Source: UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA submitted to
THE SOUTHERN PLANT DIAGNOSTIC NETWORK
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
EXTENDED
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1029167
Grant No.
2022-37621-38263
Project No.
FLA-PLP-006244
Proposal No.
2022-06102
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
AA-G
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2022
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2026
Grant Year
2023
Project Director
Harmon, C. L.
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
G022 MCCARTY HALL
GAINESVILLE,FL 32611
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The National Plant Diagnostic Network is the plant equivalent of having all the teaching hospitals, pharmacists, and primary care doctors in the country pulling together. Rather than competing for resources, the NPDN labs are your plant hospital, primary care physician, lab, and pharmacist rolled into one, with the sole purpose of serving the plant management community through detecting plant problems, accurately identifying them, and helping to determine a good course of corrective action. Our patients might not be able to talk, but we communicate well with their caretakers - growers, landscapers, producers, pest control operators, and the plant-loving public. We all depend on plants for food, animal feed, forests, and fiber, and the NPDN is a critical part of the alliance that protects them.Mission - The NPDN 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.The National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN), was established by then-USDA-CSREES (now USDA-NIFA), in recognition of the need for coordinated domestic plant biosecurity following 9-11. Built on the existing land-grant university extension program, all 50 states and the territories have been supported by laboratory-based diagnostic services that are coordinated and connected via the NPDN since that time. Funded through multi-year cooperative agreements with NIFA, the NPDN has built a sophisticated set of programs to collect diagnostic data on an incredible scale, train first responders, and ensure timely and accurate diagnosis and communication with decision makers to support plant biosecurity and safe trade. The Southern Plant Diagnostic Network regional project, hosted at the University of Florida, is one-fifth of a national consortium comprising the existing NPDN regional centers, the University of Maine (NEPDN), University of California (WPDN), Michigan State University (NCPDN) and Kansas State University (GPDN), and the current host of the National Data Repository, the Center for Environmental and Regulatory Information Services (CERIS) at Purdue University. Critically aware of the public nature of our funding, the consortium participants have made extensive efforts to reduce costs and avoid duplication of effort by assigning network management tasks and national areas of responsibility to individual regions. We leverage the incredible output of the land-grant university extension system to enhance services to our citizens and protect plant health for this and future generations.
Animal Health Component
0%
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
2122410116070%
2052410113030%
Knowledge Area
212 - Pathogens and Nematodes Affecting Plants; 205 - Plant Management Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
2410 - Cross-commodity research--multiple crops;

Field Of Science
1130 - Entomology and acarology; 1160 - Pathology;
Goals / Objectives
The Priorities of the NPDN, to address relevant FADI objectives:To provide value to U.S. plant biosecurity by establishing new programs, standards and practices aimed at increasing diagnostics capability and the capacity of the network, and increase the value of NPDN to its clientele, partners, and stakeholders.To support state and federal regulatory response efforts with accurate, timely, and reliable diagnostics; with collaborations and open channels of communication with regulatory entities; and maintaining of appropriate confidentiality in diagnostic data.To develop standards for diagnostics performance, data quality, and lab management that promote the highest confidence in the network, in NPDN diagnosticians, and in the quality and integrity of the diagnostics records in the NPDN National Data Repository.To provide or develop IT systems that aid diagnostics work by sharing and optimizing diagnostics methods, enhancing professional development and self-assessment, and improving communication among diagnosticians.To provide value to all member labs by enhancing the performance, credibility, and standing of NPDN labs; and provide the training and education foundation necessary for improvement of the labs and NPDN as a whole.To implement tools necessary to track metrics of success and improvement for the different programs and committees.To attain these purposes, the OBJECTIVES of the NPDN are to:Produce educated and capable first responders (Detection)Provide accurate, reliable, and timely diagnostics and surveillance (Diagnosis)Supply useful, real-time data from innovative information and communication systems (Reporting)
