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Funded Project |
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Funding Program:
IPM Partnership Grants |
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Project Title:
Dissemination and Vectoring of the Fire Blight Pathogen (Erwinia amylovora) by Potato Leafhopper (Empoasca fabae) |
Project Directors (PDs):
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Lead State: MA Lead Organization: Polaris Orchard Management |
| Undesignated Funding: $7,950 |
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Start Date: Apr-01-2007 End Date: Mar-31-2008 |
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Pests Involved: potato leafhoppers, leaf hoppers, fire blight |
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Site/Commodity: tree fruit, apples |
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Summary:
Fire blight is a serious disease of apple trees caused by a bacteria, Erwinia amylovora. This disease can not only destroy the current year's crop, but can destroy the tree altogether, especially in young plantings. Warmer conditions during the susceptible period in late spring and early summer, and the conversion of many orchards to new, more fire blight-susceptible varieties, have made this disease of even more concern in the Northeast in recent year. Most research on fire blight epidemiology has focused on its transmission during the spring, from bud break until after bloom. However, transmission is also possible during the summer, and insects have long been suspected of contributing to the movement and introduction of bacteria into the growing shoots during the summer.
Evidence from several research projects has led to increased focus on the potato leafhopper, a migratory pest that feeds in the phloem of a wide variety of plant species, as an important facilitator of fire blight during the summer. Potato leafhoppers may be uniquely capable of introducing bacteria into apple foliage because of the damage they cause to the plant vascular system during feeding. Controlling potato leafhoppers has been shown to significantly improve summer fire blight control. The threshold level of leafhoppers needed to transmit the disease is still unknown, as is the question of whether these insects carry bacteria from tree to tree in addition to introducing the bacteria into leaves during feeding. This project seeks to address these two important questions, which could lead to improved control of summer fire blight with significantly less pesticide use. Objectives: 1. The first experiment will assess the facilitation of fire blight by potato leafhoppers, and try to establish both a threshold population density and a plateau density beyond which fire blight damage does not increase. 2. The second experiment will assess the possibility of the insects vectoring the disease by carrying it to new trees on their bodies. Proposal Final Report |
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