Mississippi Landmarks November 2017 by Mississippi State University Extension Service

volume 13, number 4

RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION

VICE PRESIDENT’S

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

Mark E. Keenum

VICE PRESIDENT

Gregory A. Bohach DIRECTOR, MSU EXTENSION SERVICE

Gary B. Jackson

DEAN, COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND LIFE SCIENCES DEAN, COLLEGE OF FOREST RESOURCES DIRECTOR, FOREST AND WILDLIFE RESEARCH CENTER DIRECTOR, MISSISSIPPI AGRICULTURAL AND FORESTRY EXPERIMENT STATION

George M. Hopper DEAN, COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

Kent H. Hoblet Mississippi LandMarks is produced by the Office of Agricultural Communications.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Elizabeth Gregory North

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Robyn Hearn Keri Collins Lewis

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Annette Woods

WRITERS

Linda Breazeale Bonnie Coblentz Susan Collins-Smith Nathan Gregory Addie Mayfield Jessica Smith PHOTOGRAPHERS

Kevin Hudson Tom Thompson For a subscription to Mississippi LandMarks or an address change, call (662) 325-2262. We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The end of 2017 brings many reasons to celebrate, most notably Mississippi’s 200 years of statehood. We reflect on all the changes a year can bring and marvel at our state’s two centuries of progress. We are proud of MSU’s historical contributions to economic, community, family, and individual progress, including academics, Extension Service outreach, the 4-H Youth Development Program, and agricultural research and technological innovations. In 2017, the MSU Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine streamlined processes and strategically filled vacancies to ensure that services to our students, clients, and stakeholders remained reliable and timely. We are completing our state-of-the-art, 15,000-square-foot Meat Science and Muscle Biology Laboratory and began construction on the Animal and Dairy Sciences building. We celebrated the long-anticipated completion of the new south entrance to campus and the increased opportunity for visitors to appreciate the beauty and scope of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station H. H. Leveck Animal Research Center, popularly known as “South Farm.” Thanks to a partnership with the Delta Council, scientists at the Delta Research and Extension Center will soon have new offices, labs, and greenhouses at the West Farm in Stoneville. This facility, formerly owned by Monsanto and donated to the B. F. Smith Foundation, will be the home of the new Alluvial Aquifer Research and Education Center, as well as the MAFES rice-breeding program under the direction of Dr. Ed Redoña. Another growing season is over, and most crops experienced record or near-record yields. While the growing season began early due to warm spring weather, excessive wind and rain caused severe issues in some areas, particularly in Warren County, which suffered heavy flood damage. Supporting agricultural producers through the tribulations and triumphs of each season is both an honor and a keenly felt responsibility. We value our partnerships with producers across the state and look forward to what 2018 has in store. This fall, we welcomed yet another record-breaking number of students at MSU. Overall DAFVM enrollment increased by eight students, for a total of 3,566 in 2017. The College of Forest Resources, with 584 students, and the College of Veterinary Medicine, with 574 students, set records for enrollment. Student enrollment in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences was down slightly, with 2,408. As we transition into a new year, DAFVM leaders will continue to refine our priorities. We pledge to efficiently maintain our commitment to building sustainable communities, conserving our natural resources, improving Mississippians’ health and well-being, and developing agricultural production systems and technologies. Best wishes for a festive holiday season and bright new year.

www.dafvm.msstate.edu/landmarks G R EG O RY A. B OHACH

CONTENTS Volume 13 â&#x20AC;˘ Number 4 â&#x20AC;˘ November 2017

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Our Mississippi: A Tribute

Summer Experience Launches Family on Memorable Journey

Gardeners Spur Milkweed Study

New Curriculum Takes Precision Ag to the Next Level

Innovative Grazing Strategies Tested at MSU Dairy

Madison County Profile

Radical Production Maintains Rice Yields but Saves Water

Growth Chambers Guide Future Crop Development

Mississippians Lose Millions to Wild Pig Destruction

Demmer Scholars Study Natural- Resource Policy in D.C.

Program Supports Diversity in Veterinary Medicine

Baitfish Production May Open a New Market in Mississippi

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News Notes

Alumni Couple Extends Student and Faculty Support

O N T H E COV E R

Mississippi had an excellent corn crop in 2017, as illustrated by this harvest scene at Simmons Planting Company in Arcola. Corn yields are expected to set a new record this year. (Photo by Jonathan Parrish)

Our Mississippi: A Tribute

DAFVM Vice President Gregory Bohach meets with David Barge, president of Barge Forest Products Company and Barge Timberland Management Inc. in Macon, Mississippi. Barge was the 2013 MSU College of Forest Resources Alumnus of the Year. Supporting excellence in the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s $12.79 billion forestry and forest products industries is one of the many goals Mississippi State has pursued in its 200-year history. (Photo by Kevin Hudson)

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hroughout this year, Mississippians have been reflecting on 200 years of milestones, discoveries, pioneers, heroes, visionaries, and battles won and lost. Through knowledge of our history, we can see more clearly the path ahead. Understanding yesterday can help us better plan for the future we desire for ourselves and coming generations. As 2017 concludes, historians will soon file away the various bicentennial programs and publications for reference 50 years from now. But before the new year dawns, I want to salute the many people within the MSU Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine, as well as our valued partners, for the contributions you have made to our state. With a little fine-tuning, our mission is the same as the one envisioned when Congress created the land-grant system through the 1862 Morrill Act. In 1878, when the Mississippi Legislature established the Agricultural and Mechanical College of the State of Mississippi, the college was tasked to provide training in agriculture, horticulture, and the mechanical arts “without excluding other scientific and classical studies, including military tactics” (17th Annual Catalogue of the Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College, 1896-1897). Over time, Mississippi A&M developed new degree programs, colleges, centers, and institutes. The addition of the Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service paved the way for our trifold mission: academics, research, and service. Along with the new missions came our more formal, official name: Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science.