Project Methods
Proximal to the Caribbean and stretching from Texas to Virginia, the SPDN comprises subtropical to temperate climates and crops as diverse as rice, sugarcane, peaches, berries, soybeans, ornamentals, and vegetables. In addition to support of training efforts for diagnosticians and identifiers throughout the region, the SPDN is responsible for leadership of the National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN) regulatory relations and diagnostic emergency coordination with state and federal partners. The SPDN has networked and strengthened the laboratories at each member institution and will continue to encourage the incorporation of additional laboratories in each state (secondary pathology laboratories, entomology, weed science, and nematology laboratories). The SPDN is led by two co-directors at the University of Florida: Dr. Jeffrey B. Jones, Professor of the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Florida, and Dr. Carrie Lapaire Harmon, Extension Specialist and Director of the regional laboratory. Together they provide regional support and administer funding allocations, prepare reports, coordinate all diagnostic efforts in the SPDN, and participate in national NPDN committees, governance, and activities. The regional center administers the region's high-capacity Regional Lab that houses advanced diagnostics technologies, maintains surge-support capability, and provides diagnostic leadership and support to NPDN member labs in every state/territory within the region, as well as more broadly throughout the national network.Emergency Surge Response and Regulatory Support (Reporting objective): Harmon will continue to serve as the liaison to APHIS CPHST PPQ and the National Plant Board for emergency diagnostic programs, as a regional laboratory director and the champion of the NPDN Regulatory Relations Committee (YEARS 1-4). This role is not allocated NPDN national funding for this cooperative agreement, because NPDN is prioritizing funding the accreditation, professional development, and national coordination projects, which push funding to the states to ensure national and local diagnostic capacity. Harmon will continue to coordinate with Pat Shiel, APHIS PPQ CPHST, and Steven Long, National Plant Board president, and the NPDN Regulatory Relations Committee to ensure the NPDN is ready and able to serve when needed. The NPDN Regulatory Relations Committee will next focus on codifying the relationship between NPDN and APHIS, aiming to formalize communications, roles, and responsibilities that can assist both organizations with prioritizing and funding relevant programs (YEARS 2-3). Finally, Harmon will serve as the NPDN liaison to the Tactical Sciences Network, an extension of her NPDN role in coordinating with partners for increased national biosecurity (YEARS 1-4).NPDN Accreditation and NPPLAP Certification (Diagnosis objective):NPDN Accreditation: The ISO 17025-based NPDN Core Accreditation Program (CAP) is an improved accreditation system for all NPDN labs, regardless of size. The NPDN CAP is streamlined to be attainable by one-person labs (which represent >50% of NPDN labs) and incorporates the most significant portions of the STARD program, ensuring accurate and high-quality diagnosis in every lab that submits data to the NPDN National Data Repository. The University of Puerto Rico, Texas A&M, and the SPDN regional laboratory at the University of Florida (all STARD-approved) will share their experience, SOPs, and training examples of documents and processes with other labs in YEAR 1, as the SPDN proceeds as a region towards Core Accreditation of all data-submitting labs. This will start with a YEAR 1 workshop at the fall 2022 regional meeting (overview of minimum documents, provide all templates, and devote half a day workshop to working on the templates for each state), then at the in-person regional meeting planned concurrently with the SD-APS meeting in Raleigh, NC spring 2023 (complete minimum documents for each lab, begin online training and checklist progress in the NPDN professional development system, LearnUpon). Starting in YEAR 2 of the project, at least 4 labs will complete the Core accreditation process in YEAR 3 and 4 and beyond, such that all SPDN data-submitting labs are fully accredited under the NPDN Core Accreditation Program by 2027, according to the NPDN strategic plan. The SPDN regional lab will serve as lead for all training and documents, with the region supported by Virginia, Texas, and Georgia in deployment of the document management system developed by the Southern IPM Center.NPPLAP: The SPDN regional lab will continue Years 1-4 to serve the region and national network and regulatory partners, in coordination with the regional lab at Michigan State University (NCPDN) and Cornell University (previously the NEPDN regional lab), as a PCR screening laboratory for Phytophthora ramorum, which is an APHIS emergency response project coordinated by PI CL Harmon for the