Mission:
The mission of the Subtropical Plant Pathology Research Unit is to improve disease control for citrus, vegetable, and other crops, to enhance production efficiency, and to minimize adverse effects on the environment and food safety. Research is conducted on diseases caused by bacteria, fungi, nematodes, viroids, and viruses to improve pathogen detection, define disease epidemiology, identify disease-resistant germplasm, evaluate field and horticultural factors which affect disease severity, and characterize genetic bases of disease. New, exotic, and uncharacterized diseases are defined to estimate their potential to threaten U.S. agriculture and to limit crop loss. Diseases under investigation include, citrus canker, citrus huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening, citrus tatter leaf virus, tristeza, concave gum agent, citrus chlorotic dwarf agent, citrus sudden death, citrus leprosis and citrus variegated chlorosis. In addition, research is conducted on endemic, emerging and other exotic diseases of an expanding variety of important crop plants such as the newly emerging watermelon vine decline caused by the squash vein yellowing virus and various tobamoviruses and potyviruses infecting vegetable and ornamental crops. Biologically-based control strategies for control of soilborne diseases and weeds affecting vegetables as alternatives to methyl bromide are developed.