HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Mississippi blueberry producers have two opportunities to learn more about production of the state’s largest fruit crop.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service is hosting an in-person workshop in Hattiesburg and a virtual workshop.

The in-person workshop will be held Jan. 29 from 9 a.m. to noon at the MSU Extension Service office in Forrest County. The office is located at 952 Sullivan Drive in Hattiesburg. A virtual workshop will be held Feb. 7 from 1 to 2 p.m.

Both workshops are open to blueberry producers and those interested in growing blueberries at any production level.

Speakers for the in-person workshop include Eric Stafne, Extension fruit and nut specialist and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station researcher; Blair Sampson, U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service researcher; Christine Coker, Extension commercial horticulture specialist and MAFES researcher; and Elizabeth Canales, Extension economist and associate professor.

Topics for the in-person workshop include considerations for sustainable blueberry production, organics and sustainability, sensory drivers and barriers for fresh blueberry consumption and cotton-based nanofibers for protecting blueberries from freeze damage, crop pests and disease.

Speakers for the virtual workshop include Canales, Sampson and Rebecca Melanson, Extension plant pathologist and associate professor.

Topics for the virtual workshop include integrated pest management resources for commercial production, sensory drivers and barriers for fresh blueberry consumption and cotton-based nanofibers for protecting blueberries from freeze damage, crop pests and disease.

Both events are free. Preregistration is required for the virtual workshop. To sign up, visit the Extension registration portal at https://tinyurl.com/3xd6x24v.

No registration is required for the in-person workshop.

MSU is an equal opportunity institution. For disability accommodation or other information, contact Eric Stafne at eric.stafne@msstate.edu.