NPDN and APHIS partnership. These three labs are certified to run the PCR through APHIS' National Plant Protection Laboratory Accreditation Program (NPPLAP). Additional labs in NPDN and the state departments of agriculture attain this certification annually, through a rigorous blind-panel proficiency testing program that requires approximately a week of hands-on sample processing and analysis for each individual diagnostician to achieve the certification. The SPDN, NEPDN, and NCPDN regional labs each maintain at least one certified diagnostician for P. ramorum. SPDN maintains certification for HLB, and Cornell maintains certification of PPV, ensuring all three NPPLAP organisms are represented in NPDN capacity for national emergency sample surge support YEARS 1-4. All labs in the SPDN will serve as ELISA screening labs for their states YEARS 1-4, then send forward DNA and/or plant material for PCR at the regional lab.Diagnostic Capacity and Capability Improvement in the Region (Detection objective): First Responder training and professional development: Diagnosticians in the NPDN serve as the front line first responders in accurate identification and timely communication of new detections and emerging or emergency issues. The NPDN has had at its core special focus on training and resources for diagnosticians since the inception of the network. This has culminated in the adoption of an online system (LearnUpon, licensed at Kansas State University, GPDN Regional Center, for use by the entire network in YEARS 1-4) that will be populated with training modules, proficiency assessments, and metrics reporting to ensure capacity is increasing, training needs are being met, and areas of improvement are identified and remedied efficiently. Additionally, Michigan State University (NCPDN regional center, with an evaluation specialist) will lead the network in national evaluation and improvement of metrics in national annual evaluation survey and in the evaluation of training achieved through LearnUpon. In-person training has always been a priority in the network, as the application of theory must include hands-on practice to be adopted in any lab setting. For SPDN: Six national meetings and more than 20 regional meetings since the inception of the NPDN have focused on diagnostician training in communications, techniques, taxon-specific identification, reporting, data management, and more. SPDN states are funded by the NPDN project to support and encourage participation in all applicable trainings - virtual, NPDN, SPDN, and via partners such as APHIS, ESA, and APS, as applicable to our diagnostic needs in the region and nationally in YEARS 1-4. Additional hands-on workshops are planned at the in-person SPDN regional meetings February 2023 and 2025 (YEARS 1 and 3), and at the NPDN national meetings in 2024 and 2026 (YEARS 2 and 4).

Progress 09/01/23 to 08/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The National Plant Diagnostic Network is a network of diagnostic first responders in more than 70 laboratories in every US state and territory, and they are our primary target audience. A secondary target audience is the extension clientele of the diagnosticians. Each diagnosis represents at least one target audience contact with extension clientele. In the time period of Sept 1 2023-June 21, 2024, SPDN member states diagnosed 38,981 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 198 publications and 367 presentations reaching over 10,000 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 opportunities for diagnosticians to attend professional development conferences. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?All SPDN states sent diagnosticians to virtual or in-person training opportunities to increase knowledge and potential for adoption of new methods or awareness of new organisms. Opportunities included the in-person SPDN regional meeting in February 2024, APS national and regional meetings, APHIS-sponsored trainings, and SPDN virtual meetings, each with opportunities to share new methods and organism detections. The data in the accomplishments section of our annual report 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 one of the 37,000 samples our labs processed this year 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?All SPDN states will be represented at the NPDN national meeting September 2024, and two regional SPDN meetings; the spring regional meeting and the national meeting both have hands-on capacity training opportunities. All labs will continue to upload data and make progress on the NPDN accreditation applications. Several states will engage with the new APHIS PPDCP (regulatory certification program) to ensure regulatory sample diagnostic support. PIs Harmon and Jones will continue to serve in NPDN leadership, with the addition of new co-PI Bennett, who also leads the national NPDN Professional Development effort. PI Harmon will move into NPDN Deputy Executive Director in 2024.