Tessie Wilkerson

 Dr. Tessie Wilkerson received her B.S. degree in Biology from Delta State University. Tessie also received a M.S. degree in Natural Science from Delta State University. Prior to enrolling at Mississippi State in the fall of 2013, Tessie held research positions with Monsanto Company and Valent USA. She completed her Ph.D. in Plant Pathology at Mississippi State University in 2017. Tessie’s PhD research focused on managing charcoal rot in soybean by incorporating soil applied nutrients. She currently is an assistant research professor for Mississippi State University Delta Research and Extension Center located in Stoneville, MS. Dr. Wilkerson’s program primarily centers around row crops including corn, cotton, soybean, and peanuts. Her research concentration is seed treatments, root and stem diseases, plant-parasitic nematodes, and soybean grain quality concerns. Among many interests, her primary focus considers efficacy of seed-applied fungicide and nematicide products on multiple crops combined with cultural efforts to minimize disease. The program’s main research efforts support the major plant disease issues for Delta row crop farmers and addressing those concerns through integrated research strategies. 

Her philosophy for growers is “Diseases won’t always cause yield losses so make treatment decisions based on economic return or how it will influence future growing seasons.”