Annual progress report - Cost 873
Annual progress report - Cost 873
Annual progress report - Cost 873
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Monitoring Progress Report – 2009<br />
COST <strong>873</strong> – Bacterial Diseases of Stone Fruits and Nuts<br />
_________________________________________________________________________________<br />
Planned activities 2010:<br />
Screen apricot varieties for Xap resistance in different countries, and develop Smart-breeding tools for<br />
such resistance (e.g., QTLs)<br />
Protocols for analysis of biochemical characteristics of walnut genotypes to be for developing simple<br />
resistance markers will be prepared.<br />
STF meeting on host resistance and molecular breeding is planned for February.<br />
STF meeting on biochemical markers is planned for Spring. This may involve a Training School<br />
aspect.<br />
A joint meeting with FAO/IPGIR is planned.<br />
Development of a germplasm database for COST<strong>873</strong> stone fruit-nut host plants.<br />
II.A.e. Working Group 4: Control Strategies<br />
This WG‟s aims are to develop, evaluate and implement control strategies linking the deliverables of<br />
all WGs for an integrated disease management strategy for COST<strong>873</strong> diseases. The main control<br />
compounds that are being focused on are biological agents and chemicals (primarily innovative copper<br />
compounds). Durability of these compounds is being evaluated in a just established STF to survey for<br />
copper resistance in Xap and the walnut blight pathogen. A variety of newly isolated and commercial<br />
biocontrol agents are being screened and field tested in PL, CH, ES, IT and TR.<br />
Harmonized protocols were published on www.cost<strong>873</strong>.ch for screening biocontrol agents for<br />
efficacy against walnut blight across the COST<strong>873</strong> countries was prepared by Spanish partners. A<br />
standardized protocol for bactericide evaluation prepared by French partners was published by AFPP<br />
(http://www.afpp.net) of the national method CEB (Commission des Essais Biologiques) for pesticide<br />
evaluation (for trials conducted for registration of chemicals) against walnut blight. This method was<br />
mainly requested to supply the copper products re-evaluation under EC 91/414.<br />
The potential of natural plant essential oils for bactericidal activity has been spear-headed by<br />
COST<strong>873</strong> CZ partners at the Crop Research Institute Prague. Efforts will be made to integrate this line<br />
of research with other COST<strong>873</strong> countries, providing independent evaluation of these compounds,<br />
transfer of this novel technology from CZ, and a training opportunity for CZ ESRs via developing this<br />
work with cutting-edge technology in other COST<strong>873</strong> labs.<br />
Major advances have been made for high-throughput synthesis of novel antibacterial peptides, and<br />
screening for antibacterial activity in vitro and in planta. The limited spectrum of activity and limited<br />
persistence in the environment make these peptides an extremely exciting development in plant<br />
protection chemistry. Two patents have been issued for this work in Spain.<br />
Another major highlight of this WG was the complete genome sequencing of two species of highly<br />
effective biocontrol agents, Pantoea agglomerans and P. vagans C9-1. This work has involved<br />
international industry funding to COST<strong>873</strong> partners. Publication and public access is expected in early<br />
2010. Plans are being finalized to sequence a further commercial strain.<br />
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