Experimentation leads to discovery. · management for producers. Chris Bush, a cotton producer with New Hope Farms north of Greenwood, Mississippi, was interested in variable rate

Experimentation leads to discovery.

I s s u e 1 s u m m e r / F a l l 2 0 1 4

2 | mafes discovers | mafes.msstate.edu

Contents

Features

12

PrecIsIon ag In nItrogen management 08 PrecIsIon ag In Weed control 10 PrecIsIon ag In early corn PlantIng 12 IrrIgatIon InnovatIon 14 catFIsh vaccIne and delIvery system 18 varIety trIals contInuous ImProvement 22 WoodPecker shock-aBsorBIng caPaBIlItIes 24

6

summer/fall 2014

Departments

The mission of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is to advance agriculture and natural resources through teaching and learning, research and discov-ery, service and engagement which will enhance economic prosperity and environmental stewardship, to build stronger communities and improve the health and well-being of families, and to serve people of the state, the region and the world.

In the neWs 28

check-oFF dollars at Work 29

neW dIscoverIes 30

Branch statIon sPotlIght 32

oPeratIon FacelIFt 33

groWIng leaders 34

strategIc Partner (grI) 35

14

MAFES DiScovErSSuMMEr/FAll 2014, iSSuE 1

MAFES.MSStAtE.EDu

The Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station is a

unit in the Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medi-

cine, Mississippi State University.

Mark E. Keenum ....................................... MSU President

Gregory A. Bohach ...................... Vice President, DAFVM

George M. Hopper ................................... MAFES Director

L. Wes Burger Jr. .................... MAFES Associate Director

Reuben B. Moore ................... MAFES Associate Director

MAFES DiScovErS contributorS:

David Ammon

Megan Bean

Vanessa Beeson

Karen Brasher

Linda Breazeale

Bonnie Coblentz

Bobby Golden

Diane Janus

Katherine Lawrence

Rebekah Ray

Beth Newman Wynn

ExpEriMEntAtion lEADS to DiScovEry

Discrimination based upon age, race, color, ethnicity, national or-

igin, religion, sex, pregnancy, disability, sexual orientation, gender

identity, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other

status protected by federal or state law is a violation of University

policy and will not be tolerated.

4 | mafes discovers | mafes.msstate.edu summer/fall 2014

October

7Basic HACCP Training for Meat and

Poultry Producers

Bost Conference CenterMississippi State, MSContact: Byron WilliamsPhone: 662-325-3200Email: [email protected]

2Ornamental Horticulture Field Day

South MS Branch Experiment StationPoplarville, MSContact: Eugene BlythePhone: 601-403-8774

November

8CALS Alumni Homecoming Breakfast

Bost AuditoriumMississippi State, MSContact: Amanda BellPhone: 662-325-8112

25Prairie Research Unit Fall Beef Cattle

Field Day

Prairie Research UnitPrairie, MSContact: Jane ParishPhone: 662-369-4426Email: [email protected]

17, 18Fall Flower & Garden Fest

Truck Crops Branch Experiment StationCrystal Springs, MSContact: Rick SnyderPhone: 601-892-3731

27Seafood HACCP Course Segment 2

Coastal Research and Extension CenterBiloxi, MSContact: Barakat MahmoudPhone: 228-762-7783 ext. 301Email: [email protected]

February

24CREC Commodity

Advisory Council Meeting

Coastal Research & Extension Center

19North MS Producer


North MS Research & Extension Center

17Central Region Producer


Raymond, MS

2014 2015UpCoMing EvEnTS

From the Director

Welcome to the inaugural issue of MAFES Discovers, a magazine which highlights the research of the Mississippi

Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. We are excited to share the great work being conduct-ed by MAFES scientists. MAFES was founded 126 years ago to conduct original research and verify ex-periments which advanced the agricultural industry of the United States, an industry now responsible for providing sustenance and shelter for much of the world’s increasing population.

Achieving agricultural science for precise and prac-tical application is as relevant today as it was more than a century ago. And true to our mission, we con-duct research which contributes to the economic and environmental sustainability of agriculture, to im-prove human health, build sustainable communities, and protect and sustain natural resources.

While we have been successful in our efforts to se-cure funding to conduct research on behalf of Mis-sissippians, our research extends far beyond our own backyard. The National Science Foundation recently ranked MSU 6th nationally in agriculture research ex-penditures when compared to all other universities. Our funding comes from a variety of public and pri-vate sponsors, and allows us to conduct research that improves the lives of individuals and benefits com-munities on a national and international scale.

This issue showcases the wide breadth of MAFES research. We explore precision agriculture research conducted by scientists in Plant and Soil Sciences, in cooperation with our strategic partner, the Geosys-tems Research Institute. This research is focused on answering crucial questions for agricultural produc-ers. We also report on a catfish vaccine and delivery system developed by scientists in the Thad Cochran National Warmwater Aquaculture Center in cooper-ation with scientists in Agricultural and Biological Engineering that has the potential to provide benefit for catfish producers across the mid-South. In anoth-er article, we discover how the study of woodpecker beaks might lead to a better designed football helmet. We also deliver pertinent information for producers

on topics such as irrigation and the MAFES Official Variety Trials program. On any of the articles featured in this issue of MAFES Discovers, you can find more information at www.mafes.msstate.edu.

Regular features of the magazine include spotlights on award winning faculty, research funded by com-modity promotion boards, and profiles of graduate and undergraduate student research scholars enrolled in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Finally, we highlight one of our 16 branch experi-ment stations. We are fortunate to have experiment stations in each geographic location of the state to provide regionally-specific information on crops, livestock, forages, vegetables, and ornamentals. These branch stations provide a wealth of information for our hard-working producers throughout the state.

I hope that you enjoy this inaugural issue as you discover more about the meaningful research de-signed to improve the quality of live for all Mississip-pians and indeed all people around the globe.

George M. Hopper, Dean and Director


Precision agricultural management Practices are about administering the right prescription in the right amount at

the right time and in the right place on the field. Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station researchers are utilizing a vast wealth of research-driven applications to help augment and improve current management practices so producers can improve yield, productivity, and profit while enhancing environmental stewardship. In the features that follow, MAFES Discovers explores current precision agricultural initiatives at Mississippi State University.

P r e c i s i o n A g r i c u lt u r e

AgriCULTUrAL prodUCTion

summer/fall 2014

HUNTER RAwSON, computer engineering undergraduate student, launches a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle high above a research plot of corn at Mississippi State University’s r.r. Foil plant Science research Center, or north Farm. MSU’s geosystems research institute, or gri, collaborates with university agronomists on several projects involving the use of unmanned aerial systems in precision agriculture. (photo by Beth newman Wynn)


PABLO REvELES, an undergraduate exchange student from Brazil, adjusts the sensor, with Jon Carson, an extension agent with Sharkey-issaquena Counties, in the tractor's driver seat. (photo submitted)

Researchers assess plant health for nitrogen prescription

Nitrogen is constantly in-fluenced by biological organisms, texture, and water content in the

soil. Varying soil textures contain a wide range of available soil nitrogen. When soils receive excessive rainfall, nitrogen losses can occur through leaching, especially on sandi-er, textured permeable soils, while denitrifi-cation can be more prevalent on clayey less permeable soils. While grid-sampling works well with nutrients like phosphorus and po-tassium, the volatility of nitrogen makes it a moving target. MAFES scientist Jac Varco is looking to the crop itself to unlock the secrets of this elusive nutrient.

The definition of an efficient nutrient management program is to supply plant nutrients in adequate quantities to sustain maximum crop productivity and profit-ability, while minimizing environmental impacts and nutrient use. Varco, a professor in MSU’s Plant and Soil Sciences, strives to improve efficiency in this process through his research in precision agriculture and variable rate fertilizer nitrogen application.

A variable rate fertilizer nitrogen applica-tion delivers the right amount of nitrogen in the right place at the right time ensuring the plant gets the nitrogen it needs to pro-duce consistent yield across the field.

