Location: Foreign Disease-Weed Science Research
Project Number: 8044-22000-051-044-I
Project Type: Interagency Reimbursable Agreement
Start Date: Jun 7, 2026
End Date: Jul 6, 2027
Objective:
The objective of this project is to safeguard the U.S. corn industry against the foreign disease late wilt of corn, caused by Magnaporthiopsis maydis (a soilborne fungus not yet established in the U.S.), by developing accurate and reliable diagnostic tools. This will be achieved by generating crucial genomic data for M. maydis and its relatives to identify unique genetic markers, enabling the creation of validated qPCR and field-deployable assays, and thereby preventing costly false positives and strengthening biosecurity against potential incursions.
Approach:
This project's approach aims to develop and validate genomic resources and diagnostic tools for Magnaporthiopsis maydis by first generating comprehensive, high-quality genomic data for the pathogen and its close relatives. This foundational genomic information will then be utilized through comparative analysis to identify unique genetic markers specific to M. maydis, enabling precise differentiation from other species. Finally, these identified markers will be used to develop and rigorously validate advanced diagnostic assays, including both laboratory-based and field-deployable options, to ensure accurate and rapid detection of the foreign pathogen.