Rankin County Rankin County Office, MSU Extension Service 601 Marquette Road Brandon, MS 39042 (601) 825-1462 doug.carter@msstate.edu

The Ross Barnett Reservoir is one of Rankin County’s most prominent natural resources. (Photo by Kevin Hudson)

County seat:

Brandon

Population:

148,070

Municipalities:

Brandon, Pearl, Flowood, Florence, Richland, Pelahatchie, Puckett

Communities:

Sandhill, Star

Commodities:

timber, hay, cattle/calves, poultry, soybeans, cotton, corn

Industries:

Mississippi Baking, Siemen’s Energy, Nucor Steel, O’Neal Steel, Blue Cross Blue Shield, KLLM Trucking, Color Box, Ergon, Weyerhauser

Natural resources:

Ross Barnett Reservoir, Pearl River, Strong River

History notes:

This county is named in honor of Christopher Rankin, a Mississippi congressman who served from 1819 to 1826.

Attractions:

Mississippi Braves, Bass Pro Shop, Outlets of Mississippi, Trustmark Park, Yogi on the Lake

Did you know?

A not-so-well-known fact is that Mississippi Baking in Pelahatchie is the exclusive supplier of hamburger buns to about 3,400 McDonald’s restaurants.

From farmers who keep agriculture a vibrant part of county life to growing towns that maintain their charm in the face of a retail boom, Rankin County is one of the state’s fastest growing counties with an attractive balance of rural flavor and modern convenience. Doug Carter, 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 A founding faculty member of the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) was posthumously honored by the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia (ACVAA). Dr. E. Wynn Jones of Starkville, who died in April at the age of 92, has been awarded a lifetime achievement award. He was cited for leadership in the establishment and continued progress of veterinary anesthesiology as an academic discipline. In 1975, Jones was among the seven diplomates who founded ACVAA to encourage creation of a specialty in veterinary anesthesiology. A native of Oswestry, England, Jones graduated from London’s Royal Veterinary College and completed a doctorate at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Before coming to MSU in 1982, Jones held faculty or consultant positions at Oklahoma State, Auburn, Texas A&M, and Washington State universities. He served for many years as a professor and vice dean of MSU-CVM. After retiring, he became a professor emeritus and continued to work on behalf of his academic unit and the university as a whole.

Dr. E. Wynn Jones

Dr. Keith Coble

A national and international expert on agricultural risk management and crop insurance has been named head of the MSU Department of Agricultural Economics. Dr. Keith Coble, a longtime faculty member in the department, has assumed the role as head after serving as interim head for the last 8 months. In making the announcement, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Dean George Hopper said, “Dr. Coble is a well-known and highly respected economist who brings a wealth of experience and leadership to the Department of Agricultural Economics.” A 19-year veteran of Mississippi State, Coble earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural education from the University of Missouri. He earned a doctoral degree in agricultural economics from Texas A&M. An MSU William L. Giles Distinguished Professor, Coble also served as chief economist for Senator Thad Cochran and the minority leadership on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee during development of the most recent farm bill. He continually provides guidance to policy makers through his work on the Council on Food, Agricultural, and Resource Economics’ Blue Ribbon Panel of Experts and his founding role in the Agricultural Data Coalition. In addition to his work at Mississippi State, Coble serves as vice president of the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees.