Varco looks at cotton and corn plants, which need a specific amount of nitrogen to flourish and grow. Varco’s team is currently using a tractor-mounted sensor to measure

Determining the right amount of nitrogen for crops can be a challenge for mississippi producers. If there isn’t enough nitrogen, yield is sacrificed, while an excess amount can result in nutrient loss which can negatively impact the crop and the environment. achieving optimal efficiencies in nitrogen management is essential in decreasing costs while increasing environmental stewardship.

By vAnESSA BEESon


summer/fall 2014 mafes.msstate.edu | mafes discovers | 9

Our producers are

already doing a good job.

We are simply fine-tuning

the system to make

small but significant

improvements.

- Jac Varco

relative differences in crop size, biomass, leaf area, and plant greenness to determine how much nitrogen is needed.

“We measure the light reflected off of the leaves to determine the health and vig-or of the cotton plants,” Varco said. “My research centers on building relationships and, ultimately, models that correlate the imagery, or crop sensor data, with the ni-trogen status of the plant. We then build a prescription application for nitrogen based on the needs of the crop.”

Through extensive research, the team is improving end-use efficiency in nitrogen management for producers.

Chris Bush, a cotton producer with New Hope Farms north of Greenwood, Mississippi, was interested in variable rate

nitrogen application.“We have varying soil types so we knew

variable rate nitrogen was something we’d like to try,” Bush said. “We didn’t have the equipment or experience so when I spoke with Jac Varco about his work at Mississippi State; it seemed like a good opportunity.”

Varco applied a variable rate side-dress application on approximately 20 acres on the farm in 2013 and is repeating the study on a smaller plot this year. The research was conducted on both sandy loam and heavy clay soils.

“I was surprised at the consistency of the cotton plants across the varying soil types. The plants didn’t grow excessively in the loam and weren’t too short in the clay,” Bush said. “We are excited about the research’s potential to save money and increase yield consistency across the field, while limiting nitrogen use.”

The results showed the sensor-based fertilization is capable of either decreas-ing the amount of nitrogen applied while maintaining yield or increasing yield with slightly more nitrogen.

“Our producers are already doing a good job. We are simply fine-tuning the system to make small but significant im-provements,” Varco said. “If we get this right, producers will be able to meet the needs of the crop, increase profitability, and minimize the risk of nitrogen loss.” 🌽

LiqUiD N fertilizer injection system, with centrifugal pump. (photo submitted)


Researchers use precision ag for weed control and moremsu scientists utilize precision agriculture in weed control and herbicide drift research. as Jason Bond, maFes associate research professor at msu’s Delta research and extension Center, conducts research and develops prescriptions to help farmers control weeds, maFes researcher Dan reynolds has several herbicide-related projects focused on improving produc-tion and reducing costs for farmers.

By vAnESSA BEESon

Weed Control

Bond is focused on con-trolling weeds that are resistant to specific herbicides. Currently,

he is experimenting with glyphosate-re-sistant Italian ryegrass. This prolific weed, resistant to the herbicide commonly known as Roundup, was discovered in row crops for the first time in Mississippi.

“I’ve personally seen this weed in 70 of the 82 counties in Mississippi,” Bond said. “It’s also a problem for neighboring states like Arkansas, Louisiana, and Ten-nessee. The region looks to Mississippi to help establish best practices for manag-ing this weed.”

Bond along with other MSU research-ers developed a comprehensive herbicide program to manage the resistant Italian ryegrass.

While the program requires at least two applications, Bond says the com-bination of a fall application between mid-October and mid-November, a win-ter application in January, and a spring application in March produces optimum results.

“We recommend residual treatments in the fall and postemergence herbicide treatments be fore spring planting. This approach has proven effective at con-trolling glyphosate-resistant Italian rye-grass,” Bond said. “Our goal is to go from con cept to a grower’s field in 18-24 months if it’s a good concept applicable to Mis sissippi growers. We’ve had success with this program and farmers are adopt-ing it throughout the Mid-south.”

ABOvE: Jason Bond discusses weed

management at a delta research and Extension

Center field day. (photo by Bobby golden)

BELOw: glyphosate-re sistant italian

ryegrass threatens seedling corn.

(photo submitted)

AgriculturAl Production


Herbicide Drift

Broad-scale adoption of herbicide-tolerant cropping systems over the past two de-

cades has led to the evolution of herbi-cide-resistant weeds. Controlling these weeds requires use of multiple herbi-cides with different modes of action. Emerging technologies will include crops with tolerance to multiple herbi-cides. Herbicide-resistant traits in crops make weed control more effective, how-ever, herbicide drift can reduce yield on neighboring crops not immune to the prescribed herbicide.

The first step in diagnosing drift is evaluating the symptoms. Reynolds and his team evaluate auxin technologies like dicamba and 2,4-D.

In a recent research project, the team analyzed the effects of dicamba and 2,4-D on soybean growth and yield, apply-ing varying concentrations at the vege-tative and reproductive growth states. Researchers assessed visual injury and plant height at 14 and 28 days after treat-ment. They also examined yield loss.

Plants exposed to 2,4-D had visu-al injury that reduced over time, plant heights were not indicative of the injury, and the highest concentration resulted in a 46 percent yield loss. The yield loss differences between the last three frac-tional rates were not discernible.

The dicamba-treated plants had signif-icant and consistent visual injury at both growth states. Increased injury resulted in shorter plants. Yield loss was greater in the higher dicamba rates and impact-ed the plants in the reproductive stage the most. The highest concentration of dicamba resulted in a 98 percent yield loss while the lowest rate still significant-ly reduced yield by 16 to 29 percent com-pared to the untreated plants.

“Overall, visual injury, plant stunting, and yield losses were greater with dicam-ba versus the 2,4-D,” Reynolds said. “The highest concentration of dicamba result-ed in a 98 percent yield loss compared to 46 percent yield loss in the 2,4-D-treated plant.”

The team plans to replicate the study in hopes of determining how detrimen-tal herbicide drift injury is for soybeans not tolerant to these herbicides.

Reynolds took the research a step further and in another research project examined large-scale herbicide drift with fixed-wing aircraft, UAV technology, and ground-based spectral reflectance. His team evaluated the effect of drift re-duction technology on soybeans injured with a herbicide containing dicamba. They assessed data collection methods for mapping drift injury on large land-scapes to develop a pictorial guide for rating dicamba injury.

“We hope this research helps provide an objective tool for recognizing and as-sessing drift injury from auxin herbicides at the field and landscape levels,” Reyn-olds said.

MSU’s scientists researching weed control and herbicide drift help contribute to improved technologies and the development of best practices that help farmers reduce cost and increase productivity. 🌽

DAN REyNOLDS diagnoses the symptomatology of herbicide drift. (photo by Megan Bean)


MSU researchers explore early corn planting

HENRy visits a research plot at the r.r. Foil plant Science research Center, commonly known as north Farm. (photo by david Ammon)

timing counts for a lot when it comes to planting corn. that’s why mississippi state university scien-tists are researching the effects of planting date, plant population, and hybrid selection for field corn.

By vAnESSA BEESon

Early planting is well-known to enhance corn productivity, but can introduce some challenges for

Mississippi corn producers.If growers plant too early, the cold,

wet conditions may delay the seedling germination, growth, and emergence creating stand issues such as lack of uni-formity. The wet soil early in the season can also contribute to soil compaction.

Soil temperature plays a large role in plant population and the uniformity achieved during the planting process. Corn generally emerges in two weeks or less when soil temperatures are above 55 degrees.

“The last two years have been cold, and in many instances, growers have not achieved desired plant populations and had uneven stands,” said Erick Larson,

Extension grain crops agronomist and researcher in the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. “If it takes more than two weeks for corn to emerge, the chance of uniformity dimin-ishes. If it takes more than three weeks, there is a reduced likelihood of obtaining vigorous, healthy stands, which is the ul-timate goal.”

Stand uniformity is critical in corn because it is planted at a relatively low plant population compared to other row crops, and corn has determinant growth, where late plants lag behind normal plants all season. Also, there is typical-ly one ear per corn plant; whereas, with soybean and cotton there can be branch-ing resulting in pods and bolls all over a single plant thereby compensating for lower populations.

“If your plant population is reduced by 10 percent, it has a more significant impact on corn productivity than other crops,” Larson said. “Seedlings that do not emerge quickly or uniformly will not likely achieve a good stand and will not achieve optimal yields.”

