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Funded Project |
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Funding Program:
Regional IPM Competitive Grants - Northeastern |
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Project Title:
Site-specific Management of Resistance (SMOR) in the Control of Apple Scab: Final Phase of Development and Implementation |
Project Directors (PDs):
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Lead State: NY Lead Organization: Cornell University |
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Cooperating State(s):
Massachusetts, West Virginia |
| Research Funding: $177,785 |
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Start Date: Jun-01-2005 End Date: May-31-2008 |
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Pests Involved: apple scab, fungus, fungi |
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Site/Commodity: apples |
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Area of Emphasis: resistant, resistance |
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Summary:
Apples are the most important fruit crop grown in the NE-IPM region, with a value of $260 Million in 2003. The profitability of producing processing apples has sharply declined, and the sustained viability of the industry will rely on the fresh apple market. One of the most serious and most common causes of intolerable blemishes on fresh apples are scab lesions caused by Venturia inaequalis. The disease is ubiquitous in the NE and must be managed with 4-10 applications of fungicide per season.The arsenal of scab fungicides includes conventional protectants such as mancozeb or captan. These nonspecific and purely protective fungicides have been under continuous scrutiny regarding their toxicology and their poor fit into IPM programs. Several classes of "low-risk" fungicides with post-infection activities are available as alternatives. Unfortunately, all "low-risk" fungicides have developed or will develop resistance, rendering them ineffective in scab control. Outbreaks of scab caused by resistance are unexpected by the growers affected and have become increasingly damaging. Our research over the past 15 years has shown that levels of resistance can vary considerably from orchard to orchard. Many growers, who still could effectively use particular classes of "low-risk" fungicides, have converted back to the conventional protectants to avoid potential crop losses caused by resistance. Other growers continue to apply "low-risk" fungicides in spite of resistance, thereby risking unexpected and severe losses.The goal of the proposed work is to establish and implement Site-specific Management Of Resistance (SMOR) as a service to apple growers. The novel SMOR concept consists of orchard-specific sensitivity tests combined with management recommendations based upon the sensitivity of the particular scab population to all "low-risk" options available. SMOR will allow growers to utilize "low-risk" fungicides without risking unexpected damage. Implementation of SMOR will require to validate the diagnostic precision of our orchard-specific sensitivity test, and to establish an infrastructure allowing the implementation of SMOR as a service on demand. The proposed work will be conducted in cooperation between New York as the most important apple-producing state, Massachusetts representing New England, and West Virginia as one of the southern regions of apple production in the NE.
Objectives: Technical objectives: (1) Fine-tuning the sampling protocol, including selection of sampling sites, shipment of diseased apple leaves, establishing the number of orchard blocks to be tested per production unit, communication of results to participating growers, and evaluating the time after which the tests should be repeated. (2) Verifying the reliability of management recommendations derived from orchard-specific sensitivities to all classes of modern low-risk fungicides. Implementation objectives: (1) Broad dissemination of information and results to growers, consultants and cooperative extension educators. (2) A targeted survey of apple growers subsequent to our initial dissemination of SMOR information and results to test the response of growers regarding the value they assign to the service. (3) Design of a business plan to establish the infrastructure for a first example of SMOR as a service. Proposal USDA CRIS data Progress Report 2006 Final Report |
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