Grant Information

DEPLOYMENT OF A SPECTRUM OF BACTERICIDES TO CURE AND PROPHYLACTICALLY TREAT CITRUS HUANGLONGBING

Sponsoring Institution Agricultural Research Service/USDA
Status ACTIVE
Funding Source USDA INHOUSE
Reporting Frequency Annual
Project Director ROSSKOPF E N
Accession Number 432675
Project Number 6034-21000-019-001R
Dates 2017-01-15 - 2023-01-14
Recipient Organization AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE
219 SOUTH ROCK ROAD
FT PIERCE,FL 34945
Keywords application
asiaticus
bactericides
candidatus
liberibacter
nano-particles
phloem
transport
Research Effort Applied (30%)
Basic (70%)
Developmental (0%)
Classification Parameters
Knowledge AreaSubject of InvestigationField of SciencePercent
203 - Plant Biological Efficiency and Abiotic Stresses Affecting Plants 920 - Orange 1000 - Biochemistry and biophysics 50%
204 - Plant Product Quality and Utility (Preharvest) 999 - Citrus, general/other 1080 - Genetics (excludes breeding) 50%
Goals / Objectives

The ultimate goal is to identify chemistries associated with a spectrum of bactericides that will cure or prophylactically treat CLas (the bacterium associated with Huanglongbing (HLB) infection in citrus trees.

  1. Optimize formulations of chemical bactericides to facilitate phloem mobility.
  2. Harnessing the power of bactericides produced by citrus-inhabiting microbes.
  3. Testing bactericides for phloem mobility and as HLB therapies.
  4. Integration of Research and Extension.
Methods (unparsed)

1. Nano-formulations of bactericidal materials including silver, manganese, phosphorous, sulfur, copper and boron will be developed to aid migration into citrus phloem. 2. One anti-bacterial, plant-associated microbial natural product has been identified and will be chemically derived to optimize its phloem mobility and its efficacy against CLas. 3. Candidate chemicals will be evaluated for their preventative and curative properties by applying treatments before or after infection with CLas in greenhouse experiments by (i) direction injection (ii) continual release injection (iii) a soil drench and (iv) foliar spray application+leaf epidermal penetrants. All treatments will first be evaluated in greenhouse experiments. Field trials of promising formulations will be done in year 4 and 5.