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Research Project:
ENHANCING GREENHOUSE SOILLESS CULTURE PRODUCTION WITH IMPROVED DISEASE AND PEST MANAGEMENT
Location: Application Technology Research Unit
Project Number: 3607-21000-011-13
Project Type:
Specific Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 24, 2006
End Date: Sep 23, 2011
Objective:
To develop new or improved methods for hydroponic and greenhouse crop
production and greenhouse disease and pest management; to clone geranium
(Pelargonium spp.) genes involved in post-transcriptional gene silencing
(PTGS) to boron and silicon; and to develop a consistent mechanical inoculation
method for infecting geranium (Pelargonium spp.) with Tobacco ringspot
viruses (TRSV) and Tomato ringspot viruses (ToRSV) present in several
accessions derived from the Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center, Columbus,
OH.
Approach:
A joint research project on Hydroponic and Soilless Culture will be
initiated between the USDA, ARS and the University of Toledo. Proper
management of insect and disease will enhance profitability and
competitiveness of American growers. USDA, ARS will hire a Research
Horticulturist and a Research Plant Pathologist to be located at the
University of Toledo as an ARS Worksite of the USDA, ARS, Application
Technology Research Unit in Wooster. Virus diseases of Pelargonium spp.
are relatively common but different to assess because the host is usually
not killed by infection. Develop a consistent mechanical inoculation
method. Infect plants with TRSV and ToRSV and expose to varying
concentrations of boron and silicon to determine their effects on viral
disease and virus titers will be examined by serology and RT-PCR. The
effects of photoperiod and temperature on virus infection will be examined
in a similar manner.
Since it may take some time to develop a consistent method of mechanical
inoculation with TRSV and ToRSV in Pelargonium species, it would be
advantageous to use plant material that is already infected. However, it
would be important to first find out what viruses are present within these
infected plants. At least two of the accessions obtained from the
Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center are apparently infected with a ringspot
virus. Therefore, we will need to characterize these viruses. This will
be done by electron microscopy, serological techniques, and RT-PCR.
Cuttings would be propagated from this previusly infected material and
exposed to different nutrient and environmental conditions and their
effects on virus infection would be analyzed as described above.
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Last Modified: 11/08/2008
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