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Communication: SPDN states submitted nearly all diagnostic data records from 37 active laboratories across the region, logging 31 first detections. In addition to the benefits of pest management/eradication through early detection, each first detection represents a point of contact between that SPDN lab and their regulatory partners. SPDN is represented on all NPDN subcommittees, participating in committee activities and reporting. Diagnosis:Diagnostic capacity increased in the region over the past 5 years, averaging 1.7 diagnoses per sample. Molecular methods continue to be used with increasing regularity, with at least 2 labs adopting at least one molecular method each year. The new NPDN core accreditation program was presented to the SPDN and two workshops were held to get all labs started and progressing on their documentation.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Abduk Kader Jailani, Fanny Iriarte, Mathews Paret. 2023. First report of Watermelon Crinkle Leaf-Associated Virus 1 (WCLaV-1) and WCLaV-2 infecting straightneck squash in the United States. Plant Dis. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-01-23-0079-PDN
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: F. Iriarte, AAK Jailani, and ML Paret. 2023. First report of Watermelon crinkle leaf-associated virus 1 (WCLaV-1) on Cucurbita pepo in the United States. British Society for Plant Pathology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ndr2.12167
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Benitez, B.; Poudel, M.; Jones, J.B.; and Harmon, C.L. 2023. First report of Herbaspirillum huttiense causing leaf spots on Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata) in Florida. Plant Dis. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-06-23-1115-PDN
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Harmon, C.L.; Castlebury, L.; Boundy-Mills, K.; Broders, K.; Hyten, A.M.; Jacobs, J.L.; Knight-Connoni, V.K.; Mollov, D.; Riojas, M.A.; and Sharma, P. 2023. Standards of Diagnostic Validation: Recommendations for reference collections. Phytofrontiers. https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/pdf/10.1094/PHYTOFR-05-22-0050-FI
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Kirchner, M., Bertone, M., Blaimer, B. B., & Youngsteadt, E. (2023). Colony Structure and Redescription of Males in the Rarely Collected Arboreal Ant, Aphaenogaster Mariae Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, Vol. 125, pp. 7788. https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.125.1.77
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Oten, Kelly LF, Eric Day, Theresa Dellinger, Heather Harmon Disque, Lawrence E. Barringer, Jessica Cancelliere, Liam Somers, and Matthew A. Bertone (2023) First records of elm zigzag sawfly (Hymenoptera: Argidae) in the United States. Journal of Integrated Pest Management, 14, no. 1: 12. https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmad009
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Cardwell, KC; Harmon, CL; Luster, DG; Stack, JP; Hytern, AM; Sharma, P; and Nakhla, MK. 2023. The need and vision for a diagnostic Assay validation network. Phytofrontiers. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTOFR-05-22-0056-FI
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Adhikari, A.; Beckham, K.; Harmon, C.L.; Dufault, N.S.; Goss, E.: and Harmon, P.F. 2023. First report of Bipolaris sorokiniana leaf spot disease on watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) in Florida. Plant Dis. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-09-22-2208-PDN
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Travis R Faske, John Mueller, J Ole Becker, Ernest C Bernard, Carl Bradley, Jason Bond, Johan Desager, Jonathan Eisenback, Zane Grabau, Jiahuai Hu, Robert Kemerait, Alyssa Koehler, Kathy Lawrence, Hillary Mehl, Rachel E Rudolph, Edward J Sikora, Steve Thomas, Nathan Walker, Terry Wheeler, Allen J Wrather, Weimin Ye, Lei Zhang. 2023. Summarized Distribution of the Southern Root-Knot Nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, in Field Crops in the United States. Plant Health Progress 24(4):522-524. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-04-23-0031-BR
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Mei Zhao, Ron Gitaitis, Bhabesh Dutta. 2023. Characterization of Pseudomonas capsici strains from pepper and tomato. Frontiers in Microbiology 14.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Edgar H Nieto-Lopez, Daniel G Cerritos-Garcia, Rachel A Koch Bach, Aparna Petkar, Christine D Smart, Christy Hoepting, David Langston, Steven Rideout, Bhabesh Dutta, Sydney E Everhart. 2023. Species Identification and Fungicide Sensitivity of Fungi Causing Alternaria Leaf Blight and Head Rot in Cole Crops in the Eastern United States. Plant Disease 107(5): 1310-1315.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Martin, K. F., Brannen, P. M., Jagdale, G. B., Holladay, T., & Severns, P. M. (2023). Distribution, Diversity, and Soil Associations of Wine Grape Plant-Parasitic Nematodes in Georgia, U.S.A., Vineyards. Plant Dis, 107(6), 1730-1738. doi:10.1094/PDIS-10-22-2354-RE
