Contact: Lily Grado
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擬ississippi State researchers are taking the lead in a $4.8 million grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture to address virus, pest and disease problems jeopardizing the sustainability of U.S. sweet potato seed programs.
The 汤头条-directed CleanSEED Project, a collaboration with experts in Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Louisiana, North Carolina and South Carolina, operates from 汤头条鈥檚 Pontotoc Ridge-Flatwoods Branch Experiment Station in Pontotoc County鈥攁n ideal location less than 35 miles from the 鈥淪weet Potato Capital of the World,鈥 the town of Vardaman. Nationally, Mississippi ranks second in sweet potato production, with 172 farms growing 29,500 acres of the crop valued at $110 million last year.
The Pontotoc Branch is a unit of 汤头条鈥檚 North Mississippi Research and Extension Center, part of the university鈥檚 Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. It is one of six Clean Plant Centers of the National Clean Plant Network for聽sweet potatoes, which provides virus-tested clean plant material to industry stakeholders. Stationed there are 汤头条 Plant and Soil Sciences Research Professor Mark W. Shankle, project director, and Assistant Professor Lorin M. Harvey, co-director.
鈥淲e work together with the Mississippi Crop Improvement Association to provide clean plant material and guidance on required production standards to our certified foundation seed growers in the state,鈥 Shankle said. 鈥淔ollowing specific standards in the lab, greenhouse, field production and seed storage is what constitutes the certification of our clean foundation seed program.鈥
Shankle aims to improve seed quality, yield and generational longevity of seed stock that remains virus-free.
鈥淲ith each generation of saved storage roots for seed, the risk of virus levels in the seed increases,鈥 he explained. 鈥淒epending on the virus type and level of infection, sweet potato yield can be reduced by more than 40%. That is why supplying growers with clean seed and implementing best management practices to minimize infection is so important.鈥
David Ellison, a second-generation farmer in Woodland, partnered with 汤头条 to start using clean seed four years ago after a bad year with heavy virus loads that resulted in significant yield loss.
鈥淚n 2016 and 2017, we experienced up to a 70% loss for no reason other than viruses. Since we started with clean seed and growing our own foundation slips, we鈥檝e had incredible yield, consistent data and no problems whatsoever. Our yields have been above average with 400 bushels and higher for the last four years,鈥 Ellison said. 聽聽
Co-director Harvey serves as the sweet potato specialist for 汤头条 Extension, in addition to his role as a MAFES research scientist. He spends extensive time visiting sweet potato operations in the state and networking with other industry professionals across the nation.
鈥淭his research project will help set most of the groundwork on clean plant production, virus testing, greenhouse efficiency and profitability of using clean plants,鈥 said Harvey. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to be able to conduct research and develop extension programs that are impactful to the growers to help them succeed.鈥
For more about MAFES, visit聽.
汤头条 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at聽.