If you ask anyone at MSU to identify the division’s most important contribution to state history, the answers will vary. Is it the development of anhydrous ammonia technology, which gave birth to Mississippi Chemical Corporation, Mississippi’s first Fortune 500 Company? Or is it the effort to eradicate the boll weevil? Do we top the list with Corn Club Smith, who received the first federal dollar for a youth program, thus beginning 4-H’s century of significant impacts on the nation? How do we know our most significant accomplishments are not those projects just recently started? Research in influenza, environmental science, or any one of hundreds of other areas could prove to be our most momentous achievement. At one level, the division comprises six units: the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; the College of Forest Resources; the College of Veterinary Medicine; the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station; the Forest and Wildlife Research Center; and the Extension Service. But, fundamentally, the main components of our division are our people: students, teachers, scientists, researchers, specialists, agents, and professional and support staff with wide-ranging interests, knowledge, and areas of expertise. It’s the contributions of these people, both past and present, that help make Mississippi what it is today. And, in my view, supporting these people in their work, ambitions, and dreams is our greatest contribution to Mississippi. BY DR. GREGORY BOHACH

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“4-H Is Family”

Summer Experience Launches Family on Memorable Journey

One of Brittany Harper’s many activities was competing in the 4-H cookout competition. Her whole family has been active in 4-H, including her mother, Angela Harper (sitting left); her father, Johnnie Harper; and her sister, Olivia Harper. In the photo on the right, the 4-H Ambassador feeds cattle owned by Jeff Parker in Taylorsville.

t the time, Angela Harper thought she was simply enrolling her 11-year-old daughter Brittany in a NASA Camp hosted by the local Extension office’s 4-H program. She didn’t know she was launching her entire family into a program that would shape them as individuals, as a family, and as community volunteers. Terence Norwood, then the MSU Extension 4-H agent in Jefferson Davis County, remembers the Harpers’ first day at camp. “Brittany went home and told her mom she should come help out the next day,” Norwood shared. “Mrs. Harper was a godsend. That one connection grew into the 4-H Achievers Club and enrolled about 40 kids in 6 months!” Brittany Harper, now 18, embraced every experience 4-H could offer and set her sights on becoming a leader. She achieved her goal by becoming a 4-H Ambassador in 2016. “I asked Mr. Norwood what those green jackets were for, and he explained they were for the leadership team,” she recalled. “On that day, I vowed to myself—no matter what—I would get a green jacket.

“I learned self-discipline, and being an ambassador has really improved my public-speaking skills,” she observed. “I’m so glad I chose 4-H and 4-H chose me, because it has made me the person I am today.” Brittany Harper said lending a helping hand in her community and school allows her to “make the best better” every day. “4-H has taught me leadership skills, love, compassion for others, and how to turn something bad into a great situation,” she said. “When I think of 4-H, I think of family, because 4-H is always there for you.” From archery to grilling, Project Achievement Day to National Congress, and shy 11-year-old to confident 18-year-old, Brittany Harper’s 4-H journey has been a process of learning and growing. “My most memorable moment in 4-H would have to be going to Atlanta, Georgia, for the first time,” she shared. “I had a chance to meet and socialize with people from all over the world. It taught me no matter where you go in the world, you will meet lifelong friends.”

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“4-H has taught me leadership skills,

love, compassion for

others, and how to turn something bad into a

great situation. When I think of 4-H, I think of family, because 4-H is always there for you.” B R I T TA N Y H A R P E R

Brittany Harper said she is grateful to both of her parents for their encouragement. Her father, Johnnie Harper, helped her with shooting sports, cookouts, traveling, and more. “He has played a major role in our lives to ensure that we work hard and excel in our future careers,” she said. Angela Harper, who won a volunteer of the year award in 2013, said 4-H brought her family closer as they traveled and worked on projects together. “4-H is a wonderful program,” she explained. “It’s what you make of it based on the time you are willing to volunteer. It has been a life-changing experience. I learned how to work with my community and be more aware of what our local needs are.” She said God has blessed her daughter Brittany and her younger daughter Olivia, now 12, with incredible opportunities through 4-H. And the youth-development program has also brought the sisters closer together.

“I wanted my kids to have firsthand knowledge of how things work and to enjoy a variety of experiences,” she said. “Brittany has served as a page in Jackson for the State Legislature, participated in a statewide health fair, and traveled to Kentucky to compete on the national level in the 4-H cookout. “Olivia is looking at how God has blessed Brittany, and she’s setting goals for herself,” Angela Harper said. “She can see all of the opportunities 4-H has to offer.” Olivia Harper said she plans to show goats and participate in the Poultry Chain project. “I think when I get older I will join the ambassador team,” she said. “I feel if my sister can do it, so can I.” BY KERI COLLINS LEWIS • PHOTOS BY KEVIN HUDSON

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From Request to Research

Gardeners Spur Milkweed Study W

hen Mississippi gardeners asked Pat Drackett for help finding native species of milkweed in the marketplace, she unknowingly embarked on a multiyear mission. Her search led her to begin the Mississippi Milkweed Project, a research effort aimed at identifying the most suitable native milkweed species for growing in coastal landscapes. “In the spring of 2015, we had a lot of questions from gardeners about what kind of milkweed they should plant to help support monarch butterflies and where to get it,” said Drackett, director of the MSU Extension Service Crosby Arboretum. “People understand the importance of native milkweed and want to grow it, but, in Mississippi, we just don’t have enough in the marketplace to meet the demand.” Milkweed is a member of the Asclepias genus. It provides the only food source for monarch caterpillars and provides a place for adult monarchs to lay eggs. Tropical milkweed is readily available in garden centers and is sometimes mislabeled as native. If these plants are not cut back before adult monarchs begin migrating to Mexico, it can entice the insects to overwinter in Mississippi, according to recent research. This change in the migration pattern leaves monarchs vulnerable to a parasite that can make them sick or kill them. In 2015, field botanist and arboretum member Dr. Wayne Morris compiled a list of 15 milkweed varieties found in Mississippi. Drackett used the list to source seed for most of them from out-of-state native nurseries. With the help of Scott Langlois, a Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station research associate at the South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station in Poplarville, and Dr. Eddie Smith, an Extension agent in Pearl River County, she has conducted 2 years of field trials. They plant and grow milkweeds on the station grounds, in the greenhouse, and at the arboretum. In 2016, members of the Pearl River County Master Gardener group tested several varieties in their home gardens and gathered data on them throughout the summer.

