LSU awarded $5 million to look into invasive species harmful to sweet potatoes

A team of LSU AgCenter researchers, collaborating with scientists from four other universities, have been awarded a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant of more than $5 million, aiding them in developing sweet potato varieties resistant to the invasive guava root-knot nematode.

The AgCenter team is spearheaded by nematologist Tristan Watson. It has also received a sub-grant for $990,000 to support research on sweet potato breeding and characterization of resistance mechanisms and associated genes as well as extension of research findings to regional and national stakeholders.

Watson: “Root-knot nematodes are particularly damaging to the sweet potato. The overall goal of this project is to provide Louisiana sweet potato growers effective tools for the management of established and emerging root-knot nematode species.”

Source: lsuagcenter.com