Supporting the Future of Mississippi Agriculture

A recent checkoff-funded study revealed current and future gaps in public production soybean research that could have a negative impact on the soybean industry. With university budgets being cut and the positions of retired agricultural professors and researchers not being filled, advancements in soybean research and technologies could be slowed significantly. The MSPB saw this trend as a problem a few years ago and made a commitment to try to reverse it. 

 MSPB created the T.S. Bufkin Doctoral Fellowship to support the education of students pursuing doctoral degrees in soybean production research. In May, MSPB awarded the first fellowship to Ryan Edwards, a doctoral student at Mississippi State University. Edwards’ doctoral research focuses on the use of cover crops to reduce weed emergence and growth, specifically that of Palmer amaranth, a major problem for Mississippi soybean farmers. The second portion of his research will investigate how herbicides can be used in combination with cover crops to further reduce weed development.

This spring, MSPB partnered with Mississippi FFA to reach high school students attending the state convention to provide information about the many career opportunities in agriculture outside of being a farmer. At the convention, Mississippi State University soybean specialist Trent Irby addressed the students about why he became an agronomist and chose to work in soybeans. To inform students about the different opportunities in soybean research, MSPB created a field guide notebook and distributed copies to all students at the convention. The notebook outlined the potential jobs a student could get with a degree in agronomy, plant physiology, plant breeding and genetics or bioinformatics. Whether students excel with computers, want to work outside or want to conduct experiments in a lab, there is a job in agriculture for people with all personality types and interests. If you would like to see a digital copy of the field-guide, click here. To have a copy of the guide mailed to you, email your request to info@mssoy.org or call Carol Bullard, MSPB Board Administrator at 662-561-2348.