Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** phytophthora capsici, causal…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** phytophthora capsici, causal agent of phytophthora blight, is a serious pathogen in vegetable crops worldwide. The goals of this transdisciplinary srep project are to develop a system-based approach that significantly reduces the risk of phytophthora blight. We envision the development of a novel phytophthora management risk index (pmri) based on integrating five risk components: phytophthora inoculum level, moisture, host resistance, fungicide resistance, and soil health. This practical concept provides an assessment of the risk of phytophthora blight in any system and can be used to guide the incorporation of strategies to help minimize disease risk. We are proposing innovative strategies to significantly reduce losses to p. Capsici and increase yield and profits. Our objectives are to: i) evaluate genetic diversity among isolates of p. Capsici; II) identify p. Capsici-resistant genotypes that are more tolerant to drought or flooding; III) develop sensitive diagnostic tools for detecting infection, and develop multi-barrier management strategies; and IV) evaluate economic and social impacts of developed strategies, and to disseminate knowledge and techniques generated through education and extension outreach. The project will provide stakeholders with a new risk-based management approach (pmri) using innovative integrated strategies. Our objectives address five scri focus areas: i) research in plant breeding and genetics (25%); II) efforts to identify/address threats from pests and diseases (30%); III) efforts to improve production efficiency/profitability (10%); IV) new innovation and technology (25%); and v) methods to prevent, detect, monitor, control food safety hazards in specialty crops (10%).