The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Northeast Area, received a $294,000 Project Grant award under the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program. The 3-year award, effective from March 1, 2024 to February 28, 2027, will fund research to understand the transmission of Cotton Leafroll Dwarf Virus (CLRDV) and a newly characterized Cotton Virus A (COTV-A) in upland cotton. The research aims to develop targeted disease management strategies and evaluate the impacts of COTV-A on cotton production, as a new and serious pathology has emerged in several cotton-producing states. The grant will support molecular approaches to study vector-mediated transmission of CLRDV, as well as high-throughput sequencing to characterize the interactions between CLRDV, COTV-A, and cotton plants including weed reservoirs. This critical research is expected to inform the cotton industry about this emerging threat and potential management solutions.
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