Dr. David Wise

Harvin Hudson

Dr. Amanda Stone

Dr. Jim DelPrince

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MSU researchers with the Thad Cochran National Warmwater Aquaculture Center at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville received a major honor from the American Fisheries Society. Dr. David Wise, coordinator of the center, worked with scientists in CVM and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station to develop a vaccine to protect catfish from enteric septicemia of catfish, a bacterial disease caused by Edwardsiella ictaluri. This is the most commonly reported disease affecting catfish and can cause catastrophic losses if left untreated. Final trials of the MSU-developed oral vaccine currently are underway, with the possibility of commercial release in the near future. The American Fisheries Society awarded its 2016 Robert L. Kendall Award to the research team for a report on the development of the vaccine that was featured in the Journal of Aquatic Animal Health. Harvin Hudson, a longtime agriculture and natural resources agent with the MSU Extension Service, was named Philadelphia and Neshoba County’s 2016 Citizen of the Year by the Community Development Partnership. He was recognized for his contributions in the areas of civic, industrial, religious, educational, cultural, recreational, and social issues. Hudson has been active in many county and state organizations from the Neshoba County Forestry Association to the Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association. He was instrumental in coordinating efforts to begin a farmers market more than 20 years ago. In 2012, he helped launch a second market. Hudson manages the market and assists vendors, often after-hours and on Saturdays. He has coordinated livestock shows and the exhibit hall at the Neshoba County Fair for 25 years. He initiated plans for the first Wildlife Jamboree and has served as leadership chairman for more than 20 years. Well-known as a community volunteer, Hudson was recognized for his outstanding volunteerism, as he grills and cooks for a number of organizations. “Harvin has mentored so many people that manage their timber, hayfields, farms, and gardens … we can only imagine how many lives he has enriched in our county and across Mississippi,” his nomination letter stated. Mississippi dairy farmers have a new specialist to advise them on best management practices and solutions to problems. Dr. Amanda Stone began work in August with the Extension Service as an assistant Extension professor in the CALS Department of Animal and Dairy

Dr. Richard Harkess

Dr. Donald Grebner

Dr. Bronson Strickland

Dr. Michael Barnes

Dr. Raja Reddy

Sciences. Stone’s responsibilities will be 80 percent Extension and 20 percent teaching. She will work directly with Extension agents, dairy producers, and MSU students. A native of Pennsylvania, Stone became interested in the dairy industry during her undergraduate work on a farm at the University of Findlay in Ohio. She completed her master’s and doctoral degrees in dairy systems management at the University of Kentucky. “The future of Mississippi’s dairy industry is bright,” Stone said, “and I think Mississippi dairy farms are underestimated. I see farmers who work hard in order to provide for their animals and families, put food on everyone’s tables, and protect the environment. We also have primarily pasturebased dairies and several producers do onfarm processing, which, in an industry driven by consumers, is a real advantage.” Dr. Jim DelPrince, MSU Extension floral design specialist, earned a national award for his significant contribution to the floral industry. DelPrince accepted the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) Award of Distinguished Service to the Floral Industry at the organization’s annual National Symposium. DelPrince was honored for his tireless and continued support of AIFD as a leader, mentor, supporter, volunteer, and friend. Inducted into AIFD in 1992, he has helped further the floral industry through his contributions to industry resources and education. After teaching MSU students for 23 years, DelPrince joined the Extension Service in 2015. Based at the MSU Coastal Research and Extension Center, he offers classes, workshops, and other educational opportunities to amateur floral enthusiasts, professional designers, and members of Mississippi’s green industry. DelPrince is also an AIFD Laureate member, a special distinction for individuals who have belonged to the institute for 21 or more years and attended at least 10 national symposia.

The MSU Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine recently honored faculty members with the Regions Bank-DAFVM Superior Faculty Awards in a program designed to highlight exemplary work in five key areas. A recent university ceremony sponsored by Regions Bank recognized the latest Superior Faculty Award winners: Dr. Richard Harkess, teaching award, professor of plant and soil sciences, CALS and MAFES; Dr. Donald Grebner, research award, professor of forestry, College of Forest Resources (CFR) and Forest and Wildlife Research Center (FWRC); Dr. Bronson Strickland, outreach award, associate

