Oregon State University's Umatilla County Extension Service is inviting potato growers to stop by to introduce themselves to the university's new potato breeder.

Sagar Sathuvalli started Dec. 3 at the Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center.

Sathuvalli was born in southern India, graduated from a horticultural college in Periyakulam, India, and pursued graduate studies in plant breeding and genetics in the department of horticulture at OSU.

"He is passionate about plant breeding and would like to incorporate modern genetic and genomic tools in the breeding program," according to an OSU press release.

The research and extension center is at 2121 S. First St. in Hermiston.

--Mitch Lies