Fruit
The major fruit crop in Mississippi is blueberries, with more than 2,000 acres in production. Since blueberries are native to the Southeast and grow well in the pine belt of south Mississippi, commercial production of blueberries has been important to the horticultural economy of Mississippi since the 1970s. Mississippi State University Extension personnel work with blueberry growers to achieve maximum production, but they also strive for management practices that are sustainable. Although blueberries are the dominant crop, other fruit crops are important on a smaller scale, such as bunch grapes and muscadines, tree fruits (apples, peaches, pears, plums, and nectarines), citrus (kumquat, satsuma, Meyer lemon), blackberries, strawberries, and various other alternative fruit crops like figs, mayhaws, and persimmons.
Publications
News
RAYMOND, Miss. -- A statewide citrus quarantine was issued recently for Mississippi after one of the most serious citrus plant diseases in the world was detected in the state. Citrus greening, also known as Huanglongbing or HLB, was confirmed earlier this year, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or USDA APHIS. There is no cure for the disease, which is caused by a bacterial infection spread by the Asian citrus psyllid, a gnat-sized insect. Infected trees die within a few years.
CARRIERE, Miss. -- Muscadine producers can learn more about growing the specialty crop during an upcoming field day. The 2024 Muscadine Field Day will be held Aug. 29 at the Mississippi State University McNeill Research Unit in Carriere.
Some foods must be canned using a pressure canner to kill bacteria that can cause foodborne illness.
Home canning is an economical way to preserve the bounty of your garden. This Q&A may answer some questions for you, whether you’re new to canning or you’ve been canning for years.
Success Stories
Fenton Pope looked around his native Covington County a quarter-century ago and saw what he believed was an alarming amount of farmland out of production.
The Vineyard Pruning Workshop, funded by the Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium, taught the basics of vine anatomy and pruning techniques for muscadines and bunch grapes. In-field demonstrations showed participants correct pruning techniques in the vineyard.
