MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The Mississippi State University Extension Service is offering two short courses at two locations to answer questions related to commercial grape and muscadine production.

The first short course will take place on Feb. 19 in Hattiesburg at the Forrest County Extension Office and Feb. 26 in Verona at the MSU North Mississippi Research and Extension Center. The second short course will be offered Aug. 13 in Hattiesburg and Aug. 20 in Verona at the same locations. Each event begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m.

The first short course will cover site selection and preparation, irrigation and fertilization, training and trellis options, pest management, cultivars and pruning, and other topics. The late summer short course will take up harvest and fruit quality, postharvest handling, marketing, wine laws, grape economics and more.

Each short course meeting will have a hands-on training component at a vineyard.

“The two course dates are linked, where the information in the first relates to the information that will be presented in the second short course,” said Eric Stafne, associate Extension and research professor at the MSU Coastal Research and Extension Center and event organizer. “It is intended that participants attend both dates, but this is not a strict requirement.”

There is no cost to attend these short courses, but registration is required. Lunch is provided. The events are sponsored by the MSU Extension Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service.

Find more information and a registration form online at http://bit.ly/1y9HMhJ.