Location: Cereal Crops Research
Project Number: 5090-21430-012-012-N
Project Type: Non-Funded Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 1, 2026
End Date: Dec 30, 2030
Objective:
ARS will assist collaborators in identification of fungal pathogens and pathogenicity studies on cereals. This pathogen is typically found on cereals and is newly described as infecting grapevines. This research will provide important preliminary data to understand the origins of the expanding host range of the fungal pathogen.
The fungal strains (material) ARS will obtain through this research will provide a valuable resource to understand evolution of this important cereal pathogen group. Confirmation of expanding host range from cereals to grapevines will provide important information on changing disease pressures and risks to barley and other cereal crops which are susceptible to Fusarium spp. infections.
Approach:
Cooperators have conducted Koch's postulates on novel fungal disease complex of grapevines. Cooperators have made preliminary identification of the genera of the fungi in this complex as belonging to Fusarium spp. ARS will conduct further identification of fungal isolates to species level and conduct host range pathology studies on cereals, including barley and wheat as Fusarium spp. are well known to infect cereals and grasses. Cooperators will solicit infected plant samples from Midwest and Great Lakes region farmers. Cooperators will send fungal strains to ARS. This work will help to understand the genetics of the expanding host range of this plant pathogen.