Collaborators
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
The Ohio State University is a leading Land Grant institution with a strong
commitment to agricultural research and development, teaching and outreach that
addresses critical needs in the state, the country and internationally. The OSU
Department of Plant Pathology is well regarded for its research and outreach
programs, as well as its graduate program. Modern growth chamber and greenhouse
facilities are available, as are support staff and field facilities. P.I. Dr.
Sally Miller (10% FTE for this project), Professor, Department of Plant
Pathology, OSU-OARDC, Wooster, has extensive experience in plant disease
diagnostics, including eight years of research and development in the
diagnostics industry. She has two large laboratories, fully equipped for modern
biotechnology-based diagnostic assay development, testing and utilization. Dr.
Miller is the coordinator of and an instructor for Plant Pathology 685,
Diagnostic Field Plant Pathology, taught alternate years at OSU Stone Laboratory
on Gibraltar Island on Lake Erie (http://plantpath.osu.edu/courses/685.php). Dr.
Miller also served on the first IPM CRSP as co-P.I. in the Philippines and
Bangladesh, and site chair in the Philippines, and is a co-P.I. on Regional IPM
proposals for South Asian/Mekong, East Africa and Eastern Europe. She will
manage this project, serve as IPDN director, participate directly in the
development of diagnostic assays, and serve as liaison with the IPM CRSP East
Africa regional program.
THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
The University of Florida is a public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant
research university, one of the most comprehensive in the United States. Its
faculty and staff are dedicated to the common pursuit of the university’s
threefold mission: teaching, research, and extension. New state-of the art plant
pathology laboratory of Dr. Tim Momol at UF/IFAS/NFREC, Quincy is fully equipped
for modern disease diagnostics research.
Co-P.I. Dr. Tim Momol (5% FTE for this project), Associate Professor, Department
of Plant Pathology, is the director of the University of Florida, Plant
Diagnostic Clinic located at NFREC, Quincy, FL and leader of the Florida Plant
Diagnostic Network (FPDN). Dr. Momol has been instrumental in developing and
implementing the NPDN training program in the U.S. He serves as a member of the
NPDN Operation Committee, and Co-Chair of the NPDN Training and Education
Committee. He has been involved in the development of distance diagnostic system
(DDIS) in Florida and the SPDN in southern US. He will provide experience in
development of regional plant diagnostic network (communication and data) and
development of the training programs for the extension personnel and other IPM
providers. He is also expert on detecting and identifying exotic pathogens in
Florida. Co-P.I. Dr. Gail C. Wisler (5% FTE for this project), Professor and
Chair, Department of Plant Pathology, