USDA Awards $5 Million To Battle Stone Fruit Disease
October 19, 2020 A multi-state team of scientists led by Ksenija Gasic, a Clemson University peach breeder and geneticist, has received a $5 million grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture for a four-year study that involves development of new armillaria root rot-resistant rootstocks for Prunus species, specifically almond, cherry, and peach.
Armillaria root rot (ARR), or oak root rot, is caused by the Armillaria/Desarmillaria fungus and affects more than 500 woody species including stone fruit and nut trees. No controls exist for the fungus, which costs U.S. farmers millions of dollars in crop losses each year.
“ARR rot is a problem with peach trees in the Southeast, cherry trees in Michigan, and peach, cherry, and almond trees in California,” Gasic said. “Growers with infected orchards face a persistent problem because both the host and the disease are long-lived.”
Joining Gasic and other Clemson scientists in this study are researchers from the University of California-Davis, University of Georgia, University of Kentucky, Michigan State University, and the USDA-ARS in Davis, CA. The researchers believe this study will provide building blocks needed to support on-going Prunus programs, as well as encourage the use of cultural practices to increase tree longevity on replant sites. Cooperative Extension Service agents will relay research information to the public.
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