The overall purpose of this suggestion is to control plant endopathogens such as liberibacter asiaticus and xyllela fastidiosa

This Cooperative Agreement award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025), provides $275,009 to Baylor University to evaluate the use of biofilm-disrupting antimicrobial nanoparticles (BDAPs) for controlling vascular-bound and vector-transmitted plant pathogens such as Liberibacter asiaticus and Xylella fastidiosa. The key activities include assessing the efficacy of BDAPs against the Asian citrus psyllid and in citrus plants, evaluating the impact of BDAPs on non-pathogenic members of the plant and insect microbiomes, and exploring the delivery of BDAPs through psyllid feeding behavior. The project will deliver reports on the efficacy of BDAP treatments, their effect on non-pathogenic microbiome members, and the effectiveness of psyllid-based BDAP delivery. Additionally, the award will provide synthesis schemes for all BDAPs developed. If successful, this research could provide commercial citrus growers with a new strategy to suppress vascular-bound and vector-transmitted plant pathogens in mature citrus trees.

Activities will include evaluation of biofilm-disrupting antimicrobial nanoparticles (bdaps) in asian citrus psyllid and citrus plants, evaluation of the impact of bdaps on non-pathogenic members of the ACP and citrus microbiomes, and evaluate the delivery of bdaps by psyllid feeding behavior. Deliverables to aphis PPQ will include reports on the efficacy of bdap treatments in ACP and citrus plants, on their effect on non-pathogenic microbiome members, and on the efficacy of psyllid-based delivery of bdaps. Additionally, the project will deliver synthesis schemes for all bdaps. This work will evaluate a potential new approach to suppressing vascular-bound and vector-transmitted plant pathogens. If successful, this approach will provide commercial citrus growers a strategy to suppress plant pathogens in mature trees.