PRECISION AGRICULTURE: INNOVATING CHERRY DISEASE MANAGEMENT WITH DIRECT PLANT INFUSION

• Sponsoring Institution: Agricultural Research Service/USDA
• Project Status: ACTIVE
• Funding Source: USDA INHOUSE
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0445181
• Project Start Date: Apr 1, 2024
• Project End Date: Mar 30, 2025
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE
5230 KONNOWAC PASS ROAD
WAPATO,WA 98951

Performing Department
(N/A)

Non Technical Summary
(N/A)

Animal Health Component

40%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

40%

Applied

40%

Developmental

20%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
211	1112	1130	100%

Knowledge Area
211 - Insects, Mites, and Other Arthropods Affecting Plants;

Subject Of Investigation
1112 - Cherry;

Field Of Science
1130 - Entomology and acarology;

Keywords

little

cherry

disease

x-disease

cherry

peach

colladonus

leafhopper

phytoplasma

Goals / Objectives
1. Evaluate the effectiveness of Direct Plant Infusion as a delivery system for insecticides targeting foliar-feeding and sap-sucking insects, with a specific focus on leafhopper vectors including C. reductus and C. geminatus. 2. Investigate the mobility of therapeutic compounds delivered through Direct Plant Infusion, assessing their ability to reach and protect leaves against hemipteran sucking insects. 3. Measure the residual activity of injected insecticides, aiming to establish a prolonged protective window against targeted pests while minimizing the need for frequent reapplications. Future work will focus on environmental impact of trunk injection with traditional foliar and soil-drench methods, highlighting the advantages of targeted delivery and reduced pesticide exposure.

Project Methods
Greenhouse studies will be used to investigate the effectiveness of direct plant infusion as a delivery system for insecticides and therapeutic compounds to cure cherry trees of cherry x-disease.