Station Identification:
Physical Location: Chase, LA (130 Sweet Potato Rd)
Distance/Context: 5 Miles South of Winnsboro, LA in the Northeast Region. 2.5 hours from Campus.
Contacts:
Resident Coordinator: Jeffrey “Cole” Denis Gregorie
Farm Manager: Adam Easterling
Station Overview:
Established in 1949, the LSU AgCenter Sweet Potato Research Station has been solely devoted to sweetpotato research and development. The mission of the station is to support the commercial sweetpotato industry through the production of high quality planting material and the conduct of applied, field and greenhouse based research aimed at improving production efficiency, crop health, and long term industry sustainability.
Key Commodities and Production Systems Served:
The Sweet Potato Research Station primarily serves Louisiana’s sweetpotato industry, with research focused on commercial sweetpotato production systems. Core production systems supported by the station include greenhouse based propagation and G0 plant production, foundation and certified seed programs, and traditional sweetpotato bed, slip, and field production systems. The station is also home to one of the nation’s premier sweetpotato breeding programs, which has contributed extensively to variety development and improvement for Louisiana producers and the broader sweetpotato industry.
Research Programs and Disciplines:
The LSU AgCenter Sweet Potato Research Station supports a broad range of applied research programs devoted to improving the productivity, resilience, and profitability of commercial sweetpotato production systems. Research efforts are conducted across multiple disciplines and focus on both field based and controlled environment systems that address priority challenges facing the industry.
Major research program areas at the station include agronomic systems research aimed at optimizing cultural practices across varying production environments, as well as integrated pest management programs targeting nematodes, weeds, and insect pests that limit sweetpotato yield and quality. These efforts emphasize practical, field applicable strategies that improve crop establishment, reduce production risks, and enhance management efficiency.
In addition, the station maintains an active sweetpotato breeding and genetics research program, including ongoing studies examining genetic responses to environmental stresses and agronomic inputs. This research is designed to better understand genotype by environment interactions and to inform breeding, management, and research priorities that support improved variety performance and long term industry profitability.
Physical Resources and Infrastructure:
The infrastructure and resources at the LSU AgCenter Sweet Potato Research Station are critical to fulfilling the station’s mission of supporting the Louisiana sweetpotato industry and enabling the rapid response to emerging production challenges. The station maintains integrated field, greenhouse, and support facilities that allow research and foundation seed activities to be conducted efficiently and continuously.
Acreage for Field Research
- Total station acreage: approximately 308 acres
- Production and research cropland: approximately 150 acres devoted to sweetpotato research, foundation seed production, and rotational crops
- Additional acreage: includes woodlands, drainage infrastructure, irrigation ponds, and support areas necessary for station operations
Station Infrastructure
- Greenhouse complex supporting greenhouse based propagation, G0 plant production, and controlled environment research. The station maintains five (5) permanent greenhouses of varying sizes and configurations used for planting material production, varietal development, and applied research.
- Research greenhouse facility consisting of one (1) large, dedicated greenhouse used to support controlled environment studies focused on improving agronomic practices and evaluating sweetpotato responses to management strategies and environmental conditions.
- Headhouse facilities used for plant handling and propagation activities, data collection, seed storage, and equipment storage supporting greenhouse, field research, and foundation seed programs.
- Laboratory facilities used to support genomic research, field study preparation and sample processing, as well as baking and tasting trials associated with variety evaluation and quality assessment. Field research and seed production areas dedicated to foundation seed, variety development, agronomic systems research, and applied pest management studies.
- Curing and storage facilities supporting postharvest research, planting material handling, and maintenance of seed quality.
- Equipment shops, packing areas, pesticide storage, and support buildings essential for day to day research operations, regulatory compliance, and equipment maintenance.
- Office and meeting facilities supporting research coordination, station administration, extension programming, and stakeholder engagement.
Together, these facilities provide the capacity needed to support year round research activities, ensure continuity of the sweetpotato foundation seed program, and deliver applied research outcomes that directly benefit producers and the broader sweetpotato industry.
Analysis Capabilities and Impact:
The resources, personnel, and infrastructure at the LSU AgCenter Sweet Potato Research Station provide strong analytical and applied research capabilities to address many of the critical challenges facing the sweetpotato industry. The station functions as a central hub for integrated research, foundation seed production, and industry‑focused problem solving aimed at improving production efficiency, crop resilience, and long‑term industry sustainability.
A core component of the station’s impact is the production of high‑quality foundation seed roots and greenhouse‑produced G0 planting material. These materials are used directly in research programs and are also sold to stakeholders for use as planting material, supporting improved crop establishment, varietal integrity, and reduced disease risk within commercial production systems.
