New Mexico Chile Conference delivers hot takes by industry professionals

For the 42nd year, New Mexico State University’s Extension Plant Sciences Department and the Chile Pepper Institute is set to host its annual New Mexico Chile Conference.

The conference will take place Monday, Feb. 5, and Tuesday, Feb. 6, at the Las Cruces Convention Center, 680 E. University Ave. A welcome reception will kick off the event from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5, with keynote speaker Rich Pratt, director of semi-arid cropping research innovation program at NMSU. Pratt will present “From Mild to Wild and Back Again: Genetic Diversity, Crop Improvement Strategies, and our Shared Cultural Heritage with Chile.” Registration will continue the following day at 7:30 a.m., with morning and afternoon sessions planned.

“In support of the state’s iconic crop, the New Mexico Chile Conference is held to provide the latest chile pepper research and information,” said Stephanie Walker, extension vegetable specialist at NMSU. “It is an immersive experience that provides useful knowledge for all in attendance, from chile pepper enthusiasts to industry professionals.”

Topics and speakers include:

• John Stommel, research geneticist with U.S. Department of Agriculture, who will present “Capsicum: A Colorful Crop with Versatile Opportunities.”
• Frannie Miller, assistant professor in NMSU’s department of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business, who will present “Supporting the Specialty Crop Industry – An overview of Farm Bill policies and a preview of a specialty crop management tool for New Mexico.”
• Steve Hanson, associate professor in NMSU’s department of Entomology, Plant Pathology, and Weed Science, who will present “Evaluation of Sustainable Methods for Disease Control in Chile.”
• Joanie King, assistant professor in NMSU’s Extension Plant Services, who will present “Pepper Weevils.”

The event provides an opportunity to bring chile industry professionals together and showcase their products and solutions to growers, researchers, processors and other industry professionals.

NMSU’s Extension Plant Sciences Department and Agriculture Experiment Stations will also host an agrivoltaics-focused community meeting from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7, at the USDA ARS Southwestern Cotton Ginning Research Laboratory, located at 300 College Ave., in Las Cruces.

The meeting, “Discover the Future of Agrivoltaics in New Mexico,” will provide valuable insight from both local and national experts on agrivoltaics, the simultaneous use of land for both solar panels and agriculture, and its potential integration within our community. Agrivoltaics is the use of land for both agriculture and solar photovoltaic energy generation.