Project Number: 1931-21000-015-07
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Sep 01, 2005
End Date: May 31, 2008

Objective:
The objectives of the research are to identify antifeedant, antibiosis, or other responses from specific pest species to wild Malus sp. and identify underlying mechanisms responsible for these responses.

Approach:
ARS will survey and characterize feeding and/or oviposition activity of arthropod pests of tree fruit to Malus sp. germplasm in USDA apple germplasm repository, Geneva, NY. Verify field observations by conducting laboratory- and field-based assessments of feeding and/or oviposition activity of targeted arthropod pests using the wild Malus sp. germplasm collection in Geneva, NY. Identify biochemical differences in various Malus germplasm and relate them to specific pest responses to wild Malus germplasm. Cornell will provide laboratory space for post-doctoral personnel, needed equipment and arthropods from laboratory-reared colonies required for experiments and provide services and general support to ARS personnel for insect surveys of germplasm resources, maintenance of laboratory orithropod colonies, characterize feeding and/or oviposition activity, and data management.