Source: UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA submitted to
THE SOUTHERN PLANT DIAGNOSTIC NETWORK
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1009942
Grant No.
2016-37620-25850
Cumulative Award Amt.
$2,982,484.00
Proposal No.
2016-06860
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2016
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2021
Grant Year
2020
Program Code
[AA-G]- Homeland Security
Project Director
Harmon, C. L.
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
G022 MCCARTY HALL
GAINESVILLE,FL 32611
Performing Department
Plant Pathology
Non Technical Summary
The Southern Plant Diagnostic Network (SPDN) is one of five regional networks primarily comprised of land-grant institution plant diagnostic laboratories and associated personnel, plus one national private plant diagnostic laboratory that focuses on ornamentals. The objective of this network is to safeguard US agriculture and natural systems by enhancing the early detection, accurate diagnosis, and efficient reporting of new, emerging, important, and high-risk plant problems. This network accomplishes this objective through enhancement of laboratory capabilities, capacities, and personnel, as well as through the training of First Detectors in monitoring and secure sample submission. The Southern Plant Diagnostic Network comprises a partnership between USDA-NIFA and 14 land-grant institutions in the following states and U.S. territories: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. All five regional networks function as a hub-and-spoke system, whereby one institution takes the lead and serves as the expert and backup laboratory and financial and organizational hub for the entire region. The SPDN hub is at the University of Florida. The other four regions have their hubs at the following institutions: Northeast Plant Diagnostic Network, Cornell University; Great Plains Diagnostic Network, Kansas State University; North Central Plant Diagnostic Network, Michigan State University; and Western Plant Diagnostic Network, University of California, Davis.The charge of the SPDN is the diagnosis of and assistance with detection of select agents, high-risk pathogens and pests, and routine clinical samples in the region. In addition, the SPDN requires that all member labs submit diagnostic data to the NPDN national repository at CERIS/Purdue. Additionally, the SPDN continues to support regional communication and limited training of First Detectors, a program heavily leveraged with other federal and non-federal funding. And recently, the regional center is heavily involved in development and adoption of the STARD laboratory accreditation system, providing personnel time as well as funding for this effort. The SPDN partners with other disease detection and identification agencies such as APHIS, the IPM Centers, the National Plant Board, the Sentinel Plant Network (APGA), and others. These objectives support the national goals for the NPDN in diagnostics capability and capacity to increase early detection of high-impact plant problems.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
2120199110260%
2120199110110%
2120199110010%
2110199113010%
2120199112010%
Knowledge Area
212 - Pathogens and Nematodes Affecting Plants; 211 - Insects, Mites, and Other Arthropods Affecting Plants;

Subject Of Investigation
0199 - Soil and land, general;

Field Of Science
1101 - Virology; 1130 - Entomology and acarology; 1120 - Nematology; 1102 - Mycology; 1100 - Bacteriology;
Goals / Objectives
1. Detection:Submission of all plant pathology laboratory data will continue. Additionally, several states will contribute data from secondary pathology laboratories and entomology/nematology laboratories. Data submission is required for member laboratories in the NPDN. (see the Policies section, Section E, below) Florida has subscribed to PClinic since 2012 to reduce diagnostic database costs. We will support and encourage diagnosticians to attend all training available from APHIS, universities and others, as funding permits. We will coordinate sample movement and surge, and provide all updated SOPs and protocols on a timely basis. SPDN members and the SPDN Associate Director will update and/or author new SOPs as needed. Harmon will participate in NPDN Diagnostics Subcommittee conference calls, as available, and the SPDN hub lab is represented by Dr. Sladana Bec on each call. The UG-99 SOP (Harmon) is in final approval stages with APHIS.2. Diagnosis: We will continue to maintain the SPDN web site for managing workshops and workshop registrations, the Crop Biosecurity Curriculum web site and eLearning database on the new server block maintained by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) Information Technologies Office (operating on Microsoft SQL Server DBMS). The diagnostics data connections have been redirected to point directly from each state to the NPDN Repository, bypassing the SPDN regional database in an effort to cut costs. This will reduce the server support and maintenance to just those needed for the training systems. Reduced funding has forced us to minimally support the databases for training and education; development of any new modules will have to be through other sources of funds. Diagnostic data entry may be slightly slower due to reduced staff at most of the diagnostic laboratories. STAR-D Lab Accreditation: Although the scope of work for 2016-2017 is limited, the SPDN remains committed to supporting the continued development and application of STAR-D. The regional hub lab achieved accreditation May 2014, and retained accreditation by completing successful internal audits within the 2-year timeframe. The SPDN Associate Director and regional hub Laboratory Manager will continue to update and disseminate the current draft STAR-D manual and auditing checklist, and will support SPDN state laboratories by sharing documentation and guidance. The regional center has set aside funds to support travel for regional diagnosticians to attend STARD training opportunities. Harmon will continue to serve as a trained auditor and will attend further training and/or gap/accreditation audits with available funds. Jones will serve on the temporary STAR-D accreditation board (comprising the current regional directors until funding can be identified to broaden the group's representation).3. Reporting: SPDN Regional Center staff (Harmon and Jones) will continue to serve in present roles on Program Area Committees with NPDN and the region. Jones will continue to serve as Regional Director. Harmon will continue to serve as Secretary for the NPDN Executive Committee and PI of the SPDN project. SPDN regional center staff will continue to coordinate surge, survey, funding, and other coordination of regional members as needed. Harmon will continue to serve as the project PI and will coordinate funding requests, allocations, and reporting. Rachel McCarthy will provide support on a part-time basis as the NPDN Training and Education Program Area Manager. McCarthy will coordinate updates and information technology issues associated with the NPDN Training and Education website (www.firstdetector.org) and will continue to seek external sources for further grant support of the NPDN Training program. McCarthy will serve as the lead contact for CEU and website questions in regards to the NPDN training site. The regional budget will support the database servers, IT support through UF/IFAS IT to keep the scaffolding of the NPDN First Detector training program in place, however, development of new modules or content will continue to be supported externally. Harmon will coordinate training activities for the SPDN diagnosticians.
Project Methods
We will submit all requireddiagnsotic data to the National Repository database.We will update, disseminate, and use SOPs for pathogen and pest diagnosis.We will sponsor and support technical training in specific pests/pathogens, as well as best laboratory practices for diagnosticians.We will author, present, and otherwise disseminate presentations and publications to educate First Detectors.We will update and maintain an online presence via the NPDN web portal, FirstDetector.org, and Facebook.

Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/21

Outputs
Target Audience:SPDN and NEPDN member laboratory personnel enter their diagnostic data into a number of different database interfaces, all tied to the NPDN national database through XML coding. Each diagnosis represents at least one target audience contact with extension clientele. In the time period of Sept 1 2020-August 31, 2021, SPDN member states diagnosed 59,342 samples and MA, ME, NH, and VT (NEPDN states served by the SPDN hub for this year) 2,490 samples. That these states processed more than 60,000 samples during a year of COVID-related shutdowns and staffing issues is remarkable. This is a testament to the fact that these labs serve the green industries and their state stakeholders, finding ways to meet their need even through a pandemic. SPDN members presented and published material focusing on introductory and advanced plant pathology, plant diagnostics, communication during detection events, Integrated Pest Management, and specific plant problems including the select and significant agents listed by APHIS, and other diseases and pests in 549 publications/presentations. These attendees represented grower groups, Master gardeners, crop consultants, pesticide applicators, graduate students, agricultural education teachers, first detectors, and colleagues in plant pathology, entomology, and other related fields. Diagnosticians are an additional target audience, and this funding allowed for opportunities for diagnosticians to attend professional development conferences. Changes/Problems:The only major change to report is that of the effect of COVID:19: lab closures and distancing requirements pushed labs to innovate in staffing and response to clientele via virtual platforms. In-person trainings and meetings were postponed or switched to virtual platforms. Supply chain disruptions stalled some laboratory processes, but inspired the network to start an expertise, equipment, and consummables swap to assist in emergency situations, ensuring no disruption in the project or the services these valuable labs offer to their clientele. Overall, the impact of COVID-19 on the network's goals was not overly disruptive. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?All SPDN states sent diagnosticians to training opportunities to increase knowledge and potential for adoption of new methods or awareness of new organisms. Opportunities included the NPDN national meetings in 2016 and 2018, Kanuga ornamentals meetings, APS national and regional meetings, APHIS-sponsored trainings, and SPDN regional meetings, each with opportunities to share new methods and organism detections. The data in the accomplishments section indicates these opportunities were well-received and resulted in knowledge gained and behavior changes. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?SPDN member states directly benefit from the professional development of the region's diagnosticians. Reporting of these trainings, however, are often informal or through client contact mechanisms such as newsletters and grower meetings. Our websites, social media, and presentations during extension meetings disseminate our information to a wide variety of plant professionals. Additionally, each and every sample our labs process represents a point of contact with the public, plant industry, or other community of interest. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Detection: All SPDN states submitted all diagnostic data, totalling296,791 records from 37 active laboratories acros the region.Several states updated their Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) to take advantage of lower-cost and/or better-supportedoptions to ensure data continue to flow to the NDR. Diagnosis: The SPDN hub lab maintained accreditation, the Puerto Rico and Texaslabs achieved STARD accreditation,and three SPDN representatives (Harmon, Ong, and Jones) were part of a team to revamp the NPDN accreditation system to a more-accessible program for all NPDN labs, now called the NPDN Accreditation Program (NPDN CAP). Diagnostic capacity increased in the region, from 40,123 methods used in 2016-2017 to 77,108 in 2020-2021, with a total of 593,582 methods over the project, averaging at least 2 methods per sample diagnosis. The jump inmolecular methods was especially telling: from 1400 conventional PCRs in 2016-2017 to 6120 conventional PCRs in 2020-2021. Adoption of new technology also increased, especially in the use of qPCR, from 1 qPCR in 2016-2017 to 1469 in 2020-2021. Sequencing also increased from 19 in 2016-2017 to 69 in 2020-2021. Image analysis for digital diagnosisjumped in 2020, likely due to the labs pivoting to virtual diagnosis in an effort to maintain diagnostic service during COVID-19-related closures. An important metric of capacity-building is the confidence in a diagnosis, and SPDN improved over the course of the project, from 67% confirmed in 2016-2017 to 83% confirmed in 2020-2021. Likewise, the percentage of suspected confirmation decreased over the same period, from 22% of samples diagnosed as suspected, to 6.5% diagnosed as suspected in 2020-2021. This important change indicates an increase in knowledge, adoption of methods that confirm a diagnosis, and a change in diagnostician behavior - adopting new methods in their labs that allow them to be truly confident in each diagnosis. Reporting: The SPDN website moved under the NPDN portal umbrella and was revamped to focus on state reports and regional meeting minutes. SPDN is represented on all NPDN subcommittees, participating in committee activities and reporting.

