Bennet, Gardner Announce Potato Research Grant for Colorado State

Washington, D.C. - Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D) and Cory Gardner (R) this week announced that Colorado State University (CSU) will receive $2.5 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to study the integration of new technologies to manage potato pathogens in North American potato crops.

"Congratulations to Colorado State on receiving this grant to improve the treatment and management of potato pathogens," Bennet said. "Potatoes are a critical part of our agricultural economy in Colorado. This grant is an investment in research that will assist potato growers across the country and protect future potato production"

"It is critically important that the Department of Agriculture is working with our nation's universities like Colorado State to support research that will assist our farmers with crop production," Gardner said. "I've been a proud supporter of agriculture research through National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and believe this grant will be an asset to our potato farmers throughout Colorado."

Bacterial potato pathogens such as blackleg and soft-rot cause significant crop losses on farms throughout the country. This grant will help integrate advanced technologies to manage and reduce the spread of these pathogens. In June, Bennet and Gardner announced that Colorado State received a $264,600 USDA grant to study the spread of a new bacterial pathogen in U.S. potatoes. Together, the two grants will support critical efforts to protect U.S. potato farms.