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Funded Project |
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Funding Program:
Integrated Pest Management Competitive Grants Program |
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Project Title:
Novel control of the potato zebra chip pathogen and its psyllid vector using FANA antisense oligonucleotide gene silencing |
Project Directors (PDs):
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Lead State: WA Lead Organization: USDA-ARS |
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Cooperating State(s):
Florida |
| Undesignated Funding: $29,270 |
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Start Date: Mar-01-2018 End Date: Mar-01-2019 |
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Pests Involved: Liberibacter and potato psyllid |
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Site/Commodity: potato |
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Area of Emphasis: new control methods |
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Summary:
Zebra chip disease causes yield losses to potato production in the western United States. The pathogen that causes zebra chip, "Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum", is transmitted to potato by the potato psyllid. There are no methods to directly control zebra chip, so growers rely on calendar-day based insecticide applications to reduce populations of the vector. The overall goal of our proposal is to demonstrate that FANA-based gene silencing therapy can provide a novel approach for managing the zebra chip pathogen and its psyllid vector. FANA gene silencing does not involve genetically modified organisms like other gene silencing therapies, and is highly specific to target organisms. Specific objectives are to use laboratory and greenhouse assays to determine if FANA products can 1) reduce pathogen titers and development of zebra chip symptoms in potato, 2) reduce pathogen titers in psyllids, and 3) decrease vector performance. Results will provide proof-of-concept for the use of FANA technology to control insect pests and pathogens of crops. Completion of this 1-year project initiation study will lead to future trials examining the efficacy of treatments under field-management conditions, and to the development of this technology against related pathogens and psyllids occurring on other crops or other pests and pathogens of potato. Further development of FANA technology beyond this 1-year project could lead to development of novel tools to manage plant pests and pathogens, and substantially reduce or eliminate the use of calendar-based pesticide applications used to manage challenging pests and pathogens such as potato psyllid and zebra chip.
Objectives: 1. Determine if FANA products can reduce pathogen titers and reduce development of zebra chip symptoms in potato. 2. Determine if FANA products can reduce pathogen titers in psyllids. 3. Determine if FANA products targeting psyllid genes decrease psyllid performance. |
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