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Mitchum, M. G., Averitt, B., Goode, K., Martin, K., Lance, K., Mitchell, M., . . . Kemerait, R. C. (2023). Frequency of Occurrence of Heterodera glycines , Meloidogyne spp., and Eight Other Nematode Taxa Associated with Soybeans in Georgia. Plant Health Progress, 24(2), 214-220. doi:10.1094/php-09-22-0096-s
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: KA Johnson, CH Bock, EL Vinson, PM Brannen. 2023. Prevalence and Distribution of Phony Peach Disease (Caused by Xylella fastidiosa) in the United States. Plant Disease 107(2):326-334
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Chase, K. D., Graney, L., Ainslie, Z., & Bertone, M. A. (2023). Labena grallator (Say) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) Found Associated with the Non-Native Callidiellum rufipenne (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, Vol. 125, pp. 187189. https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.125.1.187
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Bertone, M. (2023). Manual of Afrotropical Diptera, Volume 3: BrachyceraCyclorrhapha, excluding Calyptratae. American Entomologist. https://doi.org/10.1093/ae/tmad071
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Bertone, Matthew A., Kelly L. F. Oten, Emmeline J. Redick, Abigail R. Ratcliff (2023) Notes on Larvae of the Rarely-Collected Wood Gnat Genus Olbiogaster Osten Sacken (Diptera: Anisopodidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 124(4), 873-876
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Moparthi, S., Johnson, A., and Braun, U. (2023) Podosphaera cerasi- An old foe of sweet cherry with a new name its biology, epidemiology, and beyond. Journal of Plant Pathology. DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s42161-023-01354-9
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Cabrera-Asencio, I. Irma, Dietrich, Christopher H., and Zahniser, James N. 2023. A New Invasive Pest in the Western Hemisphere: Amrasca biguttula (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Florida Entomologist, 106(4): 263-266.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Cabrera-Asencio, Irma, and de Jensen, Consuelo Estevez. 2023. First Report of the Exotic Species Megalurothrips usitatus (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), Pest of Fabaceae, in Puerto Rico. Florida Entomologist, 106(4): 267-269.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Panth M, Yang X, Noh E, Vargo M & Wang H* (2023) First report of Xanthomonas campestris causing leaf blight on buttercup (Ranunculus asiaticus) in South Carolina, U.S.A. Plant Disease. 107(12):4017
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Marshall J, Whitlock K, Colburn GC & Yang X (2023) First report of anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum theobromicola on Cyclamen persicum in South Carolina, U.S.A. Plant Disease. 107(10):3288
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Yang X, Colburn GC, Roach K, Zee T & Long SH (2023) First report of Pseudocerradoa paullula causing aroid leaf rust on Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa) in South Carolina, U.S.A. Plant Disease. 107(9):2871
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Yang X, Justice A & Colburn GC (2023) First report of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causing stem canker on industrial hemp in South Carolina, U.S.A. Plant Disease. 107(9):2870
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Keinath AP*, Colburn GC & Yang X (2023) Differential susceptibility of two Citrullus amarus pollenizer watermelons to five species of Pythium and Globisporangium. Plant Disease. 107(9):26202623
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Dantes, W, Colburn GC, Williamson M & Yang X* (2023) First report of Alternaria cinerariae causing leaf blight on Farfugium japonicum in South Carolina, U.S.A. Plant Disease. 107(6):1953
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Alabi, O.J., Villegas, C., Oladokun, J.O., and Ong, K. 2023. First Report of Nerine Yellow Stripe Virus Infecting Crinum Lily (Crinum sp.) in Texas. Plant Disease 107:3327.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Farber, C., Shires, M., Ueckert, J., Ong, K., and Kurouski, D. 2023. Detection and differentiation of herbicide stresses in roses. by Raman spectroscopy. Front Plant Sci 14:1121012.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Abdelrazek S, Bush E, Oliver CL, Liu H, Sharma P, Aguilera Flores M, Donegan MA, Almeida R, Nita M, Vinatzer B. 2023. A survey of Xylella fastidiosa in the US state of Virginia reveals wide distribution of both subspecies fastidiosa and multiplex in grapevine. Phytopathology. doi: 10.1094/PHYTO-06-23-0212-R
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Nita M, Jones T, McHenry D, Bush E, Oliver C, Kawaguchi A, Nita A, Katori M. A. 2023. NitroPure Nitrocellulose Membrane-Based Grapevine Virus Sampling Kit: Development and Deployment to Survey Japanese Vineyards and Nurseries. Viruses 15(10):2102. doi: 10.3390/v15102102. PMID: 37896878; PMCID: PMC10612103.


Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:The National Plant Diagnostic Network is a network of diagnostic first responders in more than 70 laboratories in every US state and territory, and they are our primary target audience. A secondary target audience is the extension clientele of the diagnosticians. Each diagnosis represents at least one target audience contact with extension clientele. In the time period of Sept 1 2022-August 31, 2023, SPDN member states diagnosed 28,102 samples, with 61,561 diagnoses, averaging more than 2 diagnoses per sample. This is a testament to the diagnostic capacity these labs have for the green industries and their state stakeholders. 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 154 publications and 435 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: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?All SPDN states sent diagnosticians to virtual or in-person training opportunities to increase knowledge and potential for adoption of new methods or awareness of new organisms. Opportunities included the in-person 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. The SPDN regional center laboratory conducts a formal training program for plant diagnosticians, with several graduates placed in diagnostic labs in the NPDN. 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 one of the samples our labs processed this year 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?SPDN members will continue to show up in large numbers on the NPDN national committees, serving in leadership positions on nearly half of them. All SPDN states will have fully staffed labs as of this coming year, with Tennessee being the most recent to have complete turnover of staff. PI Harmon will continue to serve as Champion for Proficiency and Regulatory Relations Committees. The SPDN will take on responsibility for heading up the national Professional Development program, hiring a full-time staff to oversee the transition to LearnUpon, establishment of a pipeline for content, and support of the national committee. Harmon will continue to serve as the liaison to APHIS CPHST PPQ and the National Plant Board. The NPDN Regulatory Relations Committee will focus on codifying the relationship between NPDN and APHIS in the proposed cooperative agreement, aiming to formalize communications, roles, and responsibilities that can assist both organizations with prioritizing and funding relevant programs. We will continue to support and encourage participation in all meetings - virtual, NPDN, SPDN, and via partners, as applicable to our diagnostic needs in the region and nationally. Additional communication events are planned at the virtual fall 2023 regional meeting and the in-person SPDN regional meeting February 2024 and 2025, and at the NPDN national meetings in 2024 and 2026 (YEARS 2 and 4). Traditionally, nearly all SPDN states are represented at these events. The SPDN regional lab, University of Florida Plant Diagnostic Center (UF PDC) implemented Core accreditation as of June 1st, 2023, and submitted documentation to the NPDN Accreditation Committee, and will continue to serve as the pioneer lab. UF will work closely with the accreditation committee to deploy the NPDN Core Accreditation Program across NPDN labs by 2027.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Communication: All SPDN states submitted nearly all diagnostic data, totaling61561 records from 37 active laboratories across the region, logging73 first detections. In addition to the benefits of pest management/eradication through early detection, each first detection represents a point of contact between that SPDN lab and their regulatory partners. SPDN is represented on all NPDN subcommittees, participating in committee activities and reporting. Diagnosis:Diagnostic capacity more than doubled in the region over the past 5 years, from 40,123 methods used in 2016-2017 to 103,089 in 2022-2023, averaging at least 2 methods per sample diagnosis. Molecular methods continue to be used with increasing regularity, with at least 2 labs adopting at least one new molecular method each year. The new NPDN core accreditation program was finalized and released to the network, and three labs are nearly ready for submission of documentation. IT: SPDN states all have established Laboratory Information System to expand their service and reduce costs while ensuring steady and secure information flow from the state to the National Data Repository. The SPDN website continues to serve as a document repository for the region, with a focus on state reports and regional meeting minutes.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Aparicio Claros, N., Shires, M., Mollov, D., Hammond, J., Jordan, R., Ochoa-Corona, F., Olson, J., Kevin Ong, K., and Rodriguez Salamanca L. 2022. Rose Rosette Disease: A Diagnostic Guide. Plant health progress. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-05-22-0047-DG
