Location: Insect Control and Cotton Disease Research
Project Number: 3091-22000-040-001-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2018
End Date: Aug 31, 2023
Objective:
In the last decade and a half, new isolates of Fusarium that are extraordinarily pathogenic on cotton have appeared in the U.S. In 2003, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum race 4 (Fov4) was identified in California soils. Since then, Fov4 has spread throughout California’s San Joaquin Valley. In 2017, Fov4 was found in cotton fields near El Paso, TX. Fov4 must be considered as a major threat to the entire U.S. Cotton Belt. The objective of this project is to genetically analyze the pathogenicity determinants of Fov4.
Approach:
Work under this cooperative project will identify the candidate pathogenicity related genes by comparative studies utilizing several Fov4 isolates which have lost virulence, versus highly virulent Texas and California race 4 isolates. Mutants of gene knockouts as well as reciprocal gene replacement between the two types of isolates will be generated and tested for pathogenicity against cotton cultivars susceptible to Fov4. Identification of pathogenicity related genes will greatly facilitate our ongoing effort to increase host resistance against Fov4 either through biotechnology or traditional breeding.
