An official website of the United States government.
This project will assess potential disease threats before they become widespread economic problems in New York as well as reduce the impact of already occurring and undermanaged, chronic diseases. Research on disease cycles will allow identification of points of intervention that should lead to effective strategies for avoiding and managing diseases. Intended outcomes include recommendations for disease management tactics that are valid for New York conditions. In particular, we will discern the relative efficacy of resistant crop cultivars, chemical and biological seed treatments, crop sequences and other cultural practices on disease control and crop production efficiency. <P> Specific research objectives are: <OL> <LI> Study aspects of the biology and epidemiology of emerging field crop diseases that will contribute to an understanding of disease potential and methods of control; assess resistance of crop cultivars and efficacy of fungicides for disease management. <LI> Assess the etiology and occurrence of diseases affecting switchgrass and other biofuel feedstock grasses, and begin to develop best management practices that will limit their impact. <LI> Further characterize the epidemiology and integrated management of Gibberella zeae, incitant of wheat scab and Gibberella ear rot of corn. <LI> Elucidate the biology, epidemiology, and integrated management of diseases in winter wheat, especially fungal leaf blotches and soilborne viruses. <LI>Assess alfalfa genotypes for susceptibility to variants of the Phoma sclerotioides species complex recently found to occur widely in New York soils. <LI> Develop best management practices for the appropriate use of fungicides in the production of corn and soybean. </ol> The impact of this research project and resulting educational programs will be a more profitable and sustainable field crops production sector in New York as well as more profitable animal, food processing, and biofuel production industries in the state. Targeted beneficiaries of this project are the cash grain and forage producers of New York who should benefit financially from more efficient production of their crops (less disease-induced losses). Animal producers, rural communities, farm service suppliers, and all consumers and citizens of the state should also receive benefits from better disease management in the form of higher quality commodities for animal feed and human food and the general economic benefits of a more competitive field crops sector in the state.
NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Field crops (including corn, soybean, wheat, alfalfa and other hay crops, perennial grasses) play an integral role in the New York economy by providing feed for animal industries, principal ingredients for food products produced in the state, and feedstocks for biofuels. Both chronic and currently undermanaged, and emerging plant diseases are a continual threat to New York field crops and can reduce the already narrow profit margin for producers. This project addresses the most critical and timely crop disease management issues and directly supports several extension education initiatives. The project provides basal support for the plant pathology research component of an integrated field crops management program. It offers both fundamental contributions to disease epidemiology and management, and short-term research results on disease management tactics that can be recommended to extension educators, agribusiness, and growers. Methods employed include farm survey; experimental field plot assessment of cultivars, fungicides, biological control agents and cultural practices; controlled environment experiments; molecular genetic evaluation of pathogen populations; and aerobiology methods for studying fungal spore dispersal. Research efforts in the next 3 years will be focused on the biology and management of mycotoxin producing fungi in corn and wheat; viruses and foliar fungal diseases of wheat; brown root rot of forage legumes; disease management with resistant culitvars and clean seed programs in biofuel feedstock grasses; and optimized use of fungicides in the protection of corn, soybean and wheat. Intended outcomes include guidelines for disease management tactics that have been validated under New York conditions. Field crop producers will benefit financially from more efficient production of their crops (less disease-induced losses and savings from unnecessary application of control measures). Animal producers; feed, food, and biofuel processors; farm service providers; rural communities; and all consumers will benefit from the contributions of disease management to sustainable field crops production. Project directions are influenced through contact of the project leader with individual stakeholders as well as with the New York Corn Growers Association, New York State Agribusiness Association, New York Biomass Energy Alliance, New York Small Grain Seed Producers Committee, Northeast Certified Crop Advisors Program, New York Farm Viability Institute, and the Integrated Field Crop, Soil, and Pest Management Program Work Team (project leader is the co-chair). The project leader delivers extension education programs on field crop disease management that are based, in large part, on results from this research project.
<P>
APPROACH: Methods employed include farm survey; laboratory diagnosis; experimental field plot assessment of cultivars, chemicals, biological control agents and cultural practices; controlled environment experiments; molecular genetic evaluation of pathogen populations; and aerobiology methods for studying fungal spore dispersal. Research efforts in the immediate future will be focused on the biology and management of mycotoxin-producing fungi in corn and wheat, brown root rot in forage legumes, Stagonospora nodorum blotch of wheat, and soilborne viruses of wheat, and fungal diseases of switchgrass and other biofuel feedstock grasses. Research is conducted in replicated and repeated experiments with appropriate design and the data are analyzed by statistical analyses that are well accepted by the plant pathology and crop science research communities. Outlets for the research findings include peer reviewed scientific journals as well as extension publications and internet listserves. The project leader (0.7 FTE Extension) delivers extension education programs on field crop disease management in New York that are based, in large part, on results from this research project. Interactions with Extension audiences also inform needs identification for the research effort. Extension clientele and extension educators are also direct cooperators in the applied research program and play a large role in project evaluation and redirection of efforts.