Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Rhodococcus fascians are gall forming bacteria that can affect a very wide range of hosts. These bacteria cause symptoms on plants that are unsightly and render them unfit for sale. Nurseries have been calling for easy methods for detection of these diseases, as well as how to control and manage the spread of the bacteria. This grant will address these needs from several different angles:
- Test and develop control compounds for broad host range and gall forming bacterial pathogens.
- Determine population structure, migration patterns, and evolution of A. tumefaciens and phytopathogenic Rhodococcus.
- Develop sensitive and easy-to-use diagnostic kits.
- Develop a website and database for using molecular data to rapidly identify species and strains of A. tumefaciens and phytopathogenic Rhodococcus.
- Education outreach to advance in-depth bilingual programs, workshops, and courses focused on managing bacterial diseases, and develop materials to educate and train workers at all levels of the industry.
- Economic outreach to assess at the levels of the growers, retail and consumer, and community.