Source:  NCSU COLLEGE OF AG & LIFE SCIENCES, 3/31/22


The rise in consumption of sweetpotatoes and sweetpotato products (yes, it’s really one word!) across the globe gives new meaning to “hot potato.” No longer just served at Thanksgiving, sweetpotatoes dominate recipes year-round. Growing the superfood, however, just got a bit more challenging due to the guava root-knot nematode.

A new, $5 million grant led by NC State researchers in partnership with the North Carolina SweetPotato Commission, US Department of Agriculture scientists and other universities in the Southeast will study the nematode and identify strategies to mitigate the effects of the subterranean pest. The nematode currently threatens the strength of the sweetpotato industry in the North Carolina.

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