Organic Stevia Pest Control

Year Funded

2019

Amount

$159,425

The North Carolina Biotechnology Center’s Crop Commercialization Program (CCP) will coordinate and manage research efforts of two NC State University scientists to assess weed and disease damage to stevia and evaluate the efficacy of biocontrol products in greenhouse and field trials. The research will result in a disease and weed management strategy for organic stevia production, with data to be submitted to the IR-4 program to obtain biocontrol registration in stevia. Current and future stevia growers, as well as stevia processing companies, will directly benefit from the research as the outcomes will help ease production management and financial hurdles for growing organic stevia in North Carolina.

Dr. Paul Ulanch
Executive Director, Crop Commercialization Program
North Carolina Biotechnology Center 15 TW Alexander Drive Research Triangle Park, NC 27709