Uniformity is critical to attaining healthy stands. If one plant emerges four or five days ahead of its neighbor, that kind of disparity then has an effect on the competitive ability of the plants obtaining equal resources and achieving optimal production efficiency during the entire growing season.

Larson said early planting in cold con-ditions can reduce stand establishment and plant height.

“Growers have called this season ask-ing why their corn plants are shorter.


Temperatures were exceptionally cold in March and April and didn’t stimulate the same growth had the stands been planted later in the season or during a warmer year,” Larson said. “One thing I recommend to growers is when they do plant early, plant an elevated population. This will hopefully help achieve a desired plant population and enough leaf area to intercept the light to produce optimal yield. By planting more stalks, you’ll put more leaves in the field to do a better job of intercepting available light.”

MSU researchers are evaluating in-creasing plant populations during early planting with a variety of hy-brids. Larson said this research will provide insight into the risks and ben-efits associated with early planting.

Brien Henry studies how different hybrids and plant pop-ulations respond to the colder,

wetter conditions of early planting. His work can gather information about en-vironmental limitations, provide insight on optimal plant populations, and ex-plore avenues like whether certain hybrid traits will allow the crop to overcome the risks associated with early planting.

In the study, Henry, an associate professor in Plant and Soil Sciences, and his team planted multiple corn hy-brids. They planted at three locations, Starkville, Brooksville, and Verona, Mis-sissippi, at various intervals across March, April, and May. The plant populations were 20,000; 25,000; 30,000; 35,000; and 40,000 per acre. The earliest plant-ing date this year was March 13.

“Typical dryland plant populations range from 20,000 to 30,000 plants per acre. We are trying to target a plant pop-ulation that growers find useful but also extend beyond that range to see just how many plants are optimal,” Henry said.

“In last year’s study, plant populations up to 35,000 plants per acre did well.”

The team collected emergence data, or number of plants per acre, plant height, number of unfurled leaves, leaf area

index, or LAI, and growth stage. The team used a SPAD meter to measure chlorophyll, an accupar which measures LAI value, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology to capture additional data.

While the study is in its second year, this is the first year the team used UAV technology.

“UAV technology gives us another data layer,” Henry said. “They are fly-ing overhead and collecting visual and multispectral data. We are taking plant height data, growth stage, number of un-furled leaves, plant canopy, and LAI to make sure images from above are what we are actually seeing on the ground.”

Currently, Mississippi State Universi-ty has a certificate of authorization from the FAA to operate unmanned aerial vehicles for research purposes only. The FAA is working on regulation for the commercial use of unmanned aerial ve-hicles and Congress has issued a dead-line of September 2015 for the regulatory body to determine a ruling.

While early planting of corn carries risks, there are benefits as well. Corn uses a lot of water, specifically during the reproductive stage. Based upon tra-ditional planting dates, this stage usually falls in June and July, in the middle of

the often hot, dry Mississippi summer. Corn planted earlier may enter these critical reproductive growth stages in May and early June, a period with greater moisture, cooler temperatures, and less chance of drought, thereby experiencing greater plant productivity and higher yield. Additionally, growers who bring their corn to market in July, as opposed to August or September, could potential-ly earn more per bushel because of the timing of the market.

“While there are challenges associated with early planting, initial research indi-cates earlier planting of certain hybrids at certain populations produce higher yields,” said Henry. “Last year, we had a cooler, wetter spring and summer and the results indicated early planting was better. For every week of delayed plant-ing, we lost seven bushels of corn per acre. It is important, however, that we continue to repeat these trials at multi-ple locations over multiple years so we can make an informed recommendation to producers.” 🌽

This research is funded by the Mississippi Corn Promotion Board through producer check-off dol-lars and the MAFES Special Research Initiative.

GRi'S robota Triton is used in Henry's research. (photo by Beth newman Wynn)




FURROw iRRiGATiON is the most common type of irrigation in the Mississippi delta. (photo by david Ammon)

The Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer, the Mississippi Delta’s main source of irrigation, is losing 300,000 acre feet per year.

Conservation is critical to both the environment and the people of Mississippi, farmers in particular. MSU scientists are working alongside farmers to develop better ways to irrigate. This research will decrease wa-ter usage, improve water quality, and increase agricul-tural productivity, profitability, and yield.

While three types of irrigation systems are com-mon throughout the U.S., Mississippi farmers tend to employ either furrow or center pivot irrigation. The third type, subsurface drip irrigation, has not yet proved cost effective for farmers in the mid-South.

Much of the state’s irrigation occurs in the Delta, where approximately 70% of land is furrow irrigated. The preferred irrigation method in the hills in north-east Mississippi is center pivot irrigation. Since farm-ers have tasked MSU scientists to help make them better furrow irrigators, most research is dedicated to furrow irrigation of row crops like soybeans and corn. Some of the research can be applied to center pivot irrigation as well.

MSU scientists research essential tools and best practices to improve irrigation in the field. Addition-ally, the university engages in two dynamic research programs that cut down on the quantity of water used in irrigation while improving water quality overall. Scientists are also looking ahead at research opportunities involving intermittent flooding, poly-acrylamide gel, and surface water.


The Power of Three: Essential Tools

Jason Krutz, MAFES researcher and extension irrigation specialist, recommends three essential tools, Pipe Hole and Universal Crown Evaluation Tool or PHAUCET, surge valves, and soil moisture sensors, to help farmers great-

ly reduce their water consumption. “If farmers adopt these three simple tools, the impact will be tremendous,” Krutz said. “It will reduce water consumption by 50 percent, impacting not only Mississippi, but the entire mid-south.” The cost to adopt these tools is minimal compared to potential water and fuel savings.

PHAUCETPipe Hole and Universal Crown Evaluation Tool or PHAUCET, is a computerized program which calculates the correct hole size and distribution for poly pipe to furrow irrigate row crops. It takes into account a well’s flow-rate, poly pipe length, and field dimensions and elevation.

“The program reduces water, fuel, and irrigation usage 20 percent in regular fields and up to 50 percent in irregular shaped fields,” Krutz said.

While the cost of the program is free, many farmers opt to hire a consultant.

“Having a consultant install the pro-gram will cost between $6 and $9 per acre the first year.” Krutz said. “Average annual savings is $10 per acre, per year. While a farmer only nets a little the first year, savings in subsequent years make the initial investment worthwhile.” Re-searchers are working on a more us-er-friendly version of PHAUCET, set to be released in 2015.

SURGE vALvESSurge valves split the distribu-tion of water in the field. As an exam-ple, a conventional system typically has one poly pipe running down a 40-acre field. The surge valve splits that 40-acre field into two 20-acre fields. A comput-er-driven butterfly valve in the center of the pipe allows for the intermittent dis-tribution of water, which automatically toggles between each side of the field. The system repeats incrementally in in-tervals and a single pulse is administered at the end of the cycle until the proper amount of water has been administered.

The initial investment is $2800 with a life expectancy of 20 years and battery

replacement required approximately ev-ery three years. The valve can be discon-nected and applied to other irrigation sets to help distribute capital cost over more acres.

“A surge valve improves irrigation ap-plication efficiency by reducing deep per-colation loss and virtually eliminating tail water runoff,” Krutz said. “We’ve seen a 25 percent increase in efficiency and in some situations we’ve seen yield improve by 15 bushels. The yield increases because the valve more evenly distributes water across the field.”

SOiL MOiSTURE SENSORSSoil moisture sensors, which are placed at 6, 12, 24, and 36 inches, deter-mine the amount of moisture in the soil profile. Farmers can spot-check a field and confirm the data being received by sensors. If there is plenty of water, farm-ers may be able to eliminate an irrigation. On the other hand, if there is soil com-paction or surface ceiling, farmers are made aware of the problem long before any yield is lost. Researchers also com-bine sensor data with plant physiology information to determine optimum ir-rigation termination based on moisture and plant maturity.

Sensor packages range from $200 to a few thousand dollars depending on model type. Sensors, which can access data manually, at the edge of the field, or via desktop, can pay for themselves in a year by eliminating at least one irrigation.

