A recent grant and matching funding will provide nearly $200,000 to help combat a highly contagious plant virus that causes crop losses worldwide, especially in lettuce.
The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research recently awarded a $99,000 program grant to the University of California, Davis, to increase crops’ resistance to impatiens necrotic spot virus, also known as INSV, as a part of FFAR’s Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research program, according to a news release. Matching funds from the California Leafy Greens Research Board and UC Davis brought the total investment to $198,000.
“Mitigating the spread of INSV is critical for lettuce producers,” Angela Records, FFAR’s chief scientific officer, said in the release. “This research will lead to lettuce varieties that control the virus’ spread, ensure the long-term sustainability of this important food crop and protect farmers’ livelihoods.”
California is one of the largest lettuce-producing states, and INSV poses significant risks to its farmers and the U.S. lettuce industry, which is valued at more than $2 billion annually. The identification of genes for resistance and breeding resistant varieties is vital for protecting farmers’ profitability and maintaining a robust food production system, the release said.
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The virus’ severity has recently increased, causing $100 million in losses in 2020 alone, according to the release. INSV is threatening winter production areas in Southern California and Arizona as the disease is exacerbated by warm weather and increasing pest populations potentially caused by climate change, the release said.
INSV is transmitted by tiny insects that feed on plants and can spread the virus as they move from plant to plant. The virus causes a range of symptoms in lettuce plants, which includes yellowing, stunting and dead spots on the leaves. UC Davis researchers led by Richard Michelmore are identifying and deploying multiple genes for resistance to increase durability and slow the evolution and spread of resistance-breaking strains of INSV, the release said.
“Support from the [FFAR Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research] program and [California Leafy Greens Research Board] is allowing us to focus on efficient screening of germplasm for resistance and development of tools for rapid breeding of resistant varieties,” Michelmore said in the release.
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FFAR’s ROAR program funds research and outreach in response to emerging or unanticipated threats to U.S. food supply or agricultural systems.