Publications

  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Iles, L.C.; Fulladolsa, A.C.; Smart, A.; Bonkowski, J.; Creswell, T.; Harmon, C.L.; Hammerschmidt, R.; Hirch, R.; Rodriguez Salamanca, L. 2021. Everything Is Faster: How Do Land-Grant UniversityBased Plant Diagnostic Laboratories Keep Up with a Rapidly Changing World? Ann. Rev. of Phytopath. 59 (1):333-349. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-phyto-020620-102557
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Smart, A.; Byrne, J.; Hammerschmidt, R.; Snover-Clift, K.; Stack, J.; Brenes-Arguedas, T.; Jones, J.B.; Harmon, C.L. 2021. Evolving plant diagnostics during a pandemic. Plant Health Prog. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-08-20-0074-MR
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Kingeman, W.E.; Chong, J-C.; Harmon, C.L., Ames, L.; LeBude, A.V.; and Chandran, P. 2020. Scale insect records from ornamental plants help to prioritize plant health resource development. Plant Health Prog. 21:278-287 https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-05-20-0045-S


Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20

Outputs
Target Audience:SPDN member laboratory personnel enter their diagnostic data into a number of different database interfaces, all tied to the NPDN national database through XML coding. Each diagnosis represents at least one target audience contact with extension clientele. In the time period of April 1, 2019 through March 31, 2020, member states diagnosed over 43,000 samples. SPDN members presented and published material focusing on introductory and advanced plant pathology, plant diagnostics, communication during detection events, Integrated Pest Management, and specific plant problems including the select and significant agents listed by APHIS, and other diseases and pests in 549 publications/presentations. These attendees represented grower groups, Master gardeners, crop consultants, pesticide applicators, graduate students, agricultural education teachers, first detectors, and colleagues in plant pathology, entomology, and other related fields. Diagnosticians are an additional target audience, and this funding allowed for 169 opportunities for diagnosticians to attend professional development conferences. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The SPDN states were able to send the region's diagnosticians to multiple APHIS-sponsored trainings, thanks to travel funds made available through an agreement between APHIS and NIFA. SPDN members participated in more than two-dozen professional development opportunities, including workshop at the NPDN National Meeting in Indianapolis April 2019 and APHIS-led trainings in Beltsville for bioinformatics (Auburn and UF) and isothermal amplification (Auburn). Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, most of the Beltsville training sessions were postponed until 2021. Puerto Rico hosted an accreditation auditor training February 2020, led by Karen Snover-Clift and Dawn Daily-O'Brien from Cornell. Funds at the regional level supported diagnostician travel to workshops across the country, including two workshops at the SPDN-SDAPS-SIPMC joint meeting in Charleston, SC February 2020 and other topics such as Phytophthora, bioinformatics, and morphological ID of phytopathogenic fungi etc. Several states increased their capabilities with the adoption of new protocols (seven across SPDN states) and equipment (six items). Puerto Rico was accredited in February 2020, under the STARD standard, joining Texas and Florida for STARD-accredited labs in the SPDN. Many of the region's diagnosticians are heavily involved in training efforts for extension clientele, Master Gardeners, and other diagnosticians. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?SPDN members presented and published material focusing on introductory and advanced plant pathology, plant diagnostics, communication during detection events, Integrated Pest Management, and specific plant problems including the select and significant agents listed by APHIS, and other diseases and pests in 315 publications and 234 presentations/other works. The target audiences represented grower groups, master gardeners, crop consultants, graduate students, agricultural education teachers, first detectors, and colleagues in plant pathology, entomology, and other related fields. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The NPDN approved an update to the mission and goals of the NPDN in 2019 at the completion of strategic planning. In the section that follows, we offer details regarding the goals that relate to the mission: The National Plant Diagnostic Network is a premier diagnostic system with the ability to quickly detect and accurately identify plant pests and pathogens and to communicate timely and accurate information. DETECTION: Maintain integrity of SPDN early detection capacity. We will continue to support, encourage, and guide the SPDN partner laboratories and staff in maintaining and, when possible, increasing capacity for diagnostics and ID. The newly-formed Outreach and Education Committee will guide communications with First Detectors. DIAGNOSIS Laboratory capacity improvement. The SPDN regional center is committed to assisting partner laboratories in the region to replace worn or outdated equipment imperative to diagnosis in a modern lab (thermocyclers, microscopes) to support diagnostic capacity. These purchases will be limited to available funds, and will be encouraged as cost-shares with the participating institution. Emergency funds have been set aside to support this effort and surge in 2020-2021. Diagnostician professional development and training. At least one representative from each participating laboratory in the SPDN is expected to attend one professional development opportunity. Additionally, each state will be required to send at least one representative to the NPDN National meeting April 2021 in Davis, CA, which will be supported by the SPDN regional budget and will include workshops. Additionally, online professional development opportunities will be developed in 2020-2021 by the new Professional Development Committee. The regional center has set aside funds to support travel for nearly a dozen regional diagnosticians to attend professional development opportunities, including a "diagnostician exchange" program. REPORTING Diagnostic reporting. We will collaborate with colleagues at the National Repository at CERIS as needed. All states will continue to submit all data directly to the NPDN Repository in 2020-2021, following the updated standards for documenting confidence and method used. Network communications. SPDN Regional Center staff (Harmon and Jones) will continue to serve in present roles on Program Area Committees with NPDN and the region. Jones will continue to serve as Regional Director. Harmon will continue to serve as Executive Director for the NPDN Executive Committee and PI of the SPDN project. SPDN regional center staff will continue to coordinate surge, survey, funding, and other coordination of regional members as needed. Harmon will continue to serve as the project PI and will coordinate funding requests, allocations, and reporting. Harmon will continue to maintain content for the SPDN web site and Facebook page. Harmon will coordinate training activities for the SPDN diagnosticians. Pest alerts and regional news will be disseminated via email to the regional lists and via the SPDN Facebook page (maintained by the SPDN Associate Director).