The station supports impactful research aligned with statewide and national industry needs, including breeding research focused on the development and evaluation of new sweetpotato varieties. These efforts contribute to improved yield potential, quality characteristics, and adaptability of sweetpotato varieties for Louisiana producers while also addressing broader national sweetpotato production challenges.
In‑depth agronomic systems research is conducted to refine management practices related to plant spacing, irrigation management, nutrient management, and planting material quality. These studies are conducted both at the Sweet Potato Research Station and in collaboration with neighboring LSU AgCenter research stations to ensure research findings are applicable across diverse soils, climates, and production environments.
The station also supports applied research in weed management, nematode management, and insect management, contributing to integrated pest management strategies that reduce production risk and improve crop performance. In addition, ongoing research efforts focus on improving sweetpotato disease resistance and disease management practices in plant beds and seed storage facilities, strengthening the reliability and biosecurity of the sweetpotato seed system.
While much of this work is centered at the Sweet Potato Research Station, sweetpotato research frequently requires specialized equipment and handling procedures unique to the crop. As a result, station faculty, staff, and crew routinely transport this specialized equipment to other LSU AgCenter research stations and cooperating facilities to conduct multi‑location research. This approach ensures consistency in planting, management, and data collection across sites, allowing for more robust evaluation of research outcomes and increasing the overall relevance and impact of research findings for Louisiana producers and the broader sweetpotato industry.
Agricultural Applications:
The LSU AgCenter Sweet Potato Research Station is recognized as one of the leading sweetpotato research institutions both nationally and internationally and is the only research facility in the United States solely dedicated to sweetpotato research. Research conducted at the station has played a transformative role in shaping modern sweetpotato production systems and continues to inform practices adopted by producers in Louisiana, across the United States, and internationally.
The research station has been credited with the release of more than 40 patented sweetpotato varieties, many of which have addressed critical industry challenges related to yield, quality, and pest and disease resistance. The station’s impact on variety development began with its founder, Julian C. Miller, whose release of the variety Unit 1 Porto Rico—following the introduction of orange fleshed germplasm from the Caribbean—fundamentally reshaped the U.S. sweetpotato industry. This release established the orange fleshed, moist type sweetpotato that now defines modern consumer expectations and market demand, distinguishing it from the firmer, drier varieties previously grown in the eastern United States.
Over the past 75 years, the Sweet Potato Research Station has continued to advance variety development, addressing some of the industry’s most persistent challenges, including soil rot resistance, disease management, and nematode resistance, while steadily improving yield potential and adaptability with each generation of releases. These varieties have been widely adopted and continue to serve as the genetic foundation for sweetpotato production in Louisiana and beyond.
In addition to variety development, the station conducts extensive agronomic research designed to improve production efficiency and management decision making. Results from this research are conveyed to stakeholders through field days, on farm trials, extension publications, and direct communication with producers. Adoption of these research based recommendations has contributed to improved planting material quality, refined production practices, and enhanced overall crop performance.
Collectively, research conducted at the LSU AgCenter Sweet Potato Research Station has been implemented by Louisiana growers, commercial producers nationwide, and international entities, demonstrating the broad applicability and lasting impact of the station’s work on the global sweetpotato industry.
Collaboration and Partnerships:
To effectively support the research mission of the LSU AgCenter Sweet Potato Research Station and address the needs of the Louisiana sweetpotato industry, as well as broader national industry priorities, the station engages in numerous internal and external collaborations. These partnerships expand research capacity, strengthen disciplinary integration, and ensure research efforts remain aligned with stakeholder needs.
The station collaborates extensively with LSU AgCenter scientists based both on the LSU campus and at other research stations across the state. These collaborations span key disciplines supporting sweetpotato production, including insect management, nematode management, plant pathology, weed science, agronomy, plant breeding, and genetic research. This multidisciplinary approach allows the station to address complex production challenges using coordinated research strategies.
In addition, the Sweet Potato Research Station regularly partners with commercial producers and industry stakeholders to implement on farm trials and demonstration projects. These collaborations provide real world testing environments for new varieties and management practices, allowing researchers to evaluate performance, adaptability, and practicality under commercial production conditions while receiving direct feedback from growers.
The station also maintains collaborative relationships with other universities and research institutions to address challenges facing the national sweetpotato industry. Through shared resources, cooperative research projects, and coordinated data collection, these partnerships enhance the station’s ability to contribute to regional and national research efforts and advance solutions that benefit the broader sweetpotato production community.