“I volunteered to grow some in my garden because of the need for more habitat for monarchs and other pollinators,” said Master Gardener Bertha Page. “I also think this [native monarch habitat] is a topic we need to know more about.” Based on the study’s results to date, Drackett and Langlois believe these five milkweed species will perform well across the state: aquatic milkweed, butterfly weed, whorled milkweed, green antelopehorn, and swamp milkweed. Seeds from Florida and Louisiana show the most promise. “These varieties have endured hot summers, and they’ve performed well in Mississippi’s climate so far,” Drackett explained. Drackett’s ultimate goal is for the arboretum to serve as a source of native milkweed that has been collected and propagated from local Mississippi populations. Gardeners can help by seeking out native species, trying them in their gardens, and submitting native Mississippi seed to the 2018 trials. “We want to encourage people to experiment in their own gardens by planting native milkweed seed and exchanging plants and knowledge with other gardeners,” she said. “We would like to know about area planting projects and people’s propagation successes and failures. We want to communicate with people of all knowledge levels who are experimenting with Mississippi natives.” The Crosby Arboretum has a Mississippi Milkweeds Facebook page dedicated to this exchange of knowledge. Visit the page at https://www.facebook.com/MSMilkweeds/. To submit seed to the trials, contact Drackett at pat.drackett@ msstate.edu. For more information about the Mississippi Milkweed Project, visit the arboretum’s website at http:// crosbyarboretum.msstate.edu/mississippi-milkweeds. BY SUSAN COLLINS-SMITH • PHOTOS BY KEVIN HUDSON

Crosby Arboretum Director Pat Drackett plants milkweed seeds at the MAFES South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station in Poplarville.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to encourage people to experiment in their own gardens by planting native milkweed seed and exchanging plants and knowledge with other gardeners.â&#x20AC;? PAT D R A C K E T T

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Growth Chambers

Guide Future Crop Development

Rice varieties grow under simulated conditions in the MAFES SPAR unit. These climate-controlled growth chambers are used to create specific growing environments that mimic field-like conditions around the world. Researchers can control temperature, moisture, plant nutrition, ultraviolet light, and carbon monoxide.

lastic-enclosed, climate-controlled growth chambers on the Mississippi State campus are part of research efforts to address world food security for the rapidly growing population in the coming decades. Dr. Raja Reddy, a plant physiologist and researcher with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, operates what are known as Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Research (SPAR) units. They are housed at the Environmental Plant

Physiology Laboratory at the MAFES R. R. Foil Plant Science Research Center. “In the next 35 years, we will have more than 9 billion people in the world,” Reddy said. “One of the bigger challenges will be meeting the demand for food of what will be a more affluent population. They will have choices and will be concerned with not just the quantity of food but also the quality. As agronomists and crop scientists, we must provide what is needed.”

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SPAR units allow plants to grow under natural sunlight, but all other environmental factors are specifically controlled. Reddy manipulates the temperature, moisture, plant nutrition, carbon monoxide, and even ultraviolet light the plants receive. “Because we can create very specific growing environments, the results obtained from these field-like conditions here are portable and can be applied around the world,” Reddy said. Reddy and his MSU coinvestigators have partnered with different plant breeders and research organizations to test different crops and varieties to determine their effectiveness as new breeds. The growth chambers have been used for cotton, soybean, corn, rice, sweet potatoes, and more. “We have to look at the increasing food demand and the choices people will make in the future,” Reddy said. “It takes about 20 to 35 years to develop a new variety of any crop. We have to think now about what demand will be like then. “We assume significant climate change is coming, and we need to know how plants will respond to certain conditions,” he said. “With the SPAR units at MSU, we have the facilities to test now what environmental conditions may exist then.” Impacts of the work being done at this facility will be felt far beyond Mississippi. Reddy called the SPAR researchers a microcosm of the world. Current students, both graduate and undergraduate, include people from Iraq, Nepal, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, and Nigeria. “When we bring in different people, such as visiting scientists, they bring their different talents in different areas, and we try to incorporate some of those talents into our program to address both local and global issues,” Reddy said. “The challenges of the 21st century are everywhere, and we are training students here who can go back to their home countries and address some of the issues there.” Dr. Wes Burger, MAFES associate director, said the SPAR units and Reddy’s associated research program are globally unique resources. Similar capabilities are found only at one other research facility, which is located in Beltsville, Maryland. “These facilities allow our scientists to preemptively adapt to and mitigate observed and predicted changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide, temperature, and soil moisture through rapid screening and selection of plant materials from early breeding lines,” Burger said. “This capability, coupled with markerassisted plant breeding, will shorten the development cycle for new resilient plant varieties, contributing to global food security.”

Salah Jumaa (top photo), a doctoral student from Iraq, tests the ultraviolet-radiation exposure of a crop inside a SPAR unit. MAFES researcher Raja Reddy (middle photo, left) explains to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duval how the SPAR unit simulates future growing conditions to test plant varieties. Reddy leads an international team of SPAR researchers.

BY BONNIE COBLENTZ • PHOTOS BY KEVIN HUDSON

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Rooting Up Revenue M

ississippi farmers and landowners experience the destruction caused by wild pigs on a regular basis in many areas of the state. Now, MSU researchers have a solid idea of just how much that damage costs and where to focus research and educational efforts. A recently completed, two-pronged study revealed Mississippi producers lose between $60 million and $67 million a year from damage to crops, timber, equipment, and structures. “We thought that most of those losses would be in damaged or destroyed crops,” said Dr. Jessica Tegt, an assistant professor with the MSU Extension Service and a researcher with the Forest and Wildlife Research Center. “But the data revealed the impact to crops accounted for only 10 percent of the overall cost.” Producers spend 40 percent of swine-related expenses on repairs to property, such as buildings, levees, and fences. They spend 28 percent on control methods, including traps, night scopes, and cameras. Another 22 percent is spent on labor costs associated with property repair and control methods.

Mississippians Lose Millions to Wild Pig Destruction

The second part of the study measured producers’ attitudes about wild pigs—an important factor in managing the invasive pests. Producers expressed their beliefs about ecological impacts, legal considerations, management concerns, and disease and damage. Research and Extension faculty can develop research and educational materials for producers and legislators based on the results. “We found that producers do believe wild pigs are a problem, but people see value in hunting,” Tegt said. “So, we need to help people understand that hunting has a place, but, alone, it will not take care of our growing problem.” In 1988, wild pig populations existed on 4 percent of Mississippi’s land area. By 2009, wild pigs lived on 38 percent of the state’s land area. This spread is mostly attributed to humans moving the animals from one area to another. Wild pigs can easily outcompete native wildlife, including deer, because they are prolific breeders with voracious appetites, no natural enemies, and a low natural morbidity rate, Tegt said.

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A landowner in Attala County, Mississippi, surveys hog damage on his property.

“We found that producers do believe wild pigs are a problem, but people see value in hunting. So, we need to help people understand that hunting has a place, but alone, it will not take care of our growing problem.”

