BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT OF SYSTEMIC BACTERIAL PATHOGENS OF PLANTS

This project aims to contribute to the better understanding and management of systemic bacterial diseases of plants. Systemic diseases are ones where the pathogen can move throughout the host body, causing damage and symptoms and infecting multiple organs and tissues. Systemic bacterial diseases are particularly difficult to manage in agricultural situations because the pathogen cells are hidden inside the plant after successful entry and establishment of infection. This project uses several diverse approaches to this problem, including the development and analysis of plants genetically resistant to the bacteria, as well as identifying competitor bacteria that can interact with and block the infectino of the virulent bacteria in host tissues. The project is primarily of a basic scientific nature, aiming to better understand the genetics of disease in both the bacterium and the plant, using traditional genetics approaches in these systems. The project focuses mainly on apple trees and fire blight disease, but also includes other systemic bacterial disease, such as bacterial canker on tomatoes, citrus greening disease, and bacterial wilt of cucurbits. Project outputs will include novel scientific understanding of these systemic bacterial diseases of plants as well as potentially some novel methods to manage these diseases and reduce their impact.