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Alabama (Auburn) assisted with the detection of Cotton leafroll dwarf virus (CLRDV)in three other states, and diagnosed Veronicella cubensis and Vitacea polistiformes for the first time in the state. Arkansas (UA) purchased a new balance for the lab and detected boxwood blight for the first time in the state. Florida (UF) implemented two new diagnostic protocols and confirmed the presence of Cotton leafroll dwarf virus (CLRDV) with assistance from Auburn. UF and FDACS worked to confirm then eradicate ToBRFV in the state, and the UF-PDC processed nearly 3700 samples from across the country during a national APHIS surge survey for ToBRFV. Three new diseases in ornamentals are being confirmed and publications are in process. The UF-PDC (Harmon) taught an online course on plant disease management that had over 100 students, half of whom were international. And nearly two-dozen diagnostic professionals from across the Caribbean were trained during a week-long hands-on workshop in December as part of a partnership with CPDN and CISSIP. Georgia (UGA) had 21 new reports for the state, developed four new SOPs, and developed/adopted six new protocols via the new Molecular Diagnostic Lab in Tifton. Kentucky (UK) diagnosed five new infectious diseases on hemp, Colletotrichum coccodes on tomato, and laurel wilt on sassafras, all first reports for the state. UK also developed a new protocol for screening samples for Tobamoviruses and adopted a new method from UF for isolation of Raffalea lauricola from woody tissue for the diagnosis of laurel wilt. Additionally, UK invested heavily in the PDDL, with extensive renovation of the laboratory in 2019. Louisiana (LSU) reported Sclerotinia sclerotiorum on two new hosts in the state, as well as Septoria villarsiae on Nymphoides and Colletotrichum higginsianum on arugula, and developed and implemented a Taqman PCR assay for detection of boxwood dieback. Mississippi (MSU) detected Limonomyces roseipellis on Cynodon dactylon for the first time in the state and partnered with a municipal agency to screen 65 trees for Xylella fastidiosa to guide removal and replanting decisions. North Carolina (NCSU) had first-in-state detections of Erythricium salmonicolor, Alternaria vaccariicola, Dickeya dadantii, Septoria veronicae, Peronospora pulveracea, Veronicellidae sp., Puccinia sp. on hemp, and Trichoconiella sp. on rice. The NCSU NPDN collaborators leveraged diagnostic tools into more than a half-million dollars in grant-funded projects in 2019-2020, enhancing diagnosis and pest management capacity in NC and beyond. Puerto Rico (UPR) reported one first-in-US (Marasmiellus palmivorus on Annanas comosus) and 6 first-in-territory detections, Phytophthora nicotianae on tomato, Pleospora sp. on onion, Jatropha mosaic virus on cotton, Phoma sp. on asparagus, Botrytis cinerea on lettuce, and Fusarium semitectum on rice. The PR-PDC developed and implemented an SOP for seed detection of Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens subsp. flaccumfaciens, hosted auditor training in February 2020, and received full STARD accreditation, and is the only laboratory in Puerto Rico that supports the testing of citrus nurseries and groves. South Carolina (Clemson) reported the first detections in-state of Fusarium flower blight of hemp (Fusarium sp./spp.), Hemp russet mite (Aculops cannabicola), Lesser cornstalk borer on hemp (Elasmopalpus lignosellus), Zoysiagrass mite (Eriophyes zoysiae), Walnut twig beetle (Pityophthorus juglandis), Southern stem blight of Amarylllis (Sclerotium rolfsii), Ambrosia beetle (Oxoplatypus (Platypus) quadridentatus) on water oak, Leaf spot (Cristulariella sp./spp.) on Abelia, Ash rust (Puccinia sparganioides) on Salt Marsh Cord Grass, Cyclamen mite (Phytonemus (Steneotarsonemus) pallidus) on strawberry, Bacterial leaf spot (Burkholderia andropogonis, now Robbsia andropogonis) on Dianthus sp., and Bacterial bulb decay (Enterobacter cloacae) on Lily-of-the-Nile. The lab also adopted or improved three diagnostic methods/processes. Tennessee (UT) reported six new state finds: Raffaelea lauricola, Xyleborus glabratus, Haemaphysalis longicornis, Callyntrotus schlechtendali, Eriophyes eremus, and Uredo kriegeriana Syd. & P. Syd on hemp. Following initial detection of laurel wilt in the state, the UT and Tenn Dept. of Ag. staff mobilized and together collected and analyzed samples. Texas (TAMU) offered First Detector trainings that reached 3044 contacts. The lab reported three first-in-state finds: Grape Virus M, CLRDV in cotton, and Cotton Leaf Curl Gezira virus (which was also a first in the US), and performed 621 phytosanitary and survey tests for citrus, resulting in detections that expanded HLB and citrus canker quarantine zones in TX. Additionally, the lab deployed a diagnostic protocol for RRD to 4 NPDN labs and 1 EU regulatory lab, improved and deployed (with UF) a protocol for palm phytoplasmas, and is testing new e-SEM protocols for diagnostics. US Virgin Islands (UVI) Uploaded one sample to the repository this year, an indication of intent, but also a demonstration that the current infrastructure in the Virgin Islands cannot facilitate data entry in addition to the many other pest detection, diagnosis, and management roles of the UVI collaborator. Amy Dreves participated in hands-on diagnostic training at the SPDN regional lab at UF, increasing capabilities for USVI, and obtaining reference materials such as Compendia and IPM guides relevant to Caribbean crops. Virginia (VaTech) reported a new US record (Uredo kriegeriana on Cannabis sativa) and new state record Verticillium dahlia on Ailanthus altissima, optimized and implemented a lab-research-developed protocol for 3 grapevine viruses, using RT-PCR (Grapevine Leaf Roll associated Virus-2 and -3) and PCR (Grapevine Red Blotch Virus), and implemented two Rose Rosette Virus protocols from TAMU.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: " Sofia, A. S.; Sobrinho, R. R.; Conner, K., Nichols, R. L.; Lawrence, K. S.; and Brown, J. K. 2019. Characterization of the complete genome and P0 protein for a previously unreported genotype of cotton leafroll dwarf virus, an introduced polerovirus in the USA. Plant Disease 104:780-786. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-06-19-1316-RE
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: " Alabi, O. J.; Isakeit, T.; Vaughn, R.; Stelly, D.; Conner, K.; Gaytan, B.; Villegas, C.; Hitzelberger, C.; De Santiago, L.; Monclova-Santana, C.; and Brown, J. 2019. First report of Cotton leafroll dwarf virus infecting upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in Texas. Plant Disease 104:998. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-09-19-2008-PDN
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Bag, S., Tabassum, A., Brock, J., and Dutta, B. 2019. First Report of Tobacco Streak Virus Infecting Summer Squash in Georgia, U.S.A. Plant Disease, 103(6), 1442. doi:10.1094/pdis-12-18-2232-pdn
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Jagdale, G. B., Severns, P. M., Brannen, P. M., and Cline, W. O. 2019. Occurrence and Distribution of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes on Muscadine Grapes in Georgia and North Carolina. Plant Health Progress 20(3), 194-199. doi:10.1094/php-06-19-0042-s
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: " Aboughanem-Sabanadovic, N., T. Wilkerson, T. Allen, K. N. Conner, E. J. Sikora, R. Nichols, S. Sabanadzovic. Study of Cotton leafroll dwarf virus in Mississippi. 2019. During American Phytopathology Society Annual Meeting (Cleveland, OH).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: " Garcia-Aroca, T., P. Price, M. Tomaso-Peterson, T. Spurlock, T. R. Faske, K. Conner, E. J. Sikora, R. Guyer, H. Kelly, T. W. Allen, V. P. Doyle. 2019. A novel Xylaria sp. is capable of infecting soybean roots and producing systemic secondary metabolites responsible for foliar symptoms. During 87th Annual Meeting of the Mycological Society of America (Minneapolis, MN).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: " Iriarte, F.; Dey, K. K.; Small, I. M.; Conner, K.; O'Brien, K.; Johnson, L; Savery, C.; Carter, E.; Sprague, D.; Wright, D. L.; Nichols, R. L.; Mulvaney, M.; and Paret, M. L. 2020. First report of cotton leafroll dwarf virus (CLRDV) in Florida. Plant Disease: In Press - https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-19-2150-PDN
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Ali, M. E., Hajihassani, A., Waliullah, S., Cipollini, M., Ji, P., and Brenneman, T. B. 2019. First Report of Meloidogyne javanica Infecting American Chestnut Trees (Castanea dentata) in Georgia, USA. Plant Disease, 103(10), 2694. doi:10.1094/PDIS-03-19-0604-PDN
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Ali, M. E., Hudson, O., Hemphill, W. H., Brenneman, T. B., and Oliver, J. E. 2019. First Report of Resistance to Pyraclostrobin, Boscalid, and Thiophanate-methyl in Colletotrichum gloeosporioides from Blueberry in Georgia. Plant Health Progress, 261-262. doi:10.1094/php-08-19-0058-br
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Ali, M. E., Hudson, O., Waliullah, S., Brock, J., Hayes, B., Williams-Woodward, J. L., and Oliver, J. E. 2019. First Report of Downy Mildew on Blackberry Caused by Peronospora sparsa in Georgia, U.S.A. Plant Disease. doi:10.1094/pdis-09-19-1962-pdn
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Jogi, A., Brannen, P.M., Brock J.H., Dutta, B., Jagdale, G.B., Kemerait, R., Little, E., Martinez-Espinoza, A., Oliver, J.E. and Williams-Woodward, J.L. 2020. Recent Updates on the University of Georgia Extension Plant Pathology Southern Plant Diagnostic Network Plant Disease Clinics and Nematology Lab. American Phytopathological Society 97th Southern Division Meeting, Charleston SC. Poster presentation
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Anderson, N.R., Mehl, K.M., Neves, D.L., Bradley, C.A., and Wise, K.A. 2019 First report of Curvularia leaf spot in corn, caused by Curvularia lunata, in Kentucky. Plant Dis. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-03-19-0629-PDN
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2020 Citation: Beale, J., Kennedy, B., Long, S., and Vincelli, P. 2020. University of Kentucky Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory State Report, SPDN Meeting 2020. (Abstr.) Phytopathology  In press.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Singh, R. 2020. Specialty Crop Plant Diseases on the Rise in Louisiana. Louisiana Agriculture Vol. 63 (1): 10-14.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Kaur, H., Doyle, V.P., Singh, R. 2019. A diagnostic taqman real-time PCR assay for detection and quantification of Colletotrichum theobromicola, causal agent of boxwood dieback. Phytopathology 109:S2.1.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Balbalian, C.J. April 16, 2019, Membership has its privileges: The evolution of the Mississippi Plant Diagnostic Laboratory in the era of NPDN, Poster, National Plant Diagnostic Network national meeting.


Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19

Outputs
Target Audience:SPDN member laboratory personnel enter their diagnostic data into a number of different database interfaces, all tied to the NPDN national database through XML coding. Each diagnosis represents at least one target audience contact with extension clientele. In the time period of April 1, 2018 through April 1, 2019, member states diagnosed over 55,000 samples. SPDN members presented and published material focusing on introductory and advanced plant pathology, plant diagnostics, communication during detection events, Integrated Pest Management, and specific plant problems including the select andsignificant agents listed by APHIS, and other diseases and pests in 623 publications/presentations viewed or attended by over 306,000 attendees. These attendees represented grower groups, Master gardeners, crop consultants, pesticide applicators, graduate students, agricultural education teachers, first detectors, and colleagues in plant pathology, entomology, and other related fields. Diagnosticians are an additional target audience, and this funding allowed for 145 opportunities for diagnosticians to attend professional development conferences. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The SPDN laboratories had 17 members who obtained Phytophthora ramorum (SOD), huánglóngbìng (HLB), and/or PPV certification via the provisional approval NPPLAP certification through APHIS-PPQ-CPHST. Additionally, the SPDN states were able to send the region's diagnosticians to multiple APHIS-sponsored trainings, thanks to travel funds made available through an agreement between APHIS and NIFA. The SPDN regional center made additional funds available for travel for diagnosticians to other training opportunities across the country. These trainings included topics such as Phytophthora, bioinformatics, and morphological ID of phytopathogenic fungi etc. Diagnosticians also attended other training sessions concerning molecular techniques and diseases of local significance. Many of the region's diagnosticians are heavily involved in training efforts for extension clientele, Master Gardeners, and other diagnosticians, here in the US and abroad. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?SPDN member states directly benefit from the professional development of the region's diagnosticians. Reporting of these trainings, however, are often informal or through client contact mechanisms such as newsletters and grower meetings. Our websites, social media, and presentations during extension meetings disseminate our information to a wide variety of plant professionals. Additionally, each and every sample our labs process represents a point of contact with the public, plant industry, or other community of interest. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Detection: First Detector-type education is important as part of the extension mission of most of our labs, but will continue to be supported through suplemental funding on a case-by-case basis for the time being. Development of new assays and pest and disease information for extension clientele and NPDN diagnosticians remains a priority and will be further developed within the new strategic areas defined by the strategic planning working groups. Diagnostics: Submission of all plant pathology laboratory data will continue. Additionally, several states will contribute data from secondary pathology laboratories and entomology/nematology laboratories. Data submission is required for member laboratories in the NPDN. (see the Policies section, Section E, below) Florida has subscribed to PClinic beginning in 2012 to reduce diagnostic database costs (seven UF labs are supported at a total cost of $3,200 per year). Several other states in the region also use Pclinic now as a cost-efficient LIMS. Three states will need to find a new LIMS since DDDI is folding, and the NPDN regional center is actively facilitating this process. We will support and encourage diagnosticians to attend all training available from APHIS, universities and others, as funding permits. We will coordinate sample movement and surge, and provide all updated SOPs and protocols on a timely basis. SPDN members and the SPDN Associate Director will update and/or author new SOPs as needed. Bec will participate in NPDN Diagnostics Subcommittee conference calls, representing the SPDN hub lab.Harmon will coordinate training activities for the SPDN diagnosticians. Although the scope of work for 2019-2020 is limited, and will be guided by strategic planning changes to the system, the SPDN remains committed to supporting the continued development and application of laboratory accreditation. We will encourage the adoption of the new accreditation system, pending design and appropriate funding. The regional hub lab will continue to utilize the STARD management system as part of its accreditation, until the new system is in place. The SPDN Associate Director will continue to update and support SPDN state laboratories by sharing documentation and guidance. Reporting: Harmon will continue to support a SPDN Facebook presence (https://www.facebook.com/SouthernPlantDiagnosticNetwork) for managing communication of pest alerts and workshops. The SPDN web portal (http://npdn.org/spdn) has been updated by CERIS with content provided by PI Harmon. First Detector workshop registrations, the Crop Biosecurity Curriculum web site, and the eLearning database has been moved to a server block maintained by the NPDN/CERIS group at Purdue University. Each state maintains its own diagnostics data connections to point directly from each state to the NPDN Repository. Reduced funding has forced us to minimally support the databases for training and education; development of any new modules will continue to be through other sources of funds.SPDN Regional Center staff (Harmon and Jones) will continue to serve in present roles within the region. Jones will continue to serve as SPDN Regional Director and as such, will serve on the NPDN Executive and Operations Committees and the STARD Board. Harmon will begin to serve as Executive Director of the NPDN in August 2019 and will continue to coordinate surge, survey, funding, and other coordination of regional members as needed. Harmon will continue to serve as the project PI and will coordinate funding requests, allocations, and reporting. The SPDN will serve on various committees for planning the next national NPDN meeting (spring 2021) and regional SPDN meeting in spring 2020.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? SPDN members presented and published material focusing on introductory and advanced plant pathology, plant diagnostics, communications during detection events, the NPDN, and specific plant problems including the select and significant agents listed by APHIS, and insect pests in over 250 publications/presentations. SPDN member labs processed over 55,000 diagnostic samples, hundreds of which were new reports in the national database. Ten SPDN states recorded first reports at the state, regional, and even national level. In Alabama, three routine samples ended up as first reports (pathogen or pest) for the state, 12 in Florida, 16 in Georgia, 18 in Louisiana, six in North Carolina, four in Puerto Rico, 12 in Tennessee, seven in Texas, and 12 were reported in Virginia. The SPDN laboratories had 17 members who obtained Phytophthora ramorum (SOD), huánglóngbìng (HLB), and/or PPV certification via the provisional approval NPPLAP certification through APHIS-PPQ-CPHST. Southeast laboratories have the capability to receive over 2,600 extra HLB samples, over 2,700 extra Phytophthora ramorum samples, 2,100 extra PPVsamples, 350 phytoplasma samples, and 500 Ralstonia spp. samples. In addition to these organisms, SPDN laboratories can provide surge capacity for Dickeya spp., citrus canker, and viruses such as SCMV and CGMMV. Several states utilized the regional center's surge capacity during the 2018-2019 year. Additionally, the SPDN states were able to send the region's diagnosticians to multiple APHIS-sponsored trainings, thanks to travel funds made available through an agreement between APHIS and NIFA. The SPDN regional center made additional funds available for travel for diagnosticians to other training opportunities across the country. These trainings included topics such as Phytophthora, bioinformatics, and morphological ID of phytopathogenic fungi etc. Diagnosticians also attended other training sessions concerning molecular techniques and diseases of local significance. Additionally, the SPDN regional hub lab retained and the Texas TPPDL lab obtained STARD accreditation. Many of the region'sdiagnosticians are heavily involved in training efforts for extension clientele, Master Gardeners, and other diagnosticians, here in the US and abroad.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Long, L.C. , DAmico, V., Frank, S.D. (2018) Urban forest fragments buffer trees from warming and pests. Science of the Total Environment, 658: 1523-1530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.293.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Ranger, C.M., Schultz, P.B., Frank, S.D., and Reding, M.E. (2018) Freeze stress of deciduous trees induces attacks by opportunistic ambrosia beetles. Agricultural and Forest Entomology, DOI: 10.1111/afe.12317.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Dale, A.G. and Frank, S.D. (2018) Urban plants and climate drive unique arthropod interactions with unpredictable consequences. Current Opinion in Insect Science, 29: 27-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2018.06.001.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Just, M.G., Frank, S.D., and Dale, A.G. (2018) Impervious surface thresholds for urban tree site selection. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 34: 141-146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2018.06.00
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Lahr, E.C., Dunn, R.R., and Frank, S.D. (2018) Getting ahead of the curve: cities as surrogates for global change. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 285: 20180643. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.0643.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Lahr, E.C., Dunn, R.R., and Frank, S.D. (2018) Variation in photosynthesis and stomatal conductance among red maple (Acer rubrum) urban planted cultivars and wildtype trees in the southeastern United States. PLOS One: 13(5): e0197866.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Camacho, E.R., Chong, J., Braman, S.K., Frank, S.D., Schultz, P.B. (2018) Natural enemy communities and biological control of Parthenolecanium spp. (Hemiptera: Coccidae) in the Southeastern United States, Journal of Economic Entomology: https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toy102.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: McCluney, K.E., George, T., Frank, S.D. (2018) Water availability influences arthropod water demand, hydration and community composition on urban trees. Journal of Urban Ecology, 4(1): https://doi.org/10.1093/jue/juy003.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Frank, S.D. (2018) The box tree moth. Western Plant Diagnostic Network First Detector News, December 2018, 11:3.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Beard, C.B. et.al. 2018. Multistate Infestation with the Exotic DiseaseVector Tick Haemaphysalis longicornis  United States, August 2017September 2018. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2018 Nov 30; 67(47): 13101313.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Shew, B. B. 2019. How to send specimens for disease, Insect and weed identification. North Carolina Agricultural Chemicals manual. https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/north-carolina-agricultural-chemicals-manual
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Shew, B.B. 2019. Peanut Disease Management in 2019 Peanut Information, D.L. Jordan, ed. AG-331 (revised) https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/peanut-information
