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Funded Project |
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Funding Program:
Regional IPM Competitive Grants - Northeastern |
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Project Title:
Investigation and Exploitation of Light as a Non-Chemical Means to Manage Powdery Mildews |
Project Director (PD):
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Lead State: Lead Organization: Cornell University |
| Undesignated Funding: $59,794 |
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Start Date: Oct-01-2012 End Date: Sep-30-2013 |
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No-Cost Extension Date: Aug-31-2015 |
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Summary:
This is a research project. Our long-term goal is to exploit light as a natural and non-chemical means of controlling powdery mildews. Powdery mildews are an internationally important pathogen group attacking a broad variety of crops. The driving force of epidemics is abundant sporulation. Disease management is problematic due to widespread resistance to most fungicides. We have discovered a non-chemical means to disrupt sporulation, and have considerable preliminary data to show that light in the visible spectrum as well as brief exposures to ultraviolet B (UV-B) can be used to suppress disease. We will investigate the use of low-cost, low energy LEDs that produce specific wavebands to disrupt sporulation, both alone and in conjunction with UV-B. A diverse group of powdery mildews of rose, grapevine, strawberry and cucumber will be explored as model systems with potential for spinoffs and adaptation to other crops. The project is highly focused, short- term (12 months), and is well aligned with NE-IPM goals, and priorities. The research problem encompasses many of the top priorities of several stakeholder groups within the northeast region, nationally, and internationally. The project involved international collaboration, and represents a novel approach to disease management. The project directors and cooperators are internationally recognized leaders in research and outreach in this area. Effective outreach is inherent in the design of the project, and is seamlessly integrated into the transition between objective I (treatment investigation, quantification, and refinement) and objective II (demonstration).
Objectives: The objectives of the proposed project and their anticipated impacts are:
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Interim Report: Oct-09-2013 |
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Outcomes We now know that UV-B is more effective when applied during night hours because blue light present during normal daylight is required to activate a DNA repair mechanism that is genetically downregulated at night. This novel finding may hold the key to the widespread observation that powdery mildew severity is greatly increased in high tunnel systems and in greenhouses. To date, the cause has been assumed to be increased humidity and temperature. However, the increased severity my be due to selective screening of light wavelengths that are important regulators of plant defense and fungal growth. Thus, we may have discovered (in addition to suppression using UV-B) a new way to suppress disease: to identify anfd then supply those wavelengths that are present in the field, but are screened out in high tunnels and greenhouses. |
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Impacts Project results were presented at the annual meeting of the American Phytopathological Society (APS) in August 2013, attended by over 1500. As a consquence, we were contacted by scientists at the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic University to begin collaborative studues to develop improved prototype lights, and to initiate new investigations to identify the mode of action of treatments to increase efficacy. |
Report Appendices
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Final Report: |
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Impacts 1. The following refereed publication: Suthaparan, A., Stensvand, A., Solhaug, K. A., Torre, S., Telfer, K. H., Ruud, A. K., Mortensen, L. M., Gadoury, D. M., Seem, R. C., and Gislerød, H. R. 2014. Suppression of cucumber powdery mildew by supplemental UV-B radiation in greenhouses can be augmented or reduced by back- ground radiation quality. Plant Dis. 98:1349-1357. 2. We have discovered the mechanism by which UV-B affects powdeyr mildews. The key is exposures to minute doses of UV-B during night hours. This bypasses the daytime DNA repair mechanism and provides enhanced control with reduced doses and cost. 3. We have been invited to present this work at 2015 national meeting of the North American Strawberry Growers in California. There will be approximately 500 stakeholders in attendance. The work was also presented at the 4. We secured two major research grants for follow-up studies from USDA-NIFA as a direct consequence of the funding provided by NE-IPM of this preliminary project. |
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Outcomes 1. Increased awareness in the stakeholder community of the role of light as a non-chemcial means of suppressing diseases on a broad range of crops. 2. A new area of study in non-chemical control of plant diseases. |
Report Appendices
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