Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** cotton leafroll dwarf virus…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** cotton leafroll dwarf virus (clrdv), a polerovirus, is a persistent threat to cotton production in the united states. We will conduct research to understand how clrdv is transmitted by insect vectors using molecular-based appraoches. This information will be useful for developing targeted disease management strategies. Recently, we characterized a new DNA virus from clrdv-infected plants, cotton virus a (cotv-a, genus caulimovirus). Sequences from this virus are also inserted into the cotton genome, referred to asendogenous virus elements. We will conduct experiments to ascertain how cotv-a may be transmitted in upland cotton. Lastly, we will use a technology called high throughput sequencing (HTS) to characterize clrdv and cotv-a interactions in upland cotton and weed reservoirs. The impact of cotv-a on cotton production is unknown, and management strategies are nonexistent. This research is vital for the cotton industry, as we do not yet have the tools to evaluate the impacts of cotv-a on yield potential or on plants that are carrying a high viral load. Our research is critical for the industry because a new and serious pathology has increased its incidence in numerous upland cotton-producing states and the cause is unknown. Our HTS survey will inform the industry about this emerging issue and determine whether IT involves clrdv, cotv-a or additional viral agents.