Plant and Soil Sciences
The Department of Plant and Soil Sciences conducts research related to major agronomic crops, including cotton breeding and genetic improvements, row crops, soil microbiology and ecology, and the impact of environmental factors on plants and soils. Additional research is focused on new and existing herbicide and weed control management strategies in ornamental and row-cropping systems. Scientists also work in floriculture and ornamental horticulture, including landscape performance, production and propagation of nursery crops. Other scientists study management and eradication of aquatic and invasive weeds.
To learn more please visit https://www.pss.msstate.edu/
The process to develop a new crape myrtle cultivar takes a good bit of time. In the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, it begins at the McNeill Resea...
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The economic impact of sweet potatoes in the state of Mississippi grew exponentially in 2015. Sweet potatoes stretched across 21,500 acres of Mississippi fields and generat...
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Timing is everything and for blueberry growers, the ability to harvest high-value fruit in the off season could reap financial rewards. Dr. Guihong Bi, plant and soil scien...
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At the MAFES Trucks Crops Branch Experiment Station, Mississippi State University scientists have cultivated the
Ornamental Trial Garden to determine which plants are top ...
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In response to limited research on nitrogen management despite Mississippi’s $113 million horticultural industry, Dr. Ibukun Timothy Ayankojo of MAFES is leading a two-year...
In response to limited research on nitrogen management despite Mississippi’s $113 million horticultural industry, Dr. Ibukun Timothy Ayankojo of MAFES is leading a two-year study in Northeast Mississippi to optimize nitrogen application and irrigation in tomato production, aiming to enhance crop health, productivity, and grower competitiveness through improved nutrient management practices.
https://www.mafes.msstate.edu/discovers/article.php?id=327
The MAFES rice breeding program, which has been developing high-yielding cultivars for the Midsouth for more than 30 years, helps Mississippi rice producers feed the world....
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MAFES scientists are detecting blue-green algae with drones and hyperspectral imaging to help catfish farmers fight the algae, which delays harvest and hinders profits. ...
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The U.S. is the largest importer and consumer of spices in volume and value according to the USDA. MAFES researchers are helping Mississippi's produce farmers diversify the...
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To combat the effects of climate change on rice, corn, and soybeans, MAFES researchers are developing more resilient crops through projects like CRISP Rice and iPACERS, usi...
To combat the effects of climate change on rice, corn, and soybeans, MAFES researchers are developing more resilient crops through projects like CRISP Rice and iPACERS, using advanced technologies and decades of climate data to improve tolerance to heat, drought, and elevated CO2 levels.
https://www.mafes.msstate.edu/discovers/article.php?id=331
From the field to fabric, from row-crop to runway, cotton plays a pivotal role in dozens of industries. Scientists in the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Experiment fr...
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MAFES scientists, Dr. Eric Stafne and Dr. Sam Chang, are working to bring a sweet treat to Mississippi's farms. Fruits such as bunch grapes, muscadines, and blackberries, a...
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MAFES scientists cultivate crops in a changing climate. The anticipated climate change will increasingly impact crop production and food security in the coming years. Read More
While palmer amaranth may look inconspicuous in its seedling stage, its impact on farmers is nothing short of shocking. In the absence of weed control, it could cause losse...
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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 t...
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MAFES scientists, Dr. Te-Ming Paul Tseng, assistant professor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' plant and soil sciences department, and Dr. Marcus Lashley, a...
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To combat groundwater depletion in Mississippi rice farming, MAFES researchers led by Drew Gholson are using IoT technology and water-saving methods like alternate wetting ...
To combat groundwater depletion in Mississippi rice farming, MAFES researchers led by Drew Gholson are using IoT technology and water-saving methods like alternate wetting and drying to reduce irrigation by up to 40% without lowering yields, while training farmers to adopt these sustainable practices.
https://www.mafes.msstate.edu/discovers/article.php?id=328
MAFES scientists are harnessing artificial intelligence for real-time integrated weed control. Drs. Wes Lowe, Daniel Chesser, and Brian Pieralisi conducted a study funded b...
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MAFES scientists Drs. Christine Coker and Gary Bachman have developed easy ways for Mississippi residents to have a flourishing vegetable crop without actually having a tra...
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The idea that cover crops help aid in soil health is as old as the Mississippi hills. In fact, before commercial fertilizers were available, legume cover crops were a mains...
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MSU scientists use precision agriculture in soil fertility research. Read more
Timing counts for a lot when it comes to planting corn. That's why Mississippi State University scientists are researching the effects of planting date, plant population, a...
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MSU scientists utilize precision agriculture in weed control and herbicide drift research. Read more
Mississippi State University scientists have developed 'Robusto,' a high-germinating upland switchgrass variety, improving conservation and forage applications in the humid...
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George Awuni understands food insecurity firsthand. A native of Ghana, in sub-Saharan Africa, Awuni has seen what the scarcity of food does to a community and a nation. He ...
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The uses of perennial warm-season grasses are as varied as the plants themselves. Applications include poultry bedding, cattle forage, conservation plantings, bioenergy, an...
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MAFES scientists hope to increase Mississippi made wines by studying the Mid-South grape, a variety that performs well in Mississippi, as a possible viticulture grape. Read More
The microgreen industry is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years. With this newly popular vegetable, Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station ...
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MAFES researchers lead a CleanSEED project to improve and sustain production efficiency in sweet potatoes by supplying producers with virus-free tested planting material. ...
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Best management practices for blackberries are being investigated by MAFES scientists. Recognizing white drupelet disorder as an emerging issue in blackberries, Dr. Eric St...
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The most common garden vegetable is also a staple in research laboratories at Mississippi State. From herbicide tolerance to gene modification, tomatoes are being studied t...
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Brought to the United States from China in the eighteenth century, the soybean occupies 75 million acres of U.S. land today. In Mississippi, soybeans are the number one row...
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Dr. Rocky Lemus and Dr. Brett Rushing have been working on three projects specifically designed to provide producers better management strategies for alfalfa. They are rese...
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To tackle herbicide-resistant weeds in tomato farming, MAFES researchers are testing sustainable methods like soil steaming, allelopathic cover crops, and biochar, showing ...
To tackle herbicide-resistant weeds in tomato farming, MAFES researchers are testing sustainable methods like soil steaming, allelopathic cover crops, and biochar, showing promising early results in reducing weeds, improving yields, and offering cost-effective solutions for both conventional and organic growers.
https://www.mafes.msstate.edu/discovers/article.php?id=329
Dr. Rocky Lemus is on a mission: to help Mississippi producers become better forage managers. To accomplish his mission, he and Joshua White, manager of the MAFES Official ...
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