“Many growers have avoided two irri-gations, one early in the season and one late in the season, because of sensors,” Krutz said. “Projected savings are esti-mated at as much as $20 per acre.”

CHECkBOOk APPROACH: AN ADDiTiONAL TOOLIn many cases, an irrigation scheduling tool, such as the Mississippi Irrigation Scheduling Tool, or MIST, can add up to additional water savings. MSU researchers have evaluated sched-uling tools that employ the checkbook approach. This approach is similar to entering credits and debits in a check-book. Computerized or manual sched-uling tools measure atmospheric data, crop coefficient, and crop growth stage to track water usage and calculate water budgets. Atmospheric data include solar radiation, wind speed, relative humidity, and temperature. The tool determines evapotranspiration data, which shows how much water the plant used and how much water evaporated. The Mississippi Irrigation Scheduling Tool is a computer program and an atmometer is a manu-al tool. MSU researchers found that the use of a scientific irrigation scheduling tool can reduce irrigation usage by 30 to 40 percent.

JASON kRUTz, an irrigation specialist with Mis-sissippi State University, holds a soil moisture sensor, an essential tool in helping producers irrigate with scientific accuracy. (photo by Linda Breazeale)



MSU researchers are looking for

other water conserving opportunities

by evaluating intermittent flooding,

polyacrylamide gel, and surface water.

intermittent Flooding:

MSU researchers suggest intermittent flood-

ing will conserve water and save rice growers

money on fuel.

Traditional flooding practices:

• rice field initially flooded

• Water subsides

• Farmers pump back to full-flood depth after

mud is exposed in paddy’s upper half

Intermittent flooding practices:

• rice field initially flooded

• Farmers allow water level to decrease

• rainfall is captured

• Each inch of rainfall captured and ground-

water not pumped equals approximately

one gallon of diesel fuel per acre.

• researchers are evaluating equipment,

such as pump controllers and water sen-

sors, to automate the process.

Polyacrylamide Gel:

MSU researchers are evaluating polyacryl-

amide gel, a polymer that helps maintain soil

structure and improves quality and efficiency.

Benefits include:

• reduction of erosion

• reduction of transportation of nutrients

• improved infiltration

Surface water:

10: percentage of the delta’s irrigation per-

mits that are for surface water

Surface water sources include:

• Tail water recovery systems

• on-farm storage

• Small rivers

MSU researchers are analyzing opportunities

to help improve the state’s surface water

capabilities.

Research Programs

two msu projects, row-crop Irrigation science and extension research, or rIser, and research and education to advance Conservation and Habitat, or reaCH, are focused on water conservation. rIser helps farmers reduce water quantity while reaCH helps farmers improve water quality.

RiSERIn RISER, MSU scientists partner with corn, cotton, soybean, and rice producers using existing on-farm manage-ment systems to promote good irrigation management prac-tices. 17 producers participated in 2013. In each case, scientists worked a 40-acre field and the farmer worked a 40-acre field. The scientists used tools to determine irrigation and the farmer employed his traditional process. The results showed tremen-dous water and fuel savings.

“We cut at least equivalent yields, used 47 percent less water, and improved profitability,” said Krutz. “Profitability increased primarily because we reduced fuel consumption by 47 percent.”

REACHREACH has evaluated how weirs, slotted pipes, and vegetation drainage ditches contribute to overall watershed nu-trient reductions.

Through the REACH program, MSU scientists introduce innovative management practices for water use to producers as a way for them to save money and still maintain yields. The program works by helping landowners address a water manage-ment problem, and then these producers tell others about the benefits and savings they experience with the new management techniques.

REACH’s goal is to create a network of cooperative farms with different types of agricultural practices that will showcase conservation practices, how well they work for agriculture and the environment, and serve as models for sustainable methods.

Conservation-minded Mississippi farmers have enrolled 126,470 acres in the program.

A PATH TO BEST PRACTiCES FOR iRRiGATiONWhile 90 percent of farmers polled believed they were already efficient irrigators, specific MSU research ini-tiatives have helped early adopters drastically diminish water usage and fuel cost. As these MSU-led advancements reflect the university’s research priority to develop plant production systems that optimize yield, energy efficiency, profitability, and environmental stewardship, it is evident MSU irrigation re-search benefits farmers, the community and the environment in Mississippi, and beyond. 🌽

Vanessa Beeson and Bonnie Coblentz contributed to this article.


The initial catfish vaccine delivery system, designed by MSU’s agricultural and biological engineering team, travels from pond to pond and can hold up to 1000 pounds of feed. (Photo by David Ammon)

AniMAL prodUCTion SySTEMS

mafes.msstate.edu | mafes discovers | 19summer/fall 2014

vaccine leads to better survival, bigger catfishBy vAnESSA BEESon

MSU scientists have developed a vaccine to protect catfish from commonly occurring bacteria that can cause death. During their first

growing season, every catfish fingerling raised in the Mississippi Delta will be exposed to Ed-wardsiella ictaluri, the bacteria that causes enter-ic septicemia, or ESC. MSU’s vaccine and deliv-ery method were developed at the Thad Cochran Warmwater Aquaculture Center and received a provisional patent in 2013.

In 2013, catfish farms covered 48,600 surface acres of ponds across the state of Mississippi. The production across 125 operations totaled $178 million. ESC is estimated to reduce production by 25-30 percent costing the industry $30-40 million annually.

“This vaccine has the potential to fundamentally improve the economic via-bility of the catfish industry because of its positive effects on survival, growth, and feed conversion,” said Wes Burger, associate director of the Mississippi Ag-ricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. “Mississippi State University and MAFES are focused on developing a commercialization strategy that will en-able catfish producers to operate more efficiently with increased profitability.”


The Disease

ESC outbreaks typically occur in late summer or early fall as water tem-peratures begin to cool. Some ESC cases in infected catfish are mild while other cases lead to death. ESC causes a red rash and internal and external hemorrhaging, while an accumulation of fluid causes the catfish’s abdomen to swell. At this point, the catfish either clears the infection or it transitions into a chronic disease that lo-calizes in the brain. It can cause a hole in the head exposing the brain, eventually leading to death. The chronic infection occurs in, and subsequently kills, five to 20 percent of the surviving population that goes through an outbreak. Fish that are exposed to the pathogen and sur-vive develop an immune response and are subsequently protected from future exposure.

The spread of the bacteria can be slowed by cutting off feed during the spring and fall when the chance of an outbreak is greater. However, not feed-ing the catfish slows growth and in-creases the time required to produce a marketable-sized fish. Growers can also use medicated feed to control losses but medicated feeds are expensive and infec-tions can be difficult to treat because sick fish do not eat once clinical signs of the disease are present.

The Vaccine

Vaccination protects the catfish by exposing them to a weakened form of the bacteria that stimulates development of an immune response without causing the disease. When vaccinated fish are later exposed to the fully virulent wild strain, their immune system is able to prevent infection. The vaccination allows growers to continue to feed throughout the fall and achieve greater weight gains and full production.

In 2008, David Wise, MAFES aqua-culture scientist developed the live-at-tenuated vaccine and developed a meth-od of delivering the vaccine orally with commercially available feed. Over the

next few years, the new oral delivery method was shown safe and effective in laboratory tests, small pond trials, and ultimately, commercial-scale field trials. Protocols for vaccine production and processing were developed and validated in the field trials. By 2012, the team was using a catfish vaccine delivery system developed by MSU agricultural and bi-ological engineers in field trials. In 2014, the team used a new commercial-scale delivery system developed by the same group.

In order to protect catfish against ESC, researchers took an active culture from sick catfish in the Delta and weak-ened it. Once weakened, bacteria lose the ability to cause disease and instead create a very mild sub-clinical infection that immunizes the catfish. The catfish clears the mild infection and is protected against subsequent infections.

“We came up with the idea because one of the natural routes of infection is when catfish ingest the bacteria while feeding,” Wise said. “If the catfish ac-quires the disease through feeding, why not vaccinate it through feeding?”

Bacteria outbreaks typically occur in the fall. The only time researchers can manipulate the catfish is when they leave the hatchery as fry or leave the nursery pond as adult catfish.

