Nearly two dozen chile pepper experts will gather in Las Cruces to present the latest industry trends and research breakthroughs at the 2025 New Mexico Chile Conference.

Presented by the New Mexico State University's Chile Pepper Institute and Department of Extension Plant Sciences, the conference will take place Monday, Feb. 3, and Tuesday, Feb. 4, at the New Mexico Farm and Heritage Museum.

"The New Mexico Chile Conference is the premier annual event in the country that focuses solely on chile peppers, providing the latest research findings and production guidance for the state's signature crop," said Stephanie Walker, Extension vegetable specialist at NMSU and co-chair of the conference.

The Monday evening reception will feature a presentation on the history of NMSU's Chile Pepper Institute, provided by Danise Coon, a research specialist who's been a part of the institute almost since its start in 1992. During the Tuesday morning session, a grower panel will discuss "Envisioning the Future of New Mexico Chile," followed by a keynote address by Michael Mazourek, a vegetable breeder and associate professor at Cornell University.

Mazourek spent the first decade of his career at Cornell refining honeynut squashes, working with chefs on culinary breeding projects and implementing genomic selection as an approach to pyramid quantitative traits. Now, he is returning to his passion of working with peppers. In his keynote address, Mazourek will share his vision for chile that leverages his experience modulating pungency, selecting for culinary value and using evolutionary breeding genomics.

Additional presentations will cover guest labor programs, irrigation outlook, robotics, pest and disease management, and genetics.

Soum Sanogo, a professor of fungal plant pathology at NMSU, will also present the "Spring Institute on Phytophthora Research and Extension" from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 3.

Sanogo's workshop is part of an effort to disseminate information from a multi-state research project dedicated to curbing Phytophthora blight caused by a soilborne pathogen known as Phytophthora capsici. Sanogo will provide background on Phytophthora blight, its impact on crops and updates on research efforts to combat the disease.

Vendor booths will be available during the conference. All attendees are eligible for four New Mexico Department of Agriculture pesticide applicator continuing education general credits.

Registration is now open online. Register by Feb. 1 to avoid late registration fees. For more information, visit https://cpi.nmsu.edu or call 575-646-3028.

The full article can be seen at https://newsroom.nmsu.edu/news/nmsu-to-host-2025-new-mexico-chile-conference-feb.-3-4/s/30837ba0-2aeb-408e-a1f6-397df7cc5ec2