Brian Pieralisi is currently the Extension cotton agronomist at Mississippi State University. He was previously employed at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, Mississippi, as a research associate under Dr. Bobby Golden while pursuing a PhD in soybean nutrient uptake. Brian has experience with both soil fertility and weed science research in cotton, corn, soybean, and rice. He served as a fourth-generation cotton, corn, and soybean producer in the Mississippi Delta for 15 years before earning a PhD at Mississippi State. Brian also earned an MBA from Delta State University while operating a 4,500-acre farm in 2005.
Will Rutland is from Leland, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta. He is an Extension Associate II and works for Dr. Brian Pieralisi at Mississippi State University; he has been in this role for 5-plus years. Will is working on his master’s degree, which focuses on row configuration and plant populations in a cotton production system with an emphasis on yield and boll distribution. He plans to continue his education and pursue his PhD at Mississippi State University. Will plans to study microbial products for better nitrogen use efficiency in cotton and the use of spray drones in agronomic production systems.
