Jermaine Perier is an Assistant Professor of Entomology at Mississippi State University with department homes in the Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center and the Department of Agricultural Science and Plant Protection. His work focuses on vegetables, fruits and nuts —key food crops for Mississippi growers.
About Me
I have a full Extension appointment, and I am excited to build a supportive horticultural foods Extension program for Mississippians. Eventually, by collaborating with stakeholders and colleagues, I hope to provide more regional support. My goal is to provide science-based insect management tools for our stakeholders tailored to their production level, whether you’re a home gardener, homesteader, small- or large-scale commercial grower. It’s always great to have pest management discussions with anyone growing food.
Education and Research Background
Both my graduate degrees are in entomology; I got my M.S. from Florida A&M University (FAMU) and my Ph.D. from the University of Georgia (UGA). My background focuses on integrated pest management (IPM) and covers a wide range of agricultural pest management tools and options including natural enemies, insecticides, and insect-killing microorganisms like entomopathogenic fungi and nematodes. One of the main insects I studied during my graduate and postdoctoral research was the sweetpotato whitefly Bemisia tabaci, a notorious pest in the southeast and the world due to its feeding damage when populations are high and its ability to transmit plant diseases, causing annual economic damages of at least $140 million USD in the southeast U.S. alone. My research has explored the use of insecticides and insect-killing microorganisms to manage whiteflies. It also includes the development of rapid bioassays for accurate and timely insecticide resistance testing.
Going Forward
I am eager to expand my applied research profile into fruits with this position as some of my prior works have been in vegetables and nuts. I am excited to adapt similar management approaches to small fruits and introduce new ideas that could help manage pest pressure. Some areas I will be focusing on include pest ID, scouting and monitoring, refining insecticide applications and timelines, alternative methods to pest management, and commodity discussions on common pests.
What to Expect from My Extension Program
Through Extension, I strive to promote sustainable pest management, add to the overall knowledge base of stakeholders, improve management practices and share science-based solutions to pest outbreaks. I look forward to building my Extension program across these commodities and any future opportunity to collaborate with stakeholders, industry groups, researchers and Extension professionals.
Whether you’re growing a few berry bushes or managing acres of fruit crops, I look forward to connecting with you and supporting your pest management journey.
