Prairie Research Unit
The Prairie Research Unit was established in 1962 on 2400 acres of the Gulf Ordinance Plant. Prior work had been conducted on this site. Through a lease from the United States Corps of Engineers, Mississippi State University began to use part of the pasture land for beef cattle research and undergraduate and graduate student training in 1951. September 4, 1962 the University received a quick-claim deed to the 2400 acres. The property was to be utilized for establishment of an agriculture research unit. Early research included regional beef cattle breeding project, beef cattle nutrition, diseases, insect control and forage research. Physical improvements were made in the 70's. In January 1988 the unit became a unit of the North Mississippi Experiment Station. Prairie Research Unit is currently home to around 350 commercial cows with fall and spring calving seasons.
Research conducted at Prairie focuses on forages and livestock. Studies are conducted with cooperating scientists from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Department of Agriculture Economics, Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service, USDA, other MAFES research units, and researchers from other Universities.
New novel endophyte tall fescues are being evaluated under grazing conditions with stockers. Agronomic attributes of the forages are being evaluated as well as animal health, behavior, and performance. Preliminary results from this study suggest that these new forages hold promise for cattle production in the South.
A variety of weaning methods are being evaluated including the use of nose-clips and fence-line weaning. Calves are monitored for changes in their behavior, stress levels, and overall performance to determine the most effective management strategies.
Transportation stress is also being evaluated. Different scenarios within the trailer are being examined and a unique series of equipment is being utilized to monitor animal behavior and the environment experienced by cattle during transport.
Research is also being planned for the use of native warm-season grass pastures for livestock, wildlife and ecosystem services in collaboration with faculty in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries at Mississippi State University.
The Prairie Research Unit will soon be home to a state of the art GrowSafe Feeding Facility which is currently under construction. This facility will be used in the future to conduct research on feed efficiency, diet selection, behavior and many other pertinent topics in the industry.