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Sharma, S., A. Z. Zaccaron, J.B. Ridenour, Tom Allen, Kassie Conner, Vinson P. Doyle, Trey Price, Edward Sikora, Raghuwinder Singh, Terry Spurlock, Maria Tomaso-Peterson, Tessie Wilkerson, and Burt H. Bluhm. 2018. Draft genome sequence of Xylaria sp., the causal agent of taproot decline of soybean in Southern United States. Data in Brief 17: 129133.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Garcia-Aroca, T., Doyle, V., Singh, R., Price, T., and Collins, K. 2018. First Report of Curvularia leaf spot Caused by Curvularia lunata on Corn in the United States. Plant Health Prog. 19 (2): 140-142.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Ferguson, M. H., and Singh, R. 2018. First Report of Lethal Yellowing Associated with Phytoplasma Subgroup 16SrIV-A on Silver Date Palm and Chinese Windmill Palm in Louisiana. Plant Dis. 102 (10): 2018.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Guirong Zhang, Tom Allen, Jason Bond, Ahmad M. Fakhoury, Anne Dorrance, Linda Weber, Travis Faske, Loren Giesler, Donald Hershman, Brenda Kennedy, Danilo Neves, Clayton Hollier, Heather Kelly, Melvin Newman, Nathan, Kleczewski, Steve Koenning, Lindsey Thiessen, Hillary Mehl, Tian Zhou, Michael Meyer, Daren Mueller, Yba Kandel, Paul Price, John Rupe, Edwared Sikora, Jeffrey Standish, Maria Tomaso-Peterson, Kiersten Wise and Carl Bradley, September, 2018, Widespread occurrence of quinone outside inhibitor fungicide-resistance isolates of Cercospora sojina, causal agent of frogeye leaf spot of soybean, in the United States, Plant Health Progress, Volume 19, No. 4, Pg 295-302
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Estevez de Jensen, C., D. Intriago and G. Abad.. 2019. Prevalence of Phytophthora in Pineapple in Puerto Rico. Oomycetes International Workshop, Boston.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Scott Adkins, C. Est�vez de Jensen, Galen F., H. C. Mellinger, S. F. Hutton, J. E. Funderburk, R. Naidu6 and W. Turechek.. 2018. Emerging Viruses in Florida and the Caribbean. Viruses Workshop, Boston
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Estevez de Jensen, C., Gonzalez, O. and Vidalakis, G.. 2018. Citrus Sampling for HLB Detection. 4 p.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Williamson, M.A., S.W.Scott, October 2018, First Report of Hellebore Black Death of Lenten Rose, Caused by Helleborus net necrosis virus, in SC, Plant Disease, Vol. 102, No. 12.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Windham, A., F. Hale D. Hensley. 2019. Using social media to reach a more diverse audience in Extension programming. 1028-P. https://apsnet.confex.com/apsnet/ICPP2018/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/10317
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Trigiano, R., S. Boggess, E. Bernard, and A. Windham. 2018. First report of a leaf anthracnose on Rohdea japonica (Japanese sacred lily) caused by Colletotrichum liriopes (Glomerella species) in the United States. Plant Disease 102 (11), 2380.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Hansen, Z., A. Windham and M. Windham. 2018. Grapevine leaf rust. W 790. UTIA. https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/W790.pdf
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Windham, A., M. Windham and F. Hale. 2019. Early detection of rose rosette disease. SP 806. UTIA. https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/SP806.pdf
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Olufemi J. Alabi, McBride, Sheila, Appel, David N., April 9-12, 2018. Status of grapevine viruses in Texas vineyards, 2018 ICVG Extended Abstract 19th Conference of the International Council for the Study of Virus and Virus-like Diseases of the Grapevine.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Shires, M., Ueckert, J. and Ong, K. 2018 Screening of rose rosette virus PCR primers to identify the most effective and sensitive detection method and primer. (Abstr.) Phytopathology 108:S2.1. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-108-12-S2.9
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Rhodes, SC and Ong, K. 2018 Stone fruit surveys in Texas monitoring for plum pox virus, European stone fruit yellows, phony peach disease, & light brown apple moth: 20172018 (Abstr.) Phytopathology 108:S1.237.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Ong, K. 2018 The Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab: Resources and Services available to producers. (Abstr.) 30th Texas Plant Protection Conference, Dec. 4-5. Bryan, TX.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Shires, M. and Ong, K. 2018 Downy Mildew of Roses. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension factsheet EPLP-018 (7/18), 2pp
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Shires, M. and Ong, K. 2018 Rose Rust. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension factsheet EPLP-023 (7/18), 2pp
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Shires, M. and Ong, K. 2018 Xanthomonas leaf spot of roses. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension factsheet EPLP-026 (7/18), 2pp
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Ong, K. and Vafaie, E. 2018 Thrown into the box with boxwood blight. TNLA Green May/Jun 21(3):25-27
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Vafaie, E. and Ong, K. 2018 New Pests on the rise. TNLA Green Sept/Oct 21(5):39-42
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Ong, K. and Vafaie, E. 2018 Start clean, stay clean. TNLA Green Nov/Dec 21(6):34
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Shires, M., Caulson, N. and Ong, K. 2018 Rose Rosette Virus. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension factsheet EPLP-022 (7/18), 2pp
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Knutson, A., Ong, K. and Ree, W. 2018 Insect and Disease Pests of Peaches, Plums, and Blackberries in a small fruit orchard. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension factsheet ENTO-08 (12/18), 15pp
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Hansen, M.A. and Bush, E.A. 2019. Diseases of Landscape Trees In the Home Grounds and Animals Pest Management Guide, pp. 4-11 to 4-26. Online: https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/456/456-018/456-018.html
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Hansen, M.A. 2019. Diseases of Forestry and Christmas Trees: Fungicide Recommendations for Seed Beds and Liner Bed In the Horticultural and Forest Crops Pest Management Guide, pp. 8-7 to 8-9. Online: https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/456/456-017/456-017.html
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Rideout, S. and Bush, E.A. 2019. Diseases of Vegetables In the Home Grounds and Animals Pest Management Guide, pp. 2-23-2-29. Online: https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/456/456-018/456-018.html Diseases of Vegetable Crops
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Arous, S., Harmon, C.L., Capobianco, H.M., and Polston J.E. 2018. Comparison of genus-specific primers in RT-PCR for the broad-specturm detection of viruses in the genus Potyvirus by plant diagnostic laboratories. Journal of virological methods, 258: 29-34.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Phillips, D. A., Harmon, P. F., Olmstead, J. W., Peres, N. A., and Munoz, P. R. (2018). Screening for Susceptibility to Anthracnose Stem Lesions in Southern Highbush Blueberry. HortScience, 53(7): 920-924.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Various articles in Kentucky Pest News
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Various articles in Morning Ag Clips, KY
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Singh, R. 2019. Southern Bacterial Wilt of Solanaceous Vegetables. LSU AgCenter 5 Acres or Fewer Farm News, Volume 1 (2): page 7.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Singh, R., Beasely, J., and Sanders, K. 2018. Various articles. Louisiana Home Lawn Series, A Guide to Maintaining a Healthy Louisiana Lawn. LSU AgCenter Publication.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Singh, R. 2018. Chinese windmill palm, a new host of date palm lethal decline. Louisiana Nursery and Landscape Association Quarterly Newsletter, Volume 61: 28.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Frank, S.D. (2018) Various articles. Nursery Management, July-December 2018
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Sikora, E.J., Conner, K.N., and Jacobson, A.L. 2018. Incidence of Soybean vein necrosis virus in Alabama soybean fields. Plant Health Progress 19:76-81.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Aboughanem-Sabanadzovic, N., Allen, T. W., Wilkerson, T. H., Conner, K. N., Sikora, E. J., Nichols, R. L., and Sabanadzovic, S. 2019. First report of cotton leafroll dwarf virus in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in Mississippi. Plant Disease, In Press. https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/pdf/10.1094/PDIS-01-19-0017-PDN
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Chitturi, A., Conner, K., Sikora, E. J., and Jacobson, A. L. 2018. Monitoring Seasonal Distribution of Thrips Vectors of Soybean Vein Necrosis Virus in Alabama Soybeans. Journal of Economic Entomology 111:25622569.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Tabassum, A.; Bag, S.; Roberts, P.; Suassuna, N.; Chee, P.; Whitaker, J. R.; Conner, K. N.; Brown, J.; Nichols, R. L.; Kemerait, R. C. 2019. First report of Cotton leafroll dwarf virus infecting Cotton in Georgia, USA. Plant Disease, In Press. https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/pdf/10.1094/PDIS-12-18-2197-PDN
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Hagan, A.; Conner, K. N.; Lawrence, K.; Koebernick, J.; Jacobson, A.; Bowen, K. L.; Sikora, E. J.; Smith, R. 2019. A new virus disease in Alabama cotton. ANR-2539. https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/crop-production/a-new-virus-disease-in-alabama-cotton/
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Balbalian, Clarissa. October, 2018. NPDN laboratory structure strategic planning working group. NPDN News, Volume 13, Issue 8.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Lookabaugh, E.C., Kerns, J.P., Cubeta, M.C., Shew, B.B. 2018. Fitness attributes of Pythium aphanidermatum with dual resistance to mefenoxam and fenamidone. Plant Disease 102:1938-1943.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Mahoney, D., Jordan, D., Brandenburg, R., Royals, B., Inman, M., Hare, D. and Shew, B.B. 2018. Influence of planting date and insecticide on injury caused by tobacco thrips and peanut yield in North Carolina. Peanut Sci. 45:70-74
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Junsopa, C., Jogloy, S., Saksirirat, W., Songsri, P., Kesmala, T., Shew, B.B. 2018. Association of seedling and adult plant resistance to Sclerotium rolfsii in Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) under field conditions. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 151:251-255
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Shew, B.B. 2018. Peanut disease management in North Carolina with Elatus and Miravis, 2017. PDMR 12: FC011
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Shew, B.B. 2018. Labeled fungicides for peanut disease management in North Carolina, 2017. PDMR 12:FC012
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Shew, B.B. 2018. Finishing Up Disease Programs After a Challenging Summer. Virginia-Carolinas Peanut News, 66 (3)
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Frank, S.D., Backe, K., McDaniel, C., Green, M., Widney, S., Dunn, R. 2019. Exotic urban trees conserve similar natural enemy communities as native congeners but have fewer pests. PeerJ 7:e6531 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6531.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Just, M.G., Long, L.C., Dale, A.G., Frank, S.D. 2019. Patterns of herbivory and tree condition depend on urbanization, but not latitude. Oikos doi: [10.1111/oik.05874]


Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/18

Outputs
Target Audience:SPDN member laboratory personnel enter their diagnostic data into a number of different database interfaces, all tied to the NPDN national database through XML coding. Each diagnosis represents at least one target audience contact with extension clientele. In the time period of April 1, 2017 through April 1, 2018, member states diagnosed 58,796 samples. As part of our network communications, SPDN continued to participate in the NPDN First Detector training and education program. SPDN members conducted 238 FD training sessions for First Detectors for a total of over 21,000 First Detectors. The quizzes that accompany all the online modules were taken 352 times between April 1, 2017 and April 1, 2018. SPDN members presented and published material focusing on introductory and advanced plant pathology, plant diagnostics, communication during detection events, Integrated Pest Management, and specific plant problems including the select and significant agents listed by APHIS, and other diseases and pests in 94 publications/presentations viewed or attended by over 47,000 attendees. These attendees represented grower groups, Master gardeners, crop consultants, pesticide applicators, graduate students, agricultural education teachers, first detectors, and colleagues in plant pathology, entomology, and other related fields. Diagnosticians are an additional target audience, and this funding allowed the training and publishing of standard operating procedures for more than 80 diagnosticians. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The SPDN laboratories had 21 members who obtained Phytophthora ramorum (SOD), huánglóngbìng (HLB), and/or PPV certification via the provisional approval NPPLAP certification through APHIS-PPQ-CPHST. Additionally, the SPDN states were able to send the region's diagnosticians to multiple APHIS-sponsored trainings, thanks to travel funds made available through an agreement between APHIS and NIFA. The SPDN regional center made additional funds available for travel for diagnosticians to other training opportunities across the country. These trainings included topics such as Phytophthora, bioinformatics, and morphological ID of phytopathogenic fungi etc. Diagnosticians also attended other training sessions concerning molecular techniques and diseases of local significance. Additionally, the SPDN regional hub lab retained the STARD accreditation. Virginia is also working toward STAR-D and wrote 51 quality laboratory documents. Many of the region's diagnosticians are heavily involved in training efforts for extension clientele, Master Gardeners, and other diagnosticians, here in the US and abroad. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?SPDN member states directly benefit from the professional development of the region's diagnosticians. Reporting of these trainings, however, are often informal or through client contact mechanisms such as newsletters and grower meetings. Our websites, social media, and presentations during extension meetings disseminate our information to a wide variety of plant professionals. Additionally, each and every sample our labs process represents a point of contact with the public, plant industry, or other community of interest. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?1. Diagnostics: Submission of all plant pathology laboratory data will continue. Additionally, several states will contribute data from secondary pathology laboratories and entomology/nematology laboratories. Data submission is required for member laboratories in the NPDN. (see the Policies section, Section E, below) Florida has subscribed to PClinic beginning in 2012 to reduce diagnostic database costs (four UF labs are supported at a total cost of $1,800 per year). We will support and encourage diagnosticians to attend all training available from APHIS, universities and others, as funding permits. We will coordinate sample movement and surge, and provide all updated SOPs and protocols on a timely basis. SPDN members and the SPDN Associate Director will update and/or author new SOPs as needed. Bec will participate in NPDN Diagnostics Subcommittee conference calls, representing the SPDN hub lab. The UG-99 SOP (Harmon) is in final approval stages, awaiting communication plan approval with APHIS. 2. IT and Data management: Harmon will continue to support a SPDN Facebook presence (https://www.facebook.com/SouthernPlantDiagnosticNetwork) for managing communication of pest alerts and workshops. The SPDN web portal (www.sepdn.org) has been updated by Harmon. First Detector workshop registrations, the Crop Biosecurity Curriculum web site, and the eLearning database has been moved to a server block maintained by the NPDN/CERIS group at Purdue University. Each state maintains its own diagnostics data connections to point directly from each state to the NPDN Repository. Reduced funding has forced us to minimally support the databases for training and education; development of any new modules will continue to be through other sources of funds. 3. Communications: SPDN Regional Center staff (Harmon and Jones) will continue to serve in present roles on Program Area Committees with NPDN and the region. Jones will continue to serve as SPDN Regional Director and as such, will serve on the NPDN Executive and Operations Committees and the STARD Board. Harmon will continue to serve as Secretary for the NPDN Executive Committee and PI of the SPDN project, and will continue to coordinate surge, survey, funding, and other coordination of regional members as needed. Harmon will continue to serve as the project PI and will coordinate funding requests, allocations, and reporting. The SPDN will serve on various committees for planning the next national NPDN meeting and regional SPDN meeting in spring 2019. Rachel McCarthy, of the Communications Working Group, will continue to provide support on a part-time basis. McCarthy will coordinate updates and information technology issues associated with the NPDN Training and Education website (www.firstdetector.org) and will continue to seek external sources for further grant support of the NPDN Training program. McCarthy will serve as the lead contact for CEU and website questions in regards to the NPDN training site. The regional budget will support the database servers, IT support through UF/IFAS IT to keep the scaffolding of the NPDN First Detector training program in place, however, development of new modules or content will continue to be supported externally. Harmon will coordinate training activities for the SPDN diagnosticians. 4. STAR-D Lab Accreditation: Although the scope of work for 2018-2019 is limited, the SPDN remains committed to supporting the continued development and application of STAR-D. We will encourage the adoption of the STAR-D, pending appropriate funding. The regional hub lab will continue to utilize the STARD management system as part of its accreditation. The SPDN Associate Director will continue to update and disseminate the current draft STAR-D manual and auditing checklist, and will support SPDN state laboratories by sharing documentation and guidance. Harmon will continue to serve as a trained auditor and will attend further training and/or gap/accreditation audits with available funds.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? SPDN members presented and published material focusing on introductory and advanced plant pathology, plant diagnostics, communications during detection events, the NPDN, and specific plant problems including the select and significant agents listed by APHIS, and insect pests in 238 publications/presentations. SPDN member labs processed over 58,000 diagnostic samples, hundreds of which were new reports in the national database. Nine SPDN states recorded first reports at the state, regional, and even national level. In Alabama, four routine samples ended up as first reports (pathogen or pest) for the state, one in Arkansas, four in Florida, seven in North Carolina, four in Puerto Rico, one in South Carolina, two in Tennessee, 15 in Texas, and three were reported in Virginia. The SPDN laboratories had 21 members who obtained Phytophthora ramorum (SOD), huánglóngbìng (HLB), and/or PPV certification via the provisional approval NPPLAP certification through APHIS-PPQ-CPHST. Southeast laboratories have the capability to receive over 1,600 extra HLB samples, over 2,100 extra Phytophthora ramorum samples, 1,100 extra PPV samples, 350 Phytoplasma samples, and 400 Ralstonia spp. samples. In addition to these organisms, SPDN laboratories can provide surge capacity for Africanized honeybees, Dickeya spp., and citrus canker. Several states utilized the regional center's surge capacity during the 2017-2018 year. Additionally, the SPDN states were able to send the region's diagnosticians to multiple APHIS-sponsored trainings, thanks to travel funds made available through an agreement between APHIS and NIFA. The SPDN regional center made additional funds available for travel for diagnosticians to other training opportunities across the country. These trainings included topics such as Phytophthora, bioinformatics, and morphological ID of phytopathogenic fungi etc. Diagnosticians also attended other training sessions concerning molecular techniques and diseases of local significance. Additionally, the SPDN regional hub lab retained the STARD accreditation. Many of the region's diagnosticians are heavily involved in training efforts for extension clientele, Master Gardeners, and other diagnosticians, here in the US and abroad.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Monks, C.D., Hagan, A., and Conner, K. 2017. Emphasizing extension's unbiased, research-based recommendations is critical. Journal of Extension 55:article #5COM1: https://www.joe.org/joe/2017october/comm1.php.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Sikora, E.J., Conner, K.N., and Jacobson, A.L. 2018. Incidence of Soybean vein necrosis virus in Alabama soybean fields. Plant Health Progress 19:76-81.
  • Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Sikora E., Conner, K., Bloodworth, M., Kemble, J., and Majumdar, A. 2017. Disease Management in High Tunnel Systems. ANR-2393. http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-2393/ANR-2393.pdf
  • Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Sikora, E., Delaney, D. and Conner, K. 2017. Frogeye Leaf Spot of Soybeans. ANR-2400. http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-2400/ANR-2400.pdf
  • Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Edwards, L. and Conner, K. 2017. Cold injury to ornamnetal and fruit trees. ANR-2413. http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-2413/ANR-2413.pdf
