News Filed Under Crops

Last week, I told you about culinary peppers that I like to grow and ultimately consume. This week, I want to share another way to use peppers in our second summer garden and landscape.

It’s the end of July, and much of my vegetable garden is a distant memory due to the summer heat and humidity. But I’m always encouraged by the production I enjoy from my pepper plants.

Cotton and corn acreage in Mississippi are more than 30% below March projections, while growers of soybeans and peanuts planted much more than initially forecasted.

Knowing that many Mississippians share a love for home-grown tomatoes, two Mississippi State University Extension Service agents designed programs just for them.

Good spring weather conditions in southeast Mississippi kept watermelon production on track.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Row crop growers in Mississippi used a relatively dry May to make up for planting time lost earlier in the spring due to wet weather and soggy fields.

As of May 24, planting progress for the state’s four major row crops was slightly behind their five-year averages but ahead of where it was at that time in 2019.

It’s starting to get hot out there, y’all! Don’t let the Mississippi heat deter you from taking good care of your garden and landscape.

The COVID-19 pandemic presented a new obstacle for Mississippi blueberry growers in 2020, impacting the labor force for the early-season varieties.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The beginning of May brought a welcome sight for Mississippi producers: sunny skies and drying fields.

For the second straight year, precipitation levels well above normal in the winter and early spring have slowed planting significantly across much of Mississippi. Gaps of days between rains have not been long enough until now for many fields to sufficiently dry. Some fields have been under water for more than a year. 

Agricultural economists with the Mississippi State University Extension Service will address row-crop markets and budgets for 2020 during a May 12 webinar.

Wet weather that won’t let up has resulted in a very slow start to Mississippi row crop planting, and time is running out for corn.

Blueberries are a nutrient- and antioxidant-rich food. Harvesting them at the peak of ripeness ensures you get the greatest health benefits and the best taste.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service has a new cotton specialist.

Brian Pieralisi was appointed to that role on April 1. He replaced Darrin Dodds, who took the helm of the university’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences.

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Agricultural economists with the Mississippi State University Extension Service will present an online webinar on the economic outlook of row crops in 2020.

Growers seeking insight on the effect of COVID-19 on commodity markets can remotely attend the workshop through the Zoom video conferencing application. 

Faculty with the MSU Department of Agricultural Economics will provide insight on farm management and policy considerations to help producers make informed planting decisions during this time.

Interest in gardening has nearly kept pace with social distancing and self-isolation rates across the country as the COVID-19 pandemic has circled the globe.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Weather always plays a role in the spring planting decisions of Mississippi row-crop producers, but the market impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is another variable they will have to consider in 2020.

Fertilizer recommendations are constantly examined and rarely modified, but change came this year after Mississippi State University research demonstrated higher potassium recommendations increase soybean yields.

The Dicamba Applicator Training required for individuals who plan to apply dicamba herbicide products in Xtend cropping systems is open online and scheduled at several sites across Mississippi.

The online modules are available at http://auxintraining.com.

The face-to-face workshops will be March 16-17 in Tunica, Coahoma, Hinds, Lee and Washington counties.