Covington sweetpotato

Man holds out cut orange sweetpotato in front of crowd

Nov 12, 2025

20 Years to Grow on: Future-proofing NC State’s Covington Sweetpotato

As NC State University's renowned Covington sweetpotato turns 20, plant breeders are working tirelessly to add resistance to a new pest, using the latest tools.

Craig Yencho and Mercy Kitavi work with sweet potato samples in a lab in Nairobi, Kenya.

Dec 12, 2023

A Patented Winner

The National Academy of Inventors named NC State University's Craig Yencho a 2023 fellow for his contributions to improved sweetpotato and potato breeding and genetics, with an impact reaching from North Carolina to Sub-Saharan Africa.