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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #307861
Title: Safeguarding fruit crops in the age of agricultural globalization

Author
item GERGERICH, R - University Of Arkansas
item WELLIVER, R - Pennsylvania Department Of Agriculture
item GETTYS, S - Pennsylvania Department Of Agriculture
item OSTERBAUER, N - Oregon Department Of Agriculture
item KAMENIDOU, S - University Of California
item Martin, Robert
item GOLINO, D - University Of California
item EASTWELL, K - Washington State University
item FUCHS, M - Cornell University
item VIDALAKIS, G - University Of California
item RUDYJ, E - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item TZANETAKIS, I - University Of Arkansas

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/14/2014
Publication Date: 2/2/2015
Citation: Gergerich, R.C., Welliver, R., Gettys, S., Osterbauer, N.K., Kamenidou, S., Martin, R.R., Golino, D., Eastwell, K., Fuchs, M., Vidalakis, G., Rudyj, E., Tzanetakis, I.E. 2015. Safeguarding fruit crops in the age of agricultural globalization. Plant Disease. 99(2):176-187.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The expansion of fruit production and markets into new geographic areas provides novel opportunities and challenges for the agricultural and marketing industries. In today’s competitive global market environment, growers need access to the best material available in terms of genetics and plant health if they are to maintain their competitive edge. An ever-increasing amount of plant material in the form of produce, nursery plants, and breeding stock moves vast distances, and this has resulted in an increased risk of pest and disease introductions into new areas. Additionally, many crops are now cultivated in regions far from their centers of origin where they may encounter new pathogens. The fruit industry is concerned primarily with a group of systemic pathogens for which there is no effective remedy once plants are infected. These pathogens include viruses, viroids, phytoplasmas and other systemic bacterial pathogens that cause disease and cost growers and consumers billions of dollars. Here, we review (i) the characteristics of some of these pathogens and in particular features that make them challenging to detect and control, (ii) the history and economic consequences of some notable disease epidemics caused by these pathogens, (iii) the changes in agricultural trade that have exacerbated the risk of pathogen introduction, (iv) the path to production of healthy plants through the U.S. National Clean Plant Network and state certification programs, (v) the economic value of clean stock to nurseries and fruit growers in the U.S., and (vi) the current efforts to develop and harmonize effective nursery certification programs within the U.S. as well as with global trading partners.