ARS | Publication request: New Research Program at the Sugar Beet Research Unit (USDA-ARS, Ft. Collins) Focusing on Addressing Plant-Pathogen Interactions

Submitted to: Plant and Animal Genome Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: January 9, 2010
Publication Date: January 12, 2010
Citation: Webb, K.M. 2010. New Research Program at the Sugar Beet Research Unit (USDA-ARS, Ft. Collins) Focusing on Addressing Plant-Pathogen Interactions. Plant and Animal Genome Conference.

Technical Abstract: Diseases are recognized as a major cause of yield and sugar losses in sugar beet production worldwide. The Fort Collins USDA-ARS Sugarbeet Research Unit (SBRU) mission is to facilitate development of sugar beet germplasm with greater disease resistance and assist in the development of improved and innovative management principles for managing sugar beet diseases. Specifically, we seek to understand the mechanisms and biology of the interaction between sugar beet and the major fungal pathogens, Fusarium spp. and Rhizoctonia solani. Primary objectives of the pathology program address 1) the characterization of the diversity (genetic and phenotypic) of sugar beet pathogen populations in order to improve sugar beet genetic resources and develop innovative management strategies 2) characterize the factors that contribue to pathogen virulence and population aggressiveness with sugar beet and 3) understand the epidemiological factors (environment, host, and pathogen) that contribute to disease development disease. The pathology program will employ genomic, transcriptome, proteome, and phenotypic strategies, as well as employ predictive modeling in order to address these research objectives.