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: J.C. Gress, S. Smith and I.E. Tzanetakis., First Report of Citrus Leaf Blotch Virus in Peony in the U.S.A. Plant Disease., Volume 101, Number 4 Page 637
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: S. Smith and K. Urrea,. First Report of Downy Mildew Caused by S. Smith and K. Urrea,. First Report of Downy Mildew Caused by Peronospora belbahrii on basil in Arkansas. Plant Disease. Volume 102, Number 3 Page 686
  • Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Little, Elizabeth et al. August 2017. 2015 Georgia Plant Disease Loss Estimates. UGA Extension. AP 102-8
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Dixon, E., Kennedy, B., Pearce, R., Pfeufer, E., 2018, Occurrence of Frogeye Leaf Spot, Caused by Cercospora nicotianae, on Greenhouse Tobacco Transplants in Kentucky, Plant Disease 102:5:1036.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Amsden, B., Kwiatkowski, K., Dixon, E., Thompson, T., Williams, M., Beale, J., Pfeufer, E. First Report of Downy Mildew Caused by Hyaloperonospora parasitica on Siberian Kale in Kentucky. Plant Disease: 101 (6): 1057.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Allen, T., Bluhm, B., Connor, K., Doyle, V., Price, T., Singh, R., Spurlock, T., Tomato-Peterson, M., Sikora, E., and Wilkerson, T. 2017. First description of the causal agent of taproot decline of soybean, and emerging disease in the southern United States. Plant Health Progress, Volume 18, No. 1, Pg. 35-40.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Singh, R., and Vinson, D. September 2017. Boxwod dieback caused by Colletotrichum theobromicola: a diagostic guide. Plant Health Progress, Volume 18, No. 3, Pg. 174-180
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Lookabaugh, E.C., Whipker, B., Shew, B.B. 2017. Evaluation of Poinsettia Cultivars for Resistance to Pythium Root Rot Caused by Pythium aphanidermatum. HortTechnology 26: 805-812
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Lookabaugh, E.C., A. Thomas, B. B. Shew, S. C. Butler, and F. J. Louws. 2018. First Report of Black Leaf Mold of Tomato Caused by Pseudocercospora fuligena in North Carolina. Plant Disease 101:422.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Koehler, A.M., E. C. Lookabaugh, B. B. Shew, and H. D. Shew First Report of Pythium Root Rot of Stevia Caused by Pythium myriotylum, P. irregulare, and P. aphanidermatum in North Carolina. Plant Disease 101: 1331
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Jordan, D.L, Corbett, T., Bogle, C., Shew, B.B., Brandenburg, R.L., Ye, W. 2017. Effect of Previous Rotation on Plant Parasitic Nematode Population in Peanut and Crop Yield. Crop, Forage, and Turfgrass Management doi:10.2134/cftm2016.12.0086
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Frank, S.D., Anderson, A.L. , Ranger, C.M. (2017) Interaction of insecticide and media moisture on ambrosia beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) attacks on selected ornamental�trees. Environmental Entomology. doi: 10.1093/ee/nvx163.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Camacho, E.R., Chong, J., Braman, S.K., Frank, S.D., Schultz, P.B. (2017) Life history of Parthenolecanium spp. (Hemiptera: Coccidae) in urban landscapes of the southeastern United States. � Journal of Economic Entomology: 18. �doi: 10.1093/jee/tox170.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Hayden, J.E., Hoebeke, E.R., Bertone, M.A., and V.A. Brou, Jr. (2017) Diaphania costata (F.) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Spilomelinae), a commonly misidentified pest of ornamental Apocynaceae in the southern United States. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 119(2):173-190.
  • Type: Books Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: 2018 Southeastern United States Vegetable Crop Handbook.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Lookabaugh, E.C., Shew, B.B., and Cowger, C.C. 2017. Three Pythium species isolated from severely stunted wheat during an outbreak in North Carolina. Plant Health Progress doi:10.1094/PHP-03-17-0015-RS.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Meineke, E.K. and Frank, S.D. (2018) Water availability drives urban tree growth responses to herbivory and warming. Journal of Applied Ecology, DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13130.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Frank, S.D. 2017. Urbanization transforms native herbivores into exotic pests. Le Studium Conference on Species Spread in a Warmer and Globalized World, Orl�ans, France.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Backe, K., and Frank, S.D. 2017. Pest insects on urban trees: how quickly do populations build up? Poster presentation. Proceedings USDA Interagency Forum on Invasive Species, Annapolis, MD.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Adkins, S., Baker, C.A., Warfield, C.Y., Est�vez de Jensen, C., Badillo-Vargas, I., Webster, C.G., Frantz, G., Mellinger, H.C., Funderburk, J.E., and Naidu, R. Viruses of ornamentals emerging in Florida and the Caribbean region. Acta Hort. 1193:17-20. 2018.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Long, L.C., Frank, S.D. 2017. Urban forest fragments are sheltered from heat driven invasive pests. Poster presentation, USDA 28th Annual Interagency Forum on Invasive Species Research. Annapolis, MD.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Lassiter, B.R., Wilderson, G.G., Jordan, D.L., Buol, G.S., Shew, B.B., Brandenbury, R., Hebert, A., and Phipps, P. Development and deployment of a composite pest risk assessment decision support system for peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) in the Virginia-Carolina region. 2017. Crop, Forage and Turfgrass Management. doi:10.2134/cftm2017.08.0054
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Bertone, M.A., Nalepa, C.A., Oten, K.L.F., and Turner, S.P. (2017) Record of the hymenopteran parasitoid Xorides (Exomus) humeralis (Ichneumonidae: Xoridinae) from emerald ash borer galleries (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in North Carolina. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 119(3):514-517
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Shires, M., Ong, K. and Byrne, D. 2017 Rose rosette disease resistance field trials in north Texas. (Abstr.) Phytopathology 107:S5.1. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-107-12-S5.75.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: "MCBRIDE, S., Appel, D.N. 2017. Potential persistence of flutriafol in vineyard soils treated for control of cotton root rot, caused by Phymatotrichopsis omnivora. (Abstr.) PHYTO-107-12- S5.43"
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Woodward, J., Wheeler, T., Isakeit, T., Ong, K., Bart, R. and Phillips, A. 2017 Current assessment of Xanthomonas citri subsp. malvacearum race designation in Texas cotton. (Abstr.) Phytopathology 107:S5.1. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-107-12-S5.100.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Rhodes, S.C. and Ong, K. 2017 Stone fruit survey efforts in Texas monitoring for Plum Pox Virus, European Stone Fruit Yellows & Light Brown Apple Moth: 2016-2017. (Abstr.) Phytopathology 107:S5.1. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-107-12-S5.138.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Cobas, L. A., C. Est�vez de Jensen and D. Intriago. 2018. Effect of Bacteriophages in the Control of Bacterial Leaf Spot in Tomato. XVI Sciences Symposium Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico. Proceedings p. 18-19..
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Submitted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Williamson, M. A, S.W. Scott, First Report of Hellebore Black Death of Lenten Rose, caused by Helleborus Net Necrosis Virus, in South Carolina, Plant Disease
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Reeves E; Hansen MA; Bush E. (2017). First Report of Bacterial Leaf Spot of a Hardy Pink ( Dianthus gratianopolitanus hybrid) Caused by Burkholderia andropogonis in Virginia. Plant Disease, 101(8), 1540.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Ravindran, A., Ueckert, J. and Ong, K. 2017 Development of Multiplex-PCR for simultaneous detection of phytoplasmas causing Lethal Yellowing and Date Palm Lethal Decline in palms. (Abstr.) Phytopathology 107:S5.1. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-107-12-S5.57.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Hawk, T., Rhodes, S. C., McBride, S., & Ong, K. L. (2018). First report of boxwood dieback caused by Colletotrichum theobromicola in Texas. Plant Disease. 102(1), 242-243.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: "S. McBride, D. N. Appel, F. M. Pontasch, L. Gregg, and O. J. Alabi. First Report of Tobacco ringspot virus Infecting an American Hybrid Grape Cultivar in Texas. Plant Disease Jun 2017, Volume 101, Number 6"
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Hansen, M.A., and Bush, E. (2017). Submitting Hops Samples to the Plant Disease Clinic. South Atlantic Hops Conference, Blacksburg, VA. (3/2/17-3/3/17).
  • Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Hansen, M.A. and Bush, E.A. 2017. Diseases of Landscape Trees: pp. 4-11-4-26. In: 2018 Virginia Cooperative Extension Home Grounds and Animals Pest Management Guide (456018). Online: http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/456/456-018/456-018.html .
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Norman, D., Bocsanczy, A. M. B., Harmon, P. F., Harmon, C. L., and Khan, A. (2018). First report of bacterial wilt disease cause by Ralstonia solanacearum on Blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) in Florida. Phytopathology, 103: S2.112.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Stubbs, E. A., Burkle, C. C., Hodges, A. C., Myers, B. E., Whilby, L., Poplin, A., Hoenisch, R., McCarthy, R., and Harmon, C. (2017). Increasing invasive plant pest early detection through interagency first detector education. Journal of Extension, 55(3).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Harmon, C.; Timilsina, S.; Bonkowski, J.; Jones, D; Sun, X.; Ramos, L.; Bull, C.; Vallad, G.; Jones, J. (2018) Bacterial gall of Loropetalum chinense caused by Pseudomonas amygdali pv. loropetali pv.nov. Plant Dis.102(4): 799-806.
  • Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: F. Iriarte, M. Dewdney, E. Johnson, M. Paret, X. Martini, P. Andersen, I. Small, E. Lovestrand, N Guyen, Debra Jones, Jeayprakash Ayyamperumal and Xiaoan Sun. IFAS DISEASE ALERT FOR FLORIDA PANHANDLE HUANGLONGBING (HLB)


Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/17

Outputs
Target Audience: SPDN member laboratory personnel enter their diagnostic data into a number of different database interfaces, all tied to the NPDN national database through XML coding. Each diagnosis represents at least one target audience contact with extension clientele. In the time period of September 1, 2016 through June 2, 2017, member states diagnosed 25,941 samples. As part of our network communications, SPDN continued to participate in the NPDN First Detector training and education program. SPDN members conducted 316 FD training sessions for First Detectors for a total of 19,477 First Detectors. There were a total of 213 online users of www.firstdetector.org who completed 1,733 online modules during this time period. SPDN members presented and published material focusing on introductory and advanced plant pathology, plant diagnostics, communication during detection events, the NPDN, and specific plant problems including the select and significant agents listed by APHIS, laurel wilt, boxwood blight, and insect pests in 383 publications/presentations viewed or attended by over 35,000 attendees. These attendees represented grower groups, Master gardeners, crop consultants, pesticide applicators, graduate students, agricultural education teachers, first detectors, and colleagues in plant pathology, entomology, and other related fields. Diagnosticians are an additional target audience and this funding made it possible for diagnosticians to attend trainings, meetings, and workshops including the NPDN IT Diagnosticians Meeting at Purdue University, American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting, SPDN Annual Meeting, Bioinformatics workshop in Beltsville MD, QMS workshop, and Phytoplasmas for Plant Pathogens workshop in Beltsville MD. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The SPDN hub laboratory's Laboratory Manager and two assistant diagnosticians obtained citrus greening and sudden oak death NPLAPP certification for another year, supporting our mission to be prepared for surge samples from the SPDN or other states. Several states utilized the regional center's surge capacity during the 2016-2017 year. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service had diagnosticians that obtained certification for citrus greening detection; and University of Alabama- Auburn and Clemson University passed the Phytophthora ramorum panel. Additionally, the SPDN regional center was able to send the region's diagnosticians to multiple APHIS-sponsored, thanks to travel funds made available through an agreement between APHIS and NIFA. These trainings included topics such as Phytophthora, plum pox virus (PPV), phytoplasmas, citrus greening, laboratory accreditation, bioinformatics, etc. Diagnosticians also attended other training sessions concerning molecular techniques and diseases of local significance. Many of the region's diagnosticians are heavily involved in training efforts for extension clientele, Master Gardeners, and other diagnosticians, here in the US and abroad. Additionally, the SPDN regional hub lab retained the STARD accreditation by completing successful internal audits. Several SPDN diagnostic staff attended STARD auditor training in spring 2017. Texas is on the verge of completing STAR-D accreditation and has had two additional TPDDL personnel trained on QMS STAR-D. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?SPDN member states directly benefit from the professional development of the region's diagnosticians. Reporting of these trainings, however, are often informal or through client contact mechanisms such as newsletters and grower meetings. Our websites, social media, and presentations during extension meetings disseminate our information to a wide variety of plant professionals. Additionally, each and every sample our labs process represents a point of contact with the public, plant industry, or other community of interest. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?1. Diagnostics: Submission of all plant pathology laboratory data will continue. Additionally, several states will contribute data from secondary pathology laboratories and entomology/nematology laboratories. Data submission is required for member laboratories in the NPDN. (see the Policies section, Section E, below) Florida has subscribed to PClinic beginning in 2012 to reduce diagnostic database costs (four UF labs are supported at a total cost of $1,600 per year). We will support and encourage diagnosticians to attend all training available from APHIS, universities and others, as funding permits. We will coordinate sample movement and surge, and provide all updated SOPs and protocols on a timely basis. SPDN members and the SPDN Associate Director will update and/or author new SOPs as needed. Bec will participate in NPDN Diagnostics Subcommittee conference calls, representing the SPDN hub lab. The UG-99 SOP (Harmon) is in final approval stages, awaiting communication plan approval with APHIS. 2. IT and Data management: Harmon will continue to support a SPDN Facebook presence (https://www.facebook.com/SouthernPlantDiagnosticNetwork) for managing communication of pest alerts and workshops. The SPDN web portal (www.sepdn.org) is a sub-page of the national portal and has been updated by Harmon. First Detector workshop registrations, the Crop Biosecurity Curriculum web site, and the eLearning database will continue to be hosted on a server block maintained by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) Information Technologies Office (operating on Microsoft SQL Server DBMS). Each state maintains its own diagnostics data connections to point directly from each state to the NPDN Repository, bypassing the SPDN regional database in an effort to cut costs. This has reduced the server support and maintenance to just those needed for the training systems. Reduced funding has forced us to minimally support the databases for training and education; development of any new modules will continue to be through other sources of funds. Diagnostic data entry may be slightly slower due to reduced staff at most of the diagnostic laboratories. 3. Communications: SPDN Regional Center staff (Harmon and Jones) will continue to serve in present roles on Program Area Committees with NPDN and the region. Jones will continue to serve as SPDN Regional Director and as such, will serve on the NPDN Executive and Operations Committees and the STARD Board. Harmon will continue to serve as Secretary for the NPDN Executive Committee and PI of the SPDN project, and will continue to coordinate surge, survey, funding, and other coordination of regional members as needed. Harmon will continue to serve as the project PI and will coordinate funding requests, allocations, and reporting. Rachel McCarthy will continue to provide support on a part-time basis as the NPDN Training and Education Program Area Manager. McCarthy will coordinate updates and information technology issues associated with the NPDN Training and Education website (www.firstdetector.org) and will continue to seek external sources for further grant support of the NPDN Training program. McCarthy will serve as the lead contact for CEU and website questions in regards to the NPDN training site. Harmon will coordinate training activities for the SPDN diagnosticians. 4. STAR-D Lab Accreditation: Although the scope of work for 2016-2017 is limited, the SPDN remains committed to supporting the continued development and application of STAR-D. We will encourage the adoption of the STAR-D, pending appropriate funding. The regional hub lab will continue to utilize the STARD management system as part of its accreditation, and pending availability of funds, will assist with performing two more audits within the NPDN. The SPDN Associate Director will continue to update and disseminate the current draft STAR-D manual and auditing checklist, and will support SPDN state laboratories by sharing documentation and guidance. Harmon will continue to serve as a trained auditor and will attend further training and/or gap/accreditation audits with available funds. Jones will serve on the temporary STAR-D accreditation board (comprising the current regional directors until funding can be identified to broaden the group's representation).

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? SPDN members presented and published material focusing on introductory and advanced plant pathology, plant diagnostics, communications during detection events, the NPDN, and specific plant problems including the select and significant agents listed by APHIS, laurel wilt, boxwood blight, and insect pests in 383 publications/presentations. Several of these were coordinated projects with Protect US and the Sentinel Plant Network. SPDN member labs entered 25,941 diagnostic reports into the NPDN Repository, hundreds of which were new reports in the national database. Several SPDN states recorded first reports at the state, regional, and even national level. For example, in Alabama, two routine samples ended up as first reports (pathogen or pest) for the state, and three were first reports in Florida, nine in Louisiana, 13 in Mississippi, four in North Carolina, two in Puerto Rico, 70 in South Carolina, and 24 were reported in Virginia. The SPDN hub laboratory's Laboratory Manager and two assistant diagnosticians obtained citrus greening and sudden oak death NPLAPP certification for another year, supporting our mission to be prepared for surge samples from the SPDN or other states. Several states utilized the regional center's surge capacity during the 2016-2017 year. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service had diagnosticians that obtained certification for citrus greening detection; and University of Alabama- Auburn and Clemson University passed the Phytophthora ramorum panel. Additionally, the SPDN regional center was able to send the region's diagnosticians to multiple APHIS-sponsored, thanks to travel funds made available through an agreement between APHIS and NIFA. These trainings included topics such as Phytophthora, plum pox virus (PPV), phytoplasmas, citrus greening, laboratory accreditation, bioinformatics, etc. Diagnosticians also attended other training sessions concerning molecular techniques and diseases of local significance. Additionally, the SPDN regional hub lab retained the STARD accreditation by completing successful internal audits. Many of the region's diagnosticians are heavily involved in training efforts for extension clientele, Master Gardeners, and other diagnosticians, here in the US and abroad.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Reeves, E., Hansen, M.A., & Bush, E. 2017. First report of a bacterial leaf spot of a hardy pink (Dianthus gratianopolitanus hybrid) caused by Burkholderia andropogonis in Virginia. (in press) Plant Disease
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Hansen, M. A., Demers, J., Sutphin, M., Yoder, K., Bush, E., & Castlebury, L. (2016). First Report of European Pear Rust (Pear Trellis Rust) Caused by Gymnosporangium sabinae on Ornamental Pear (Pyrus calleryana) in Virginia. Plant Disease, 100(10), 2166. doi:10.1094/PDIS-03-16-0396-PDN
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Koehler, A.M., Lookabaugh, E.C., Shew, B.B. and Shew, H.D., 2017. First Report of Pythium Root Rot of Stevia Caused by Pythium myriotylum, P. irregulare, and P. aphanidermatum in North Carolina. Plant Disease. http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-16-1526-PDN
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Youngsteadt, E., Ernst, A.F., Dunn, R.R. and Frank, S.D., 2016. Responses of arthropod populations to warming depend on latitude: evidence from urban heat islands. Global change biology. doi: 10.1111/gcb.13550
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: McCluney, K.E., Burdine, J.D. and Frank, S.D., 2017. Variation in arthropod hydration across US cities with distinct climate. Journal of Urban Ecology, 3(1).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Meineke, E., Youngsteadt, E., Dunn, R.R. and Frank, S.D., 2016, October. Urban warming reduces aboveground carbon storage. In Proc. R. Soc. B (Vol. 283, No. 1840, p. 20161574). The Royal Society.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Dale, A.G. and Frank, S.D., 2017. Warming and drought combine to increase pest insect fitness on urban trees. PloS one, 12(3), p.e0173844.