“Competition is one of the reasons it is important for us to educate the public on the importance of using legislation and proper management to combat their numbers and spread,” she said. “Another reason we are concerned is the wild pigs’ potential to spread disease. They can carry more than 30 diseases that are transmissible to both humans and animals. They also create soil and water quality issues by leaving waste and wallowing in streams and irrigation ditches.” Bill Hamrick, a senior Extension associate specializing in wildlife, said trapping is the best control method. It removes more pigs at once and requires less time and effort than hunting and exclusion methods. “Population studies show that hunting removes only about 25 percent of the population on average,” Hamrick said. “To reduce

DR. JESSICA TEGT or keep populations stable, landowners should aim to remove 50 to 70 percent of the population, depending on the availability of food, water, and shelter in their area of the state. In the Delta, where food and habitat are plentiful, landowners likely need to eliminate 70 percent of the population just to keep it stable.” Researchers collected data through phone surveys and site visits. The study was funded through the Land, Water, and Timber Resources Board of the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. For more information about wild pigs and recommended control methods, visit http://www.wildpiginfo.msstate.edu. BY SUSAN COLLINS-SMITH • PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Future Conservationists

Demmer Scholars Study Natural-Resource Policy in D.C.

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“We toured the bay, learned about the campaign to save it, and discussed its relation to how the federal government works in the natural-resource field.” M A K AY L A B R I S T E R

Makayla Brister stands before the Martin Luther King Jr. monument in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Helen Martinez, U.S. Forest Service)

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In addition to familiarizing participants with policy-making in the nation’s capital, the course examines the roles of the executive and legislative branches in national-resource policy development and implementation. It also analyzes media and nongovernmental influences on policy. Program founder Bill Demmer started the work and internship program in 2009 for students at Michigan State University. Mississippi State students began participating the following year after discussions between Demmer, Wildlife Mississippi Executive Director James Cummins, and U.S. Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey. The three are members of the Boone and Crockett Club, which is North America’s oldest wildlife and habitat conservation organization. “Bill and his wife, Linda, strongly believe in providing the best leadership skills to benefit conservation and the graduates of his alma mater,” said Cummins, a Mississippi State alumnus. “He wanted to include another university from a very different part of the United States. Mississippi State was a natural choice because it has highly reputable forestry, fisheries, wildlife, and environmental-economics programs.” Cummins said he had had an experience similar to the Demmer Scholars program in the early 1990s when he worked with U.S. Senator Thad Cochran and MSU President Mark Keenum, who was a legislative assistant at that time. “The opportunity to have worked with the two finest people I know—Senator Cochran and President Keenum—has greatly shaped me as a person, and I am forever grateful to them,” Cummins said. “That opportunity gave me great insight into how to work with decision makers to improve conservation and make Mississippi a better place to live and work. “The experience these students are obtaining will allow them to have great insight into how to work with government to improve natural resources and make them much more marketable in their career paths,” he added. “I hope some of these fine students will come back to Mississippi and put their skill set and experience to work for the benefit of our state.”

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s one of 11 Mississippi State undergraduate and graduate students selected for the William A. Demmer Scholars Program, Makayla Brister joined a new generation of trailblazers in conservation policy. The 12-week conservation leadership training program in Washington, D.C., allowed her to intern with the U.S. Forest Service and hone her research project on the benefits of wildlife economics. A senior double-majoring in environmental economics and management in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and wildlife, fisheries, and aquaculture in the College of Forest Resources, Brister also took a course on natural-resource policy during the internship. Frequently, the classroom was outdoors; one weekend outing took her to the Chesapeake Bay. “We toured the bay, learned about the campaign to save it, and discussed its relation to how the federal government works in the natural-resource field,” said Brister, a Raymond, Mississippi, native. “That was one of several field trips we took in or around the D.C. area. Every weekend was something different.” Wildlife Mississippi, a nonprofit agency that works with landowners and public agencies to preserve the state’s natural resources, forests, and wetlands, provides financial support to the scholars program. In addition to Brister, several other MSU seniors participated in the 2017 program: Hannah Berny, agribusiness, Franklin, Tennessee; Cassidy Downs, chemical engineering, Canton, Georgia; Katherine Nicole Flowers, natural resource and environmental conservation, Northport, Alabama; Shea Gould, environmental economics and management, Somerville, Tennessee; William Chandler Guy, forestry, McComb, Mississippi; and Conner Whitten, business administration, Madison, Mississippi. Several of the participants graduated in 2017: Ryan Burger, environmental economics and management, Starkville, Mississippi; Kathleen Kiernan, political science, Woodstock, Georgia; Catherine Masingill, natural resource and environmental conservation, Mountain Brook, Alabama; and Quoir’Shawn Porter, business information systems, Jackson, Mississippi.

BY NATHAN GREGORY

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Radical Production Maintains Rice Yields but Saves Water

ississippi State researchers are showing how to drastically change the way rice is grown, and producers are finding that the theory of reducing water use while maintaining yields actually works well in practice. MSU Extension is encouraging Mississippi growers to consider using alternate wetting and drying (AWD) management in their rice fields. The practice can reduce water use by one-third or more without reducing yields. Dr. Jason Krutz, director of the Mississippi Water Resources Research Institute at MSU, has championed AWD for the last few years. “Our experience with alternating wet and dry production shows us that we can grow rice without a continuous flood, and the benefits seem to outweigh the negatives,” Krutz said. “AWD may not be ideal for every situation, but it is a money saver on many fields.” Typically, rice is flooded after the stand is established in a field, and growers maintain 2 to 4 inches of standing water during the majority of the growing season. With AWD management, the field is allowed to dry to a point at which water is 4 inches below the soil surface before it is flooded again. “This is radically different than the recommendations across the Rice Belt,” Krutz said. “But the economic advantage is our AWD fields are coming in about $50 ahead per acre from water savings each year.” Lee Atwill, an MSU agronomy graduate student, has worked extensively in the university’s AWD research plots. He said the idea that rice cannot be grown without a continuous flood has been debunked. “For the growers who have the capacity to use AWD, it is definitely a money saver and a time saver,” Atwill said. “The benefits outweigh the negatives on these fields.” “We use an average of 36 acre-inches of water to grow rice in Mississippi,” Krutz said. “That means 50 percent of the time, we’re

