2024 - Your Commission at Work

Research

On behalf of your NCSPC Research Committee, a few thoughts from Chairman Brent Leggett

What an interesting few years we’ve had; pandemic, social unrest, droughts, floods, and an ongoing battle for the health and well-being of our crop. The members of our industry are resilient and have been given the tools and knowledge of best practices to fight the good fight against GRKN, and the many other challenges you face as you produce, store, and pack our favorite superfood. With the support of the NC General Assembly, we were awarded $5 MILLION during the fiscal year 2021 2022 to research and learn how to fight the destructive GRKN pest over the next five years. Understanding its nuances has been challenging, but the economic impact of our crop on North Carolina is evident by the monumental support of our legislature. Attaining this support is not only immensely appreciated but is vital to enhance our research through collaboration with world-class experts at NC State University to mitigate GRKN.

In addition to GRKN, other research is underway to ensure the sustainability of NC sweetpotatoes and to implement cutting-edge technology to improve field efficiency.

In combination with your assessment dollars and the NC General Assembly GRKN support, the NC Sweetpotato Commission is supporting a total of 15 research projects totaling $874,022 this current fiscal year. A summary of approved research projects for both last year and this year are listed on the next page. Following that, the current GRKN-specific projects, made possible by General Assembly grant funds are detailed with each objective and rate of completion.

Industry input is always welcome regarding opportunities that may benefit from future research consideration. Feel free to contact one of these Research Committee members to share your ideas:

Brent Leggett, Chairman Dewey Scott Jim Jones Scott Sullivan Rob Hill

Lyn Vick Craig West Sarah Lancaster Carraway David Godwin Terrell Williams Danny Pierce

Clay Gardner Frank Howell

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