ABC of sweet cherry powdery mildew: adaption, behavior and control
Author: Gary Grove, Prashant Swamy
Published: 2020
Summary: The objectives of this project were: 1. Adaptation: a. Isolate and characterize cherry powdery mildew populations in commercial orchards in WA and OR b. DNA based identification of the causal agent of cherry powdery mildew and multigene phylogenetic reconstruction of the evolutionary relationships among global cherry mildew entities 2. Behavior: a. Compare virulence structures of identified clades/ subgroups b. Identify niche (host tissue) preferences c. Identify reproductive strategies and, if heterothallic, mating type frequencies 3. Control: a. Evaluate response of powdery mildew spores to fungicide sprays before fruit infection is established (visible) using viability qPCR b. Identify critical spray periods in which fungicidal protection is most needed to suppress onset or minimize severity of fruit infection