using more than permitted. That’s why it’s critical to have a strategy that maintains and improves yield while reducing water use.” To date, about 20 percent of Mississippi farmers use some form of AWD, a figure that grows each year. David Arant Sr., a partner in Arant Acres in Ruleville, Mississippi, put AWD to the test on his farm. In 2016, he set aside three test fields. One field was managed with AWD, another used the water-efficient side-inlet irrigation, and the third was managed with conventional flood practices. “Both the AWD field and the side-inlet irrigated field used less water than normal,” Arant said. “The yield monitor on the combine showed the AWD field yielded four bushels more per acre than the other two fields.” Carter Murrell, a partner in Murrell Farms in Avon, Mississippi, adopted AWD practices in 2013. The family has been growing rice in Washington County since the early 1950s, and, today, all their rice acreage is grown with AWD management. “We saw no change in yields when we switched to AWD rice, and we’re using from 16 to 23 acre-inches of water,” Murrell said. Primary concerns among those switching to AWD rice are weed control and the crop’s ability to receive nitrogen without a flood. MSU research found weeds can be effectively controlled under the new system and the lack of a continuous flood does not hinder nitrogen application. BY BONNIE COBLENTZ • PHOTOS BY KEVIN HUDSON

Lee Atwill, an Extension associate at the Delta Research and Extension Center, studies the alternate wet and dry rice technique. An agronomy doctoral student, Atwill is funded by Extension and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.

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“Our experience with alternating wet and dry production shows us that we can grow rice without a continuous flood, and the benefits seem to outweigh the negatives. AWD may not be ideal for every situation, but it is a money saver on many fields.” DR. JASON KRUTZ

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CVM students Robert Stenger (left) and Andrea Seitz (center) show VOICE participants how to use microscopes.

Raise Your

VOICE

Program Supports Diversity in Veterinary Medicine

4-year-old organization aimed at increasing sociocultural awareness among veterinarians offers the community insights into the profession. “Veterinary medicine is one of the least diverse of all medical professions,” said Dr. Brittany Moore-Henderson, community outreach veterinarian at the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine. “We intend to be on the forefront of changing that, because diversity is vital to the continued advancement of the veterinary profession.” To increase cultural competency among students and faculty, leaders formed partnerships with other institutions and established various programs and task forces. One of those programs is Veterinary Students as One in Culture and Ethnicity, a national organization that addresses a need in the veterinary curriculum. Referred to as VOICE, it helps students communicate with individuals who come from

different economic, social, and cultural backgrounds while also introducing the profession to multicultural populations. Organized at MSU in 2013, the student-led group strives to reach Mississippi’s young people. They make multiple trips to elementary schools and vocational-tech centers to interact with students and talk about the field. “VOICE participants recognize that many students from rural areas do not get exposure to many STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math] fields,” said Moore-Henderson, who is also past president of the national VOICE chapter. “They have taken on the challenge of sharing veterinary medicine with kindergarten through 12th grade with the hope that they will one day consider it as a career path.” Members also visit senior-living facilities and organize community events, including service projects and educational seminars.

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CVM student LaDarrius Battee leads elementary-school students in an anatomical study.

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“I enjoy being a part of VOICE. It is a great way to interact with the public and helps us build personal relationships with each other, which helps us learn about one another.” The group partners with the International Veterinary Student Association to offer Spanish to veterinary medicine students to help them communicate with clients and community members who do not speak English. Third-year veterinary medicine student LaDarrius Battee said the program has given him an outlet to share the importance of veterinary medicine and to be a part of increasing the profession’s diversity. “I enjoy being a part of VOICE,” Battee said. “It is a great way to interact with the public and helps us build personal relationships with each other, which helps us learn about one another. We also have a lot of fun visiting people in the community and talking about what we do, and maybe

L A D A R R I U S B AT T E E influencing children to think about veterinary medicine or a related career.” Dr. Kent Hoblet, CVM dean, said diversity is a top priority, and the VOICE program has helped increase dedication to diversity and awareness among students and faculty. “From improving communication with clients to providing a better understanding of various cultures and practices that affect animal care, diversity touches every facet of our profession,” he said. “It is our goal to create a competent and culturally proficient workforce that is representative of the diverse communities we serve.” BY SUSAN COLLINS-SMITH • PHOTOS BY TOM THOMPSON

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Exploring a

Commercial Opportunity

Production of Popular Baitfish May Open a New Market in Mississippi

he Gulf killifish has become a popular bait choice for recreational fishers on the Gulf Coast, but it is in limited supply for commercial anglers because it is not in large-scale production. Species reproduction research at the MSU Forest and Wildlife Research Center aims to establish a new aquacultural market by developing methods to spawn the Gulf killifish on a commercial scale. Under the guidance of Dr. Peter Allen, an associate professor in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, graduate student Brittany Chesser is studying low-salinity culture techniques and the economic efficiency of inland killifish production. Having a Gulf killifish on the hook is a good way to catch redfish, flounder, and sea trout, but raising any baitfish in large numbers along the coastline comes at a steep price, Allen said. “People will catch killifish and bring them in, but they can’t get them when they want, and they can’t get the sizes or numbers they want,” he said. “Supply is dwindling in their coastal habitat as it gets transitioned into more urban environments. You are losing marshland where this fish is commonly found.” Defining characteristics of the killifish—their ability to be air incubated and to survive in both freshwater and saltwater— could make their inland production feasible, Chesser said. “Gulf killifish are estuarine, so they’ve evolved to live in changing salinities and temperatures,” she said. “One of the main challenges is that their spawning schedule is protracted, so they don’t produce a lot of eggs at once.” Chesser began collecting eggs and hatching them earlier this year. She has amassed approximately 10,000 larval fish in various stages of growth. The fish spend their first 2 months in brood-stock tanks filled with brackish water. Once they reach half a gram in size, they are transferred to freshwater outdoor ponds at varying population

densities. Growing the fish from incubation to market size typically takes about 5 months. “My first experiment after hatching the fish was using different densities in the brood-stock tanks to determine whether a higher density produces a higher amount of eggs and how that correlates with water quality,” Chesser said. “Now, I’m looking at how the number of spawning mats put in the tanks affects the number of eggs produced.” In the wild, killifish tend to spawn on marsh grass in high tides. When the tide goes out, it may not reach the eggs again for another 2 weeks. When it does return, the eggs hatch all at once. Killifish eggs adapted to spawning in 2-week cycles as a result. “With the tanks, we can potentially have them spawning yearround, which is different than on the coast,” Allen said. “We have to keep optimal spawning conditions for them, observe how they adapt and grow once they are in the ponds, and see how many reach full size.” Chesser will eventually record how the fish respond to different densities in the ponds to develop an economic model and estimate how much labor would go into taking care of them. Allen believes the research will address important questions regarding the viability of inland killifish production. “I think this is something we will keep working on as we identify new challenges and work on economic models with our colleagues at the Research and Extension Centers in the Delta and the Gulf Coast,” Allen said. “Brittany’s work is moving the ball a long way toward an emerging commercial fishing market.” BY NATHAN GREGORY • PHOTOS BY KEVIN HUDSON

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Brittany Chesser, a graduate student in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, examines a tank of young killifish.