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Hutchens, W. J., Henderson, C. A., Bush, E. A., Kerns, J. P., & McCall, D. S. (2022). Geographic Distribution of Ophiosphaerella Species in the Mid-Atlantic United States. Plant Health Progress, 23(1), 93-100. doi:10.1094/PHP-04-21-0076-S
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Yang, S., Johnson, M. A., Hansen, M. A., Bush, E., Li, S., & Vinatzer, B. A. (2022). Metagenomic sequencing for detection and identification of the boxwood blight pathogen Calonectria pseudonaviculata. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, 12(1), 14 pages. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-05381-x
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Johnson, M. A., Liu, H., Bush, E., Sharma, P., Yang, S., Mazloom, R., . . . Vinatzer, B. A. (2022). Investigating plant disease outbreaks with long-read metagenomics: sensitive detection and highly resolved phylogenetic reconstruction applied to Xylella fastidiosa. MICROBIAL GENOMICS, 8(5), 14 pages. doi:10.1099/mgen.0.000822
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Gazis, R., Dewitt, K., Johnson, L. K., Chamberlin, L. A., Kennedy, A. H., Hansen, M. A., & Bush, E. (2022). First Report of Laurel Wilt Disease Caused by Raffaelea lauricola on Sassafras in Virginia. Plant Disease, 106(6), 1763. doi:10.1094/PDIS-11-21-2616-PDN
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Pandey, S.; Bag, S.; Roberts, P.; Conner, K.; Balkcom, K.S.; Price, A.J.; Jacobson, A.L.; Srinivasan, R. 2022. Prospective Alternate Hosts of an Emerging Polerovirus in Cotton Landscapes in the Southeastern United States. Viruses 14:2249. https://doi.org/10.3390/v14102249
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Navia Urrutia MP, Sa�?nchez-Pinzo�?n LI, Parra PPP, Gazis R. 2022. A Diagnostic Guide for Laurel Wilt Disease in Avocado. Plant Health Progress. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-12-21-0149-DG
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Gazis R, DeWitt KM, Johnson LK, Chamberlin LA, Kennedy AH, Hansen MA, Bush EA. 2022. First Report of Laurel Wilt Disease Caused by Raffaelea lauricola on Sassafras in Virginia. Plant Disease Notes. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-11-21-2616-PDN
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Angel-Restrepo M, Ochoa-Ascencio S, Parra PPP, Ferna�ndez-Pav�a SP, Vazquez-Marrufo G, Equihua-Marti�nez A, Barrientos-Priego AF, Ploetz RC, Konkol JL, Saucedo-Carabez JR, Gazis R. 2022. First look into the ambrosia beetle fungus symbiosis present in commercial avocado orchards in Michoacan, Mexico. Environmental Entomology. https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvab142
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Pietsch GM, Gazis R, Klingeman WE, Huff M, Staton M, Kolan�k M, Hadziabdic D. 2022. Characterization and microsatellite marker development for Geosmithia obscura, a common bark and ambrosia beetle associate. Microbiology Open 11:3 e1286 https://doi.org/10.1002/mbo3.1286
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Jibrin M, Liu Q, Huang Y, Urbina H, McVay J, Gazis R, Zhang S. 2022. Lasiodiplodia iraniensis, a new causal agent of tuber rot on yam (Dioscorea species) imported into the United States and implications for quarantine decisions. Plant Disease. DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-11-21-2421-SC
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Parajuli, A., Harmon, C.L., Minsavage, G., Jones, D., Timilsina, S., Parent, M.L., and Jones, J. 2022. Draft genome sequences of Pseudomonas amygdali pv. loropetali pathotype strain DSM 105780 PT, isolated from Florida. Access Microbio. 2022;4:000423. https://doi.org/10.1099/acmi.0.000423
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Harmon, C.L.; Akey, B.L., Ochoa-Corona, F.M.; Ramachandran, A.; and Sharma, P. Training, Tests, and Tech: Deployment of Diagnostic Tools for Biosecurity In Cardwell, K. F., and Bailey, K. L., eds. Tactical Sciences for Biosecurity in Animal and Plant Systems. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2022. http://doi:10.4018/978-1-7998-7935-0
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Eaton, M., et. al., 2022. "First Report of Laurel Wilt Caused by Harringtonia lauricola (previously Raffaelea lauricola) on Northern Spicebush in Kentucky and Tennessee." Plant Disease (https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-22-0868-PDN)
