Epidemiology and Disease Management (EDM)
| EDM Research Area Committee (2004) |
| Chair, Len Francl, Pennsylvania State University, PA |
| Vice-Chair, Bob Bowden, USDA-ARS, KS |
| Frances Trail, Michigan State University, MI |
| H. Corby Kistler, USDA-ARS, MN |
| Erick DeWolf, Pennsylvania State University, PA |
| John Sherwood, Montana State University, MT |
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Fusarium head blight (FHB) has been a difficult disease to control throughout the world because highly effective disease management practices are not yet available. The purpose of the Epidemiology and Disease Management research area is to develop a comprehensive knowledge of the factors contributing to the development of FHB epidemics that will lead to effective disease management. Although traditional disease control options (crop rotations, crop residue destruction, fungicides and resistant cultivars) have made an impact on disease levels in the field, they have not been universally adopted because of their sometimes negative impact on farm economics, inherent limitations in government farm policies, and the lack of availability locally or statewide. Until resistant, high-yielding cultivars become available, multiple disease control strategies will be required to manage Fusarium head blight. But even when resistant cultivars become widely available, some producers inevitably will continue to grow susceptible cultivars. Thus, the goal of the Epidemiology and Disease Management research area is to foster research on effective disease management practices based on a more complete understanding of the biology, genetics and pathogenicity of the causal agents; of environmental conditions and management factors favoring pathogen development, inoculum dissemination, host infection, and epidemic outbreaks; and of the interactions between the causal agents and their host.
The Epidemiology and Disease Management research area of the U.S. Wheat & Barley Scab Initiative supports research efforts addressing one or more of the following priorities:
- Pathogen biology and ecology: including the determination of the nature, development, survival and spread of the causal Fusarium spp.; spatial and temporal distribution and environmental influences thereon; and, inoculum suppression.
- Epidemiology: including determination of the environmental conditions favoring development of inoculum, toxin production, and promotion of infection; the factors leading to epidemics; and, the development and implementation of disease forecasting/risk assessment systems.
- Fungal genetics and genomics: including an examination of the diversity of Fusarium spp. to determine the extent of genetic variability and aggressiveness among species and isolates collected from within and between U.S. crop production regions as well as globally; examination of genes and gene expression involved in the Fusarium life cycle, aggressiveness, and disease processes; and, mutational studies directed at understanding mechanisms of pathogenicity and targets for intervention strategies.
- Host-parasite interactions: including investigations of the infection and colonization processes as conditioned by host resistance/susceptibility, F. graminearum mycotoxin production, and pathogen aggressiveness.
- Integrated disease management: including determination of the influence of modern crop management practices on disease development and selection of the best disease suppression systems other than chemical and biological control practices.
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| Summary of Funding |
| | FY04 (2004-05) | FY05 (2005-06) |
| Number of Projects | 20 | 21 |
| Number of PIs | 15 | 17 |
| Working Cap | $802,713 | $770,387 |
| Total Award Amount | $833,208 | $836,048 |
| % Total Rec. Funding | 16% | 16% |
| Research Projects | FY04 | Not yet available. |
Research Reports/Publications
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