This project aims to develop diagnostics for three new blueberry virusesidentified by the university of arkansas plant virology laboratory:blueberry green mosaic virus (thekke-veetil ET AL., 2016) and…

This cooperative agreement from the Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will provide $176,460 to develop diagnostics for three new blueberry viruses identified by the University of Arkansas Plant Virology Laboratory. Under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care federal grant program (CFDA 10.025), the Division of Agriculture of the University of Arkansas will deliver universal reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and quantitative RT-PCR protocols that can detect all isolates of blueberry green mosaic virus, a luteovirus, and a carlavirus circulating in fields and nurseries. Population studies of each virus using samples collected over five years will aid in developing RT-PCR or quantitative TaqMan RT-PCR tests with internal controls. The deliverables will be protocols for detecting the three blueberry viruses for use by the National Clean Plant Network and diagnostic laboratories. The period of performance is from September 1, 2022 to August 30, 2024.

This project aims to develop diagnostics for three new blueberry virusesidentified by the university of arkansas plant virology laboratory:blueberry green mosaic virus (thekke-veetil ET AL., 2016) and two yetunnamed viruses discovered in samples from oregon; a luteovirus(villamor ET AL., 2018) and a carlavirus (villamor ET AL., 2020).activities will include developing universal reverse transcription(RT)-PCR and quantitative RT-PCR protocols that can amplify all isolatesof the three aforementioned viruses that circulate in field and nurserysettings, reducing the chance of false negatives. A study the populationstructure of each of the three viruses using a library of samplescollected over the past five years will also be performed that will aidin the development of RT-PCR or quantitative taqman® RT-PCR (QRT-PCR)amplification (with the development of a probe for the latter) incombination with primers that amplify an internal control and validatethe tests against an array of blueberry samples.deliverables will be a set of protocols for the detection of the threeblueberry viruses mentioned above for use by the national clean plantnetwork and diagnostic labs.