“Gulf killifish are estuarine, so they’ve evolved to live in changing salinities and temperatures. One of the main challenges is that their spawning schedule is protracted, so they don’t produce a lot of eggs at once.” B R I T TA N Y C H E S S E R

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New Curriculum Takes Precision Ag to the Next Level

new curriculum at Mississippi State will provide practical experiences for students pursuing a variety of agriculturerelated careers. “Our faculty are taking precision agriculture to the next level and incorporating government, industry, and academia in the process,” said Dr. Scott Willard, associate dean of the MSU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “Other institutions, including MSU in the past, have had similar courses, but we believe this will be the most comprehensive precision-ag curriculum anywhere.” Triggered by industry demand, grant money will support scholarships and curriculum development in four departments: Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Plant and Soil Sciences, and Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology. These efforts are also expanding to other departments, such as Poultry Science, Landscape Architecture, and Animal and Dairy Science. “Our goal is to bring students from a variety of academic backgrounds to the same page,” Willard said. “Students may study ag economics and agronomy separately, but this curriculum will bring all the issues together with real-world applications.” Students can pursue a concentration in precision agriculture as part of the agricultural engineering technology and business degree program. For those in other degree programs or concentrations, the precision-agriculture certificate offers an added credential and area of concentrated study. “Precision agriculture helps farmers improve yields and profits while enhancing environmental stewardship,” he said. “They use remote sensing, global positioning systems, and geographic information systems to collect and analyze field data. That information can create a specific plan for every inch of the field or facility.” Willard said the geospatial technology helps students see how multiple factors combine to make a farm work. “Our faculty will use maps to connect the dots,” he said. “Anything that happens in space and in time is a mappable event. That helps producers farm for profits and not just yields. If producers are limiting fertilizer or pesticide applications to just

the amount needed, they are saving money and protecting the environment.” Cooperation with industry partners has been a key component in developing the training tools, said Dr. Wes Burger, associate director for research planning for the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. Precision agriculture is about doing the right thing at the right time and in the right place, he said. Environmental management that takes into account specific variables changing over time and in different locations is essential, whether students are working in a greenhouse, in a row-crop field, or in animal production. “Our goal is to develop the tools our students can use to have hands-on experience in a virtual environment and respond to a variety of scenarios actual producers may experience,” Burger said. “They can learn from mistakes in situations where there are not actual catastrophic outcomes. These tools will better equip students to use data to inform decisions and evaluate subsequent outcomes.” As an example, Burger described how the program can help students prepare for challenges they might encounter as the manager of a poultry house. “We will build a virtual game around a poultry house and the control systems that are used to manage light, temperature, airflow, and humidity,” he explained. “Students will open their virtual house to look for daily problems. Their houses will be struck by virtual lightning. They will receive calls in the middle of the night, much like an actual manager might receive.” Similar scenarios will be developed to simulate challenges seen in other production systems. “We want our graduates to have all the tools they need to be up to speed their first day on the job,” he said. “Mistakes and successes in a virtual environment will give them the familiarity and confidence they need to make profitable decisions in the future.” BY LINDA BREAZEALE • PHOTOS BY KEVIN HUDSON

This SMS Ag Leader Virtual Terminal is in spray-demonstration mode. SMS is powerful desktop software that takes data from the field and turns it into smart management decisions, using information gathered from planting through harvest.

Year-Round

GRAZING

Innovative Strategies Tested at MAFES Dairy

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“The year-round grazing program is designed to teach livestock producers about the flexibility of forage species that can be used to extend the grazing season and reduce the need of hay supplementation for extended periods during the winter.” DR. ROCKY LEMUS

MI S S I S S I P P I L ANDM ARKS NOVEM B ER 2 017

ith efficient and sustainable practices as the ultimate goal, MSU researchers are exploring ways Mississippians can better manage forages for grazing cattle and producing hay. After years of making farm visits across the state, Dr. Rocky Lemus and his team have observed that producers lose money by producing too much low-quality hay and not allowing pastures enough rest. “This usually results in lower cattlestocking rates, poor fertility, and more weed competition,” said Lemus, Extension forage specialist and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station scientist. “So we started the year-round grazing project as a joint program between MSU Extension and MAFES in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission, and private industry.” Year-round grazing has been integrated into the nutrition program at the MAFES Bearden Dairy Research Unit. The cows graze about 40 acres of pasture with three to four different grasses, depending on the season. The mixture of different forage species can reduce forage-production shortages throughout the year. Researchers study combinations of nutrient management, rotational grazing, and stockpiling strategies to provide forage and flexibility year-round. The goal is to demonstrate management practices that are sustainable, environmentally sound, and beneficial to livestock production. Information collected in this program gives livestock producers tools to improve forage utilization, adjust stocking rates, and increase gain per acre. The project is used to demonstrate these management practices during field days for producers and training sessions for Extension agents. “The year-round grazing program is designed to teach livestock producers about the flexibility of forage species that can be used to extend the grazing season and reduce the need of hay supplementation for extended periods during the winter,” Lemus said.

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“Since grass and hay are now available feed sources all year, we’re buying less feed, allowing us to use those financial resources elsewhere.”

Dr. Amanda Stone, Extension dairy specialist and MAFES researcher, said grazing cows year-round reduces feed costs. “Since grass and hay are now available feed sources all year, we’re buying less feed, allowing us to use those financial resources elsewhere,” she said. In a rotational grazing program, animals eat in one pasture for 5 to 10 days. This rotation gives them access to high-quality forage and meets their nutritional requirements. “The benefit of this system depends on forage diversity,” Lemus said. “It’s important that producers learn how to manage a single species in their pastures before we can guide them to more complex systems with mixed species.” In addition to year-round grazing, other research at the MAFES dairy focuses on management strategies to reduce heat stress, Stone said.

