Location: Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research
Project Number: 2092-22000-022-035-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jun 1, 2023
End Date: Sep 30, 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. Specimens will be shipped to Cooperator for non-destructive DNA extractions on psyllids and voucher preparation DNA will be used for identifying bacterial plant pathogens by sequencing 16S, and for molecular gut content analysis to assess landscape movements of psyllids prior to their capture.
