MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service are hosting a Muscadine Field Day Aug. 21 at the McNeil Experiment Station Vineyard which has been set up as a repository of muscadine varieties.

The field day is from 9 a.m. to noon. The vineyard is located at the McNeil Unit of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station in Pearl River County.

“Almost every named muscadine variety in existence is included in this vineyard,” said event organizer John Braswell, a horticulture specialist with the MSU Extension Service.

The event will provide information on planting or expanding a muscadine vineyard, as participants will have the opportunity to evaluate numerous muscadine varieties. Specific topics include trellis construction, vine establishment and the muscadine breeding program. The event will conclude with a tour of the muscadine vineyard.

The event is free, and preregistration is not required. To get to the McNeil Experiment Station, take the McNeil exit off I-59 and go west to Highway 11 in McNeil. Drive south on Highway 11 for about 2 miles. The vineyard is on the left across the highway from a catfish restaurant.

For more information, contact Braswell at (601) 403-8939 or braswell@ext.msstate.edu; or Carolyn Smith, (601) 403-8940 or carolynk@ext.msstate.edu.