The investment to the arkansas clean plant center (acpc) will be used to ensure that the center will continue operations; indexing, cleaning and maintaining propagation material that is free of all…

The Division of Agriculture of the University of Arkansas will use a $225,000 cooperative agreement award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to ensure the continued operations of the Arkansas Clean Plant Center from September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2024. Under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care federal grant program, the Center will maintain, distribute, and test pathogen-free berry crop propagation materials; perform elimination therapy and pathogen testing on new accessions; and provide diagnostic testing services to the berry industry. By the award's end, the Center aims to clean at least 11 new accessions, maintain existing accessions, and test over 26 accessions for pathogens of concern. This work will support the berry industry through the provision of clean planting materials and diagnostic testing, helping public and private breeders, nurseries, and growers to advance berry crop production while managing disease risks.

The investment to the arkansas clean plant center (acpc) will be used to ensure that the center will continue operations; indexing, cleaning and maintaining propagation material that is free of all targeted systemic pathogens for berry crops. The acpc has several key responsibilities. Firstly, we will maintain, distribute, and test G1 material that has been shipped from other centers and is now curated at acpc. We will follow standard operating procedures (sops) and test for newly identified systemic pathogens. Secondly, we will perform elimination therapy for target pathogens to meet industry needs. Upon arrival, breeding lines will be tested by high throughput sequencing (HTS). If found positive for systemic pathogens of concern, they will undergo heat/chemo or cryotherapy depending on the agents infecting the material. Five meristems will then be pulled from each accession, grown, and tested for the presence of viruses by HTS three additional times before they are deemed clean andready to be distributed to nurseries. Thirdly, we will provide the berry industry with diagnostic services. We expect the number of samples and tests run during the period covered by this agreement to surpass FY 2022 by about 30%. Additionally, we will be testing material for the purpose of control import permits (CIP). We aim to clean at least 11 new accessions during the coming year, maintain existing accessions, test at least 26 accessions for pathogens of concern, and participate in the education and outreach efforts of ncpn as needed. Our work will help the berry industry at large, including public and private breeders, nurseries, and growers, to keep momentum and provide additional cleaning capacity in addition to the other berry centers.