Research Updates Given At Sweet Potato Field Day

By Ms. Bonnie A. Coblentz

Sweet potato producers and industry professionals are invited to tour Mississippi State University’s research plots and learn current information about this crop’s production at an Aug. 24 event in northeast Mississippi.

The 2023 MSU Sweet Potato Field Day at the Pontotoc Ridge-Flatwoods Branch Experiment Station begins with registration at 8 a.m., followed by a guided tour of ongoing projects that begins about 8:30. There is no cost to attend, and a barbecue lunch will be served at the conclusion of the field day.

At stops along the way, MSU researchers and Extension Service personnel will discuss the station’s numerous sweet potato projects, including weed management, sweet potato variety development, soil fertility, greenhouse production, cover crops and plant physiology.

Lorin Harvey, Extension sweet potato specialist, said these annual field days are more than an opportunity for producers to see what projects MSU is working on.

“These events are a great opportunity for two-way communication. Attendees get to ask questions to faculty, and faculty get to better understand the challenges that producers face in their operations. These interactions help us decide where to target resources in the development of future research and Extension projects to address those challenges,” Harvey said.