Project Number: 6618-22000-034-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: May 31, 2007
End Date: May 30, 2012

Objective:
Three broad objectives guide this project: Objective 1: Characterize ecology, biology, epidemiology, genetics and host interactions of domestic, exotic, newly emergent and re-emerging pathogens. Objective 2: Develop/refine rapid, sensitive reliable detection/sampling methods for pathogens. Objective 3: Develop or improve comprehensive integrated disease management strategies.

Approach:
The overall approach is to thoroughly characterize new exotic and emerging plant pathogens at multiple levels: epidemiologically epidemics will be followed and modeled by traditional and newer stochastic methods at the regional, and plantation levels, biologically the pathosystems will be characterized at the level of host-pathogen-vector interaction, as well as at the cellular, molecular and/or biochemical levels. New pathogens will be identified and characterized by molecular biological and traditional cultural methods. Recombinant DNA and genomics technologies will be applied to study host/pathogen interactions and to investigate virulence differences between strains of a pathogen. New CTV genotypes will be identified by cloning products obtained by PCR and degenerate primers and also by hybridization to a sequencing microarray. Primers for PCR diagnostics will be devised from novel CTV genotypes. An immunocapture-based PCR protocol will be developed for CTLV for assessment of genetic variability of CTLV populations from the US and from international locations.