Attendees at this year’s field day at New Mexico State University’s Leyendecker Plant Science Research Center will get a chance to learn more about the center’s research, as well as sustainable crop practices in southwestern New Mexico.

The field day will begin with registration at 7:30 a.m. May 24 at the research center, 7200 Plant Science Circle in Las Cruces. Field tours will be offered from 8 a.m. to noon, and lunch will be provided.

Information to be presented at this year’s field day will include irrigation water management, alternative crops, disease and pest control, soil health, agrovoltaics and more. Research projects at the center include chile pepper breeding, weed control, alternative crops for sustainable bioeconomy, jujube production and pecan irrigation.

Dave Lowry, program operations director of the Leyendecker Plant Science Research Center, said the field day will provide an opportunity for attendees to also learn about sustainable agricultural practices in the arid Southwest, as well as how to make cropping systems more profitable and resilient to climate change.

“Attendees at this year’s field day will, as always, be exposed to a wide array of research topics that are pertinent to the Mesilla Valley and beyond,” Lowry said. “A key theme that arises for this year is water management. Water being our most precious resource in the desert southwest, field day participants will be able to see multiple land and water management styles as well as different crops that are well adapted to our climatic conditions.”

Lowry said the field day will also focus on how the center incorporates different precision-ag technologies into sensory work, as well as decision making platforms.

“Whether they are large acreage or backyard farming, it is always our hope that when stakeholders leave our field day, they walk away with some practical knowledge they can implement into their own programs regardless of scale,” Lowry said.

If you are an individual with a disability who is in need of an auxiliary aid or service to participate, contact Autumn Martinez at 575-636-3132 or purple@nmsu.edu. To register, visit https://rsvp.nmsu.edu/rsvp/leyendecker.