professor of wildlife, fisheries, and aquaculture, FWRC and MSU Extension; Dr. Michael Barnes, service award, professor of sustainable bioproducts, CFR and FWRC; and Dr. Raja Reddy, international service award, professor of plant and soil sciences, MAFES. A food safety specialist with industry and public service experience recently joined the Extension Service. Dr. Courtney Crist is a new assistant Extension professor in the CALS Department of Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion. She will provide support, expertise, and programs in muscle foods, food safety, food regulatory guidance, new business development, and new product development. Additionally, she will support Extension through program development across the state for local agents regarding food safety, home preservation, cooking practices, and business development. During her undergraduate program at the University of North Georgia, she interned in the Quality Assurance Department at Southeastern Mills in Rome, Georgia, which sparked her interest in food science. She transferred to Mississippi State to pursue a food science degree. After working in the Muscle Foods/Meat Chemistry Lab, she decided to pursue her master’s degree and minor in agricultural and Extension education. Crist then obtained her doctoral degree at Virginia Tech in food science and technology. “I am looking forward to developing relationships with communities, faculty, industry, and agents across the state, as well as continuing to learn and explore Mississippi,” Crist said. “I think the Extension motto of ‘Extending Knowledge, Changing Lives’ is relevant and needed in today’s society with the growing misinformation surrounding food and health.” The CALS School of Human Sciences has two new majors. MSU students can now major in human development and family science or fashion design and merchandising. Replacing the former degree offered in human sciences, these majors offer different focus areas or concentrations. In human development and family science, students can concentrate on child development, family science, youth development, child life, and family and consumer sciences teacher education. Fashion design and merchandising has concentrations in fashion merchandising and apparel design and development with emphasis areas that include marketing, finance, leadership, communication, and information technology systems.

Dr. Courtney Crist

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DEVELOPMENT

CORNER Jimmy and Kay Bryan established the Bryan-Burger Endowment for Bobwhite Habitat Restoration to support continued conservation research at MSU. Jimmy Bryan, left, is pictured with wildlife ecologist Wes Burger on Bryan’s Prairie Wildlife property.

Bryan Endows

Legacy of Conservation

Nearly 20 years ago, Jimmy Bryan began searching for ways to restore bobwhite quail populations on his family farm. Despite being rooted in richly productive soils of the Blackland Prairie region of Clay County, years of cropping practices designed to enhance agricultural efficiency had eliminated essential habitat and the farm’s ability to sustain wildlife. When Bryan turned to the experts at Mississippi State University, he never imagined the opportunities that would unfold. “Many people don’t realize that this area has a rich tradition of quail hunting,” said Bryan, a former MSU Foundation Board member. “The first National Field Trial Championship was actually held here in Clay County in 1896. I wanted to try to bring that birdhunting tradition back.” Under the guidance of Dr. Wes Burger, an MSU professor of wildlife ecology, Bryan implemented comprehensive conservation practices that proved successful in bringing more than quail back to the family farm. This renewal process was further augmented through assistance from Wildlife Mississippi. Over the years, the progressive efforts transformed the land— once solely limited to agricultural production—into a thriving, multifunctional wildlife enterprise known as Prairie Wildlife, LLC. Today, Bryan and his wife, Kay, are returning the support to MSU through an endowment that will ensure continued success of Mississippi’s wildlife conservation. The Bryan-Burger Endowment for Bobwhite Habitat Restoration, established in the College of Forest Resources (CFR), will provide perpetual funding to build upon this model of collaborative

MISSISSIPPI LANDMARKS

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conservation and working lands research. Although primarily directed toward bobwhite conservation, the endowment also emphasizes habitat restoration of the historical elements of the Blackland Prairie ecosystems in Mississippi and Alabama. “Previous efforts for this type of research have depended on funding from state and federal grants,” said Burger, who also serves as associate director of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and the Forest and Wildlife Research Center. “The Bryans’ generous endowment will ensure the university’s long-term commitment to bobwhite and prairie-conservation research.” Results of the collaborative research and conservation efforts spanning the last 19 years have contributed to more than 60 scientific publications, as well as the development and evaluation of the CP33 conservation practice. CP33, which involves establishing strips of vegetation around the edges of crop fields to serve as habitat buffers, was nationally implemented by the USDA Farm Service Agency under the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program in 2004. Additionally, 14 MSU students have performed graduate research on Bryan’s farm. “Mississippi State is known for its ‘boots-on-the-ground approach,’ especially in the applied-science programs,” Bryan said. “I had seen public-private partnerships supporting bobwhite research in other regions of the country and thought that, with the valuable resources available in the university’s Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture we could do something similar that directly applies to the people here in the Southeast.”