Previously, fry had been vaccinated through immersion baths at seven to ten days old. The fry were too young with underdeveloped immunity so the vac-cine, while providing some protection, was not considered effective. The immer-sion baths as the fish left the hatchery weren’t effective and fish coming out of the nursery ponds were already exposed to the bacteria.

The new vaccine and method allowed researchers to vaccinate a fully developed fish in the nursery pond.

There is a window of time between mid-July and mid-August when re-searchers vaccinate the catfish. The vac-cine needs to be administered before the pond temperature dips below 28 degrees Celsius. ESC thrives below that temperature and that is when outbreaks typically occur.

The catfish must be 50 to 70 days old

and able to eat the feed pellets. The feed is a carrier for the vaccine. If the catfish doesn’t eat, it doesn’t get vaccinated.

The Delivery Method

The team started off mixing the vaccine and feed in a little bucket in a small pond. They ran a study and it worked.

“A lot of things you do in disease re-search don’t work,” Wise said. “I haven’t seen anything like this. Quite often, we identify treatments that don’t work.”

The team proved the concept in five-gallon buckets but needed a better delivery system.

“You can’t vaccinate a 10-acre pond with a five-gallon bucket,” Wise said. “We had to come up with a method of mixing and administering the vaccine in 500, 800, or 1000 pounds of feed at a time.”

The challenge lied in the vaccine itself. It has to be live to work. Once the vac-cine is absorbed into the feed, research-ers have 15 to 20 minutes before it starts losing viability.

The team used a modified seed coater mounted onto a conventional blower on 1-acre ponds. They were able to mix up 150 pounds of feed in a batch but needed something on a commercial scale.

Wise reached out to MSU’s agricul-tural and biological engineering depart-ment. Jeremiah Davis, MAFES agricul-tural engineer, worked with research associates to develop the first catfish vac-cine delivery system. They finished the prototype in six months just in time to start vaccinating the fish.

The feed is loaded into a modified feeder and then passes through a system where the live vaccine is added; the feed absorbs the vaccine and runs through an airlock system that blows the feed into the pond. The delivery system is on a trailer so it can be moved from pond to pond. The first delivery system holds up to 1000 pounds of feed and can admin-ister feed to two 8-acre ponds before re-loading. The engineering team recently finished work on a larger catfish vaccine delivery system that holds 2000 pounds

AniMAL prodUCTion SySTEMS


You can’t vaccinate

a 10-acre pond with a

five-gallon bucket,” Wise

said. “We had to come

up with a method of

mixing and administering

the vaccine in 500, 800,

or 1000 pounds of feed

at a time.

- David Wise

of feed and feed up to four 8-acre ponds before reloading. They tweaked some of the design based on what they learned the first time around.

“Everything worked well the first time around,” Davis said. “There are a few things we tweaked. The main problem with the prototype was the feed getting clogged in the airlock system. Dr. Wise found a feed that is less tacky and we’ve modified the new system with a larger airlock. The bottom of the feeder is now rounded instead of triangular, which should help as well.”

The Results

Researchers estimate about 75 percent of a pond population ingests the feed and subsequent vaccine. The dose is safe and consistent. It only takes one dose to vaccinate the catfish.

“We are seeing great results even though we aren’t vaccinating 100 percent of the population,” Wise said. “It gets into the herd immunity concept, but with schools of catfish. By vaccinating a large percentage of the population, we prevent the increase of pathogen levels in the pond. This protects the catfish that haven’t been immunized.”

Survival and size of the catfish both

increased as a result of the vaccine.“It’s a tremendous night and day dif-

ference between vaccinated and non-vac-cinated catfish,” Wise said. “It depends on the challenge but the relative percent survival rate is usually greater than 90 percent. Typically we’ll get 50-80 per-cent mortality in the control group and 2-5 percent mortality in the vaccinated group.”

“In an aquaculture study, if you have a treatment effect that really improves survival, typically your fish get smaller. Economic returns are based on a balance between size and density,” Wise said. “You could have 100 percent survival in smaller fish and actually make less money because there is a sliding scale on how catfish are priced. A small catfish is worth less than a larger catfish. In this study, which is very unusual, we had twice as many catfish and they were 20 percent larger.”

The feed conversion ratio was also reduced from approximately 2.5 to 1.5, meaning that it takes a full pound less feed to produce a pound of fish.

The team has seen similar results in

repeated pond trials that have resulted in 2-3 fold increases in projected gross sales.

“The entire project has been a col-laborative effort among many different programs,” Wise said. “The USDA’s National Biological Control Laboratory developed protocols for the commercial fermentation of the vaccine and is cur-rently producing the vaccine for use in field trials. The MSU Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department in conjunction with the USDA ARS Poul-try Research Unit engineered the delivery system. The MSU College of Veterinary Medicine has genetically characterized the vaccine isolate and is using the in-formation to develop a rapid molecular test to detect and quantify the vaccine in tissue and environmental samples.”

The data required to support a USDA licensing application that would make the vaccine commercially available is currently being collected in the commer-cial-scale field trials. 🌽

DAviD wiSE, research professor and coordinator of the Thad Cochran national

Warmwater Aquaculture Center at the ponds where vaccines are delivered in late July.

(photo by david Ammon)


A new strategy for variety trialsBy KArEn BrASHEr

Variety selection is one of the most important decisions made an-nually by Mississippi row crop and

forage producers.“Timely, objective, scientifically-based,

and regionally relevant information on ex-pected yield performance is crucial for mak-ing planting decisions,” said Reuben Moore, associate director of the Mississippi Agricul-tural and Forestry Experiment Station. “The Experiment Station’s independent assess-ment of varietal performance is extreme-ly important and beneficial to Mississippi producers.”

The Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station has conducted Variety Trials since the early 1900s. MAFES Offi-cial Variety Trials are unique because they provide an annual, open, unbiased, scien-tifically-based evaluation of genetic perfor-mance of an enormous number of seed en-tries. MAFES Official Variety Trials provide the information producers need to make the best seed selections for their planting decisions.

MAFES Official Variety Trials, which are conducted on MAFES Experiment Sta-tions as well as farmer/producer fields, fol-low standard farming practices.

MAFES Official Variety Trials require seed treatment on corn and encourage all companies to use their best commercial-ly-available seed treatments. If seeds are not treated, a standard, labeled rate of a fun-gicide/insecticide will be applied to those varieties. Fertilizer is applied to all plots based on analysis from soil tests. Plots are monitored weekly to address weed, insect, and disease control along with irrigation scheduling. MAFES Official Variety Trials

on private farmland are irrigated at the pro-ducers’ discretion and are irrigated as need-ed on Experiment Station lands.

Plot sizes are designed to provide a sta-tistically-valid, scientific approach to small plot replicated research. Small plots allow scientists to test a large number of replicat-ed varieties and hybrids.

All crops are planted within the optimal planting window. With multiple locations, all crops are not planted on the same ex-act date; however, each singular location is completely planted in one day. Since each location is a separate experiment and is not compared statistically to other locations, it is not critical that all varieties are planted the same day.

Weight and moisture are captured at the time the plots are harvested. Reported yield is adjusted for moisture.

MAFES Official Variety Trials differ from on-farm strip trials conducted by Extension and individual producers. MAFES Official Variety Trials are replicated small plot stud-ies in which varieties are randomly assigned to uniform plots in a designed experiment. On-farm strip trials are typically non-repli-cated side-by-side comparisons of a single planter pass of different varieties. Strip tri-als are used for demonstration purposes and as another tool for evaluating varieties.

The MAFES Official Variety Trials follow similar protocols as trials in other states. A similar number of varieties are screened and yields produced are equal and, most often, ex-ceed those of surrounding states.

With increased new varieties exhibiting enhanced disease and insect resistance, the MAFES Official Variety Trials undergo continuous improvement each year.


MAFES conducts variety trials on crops and forages.

(photos by david Ammon)

Continuous Improvement

Continuous improvement is a term adopted from man-ufacturing. It is an ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes. MAFES Official Variety Trials utilize the continuous improvement philosophy. Specifically, the Experiment Station seeks to evaluate and effectively implement methods to enhance protocols and varieties to meet the needs of producers and im-prove communication on test results, while maintaining scientific and objective analysis.

