PONTOTOC, Miss. -- Sweet potato producers, crop consultants, agricultural industry representatives and the general public will learn about ongoing Mississippi State University sweet potato research and outreach efforts at a field day Aug. 30.

The MSU Extension Service and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station will host the event at the Pontotoc Ridge-Flatwoods Branch Experiment Station, located at 8320 Highway 15 South in Pontotoc County.  

Topics to be covered at the workshop include herbicide drift, soil fertility, insect and weed management, and sweet potato breeding and variety development. Representatives of the United States Sweet Potato Council and Farm Bureau Federation will provide industry and policy updates.

The field day will also include information on the Guava root-knot nematode and an opportunity to taste new frozen sweet potato desserts. Attendees will participate in a guided tour of the station’s numerous sweet potato projects. 

This free event is open to the public. On-site registration begins at 8 a.m., and tours begin at 8:30 a.m. A steak lunch will be provided. Certified crop advisor continuing education credits are available.

For more information, contact Stephen Meyers at stephen.meyers@msstate.edu or 662-769-9917.