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/


A Canopy of Color
A Canopy of Color

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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A Sweet Specialty
A Sweet Specialty

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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A Window of Time
A Window of Time

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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Blooming and Blossoming
Blooming and Blossoming

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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Feeding a Hungry World
Feeding a Hungry World

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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Flavorful Fish
Flavorful Fish

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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Fresh Local Flavor
Fresh Local Flavor

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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From Row Crop to Runway
From Row Crop to Runway

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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Fruit of the Vine
Fruit of the Vine

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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Heed change, take root
Heed change, take root

The anticipated climate change will increasingly impact crop production and food security in the coming years. K. Raja Reddy, Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experime...
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In the Weeds
In the Weeds

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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Irrigation innovation
Irrigation innovation

MSU scientists research essential tools and best practices to improve irrigation in the field. Pipe Hole and Universal Crown Evaluation Tool, or PHAUCET, surge valves and s...
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Let Go of My Legume
Let Go of My Legume

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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Outwitting Weeds
Outwitting Weeds

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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Patio Tomatoes and Raised-Bed Arugula
Patio Tomatoes and Raised-Bed Arugula

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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Plenty of Ground to Cover
Plenty of Ground to Cover

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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Researchers assess plant health for nitrogen prescription
Researchers assess plant health for nitrogen prescription

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...
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Researchers explore early corn planting
Researchers explore early corn planting

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 an...
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Researchers use precision agriculture for weed control and more
Researchers use precision agriculture for weed control and more

MSU scientists utilize precision agriculture in weed control and herbicide drift research. As Jason Bond, MAFES associate research professor at MSU's Delta Research and Ext...
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Ripples in the Pond
Ripples in the Pond

MAFES scientist Dr. Ganesh Karunakaran, associate wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture research professor, is the first to create a comprehensive economic impact model detai...
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Seeds of hope
Seeds of hope

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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Shades of Green
Shades of Green

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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Southern Grapes
Southern Grapes

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

Spring Greens
Spring Greens

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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Superfood of the South
Superfood of the South

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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Sweet as Pie
Sweet as Pie

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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Targeting Tomatoes
Targeting Tomatoes

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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The Maze of Maize
The Maze of Maize

Sulfur is a key macronutrient required to grow a healthy crop of corn. Dr. Jagmandeep Dhillon leads a team of MSU researchers to determine how nitrogen affects sulfur level...
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The Need for Speed
The Need for Speed

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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The Queen of Forages
The Queen of Forages

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 till or not to till?
To till or not to till?

After four decades of research in corn, cotton, and soybeans, MAFES scientists have figured out a thing or two about conservation tillage. And research is helping north Mis...
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Where the Grass is Greener
Where the Grass is Greener

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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