Location: Emerging Pests and Pathogens Research
Project Number: 8062-21000-048-020-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Apr 1, 2024
End Date: Mar 31, 2027
Objective:
Accurate diagnosis and detection methods are foundational for managing plant diseases. The long-term goal of this integrated agricultural biosecurity project is to develop capacity for a high throughput, molecular-based diagnostic protocol for bacterial, fungal, oomycete, and viral/viroid pathogens of agricultural and horticultural crops. To meet this overarching goal, the three objectives of this project are to:
1) Establish a model for integrating simplified plant sample storage and high throughput PCR assays with a National Plant Diagnostic laboratory (NPDL);
2) Expand the high throughput PCR assay workflow we have developed for viruses of potato to detect multiple pathogens of potato and other commodity crops;
3) Create educational and workforce training opportunities on high throughput molecular detection methods that leverage the efficiencies of the diagnostic protocol.
Approach:
The long-term goal of this integrated agricultural biosecurity project is to develop a complete “field to report” system founded on a simplified sample collection protocol that integrate high throughput molecular diagnostics and sample archiving for rapid and effective plant disease diagnostics. Specifically, the proposed project aims to safeguard the U.S. potato industry by detecting multiple potato pathogens more rapidly along with transitioning the diagnostic protocol to a National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN) laboratory, and then further disseminating this technology to other crops and pathogens as well as other NPDN labs. With potato growers supporting the initial sample collection process, we propose capacity building activities to equip the NPDN laboratory for virus testing of large potato tuber sample volumes (objective 1). A series of greenhouse, laboratory, and field sampling will be performed to expand use of the diagnostic protocol to detect pathogens that are of economic importance to U.S. agriculture, including pathogens that have multiple economically important hosts, and for which growers or NPDN labs have requested improved diagnostics (objective 2). The project also creates educational and workforce training opportunities on high throughput molecular detection methods that leverage the efficiencies of the developed diagnostic protocol (Objective 3). Specifically, in-person trainings, a short online course, and videos will be created to train students and disseminate the diagnostic protocol to growers, crop consultants, field scouts, extension specialists, scientists, and diagnosticians.
