The primary purpose of this agreement is to maintain and enhance the north carolina clean plant center programs for berries and sweet potato

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) awarded a $506,139 Cooperative Agreement to North Carolina State University (NC State) under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care Federal Grant Program (CFDA 10.025). The primary purpose of this 1-year agreement, effective September 1, 2024, is to maintain and enhance the North Carolina Clean Plant Center programs for berries and sweet potatoes.

Under this award, the NC Clean Plant Center will conduct diagnostic testing and therapeutic treatments to eliminate target pathogens from commercially important berry and sweet potato genotypes. The center will then add this clean plant material to established G1 blocks used by nurseries to produce certified planting stock. Additionally, the center will provide diagnostic services to stakeholders, implement quality control protocols, harmonize standard operating procedures, and continue educational and outreach efforts. The center is expected to produce close to 100,000 sweet potato nuclear plants for sale as rooted cuttings, conduct therapeutics on 15 berry and 5 sweet potato genotypes per year, and maintain foundation collections for these crops. The key stakeholders served by this effort include sweet potato and berry nurseries and producers who obtain clean planting stock from the center.

The center will conduct diagnostic testing and therapeutics to eliminate target pathogens from commercially important genotypes. This material will be added to the established G1 blocks used as a source to nurseries for production of certified plants. The centers will also provide diagnostic services to stakeholders; implement quality control protocols and harmonize sops and continue education and outreach efforts. The NC center is expected to produce close to 100,000 sweet potato nuclear plants sold as rooted cuttings, conduct therapeutics on 15 berry and 5 sweet potato genotypes per year, and maintain foundation collections for these crops. The stakeholders served by this effort include sweet potato and berry nurseries and producers that obtain clean planting stock from the center.