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Beaver, J. H. Martinez Figueroa, G. Godoy Lutz, C. Estevez de Jensen, T.G. Porch, J.C. Rosas. 2022. Breeding for resistance and integrated management of web bight in common bean. Crop Science Vol 62 Issue 1: 20-35. doi.org/10.1002.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: W Dantes, C Colburn, MR Williamson, X Yang (2022) First report of Alternaria cinerariae causing leaf blight on Farfugium japonicum in South Carolina, USA. Plant Disease. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-09-22-2221-PDN
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Chetverikov, P.E., and M.A. Bertone*. (2022) First Rhyncaphytoptine Mite (Eriophyoidea, Diptilomiopidae) Parasitizing American Hazelnut (Corylus Americana): Molecular Identification, Confocal Microscopy, and Phylogenetic Position. Experimental and Applied Acarology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-022-00740-9
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Efromson, J., R. Lawrie, T.J.J. Doman, M. Bertone*, A. Bègue, M. Harfouche, D. Reisig, R.M. Roe. (2022) Species Identification of Caterpillar Eggs by Machine Learning Using a Convolutional Neural Network and Gigapixel Microscope. Agriculture, 12(9), 1440. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12091440
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Gagna, R. J., and M.A. Bertone*. (2022) Redescription of Dentifibula viburni (Felt) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) and review of the genus. Zootaxa. 5175 (5): 583'592. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5175.5.7
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Skvarla, M.J., Bertone, M.A.*, and Liesch, P.J. (2022) Murder Hornet Mayhem: The Impact of the 2020 Giant Hornet Panic and COVID-19 Pandemic on Arthropod Identification Laboratories. American Entomologist, Volume 68, Issue 2, Summer 2022, Pages 38'43, https://doi.org/10.1093/ae/tmac029
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Bertone, M. A.*, Gibson, J. C., Seago, A. E., Yoshida, T., & Smith, A. A. (2022). A Novel Power-Amplified Jumping Behavior in Larval Beetles (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae). PLOS ONE 17(1): e0256509. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256509
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Moparthi, S.*, Kleczewski, N. 2023. First report of curvularia leaf spot on Zea mays caused by Curvularia lunata in North Carolina. Plant Disease. DOI: doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-22-2306-PDN
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Moparthi, S.*, Parikh, L.P., Troth, E.E.G., and Burrows, M. E. 2022. Identification and prevalence of seed-borne Botrytis spp. in pulses of Montana. Plant Disease. DOI: doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-05-22-1236-RE
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Bradshaw, M., Quijada., Tobin, P.C., Braun, U., Newlander, C., Potterfield, T., Alford, E.R., Contrearas, C., Coombes, A., Moparthi*, S., Buchholz, E., Murphy, D., Enos, W., Fields- Tyalor, A., Bower, A., and Pfister, D. H. 2022. More than plants: Botanical gardens as a source of fungal diversity. HortScience. DOI: doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI16755-22
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Navia Urrutia MP, Sa�?nchez-Pinzo�?n LI, Parra PPP, Gazis R. 2022. A Diagnostic Guide for Laurel Wilt Disease in Avocado. Plant Health Progress. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-12-21-0149-DG
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Onufrak A, Ony MA, Odoi ME, Canaan J, Piettsch GM, Phillips EF, Grant J, Klingeman WE III, Hadziabdic-Guerry D. 2022. First report of Diplodia corticola causing dieback of white oak (Quercus alba) in Tennessee. Plant Disease 106:12, 3203. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-02-22-0447-PDN.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Olawole, O. I., Uribe, P., Rodriguez, N. A., Gonzalez, C. F., & Ong, K. L. (2022). First Report of Bacterial Leaf Scald of Plum Caused by Xylella fastidiosa in Texas. PLANT DISEASE, 106(12), 3198. Claros, N. A., Shires, M., Mollov, D., Hammond, J., Jordan, R., Ochoa-Corona, F., Salamanca, L. R. (2023). Rose Rosette Disease: A Diagnostic Guide. Plant Health Progress, 23(4), 482.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: McKenzie, Z., & Ong, K. (2022). Survival of Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri after a severe winter storm. In PHYTOPATHOLOGY (Vol. 112, pp. 66).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Kleczewski, N. M. , Bradley C. A., Hartman, G., Kandel, Y., Mueller, D. and Rodriguez Salamanca L. 2022. A Diagnostic Guide for Red Crown Rot of Soybean. Plant health progress. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-04-22-0041-DG