News Filed Under Field Scale Crop Assessment with Drones

Crop dusters are a familiar sight in the skies over agricultural regions, but much smaller versions, unmanned aerial vehicles, are joining them.
Unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, are commonly called drones. Unmanned aerial systems, known as UAS, include the vehicle itself, payload, operator and control modules.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Those interested in learning about the use of unmanned aircraft systems as row crop application sprayers are invited to a seminar at Mississippi State University.

The MSU Spray Drone/UAS Seminar will be held at the Bost Extension Center Oct. 9 from 9 to 11 a.m. This meeting will be presented in person and available online. Topics include regulatory updates, the current Federal Aviation Administration-approved spray drone list, current and potential spray drone restrictions and ongoing spray drone research at MSU.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Producers got a behind-the-scenes look at the wide scope of agricultural research taking place at Mississippi State University in an Aug. 6 event.

Faculty and specialists with the MSU Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station presented on-farm research projects designed to help growers meet the challenges of row crop production.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Growers interested in the latest updates on row crop research at Mississippi State University are invited to an agronomic field day Aug. 6.

Hosted by the Mississippi State University Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, the field day will be held at the head house at the MAFES R.R. Foil Plant Science Research Center.

The field day will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There is no cost to attend, and the event includes a catered lunch.

Looking to plant a fruit plant on your property but not sure which to choose? May we suggest blackberries! Blackberries are among the easiest fruit plants to grow, and they produce tasty berries that are perfect for baking!

Gardeners careful to select plants that thrive in their area have an updated U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone Map to use.
Released in late 2023, the zone map features an updated chart that was previously drawn in 2012. Much of Mississippi is now in zone 8b. This zone has average low winter temperatures of 15–20 degrees.

It’s harvest season, and you’re likely to see large farm equipment on the roads, whether that be bright green combines, red tractors, or anything in between.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Row crop growers interested in the latest updates in cotton variety research and testing are encouraged to attend the 2023 Mississippi State University Cotton Agronomy Field Day August 24.

The MSU Extension Service and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station will host the event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the MAFES Veteran’s Memorial Rose Garden at 601 Highway 182 in Starkville.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- If the newest Mississippi planting forecast holds, more corn and rice will be produced in 2023 compared to recent years, while demand will drive down cotton acreage.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service, a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, released its annual prospective plantings report March 31. According to the report, intended cotton acreage is at 400,000 acres, down 25% from the 530,000 acres planted in 2022. Growers also plan to plant 700,000 acres of corn, which is 21% more than the 580,000 acres harvested last year.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Time is running out to preregister for the 2022 Mississippi State University Row Crop Short Course.

The course, scheduled for Dec. 5-7 at the Cotton Mill Conference Center in Starkville, is hosted by the MSU Extension Service and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.

Online registration is available at http://extension.msstate.edu/row-crop-short-course. Preregister by Nov. 27 for free admission to the conference, which includes all meals. Registration on or after Nov. 28, including at the door, is $40.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Late summer and early fall are when many growers begin thinking about when to make their last cut of hay each year, but safety should always be the top priority of anyone operating a baler, whether it is May or October.

Regular equipment maintenance and inspections are the best ways to prevent hay baler fires, but disaster can sometimes happen regardless of good upkeep and storage practices.

While many of my Northern gardening friends are still dealing with freezing temperatures, I spent this past weekend out in my coastal Mississippi landscape appreciating the fact that my tomatoes are planted and my roses are blooming.

It was the roses that really caught my attention. All of my rose plants are blooming their stems off, even though I missed the ideal pruning period of late January/early February. When I finally had time to prune, all the bushes were already pushing new growth, but the pruning still needed to be done.