Location: Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research
Project Number: 2092-22000-022-037-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 25, 2023
End Date: Sep 24, 2025
Objective:
1) Screen R. capsici populations and their host plants in agricultural fields in Brazil for Ca. Liberibacter
capsica infection and determine if plants infected with Ca. Liberibacter capsica have plant disease
symptoms.
2) Screen psyllid species in agricultural fields that share host plants and a geographic range with R.
capsici and R. solanicola for Ca. Liberibacter spp. infection; screen host plants of relevant Russelliana
spp. for Ca. Liberibacter spp. infection and presence of disease symptoms.
3) Determine the efficacy of psyllid traps for monitoring Russelliana spp. and their associated
pathogens; determine host plant associations by sequencing gut contents.
Approach:
Psyllids and host plant samples will be collected from agricultural fields and surrounding weed reservoirs in the State of
São Paulo, Brazil and shipped to cooperators in United States and Canada for identification of microbial communities and molecular gut content analysis.
