With the late-summer sun beating down on them, attendees of the LSU AgCenter Sweet Potato Research Station’s annual field day Aug. 29 stood before a plot where every couple of rows was marked with the name of a different variety.

At the far end of the field was a sign that read “Porto Rico.” In the row behind it sat a few piles of spindly sweet potatoes.

“This is all they had back then,” said AgCenter sweet potato breeder Don La Bonte, explaining that Porto Rico was the dominant variety decades ago in the early days of the Louisiana sweet potato industry. Though seed is still available, Porto Rico is no longer widely grown, as it is prone to disease, inconsistently sized potatoes and stringy flesh.

LSU AgCenter sweet potato breeder Don La Bonte speaks during the LSU AgCenter Sweet Potato Research Station’s annual field day Aug. 29. (Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter)

Next to Porto Rico were several rows that displayed modern varieties of sweet potatoes — including Avoyelles, which La Bonte and his team released earlier this year — that have vastly improved the yields, quality and profits that farmers can achieve.

Station beginnings

It was a striking visual contrast that illustrated just how far things have come since 1949. That was the year the Sweet Potato Research Station was founded in the Franklin Parish community of Chase, with horticulturist Julian C. Miller leading efforts to develop better varieties, and use science to identify the best growing practices and pest management strategies.

Related:Insecticides show promise as Lorsban alternative in sweetpotatoes

The field day celebrated the station’s 75th anniversary, while showcasing the type of research that has been its mission from day one. Matt Lee, LSU vice president for agriculture and dean of the College of Agriculture, summed up that mission as he welcomed about 110 visitors.

“We are here to support you all,” Lee told farmers and other industry professionals in the crowd. “This is your station. Scientists and agents are working on your behalf to give you all the tools so you can be successful and have very productive growing seasons and contribute to the economic vitality of your communities.”

Mike Strain, second from right, commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, speaks at the LSU AgCenter Sweet Potato Research Station’s annual field day Aug. 29. Looking on at far right is AgCenter engineer Randy Price, who works with the spray drones pictured. (Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter)

Other administrators took the opportunity to recognize the people who have made the AgCenter’s sweet potato programs successful over the years.

“These field days are an excellent opportunity to highlight the great research that our faculty is doing, and more importantly, to highlight the faculty and staff that have a tremendous commitment to this industry,” said Kurt Guidry, associate director of the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station.

“There are so many people who have contributed to the mission of the station through the years. The impact spans generations and certainly resonates,” said Tara Smith, director of the station and the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service. She thanked researchers, Extension personnel and support staff, as well as retired employees who return to the station to help with efforts like the field day.

Related:Study evaluates sweet potato genotypes for pest, disease resistance

Featured information

The event featured information on a wide range of research projects. Attendees also heard about how this year’s crop is faring as harvest nears.

“Everybody’s expecting to have strong yields, especially in the early part of the crop,” said Cole Gregorie, AgCenter sweet potato specialist.

The past few weeks have been a bit dry, so growers are looking forward to forecasted rain and hoping it will help loosen the soil ahead of digging, which Gregorie predicts will begin soon after Labor Day and continue through late October.

Louisiana has about 5,500 acres of sweet potatoes this year.

“It’s going to closely mirror what we had last year,” Gregorie said, “a year which saw us have about a $47 million farm-gate value for this crop and an $87 million total economic return to the state when you take into consideration all the value-added products.”

LSU AgCenter agronomist Arthur Villordon shows a sweet potato plant to attendees of an Aug. 29 field day at the Sweet Potato Research Station. (Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter)

AgCenter experts who spoke at the field day included:

The audience also heard from Mike Strain, commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, and René Simon, executive director of the Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission.

Source: Louisiana State University AgCenter