Project Number: 5358-12220-003-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: May 14, 2007
End Date: May 13, 2012

Objective:
Evaluate the etiology and epidemiology of soilborne diseases of small fruit and nursery crops and the biology of causal pathogens. Develop, evaluate, and enhance strategies for the management of soilborne diseases of horticultural crops. Develop knowledge of mechanisms contributing to biological control of soilborne plant diseases.

Approach:
Dose-response relationships between propagule density in irrigation water and disease. Identification of factors influencing pathogen dispersal and disease spread among containers in a nursery. A systematic survey of blueberry fields throughout the PNW will be conducted to identify nematode pathogens. Greenhouse and microplot experiments will be employed to determine the effects of a range of population densities of nematode species found in the survey on the health of a widely planted blueberry cultivar. Test the Electrocatalytic Oxidation/precipitation (EO) method. Identify factors influencing the efficacy of the EO method. Test the EO method in an experimental nursery setting. Use the recently-described genomisotopic approach to purify the two cryptic metabolites from cultures of Pf-5. Derive mutants of Pf-5. Assess the role of novel metabolites in biological control. Test toxicity of the purified metabolites. Evaluate gene expression by Pf-5 on seed surfaces using RNA isolation, labeling and hybridization. Characterize the nutritional composition of seed exudates. Generate derivatives of Pf-5 with mutations in selected genes. Test mutants for spermosphere colonization and biological control of Pythium damping off. Replaced 5358-12220-001-00D (3/03). FY03 $73,538 Program Increase. FY06 $133,650 Program Increase (memo #44). Replacing 5358-12220-002-00D (3/07). FY09 perm F/T from 5358-21000-037-00D (6/08).