Project Number: 3640-21220-020-01
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: Jun 01, 2007
End Date: May 31, 2009

Objective:
This is a renewal of a current grant "Monitoring aerial transport of Phakopsora pachyrhizi spores". The main focus of this proposal is to correlate spore trap data and field disease development data. The specific objectives of the proposal are: (1) Develop six test sites (LA, FL, SC, IA, IL and OH) with field plots of soybeans, spore traps and weather station. Spore traps will be monitored three times a week and the soybean plot will be scouted weekly for disease; (2) Pilot project to test active SEM spore traps at 3 sites; (3) Continued partial support for national monitoring program using NAPD network of rain collectors; and (4) Evaluation of spore trap data for modeling and disease forecasting.

Approach:
Filters from weekly rain samples are supplied by NADP. Particulate matter (including fungal spores) is removed from the filters, dried, and DNA is extracted. The presence of P. pachyrhizi DNA is assayed for by using a Real-Time PCR. This assay consists of nest PCR using both P. pachyrhizi specific primers and a Taqman probe.