DR. AMANDA STONE

“Dairy cattle start to experience negative effects of heat stress, including milk-production loss, at a temperature-humidity index of just 68,” she explained. “We installed a center-pivot irrigation system in the pastures not only to irrigate the forage, but also so the cows can be cooled by the mist.” Most Mississippi dairy producers graze their cattle on pastures, so it is imperative to research relevant issues, Stone said. “These research projects were a logical move for MSU,” Stone said. “We care deeply about those who provide for the agricultural infrastructure of the state, and we are investing in something that allows us to get answers to our producers so they can improve their farms.” BY JESSICA SMITH • PHOTOS BY KEVIN HUDSON

MI S S I S S I P P I L ANDM ARKS NOVEM B ER 2 017

The Old Madison County Jail in Canton was built in 1870 and served the county for 99 years. Considered one of the most outstanding and best-preserved 19th-century penal facilities, it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. (Photo submitted)

1/82: Madison County MSU in Madison County: 152 Watford Parkway Canton, MS 39046 madison@ext.msstate.edu County seat: Canton Population: 100,591 Municipalities: Canton, Flora, Jackson, Madison, Ridgeland Communities: Camden, Farmhaven, Gluckstadt, Livingston, Sharon, Way Commodities: cotton, soybeans, corn, cattle, forestry Industries: technology, aerospace, communications, automobile manufacturing Natural resources: timber, wildlife, rivers Attractions: Petrified Forest, Pearl River WMA, Ross Barnett Reservoir, Natchez Trace Parkway, Canton Square (listed in the National Register of Historic Places) History notes: Madison County was originally part of the Choctaw Nation. Just north of Spanish Florida, it was claimed by Georgia until 1804, when it was ceded to Mississippi Territory. Choctaw Chief Pushmataha relinquished the tribe’s claim to most of the area to Andrew Jackson and Thomas Hinds at Doaks Stand, a trading post or way station, in the second Choctaw cession of 1820. The treaty granted 1 million acres to the U.S. In 1828, when Madison County was established, the area included part of Yazoo City. Named for President James Madison, the county is bound by the Big Black and Pearl Rivers—hence the title, “the land between two rivers.”

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“The diversity of Madison County, both its people and its landscape, make it an exciting place to be.” TY JONES, MSU Extension County Coordinator

Did you know? Madison County is home to one of only two petrified forests in the eastern U.S. The Mississippi Petrified Forest, located near Flora, is privately owned and open to the public. In 1965, this unusual place was declared a National Natural Landmark.

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

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NewsNotes Dr. Ryan Akers, an associate Extension professor in the School of Human Sciences, graduated from the Federal Emergency Management Agency National Emergency Management Advanced Academy, an in-depth program that provides training in advanced concepts in disaster management, agency Akers organization, community response, and emergency professions. Program topics included administrative philosophies, actions related to many large-scale disasters, and historical and contemporary leadership styles. The program examined hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, earthquakes, publichealth issues, and other natural disasters and human-caused emergencies, including active shooter incidents and civil unrest. Akers coordinates the Mississippi Youth Preparedness Initiative (MyPI) and MyPI National, award-winning programs that advance disaster preparedness among young people and their communities in Mississippi and across the country. Created in Mississippi, MyPI has been replicated in 17 states and Guam. Dr. Jay McCurdy, Extension turfgrass specialist, won the 2017 Early Career Award from the Crop Science Society of America. A Tennessee native reared on a sod farm, McCurdy came to MSU in 2015 after completing a doctorate in agronomy and soils at Auburn University. He earned earlier degrees at University McCurdy of Tennessee campuses in Martin and Knoxville. An assistant professor of plant and soil sciences, McCurdy also conducts research through the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES). He teaches in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ nationally recognized golf and sports turf management program. McCurdy edits Mississippi Turfgrass magazine and is associate editor of the International Turfgrass Society proceedings in the Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science. He also has authored nearly 20 peer-reviewed scientific publications.

Tony Tooke, a 1983 MSU forestry alumnus, is the new chief of the U.S. Forest Service, the agency responsible for managing and protecting 154 national forests throughout the nation. A Detroit, Alabama, native, Tooke’s career with the U.S. Forest Service began when he was 18 and continued through his college years. Tooke He most recently served as regional forester for the Southern Region of the USDA Forest Service. Prior positions included associate deputy chief for the National Forest System, director of ecosystem management coordination, deputy director of economic recovery, and assistant director of forest management. Prior to 2006, Tooke held several positions throughout the South, including forester in Kentucky, deputy forest supervisor for the National Forests in Florida, and district ranger in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Dr. John Harkness, a CVM professor emeritus, received the 2017 Bennett J. Cohen Award for his lifetime of service to specialized animal care. Harkness served as the university’s laboratory animal veterinarian. A major recognition of the American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC), Harkness the Cohen Award is given for exceptional service and significant contributions in the promotion of animal care in research, testing, and educational programs. Harkness came to MSU in 1984 as a tenured professor from Pennsylvania State University, where he had been clinical laboratory animal veterinarian. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Rollins College in Florida and two master’s degrees from the University of Missouri, Columbia. Harkness received his DVM degree from Michigan State University in 1968. In the mid-1990s, Harkness was appointed chair of the AAALAC Council on Accreditation. He earned diplomate status in the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine and also served as its president.

MI S S I S S I P P I L ANDM ARKS

Dr. Rocky Lemus, MSU forage specialist, received the 2017 Achievement Award from the National Association of County Agricultural Agents for his outstanding efforts in guiding forage producers. This award is given to agents with up to 10 years of service in Extension who have exhibited excellence Lemus in Extension education. An associate professor, Lemus has a joint appointment with MAFES and Extension. He studies forage and grazing systems that work best for Mississippi producers. Lemus received his master’s degree in agronomy from Iowa State University and a doctorate in crop and soil environmental sciences from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Before coming to MSU in 2007, he was an assistant professor in agricultural sciences at Texas A&M-Commerce, where he was responsible for teaching, research, and Extension. Dr. Marcus Drymon became the new marine fisheries specialist at the Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi in August. Drymon, who has worked in marine sciences for 17 years, received his doctorate from the University of South Alabama Department of Marine Sciences, Drymon

where he served on the faculty. Drymon holds a bachelor’s degree in marine science from Coastal Carolina University and a master’s degree in marine biology from the College of Charleston. Drymon will extend research-based information to commercial and recreational fishers on the Gulf Coast and to fisheries managers working to maintain healthy coastal ecosystems. Given the importance of the red snapper fishery to recreational and commercial anglers, Drymon’s first research project will focus on evaluating the regional status of that stock in the north-central Gulf of Mexico.

