Location: Crops Pathology and Genetics Research
Project Number: 2032-22000-017-049-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Nov 1, 2022
End Date: Apr 30, 2025
Objective:
Develop disease resistant walnut and almond rootstocks using host-induced gene silencing.
Approach:
Phytophthora, crown gall, and nematode diseases are serious threats to almond and walnut production in California, especially given current trends of restrictions on fumigant use and accumulation of soilborne pathogens in reused land. Pesticide treatment options are few, costly, and undesirable as sole management options. Furthermore, combining resistant traits to different pathogens is unfeasible. By means of an RNA interference (RNAi)-based method referred to as host-induced gene silencing (HIGS), our team has developed protocols to confer resistance to plant pathogens in walnut and almond lines. We propose to stack HIGS-based resistance to Phytophthora, crown gall, and nematodes in walnut and almond rootstock lines.
