The Micropropagation and Repository Unit (MPRU) continues to provide cleanup services for five advance selections to the NC State breeding program and delivers about 90,000 nuclear plants to NC certified seed growers every year. They started the 2023-2024 sweetpotato greenhouse season in September 2023 and it is scheduled to end at the end of February 2024. Trays have been adopted by most NC certified seed growers. These certified growers are producing vine cuttings in protected greenhouses and will eventually produce
the first generation of seed storage roots. Covington continues to be the dominant variety used in North Carolina, while a new cultivar with purple skin and deep purple flesh, named Purple Majesty, is gaining popularity. The MPRU finished the third year of data collection for the NCPN Economic Study and is also involved in the CleanSEED project, leading three greenhouse production goals.