The Experiment Station’s continuous improvement includes the following steps to enhance the MAFES Official Variety Trials.

PROTOCOLS

To enhance protocols and varieties to meet the needs of produc-ers, while maintaining the scientific and objective analysis, the following have been implemented in 2014.• An agronomic faculty member has been hired to conduct a

self-study of variety/hybrid trials in soybeans and corn.• All plots are monitored weekly for implementation of cultural

practices such as weed, insect, and disease control, along with irri gation scheduling.

• Advisory committees have been expanded to include more capac ity and ensure that each crop has an active advisory committee.

• A few standard, commercially-available bench mark varieties have been included in the MAFES Official Variety Trials.

COMMUNiCATiON

• A MAFES Official Variety Trials website has been developed. Yield results are posted within 2-3 weeks after harvest. All other sites have been redirected to mafes.msstate.edu/variety-trials.

• MAFES Official Variety Trials yield data are posted on Facebook, Twitter and mississippi-crops.com blog. A news re-lease is also sent out with yield results.

• Email list for each commodity are being developed to communi cate commodity-specific data when the yield data is posted on the MAFES Official Variety Trials website.

• Redesign of the Official Variety Trials publication is in progress with the goal of clearly identifying experimental varieties. 🌽

Timely, objective,

scientifically-based,

and regionally relevant

information on expected yield

performance is crucial for

making planting decisions.

-Reuben Moore

HUMAn HEALTH And WELL-BEing


Woodpecker’s beak helps define shock absorption in man-made design.

By Vanessa Beeson

mafes.msstate.edu | mafes discovers | 25

While Mississippi State University is bulldog country, one university research team might soon have us all rooting for woodpeckers, too. While it is

hard to imagine the woodpecker as a fierce competitor on the football field, there is a correlation between the bird’s superior shock absorbing capabilities and the game on the gridiron.

Nayeon Lee, biological engineering doctoral student at MSU, described the red-bellied woodpecker’s shock absorbing capabilities in the May 8 edition of the Journal of the Royal Society Interface. Lakiesha Williams, associate professor of ag-ricultural and biological engineering in the university’s Missis-sippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and Mark Horstemeyer, CAVS chair professor in mechanical engineering, directed Lee’s research.

Lee reported that a woodpecker’s beak repeatedly strikes a tree trunk at the speed of 14 -16 miles per hour. This speed is similar to how fast professional football players run on the field and is the speed considered in standard requirements for designing football helmets.

However, the shock a woodpecker absorbs from the im-pact is much greater than anything a football player will likely experience.

“For humans, only 9 g’s (nine times that of gravity force) can cause a head injury, and typical traumatic brain injury occurs between a deceleration of 80 and 100 g-forces while the wood-pecker decelerates around 1,000 g-forces,” Williams said. “In-sight into the woodpecker’s ability to sustain this kind of stress may lead to the design of man-made materials that provide better protection for players on the field and others involved in collision forces.”

A woodpecker’s beak is made up of three structural layers: an outer layer comprised of a protein called keratin, a middle foam layer, and an inner bony layer. There is a gradient with each material blending into the next.

“The scales on the outer layer fit together in an overlapping pattern, are much denser than the scales found in other bird beaks and operate as a shearing mechanism to dissipate shock,” Lee said. “Specifically, the wavy gap between the scales, similar to a suture line, is three times wavier compared to other bird beaks, like a chicken or Toucan, and this geometry dissipates shock energy by dispersing impact waves.”

A RED-BELLiED woodpecker, local to the area, may help unlock

secrets to better helmet design for football players.

(photo by Katherine Lawrence)


The porous middle layer acts as the glue and aids in shock absorption by binding the neighboring two very structurally-diverse layers. The inner layer,

which is less porous than the inner layer found in other bird beaks, provides strength to the beak and guides the shock wave through the head, Lee added.

“This research illustrated that the components of the wood-pecker’s beak make up a well-defined system, but all three ma-terials play individual roles in the dissipation of shock energy,” Williams said.

Results from this research contributed to a recently patented idea. Horstemeyer was successful in patenting specific shock mitigating materials and methods found in nature for use in man-made design principles.

The study has inspired new research projects for Lee, Wil-liams, and Horstemeyer. Lee will now focus on computational modeling of the woodpecker’s entire head, which basically puts

the woodpecker in a virtual environment to evaluate how shock propagates. Lee will also continue to focus on the beak’s mid-dle layer to determine if there is specific shock mitigation oc-curring in that particular layer as well. As this research contin-ues, Lee, Williams, and Horstemeyer see promise in applying biological principles to man-made design in football helmets and beyond. The study also addresses an Experiment Station research priority to prevent disease, injury and disability, sub-sequently enhancing the quality of life for Mississippi residents.

“Our hope is that we are able to establish design principles inspired by nature that will help us develop light-weight, ener-gy mitigating materials that provide better protection on point of impact,” said Williams. 🌽

THE STUDy of woodpecker beaks could help in the design of better football helmets. (photo by Karen Brasher)

HUMAn HEALTH And WELL-BEing


For the birds: How birds inspire manmade design

Biomimicry or biomimetics uses models, systems, processes, and elements found in nature in the application of manmade design. the science is relevant to a variety of disciplines, including physics,

chemistry, biology, mathematics, medicine, engineering and computer science.

By vAnESSA BEESon

PRiNCiPLES OF BiOMiMiCRydesign principles in nature are sustainable, effective, efficient, economical, and reduce or eliminate waste.

NATURE iS SUSTAiNABLE AND

EFFECTivE.

Nature is built to adapt and last. Biological design is smart and functional. In nature, durability and performance count for a lot. An example of sustain-able and effective biomimicry can be found in the insulated glass sheeting cre-ated by German-based company, Arnold Glas. A staggering amount of birds die each day by accidently flying into glass windows. That’s why Arnold Glas cre-ated special glass sheeting that has UV-reflective patterns birds can detect, but that are hardly visible to the human eye. The company was inspired by spider webs. Certain species of spiders weave UV- reflective silk strands so birds know not to fly through the web.

NATURE iS EFFiCiENT.

Nature conserves energy and fig-ures out how to do more with less. An example of efficient biomimicry can be found in the A380, the world’s larg-est passenger aircraft. When challenged with the possibility of a wingspan that wouldn’t fit into the space allotted at air-ports, designers of the A380, decided to emulate the winglets of the steppe eagle. The feathers that curl upward at the tip of the eagle’s wing are called winglets. Devices at the tip of the plane’s wings, which are modeled after the bird’s wing-lets, reduce the length of the wing in or-der to comply with airports. The wing-lets also improve fuel efficiency.

NATURE iS ECONOMiCAL.

In natural design, the shape of something is paramount. An example of manmade material utilizing a natural shape can be found in the Shinkansen bullet train. When the train was built, designers had a big problem with noise. As world’s fastest train exited tunnels at 200 miles per hour, changes in air pres-sure created a thunderous boom that had neighbors complaining nearly a quarter of a mile away. The train’s head engineer redesigned the front of the train to mim-ic the kingfisher, a bird that dives into the water with a tiny splash. The result was a quieter, faster train that uses less electricity.


Awards

ROCky LEMUS

Mississippi State Univer-sity forage expert, Rocky Lemus, was recognized with the merit award for superior contributions to

forage and grassland agriculture at the 2014 Amer-ican Forage and Grassland Council’s annual con-ference in January 2014.

FEi yU, RAJA REDDy AND BRETT RUSHiNG

DAN REyNOLDS

Dan Reynolds, Glover Triplett Professor in the MSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, received the Southern

Weed Science Society Distinguished Service Award.

JAy MCCURDy

Assistant Extension professor Jay McCurdy received the Southern Weed Science Society Outstanding Ph.D. Stu-

dent Award for his doctoral work at Auburn Uni-versity. McCurdy is a newly-hired turf specialist in the MSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences.

JUAN L. SiLvAJuan L. Silva, a professor in the MSU Department of Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion, was elected a fel-low of the Institute of Food Technologists, an international organization that strives to advance food science and technol-ogy in more than 100 countries. This designation is in recognition of exemplary advance-ment, service, and inspiration in food science and technology. Nominees must be professional members of the food science organization for at least 15 years and have made exceptional contributions to the field for at least 10 of those years.

