Performing Department
Agriculture
Non Technical Summary
Missouri was one of the largest industrial hemp producer states before 1938. After the 2018 Farm Bill, Missouri producers will first time grow industrial hemp in 2020. Missouri Department of Agriculture has approved more than 154 producers to legally grow hemp in Missouri in 2020. However, knowledge of hemp diseases among producers is extremely limited in Missouri. The pathologists around the U.S. have already seen dozens of industrial hemp diseases. Considering these facts, the goal of this project is to determine new and emerging diseases of industrial hemp in Missouri, identify causal organisms, and identify resistance and susceptibility levels to the diseases in the commercially available industrial hemp varieties. Specifically, we will collect suspected diseased hemp plant samples from two Lincoln University farms to identify diseases, and identify their causal organisms using laboratory techniques and greenhouse experiments. We will conduct field trials to determine resistance (or susceptibility) in the commercial hemp varieties, and publish peer-reviewed publications. The project will generate information on new hemp diseases in terms of disease symptoms, their causal organisms, and a list of susceptible and resistant varieties to the diseases which will be significantly useful to protect hemp plants in Missouri. Also, research findings will be useful to stakeholders including producers, plant pathologists, and extension specialists in the U.S and Missouri.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
50%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The overall goal of the project is to find out causal organisms of new and emerging hemp diseases in Missouri and identify resistance and susceptibility levels in commercial varieties.Objective 1: Identify new and emerging industrial hemp diseases and their causal pathogenic agents from two sites: George W. Carver Farm and Alan T. Busby Farm of Lincoln University.Objective 2: Screen industrial hemp varieties to determine resistance against newly identified important hemp diseases under the field conditions and to determine seed yield of each tested varieties bred for seed production.Objective 3: Disseminate research results to the stakeholders through conferences, and peer-reviewed articles.
Project Methods
Objective 1: To identify new industrial hemp diseases and their causal agents in Missouri.In the first year, the industrial hemp fields (George W. Carver Farm and Alan T. Busby Farm) will be monitored for the disease symptoms. The suspected plant samples will be collected and brought them to the laboratory for isolation of pathogenic agents. The collected samples will be surface sterilized in 10% sodium hypochlorite for 1 min and washed thrice in sterile water. Then, the samples will be placed on appropriate media to allow pathogen growth. The resulting culture will be examined for morphological growth of the pathogen. This will include morphology of typical structure produced by the pathogen including but not limited to mycelia color, asexual spores, resting structures, etc. In addition, molecular analysis of specific genes (depending on suspected pathogen) and Koch's postulates will be performed to confirm the causal organism for the disease. The morphological characterization of pathogen, molecular characterization of isolated pathogens and Koch's postulates will be conducted in first two years.Objective 2: To evaluate industrial hemp varieties against the diseases and determine seed yield in the tested varieties bred for seed production.A total of about 15 industrial hemp varieties will be screened for disease-resistance under the field trial. These varieties will be received from Dr. Babu Valliyodan of Lincoln University and from seed companies. Each of these varieties is mainly bred for either dual-purpose (seed/fiber), CBD, seed, or fiber production. The varieties will be tested against the newly identified disease/s found in first two years from George W. Carver Farm and Alan T. Busby Farm. Currently, susceptible variety for many industrial hemp diseases is not well known. For this reason, varieties will be assessed for each disease without standard susceptible cultivar. If susceptible varieties to some diseases are known, we will include those varieties in the field trial. The assessment of each variety will be performed in the form of determining the disease severity and disease incidence. The disease severity rating will guide us in determining the resistance level in each tested variety. The fungicides will not be applied in the field trials. Two field experiments will be conducted at two different sites: one at George W. Carver Farm and another at Alan T. Busby Farm. In an experiment, ten replicated hemp plants of each variety will be included in four randomized complete blocks. The weight of 1000 seeds and total seed yield will also be measured for varieties bred for seed production. The data of disease severity and seed yield will be analyzed using the statistical methods.Before harvesting the industrial hemp in these field trials, the field day will be organized to show producers the effects of varieties against the hemp disease/s.Objective 3: Disseminate research results to the stakeholders through conferences, and peer-reviewed articles.The scientific results will be delivered in regional and national conferences in 2021 and 2022. An experienced hemp plant pathologist from the University of Kentucky will deliver a talk at Lincoln University in 2021. The research outcomes will be published in the peer-reviewed journals for the industrial hemp producers.