Annual Field Day Attracts Farmers and Researchers

VERONA, Miss. (WCBI)- The best business tips often come from others who are doing the same thing. That’s especially true for farmers. Today, dozens of farmers from across the region shared tips among themselves and got updates on important research on some major cash crops. With harvest season approaching and planning for next year not far away, it’s valuable information.

Hundreds of researchers and farmers got a close-up look at the results of months of research in the field during a morning-long tour and seminars at the North Mississippi Research And Extension Center in Verona.

“We’re showing some of the research we have on corn, cotton and soy beans primariIy. As well as the irrigation research on all those crops. We are also getting extension updates from our crop specialist about how the particular crop, corn, cotton and soy beans, looks throughout the state, ” said Steve Martin, Head of NMREC.

Hands on field tours helped farmers get a close up look at how the research can help them.

Martin says crops have seen a fairly good year, so far.

“Corn this year, it’s been an excellent year. Because it’s rained a lot and the crop yield and production looks really good, same for soy beans. Soy bean crops, a little later than the corn crop obviously and then cotton, we’re just getting into that fruiting level of it,” said Martin.

But heat and strange weather have posed their share of challenges, especially for plant diseases. That makes research in the unpredictable world of farming even more important.

“It’s certainly been a strange year. I mean i think that’s about the only adjective we can give it. The cooler, wetter environment that we’ve had has really influenced a lot of foliar diseases in our crop production system,” said Tom Allen, a plant pathologist.

Participants also heard presentations from the state director for the USDA. Organizers say they will return the program again next year.

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