Silva was recognized and inducted at the IFT Annual Meeting and Food Expo in New Orleans on June 21.For 75 years, the Institute of Food Technologists, which hosts the world’s largest annual scientif-ic meeting and food expo, has served as a global forum where members collaborate to transform scientific knowledge into innovative solutions that improve the human condition through food science and technology.

Fei Yu, a MAFES scien-tists and assistant profes-sor in the MSU Depart-ment of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, received the 2014 Excel-

lence in Research Award sponsored by Mississippi Land Bank. Yu also received the MAFES Grants-manship Award for amassing more than $4.5 mil-lion in grants.

Raja Reddy, research professor in the Depart-ment of Plant and Soil Sciences, received the MAFES Outstanding Scientific Publication

Award. Published in the Agronomy Journal, his article describes a mathematical approach to mea-suring corn growth and development in relation to environmental conditions.

Brett Rushing, assistant extension and research professor at the Coast-al Plain Experiment Station, received the MAFES Research Staff

Award for his outstanding scientific contributions. Rushing is the coinventor of three native grass va-rieties under evaluation in alternative fuel develop-ment studies.

SAM CHANGMississippi State University food scientist Sam Chang was elected a fellow of the International Academy of Food Sci-ence and Technology and will represent MSU in this field’s largest academy in the world.A certified food scientist, Chang is professor of the MSU De-partment of Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion. He was elected as a fellow based on his outstanding contribu-tions to the field of food science and technology.Chang was recognized and inducted at the 17th World Con-gress of Food Science and Technology in Montreal, Canada,

Aug. 17-21.The International Academy of Food Science and Technology is the premier organization for these fields. It is a federation of national food science organizations. Among its goals are im-proving international cooperation and exchange of information, promoting food science and technology and other sciences important to this area, and stimulating international education and training in food science and technology.

in THE nEWS (JAnUAry - JUnE 2014)

JENNiFER CORBiN is the only female rice researcher at the drEC.

(photo by Katherine Lawrence)


Check-off Dollars at workCommodity: Rice

By KArEn BrASHEr

Jennifer Corbin is a research associate at the Delta Research and Extension Center. She is the only

female rice researcher at the Stoneville center and most senior on her project. She recently completed her graduate re-search under the direction of former pro-fessor Tim Walker. Her project analyzed Palisade® rates and nitrogen fertilization on lodging in the rice cultivar ‘CL151.’

The cultivar CL151 has become a pop-ular variety for Southern rice production because of its high yield potential and red rice control. On average, 10 per-cent of the planted rice in Mississippi was planted in CL151 during 2012–2013. Expansion of CL151 has been tempered because of its propensity to lodge, which can decrease harvest efficiency, grain quality, and yield. Corbin conducted a study to evaluate the effectiveness of Pal-isade® (trinexapac-ethyl), a plant growth regulator, in controlling the lodging problem for CL151.

The study was conducted in 2012 and 2013 on a Sharkey clay soil, a Dundee silt loam, and a Commerce silt loam. The experiment consisted of a combination of treatments: applications of Palisade® at rates of 0, 1.37, 2.75, or 5.5 ounces per acre; all nitrogen applied preflood or 75 percent applied preflood and 25 percent applied at panicle differentiation; and Palisade® applied at panicle differen-tiation or panicle differentiation plus 14 days. The study measured lodging (percent of the plot and severity), plant height, and grain yield.

For the Dundee silt loam in 2012, the lodging rate was greatest when no Pali-sade® was applied. The rate of 1.37 ounc-es per acre reduced lodging to less than 2 percent. Likewise, lodging was much more severe without Palisade® than when the highest rate was applied. Plant

height decreased as the rate of Palisade® was increased; it was reduced by 18 per-cent with the highest application rate. Plant heights were greatest when 100 percent of nitrogen was applied at pre-flood. Grain yield decreased from 12,165 pounds per acre with no Palisade® appli-cation to 9,588 pounds per acre when the highest rate was used.

In 2013 on the Sharkey clay soil, lodg-ing was highest when no Palisade® was applied and nitrogen was applied at 100 percent preflood. Lodging was much more severe without Palisade® than when the highest rate was applied. On Sharkey clay and Commerce silt loam soil types, plant heights were greatest when no Pal-isade® was applied and shortest when the highest rate was applied at the panicle differentiation plus 14 days. Also, plant heights were greatest when nitrogen was applied preflood. On Commerce silt loam, grain yield was 11,334 pounds per acre without Palisade® and decreased to

10,543 pounds per acre when the highest rate was used. On the Sharkey clay soil, grain yield was 11,213 pounds per acre when nitrogen was applied preflood and decreased to 10,420 pounds per acre with a split application of nitrogen.

In summary, these points of data sug-gest that Palisade® is effective in reducing plant height, which in turn can reduce lodging incidence. However, it is also ev-ident that higher rates of Palisade® can potentially have a negative impact on yield.

This project is funded through the Rice Promotion Board through producer check-off dollars.


Patents, varieties, Disclosures, and Bulletins

FiScAl yEAr 2014

InventIon dIsclosures 11

Patent aPPlIcatIons 14

Patents Issued 2

lIcenses/oPtIons executed 14

invEntion DiScloSurES (JAnuAry – JunE 2014)

■ rice cultivar CL163

■ Shock-wave mitigating bio-inspired

football helmet design

■ Utilization of a novel isolate of

Enterobacter sp. as a nutrition supple-

ment for livestock and humans

■ Use of Burkholderia contamins MS14

and occidiofungin as a fungicide

against plant pathogens

■ Bermudagrass cultivar MSB-280

■ one-tube Salmonella and Listeria test

kits (pictured)

pAtEnt ApplicAtionS (JAnuAry – JunE 2014)

■ nematode resistance genes and

Methods of Their Use

■ in vivo vaginal Biomechanics device

■ Catalysts for Converting Syngas into

Liquid Hydrocarbons and Methods

Thereof

■ Shock-wave Mitigating Bio-inspired

Football Helmet design

■ Utilization of oleagnious

Microorganisms as a nutritional

Supplement for Animals

■ Apparatus and Method for rearing

Maggots

■ improving rice nutrition and Taste

via disruption of grain Starch

Crystalline, Fortification Treatment and

recrystallization

■ Use of Burkholderia contamins MS14

and occidiofungin as a fungicide

against plant pathogens

■ generation of imazapic resistance

Switchgrass population

proMoting EASy DEtEction oF FooDbornE pAthogEnS

Food scientists Tae Jo Kim and Juan Silva developed a simple test kit that can be used to detect Salmonella in food, water, and en-vironmental samples. This unique detection mechanism consists of a single test tube that can expose the presence of Salmonella in a sample without the need for any additional equipment. The kit, which can be stored for long periods at room temperature without losing its effectiveness, is inexpensive com-pared with similar products. After demon-strating the effectiveness of the technology in several lab studies, the MAFES scientists optimized the Salmonella test kit to perform in industrial and laboratory settings. They re-ceived a provisional patent on the technology and are ready to implement it in a commer-cial setting. Salmonella is the most frequent cause of short- and long-term food-borne illness, causing about 1.4 million food poi-sonings in the U.S. each year.

nEW diSCovEriES


Economic impacts of thE mississippi sEafood industry

this study estimated the economic impacts of the seafood harvesting, processing, wholesaling, restaurant, and retailing sec-tors in the state by major species, primarily shrimp, oyster, crab, and finfish.

The Mississippi seafood industry in 2009 gener-

ated total economic impacts of $275.59 million

and provided 6,342 jobs in harvesting, process-

ing, wholesaling, fish markets, and restaurants.

bullEtinS (JAnuAry - JunE, 2014)

Bond, J.A., d.M. dodds, T.W. Eubank, d.B. reyn-

olds. 2014. Herbicide programs for Managing gly-

phosate- and ALS-resistant palmer Aramanth in

Mississippi Cotton. information Sheet 1362, Mis-

sissippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Sta-

tion, Mississippi State University. 2 pp.

Bond, J.A., E.J. Larson, d.B. reynolds. 2014.