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Dr. Loren W. “Wes” Burger is among three recipients of a 2017 National Quail Symposium Award of Excellence, a career tribute from the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative and Bobwhite Technical Committee. Burger has helped lead the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Bobwhite Restoration Project Burger and National Conservation Practice 33 monitoring program. Burger, a John Grisham Master Teacher who holds the Dale H. Arner Professorship of Wildlife Ecology and Management, is also associate director of MAFES and the Forest and Wildlife Research Center. He joined the MSU faculty in 1993. In 2013, he was named a fellow of The Wildlife Society, an international association dedicated to excellence in wildlife stewardship through science and education. Last year, Burger earned MSU’s prestigious Ralph E. Powe Excellence in Research Award. He has also garnered major professional commendations from the Mississippi Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Southeast Quail Study Group, Mississippi Wildlife Federation, and MSU College of Forest Resources.

MSU Extension hired three regional registered dietitians to help in the fight against obesity and chronic disease in Mississippi. Samantha Willcutt, Kaitlin DeWitt, and Juaqula Madkin have joined the Extension Office of Nutrition Education. They oversee the Extension Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) curriculum and delivery in their regions. Working with SNAP-Ed nutrition educators in Extension county offices, they will help coordinate efforts to teach low-resource families ways to improve their diets, increase physical activity, and manage their food resources. Nutrition educators deliver direct instruction in communities and schools. Willcutt, who directs the program in the northeast region, is based at the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center in Verona. DeWitt, who manages the program in the southeast region, has an office at the Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi. Madkin, who oversees the program in the southwest region, is located at the Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center in Raymond. All three dietitians earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Mississippi State.

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DevelopmentCorner

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“Involvement with MSU academics is key for us. The education we received at MSU has been the basis for our success in life, and we want to ensure Mississippi State continues to offer its students the best education possible.” K AT H Y S T. J O H N

Alumni Couple Kathy and Drew St. John

Extends Student and Faculty Support

ississippi State alumni Drew and Kathy St. John of Madison, Mississippi, are contributing two new gifts to their alma mater, creating an endowed professorship in the College of Forest Resources (CFR) and furthering support for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Department of Landscape Architecture. The St. John Family Endowed Professorship in Wildlife Management will provide support for a professor in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture to lead an educational program in applied wildlife science and assist landowners with better management of natural resources. Specifically, the professorship will support a faculty member who has demonstrated a commitment to game management education on working landscapes. The gift is especially important to the St. Johns, who are lifelong wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists. While maintaining a family farm near Louise, Mississippi, the St. Johns also implement wildlife and forestry management practices with an emphasis on white-tailed deer and waterfowl habitats. In addition to the endowed professorship, the couple also are establishing the Drew St. John Fund for Excellence in the Department of Landscape Architecture. Applied at the discretion of the department head, the fund may support lecture series, student scholarships, start-up funding for research projects, equipment and resources, student and faculty development, and other opportunities to provide enhanced teaching, research, and service.

“Drew and Kathy St. John are special friends of our colleges, and their ongoing support demonstrates their dedication to our university and the advancement of our state,” said Dr. George Hopper, CALS and CFR dean. “Their gifts will forever have an impact on our students and faculty through enhanced learning, discovery, and engagement.” Drew St. John, who currently serves as CEO of Jacksonbased New South Access and Environmental Solutions LLC, graduated in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in landscape contracting. During his time as a student, he served as the university’s Bully mascot from 1976–1978. A 1979 marketing graduate from the MSU College of Business, Kathy St. John is a retired contracts consultant for Kentucky-based NAPA HealthCare Connection LLC. In addition to her financial support for MSU, she serves on the advisory board for the Department of Marketing. Together, the St. Johns’ support of MSU extends to athletics, as well as student and faculty support. In particular, they earlier established the Kathy Moreton St. John Endowed Fellowship in Marketing and the Drew St. John Scholarship in Environmental and Wildlife Conservation. “Involvement with MSU academics is key for us,” said Kathy St. John. “The education we received at MSU has been the basis for our success in life, and we want to ensure Mississippi State continues to offer its students the best education possible.” BY ADDIE MAYFIELD • PHOTO SUBMITTED

MI S S I S S I P P I L ANDM ARKS

Jud Skelton

Will Staggers

College of Agriculture and

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and

Life Sciences/Real Estate Giving

MSU Extension Service

(662) 325-0643

(662) 325-2837

jud.skelton@foundation.msstate.edu

wstaggers@foundation.msstate.edu

http://www.cals.msstate.edu/

http://www.cals.msstate.edu

Jeff Little

Charlie Weatherly

College of Forest Resources

Director of Development Emeritus for

and The Bulldog Forest

Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine

(662) 325-8151

(662) 325-3471

jlittle@foundation.msstate.edu

cweatherly@foundation.msstate.edu

http://www.cfr.msstate.edu/

http://www.cals.msstate.edu/

Jimmy Kight

The university’s Guide to Giving and Real Estate

College of Veterinary Medicine

Guide to Giving are available at http://www.

(662) 325-5893

msufoundation.com.

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For More Information

jkight@foundation.msstate.edu http://www.cvm.msstate.edu

Giving for Endowed Positions

t the heart of Mississippi State University are professors who share a passion and commitment for their profession. As colleges and universities compete nationally and globally for top faculty members, MSU needs support in the form of endowed positions to show these individuals that our university rewards excellence. With gifts for endowed positions from donors like the St. Johns, the university can offer its students opportunities to study with scholars who are among the best in their fields internationally. Endowed positions provide competitive salaries and resources for research, travel, and professional development. Endowments also afford opportunities to invest added resources in promising fields or disciplines.

Mississippi State has established minimum levels to endow faculty positions with private gifts: $2 million for a dean’s chair; $1.5 million, faculty chair; $500,000, professorship; and $100,000, endowed faculty fellowship. Some colleges, schools, and departments at MSU may require higher amounts depending on their needs. Naming opportunities for chairs and professorships are available throughout campus. More information on creating these endowed positions is available by contacting development personnel in the Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine. All gifts for endowed positions are part of the university’s ongoing Infinite Impact capital campaign.

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 134 Madison, MS 39110

Box 9625 Mississippi State, MS 39762

Dantzler Pilkinton Phillips Farm in Lowndes County harvested dryland soybeans in September 2017. Mississippi producers planted about 2.25 million acres of soybeans this year, up 10 percent from 2016. (Photo by Kevin Hudson)