Historically, bobwhites were an accidental byproduct of land-use practices in agricultural landscapes. Today’s highly mechanized farming practices require intentional creation of wildlife habitat. Prairie Wildlife embodies this concept, implementing a suite of conservation practices that minimally impact crop and livestock production systems and provide substantial returns to the larger ecosystem context through well-planned resource management. “The goal was to increase bobwhite populations, but once we started establishing habitat and restoring native communities, we began to see many other valuable and sometimes unexpected returns,” Burger said. “Water quality in Town Creek improved dramatically, a diverse community of butterflies and other native pollinators colonized in restored grasslands, and grassland birds increased in abundance. The more restoration we did, the more benefits Jimmy saw and the more he wanted to do. Now, his farm serves as a model for how wildlife conservation and production agriculture can coexist.” In addition to conservation and agriculture, Prairie Wildlife also has significant recreational aspects included in its well-balanced portfolio. Beyond quail, the enterprise delivers exceptional dove, deer, and rabbit hunting, as well. It also is one of five Orvis Wingshooting School locations and home to the Bluff City Land Rover Driving Experience. The lodge, which contains corporate meeting rooms, a pro shop, and guest rooms, enables visitors to experience the benefits of the renaissance of Bryan’s farm. Alternatively, a more private retreat can be found nestled among the hardwoods in a restored cabin, originally built in 1844. “The initial idea was to have a small sporting operation in with the cattle and row-crop production,” Bryan said. “But it kind of outgrew itself.” As a working lands laboratory for MSU’s continued research, evaluation, and demonstration of innovative conservation practices—now supplemented through support from the Bryan-Burger Endowment— Prairie Wildlife helps shape the standards of modern land management. The mutually beneficial partnership helps to improve MSU’s academic and research practices while enhancing the overall productiveness of Bryan’s farm. “The Bryans’ gift truly makes an infinite impact, not just for future generations of students who will study on his farm, but also for the wildlife that are now finding habitat in this prairie ecosystem,” said Dr. George Hopper, dean of CFR and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “This type of ecosystem restoration is a great demonstration for other landowners to see the benefits of managing natural resources in agricultural production systems.” The Bryans’ recent endowment augments their longtime support of the university, which extends to many areas, including scholarships and athletics. The West Point natives also contributed land in their hometown for the MSU Extension Service 4-H Youth Complex, which opened in 2014. A presidential endowed scholarship (one of the university’s most competitive student awards) and an endowed animal externship in the College of Veterinary Medicine also bear the couple’s name. In fulfilling the fundamental charge to serve, Mississippi State helped rewrite the future of Bryan’s farm. In turn, his endowment is enabling MSU to extend the legacy of comprehensive conservation. As family traditions of farming and sportsmanship are often passed down, so too are the investments in education and research, which lay the foundations for success and carry the torch of the MSU impact on to future generations.

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) 325-3815 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 Addie Mayfield • Photos by Russ Houston

31 • • • NOVEMBER 2016

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Tupelo, MS Permit No. 290

Box 9625 Mississippi State, MS 39762

Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station research associate Scott Langlois, left, and associate research professor Dr. Gene Blythe measure “Spike,” a rare titan arun plant housed at the South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station. The 9-year-old plant, commonly known as a “corpse flower,” bloomed for the first time in June. (Photo by Kat Lawrence)