Herbicide programs for Managing glyphosate-

and ALS-resistant palmer Aramanth in Missis-

sippi Corn. information Sheet 1361, Mississippi

Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, Mis-

sissippi State University. 2 pp.

Burgess, B., J. Bullard, B. Macoon, d. reginelli,

d. respess, d. rowe, g. Sciumbato, M. Silva,

n. Simmons, L. Stephens, B. varner. 2014. Mis-

sissippi Soybean variety Trials, 2013. information

Bulletin 484, Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry

Experiment Station, Mississippi State University.

75 pp.

Burgess, B., J. Bullard, E. Larson, d. rowe, r.

vaughan. 2014. Mississippi grain Sorghum Hybrid

Trials, 2013. information Sheet 1360, Mississippi



golden, B.r., W.E. Clark, d.M. dodds, n.W.

Buehring, L.L. Falconer, M.W. Shankle, T.p. Wal-

lace. 2014. Mississippi Cotton variety Trials, 2013.

information Bulletin 485, Mississippi Agricultural

and Forestry Experiment Station, Mississippi

State University. 29 pp.

posadas, B.C. 2014. Economic impacts of the

Mississippi Seafood industry by Major Species in

2009. research Bulletin 1209, Mississippi Agricul-

tural and Forestry Experiment Station, Mississippi

State University. 13 pp.

robinson, E.H., M.H. Li. 2014. plant-Based Cat-

fish Feeds. research report 24(14), Mississippi



Shankle, M.W., T.F. garrett, A.W. Ezell. 2014.

Weed Management in Switchgrass produced for

renewable Bioenergy Source Within a Loblolly

pine plantation. research report 24(15), Missis-

sippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station,

Mississippi State University. 13 pp.

White, J., r. Lemus, B. rushing, B. Johnson, J.r.

Saunders, d. rivera, p. Slusher. 2014. Mississippi

Biomass Feedstock variety Trials, 2013. infor-

mation Sheet 1363, Mississippi Agricultural and

Forestry Experiment Station, Mississippi State

University. 4 pp.

White, J., r. Lemus, J.r. Saunders, d. rivera.

2014. Mississippi perennial Cool-Season Forage

Crop variety Trials, 2013. information Bulletin 486,

Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment

Station, Mississippi State University. 13 pp.

White, J., r. Lemus, J.r. Saunders, L. Fitzgerald,

p. Slusher. 2014. Mississippi Warm-Season For-

age Crop variety Trials, 2013. Mississippi Agricul-

tural and Forestry Experiment Station information

Bulletin 483, Mississippi State University. 12 pp.

Spotlight on rESEArch bullEtin

CommerCial

Harvesting seCtor

$60.86m

22.1%

seafood-proCessing

seCtor

$78.91m

28.6%

seafood-

wHolesaling seCtor

$10.45m

3.8%

fisH

markets

$18.10m

6.6%

seafood

restaurants

$107.28m

38.9%


RiCE in the delta. (photo by david Ammon)

Located in the heart of the Delta, in stoneville, just outside of Leland, mississippi, the Delta research and extension Center Branch station, or DreC, is the largest of mississippi state university’s 16 branch stations.

The DREC, which was found-ed in 1904 on 200 acres of an old cotton plantation, has evolved

into a world-renowned center for agri-cultural research spanning more than 4,600 acres.

DREC researchers focus on agricul-tural and aquaculture commodities like cotton, rice, soybeans, corn, and catfish. They strive to advance technology, devel-op best practices, and provide practical solutions to challenges faced by Delta producers.

The Delta Research and Exten-sion Center has more than 30 research

scientists and 100 personnel employed by varying entities such as the Mississip-pi Agricultural and Forestry Experience Station (MAFES), the MSU Extension Service (MSU-ES), and the MSU Col-lege of Veterinary Medicine (MSU-CVM). More than 12,000 visitors tour the Center each year.

Stoneville, Mississippi is also home to almost a dozen federal and regional agencies that partner with the Delta Re-search and Extension Center.

Delta Research and Extension Center

BrAnCH STATion SpoTLigHT


opErAtion FAcEliFt

In July 2014, the demolition of the Delta research and extension Center’s 83-year-old three-story building was completed. the structure was home to the administrative offices and scientific laboratories for the branch station. DreC head, Jeff Johnson said the old building was an icon.

“Everything that has happened in agriculture since the 1930s came through this building.” Johnson said.

The building was finished in 1931 at a cost of $30,000, which was considered a significant amount during the depres-sion. In 1948, Mississippi State Legisla-ture approved $165,000 in funding to ex-pand the facility and add a second wing, doubling the office and laboratory space and adding an auditorium.

In 2012, the building was vacated. Ev-erything was moved to the newly con-structed Verner G. Hurt Research and Extension Building, which has 19,000

square feet of office and research space along with a 2,000 square foot library.

As the physical landscape of Delta Re-search and Extension Center continues to evolve in order to accommodate its role as a cutting-edge center for agricultural research, a part of its past is preserved. Virginia Wrecking Company of Daphne, Alabama, who oversaw the demolition, was able to salvage the building’s original nine-panel concrete sign stating, “Delta Experiment Station.” The 1 ½ foot thick concrete slabs weighed between 300 and 400 pounds apiece.

Delta Research and Extension Center

DREC Field day. (photo by david Ammon)


SENiOR animal and dairy science majors

Kelsey Hart, left, of nesbit and Karley

parker of Ellisville measure a Holstein calf

at the Mississippi State dairy.

(photo by Megan Bean)

kARLEy’S research was directed by

Stephanie Ward, assistant professor,

Animal and dairy Sciences.

Growing Leadersthe Growing Leaders section of maFes Discovers features students engaged in projects and initiatives that foster leadership in research, teaching, and service.

Karley parker is an emerging leader in the realm of research. She was designated as an undergraduate re-search scholar during the last semester of her undergraduate

degree in animal and dairy sciences. Upon graduation, Parker was accepted and began classes in the university’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Parker’s research focused on animal behavior, which is becoming a growing area of interest as consumers become more concerned with the source and treatment of animals producing their food.

She evaluated the effects of housing type and feeding frequency on growth and behavior in dairy calves. The results showed that calves housed in pairs had better respiratory scores than those housed alone.

As more dairy producers in the Southeast move to grass-based dairying, they often group house calves so it is important to un-derstand the impact of the practice on calf health. Parker’s research sheds light on this topic.

Her data was presented at the national meeting of the American Dairy Science Association in July and included in a critical animal research and extension grant proposal.


CHRiS DEAN, the CEo of precision

Hawk, a UAv manufacturer; Wes Burger,

associate director of MAFES; and robert

Moorhead, director of gri, review a pre-

sentation at the institute.

(photo by diane Janus)

Strategic Partner: GRimississippi state university’s Geosystems research Institute, or GrI, is a strategic partner of the mississippi agricultural and Forestry experiment station. GrI is a nationally-recognized leader in geospatial research.

The GeoResources Institute at Mississippi State University was created to conduct and coordinate research and hands-on learning opportunities in geospatial technol-

ogies and resource management, with an emphasis on agriculture, forestry, water resources, computational modeling, and visual-ization. In order to expand opportunity for broader research, the GeoResources Institute was renamed the Geosystems Research Institute in 2008.

Capabilities include remote sensing computational technologies, including the use of unmanned aerial systems, visualization tech-niques, and agriculture and natural resource management.

GRI works with scientists and students across a multitude of sec-tors within agriculture and natural resource management.

Current and pending projects include the use of unmanned ae-rial vehicles in precision agriculture, watershed analysis, wildlife population analysis, wildlife and ranch habitat analysis, and forest inventories.

F I N DYOUR PLACE IN THE

WORLD

“Opportunities afforded me here exceeded everything

I thought possible.” Kate Thompson, Biochemistry Major and the

Malcolm and Olivia Portera Presidential Scholar

WWW.MSSTATE.EDU

Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station

Box 9740

Mississippi State, MS 39762

nonprofit organization

U.S. postage

PAiD

Mississippi State, Mississippi

permit no. 81

Experimentation leads to discovery. · management for producers. Chris Bush, a cotton producer with New Hope Farms north of Greenwood, Mississippi, was interested in variable rate

Documents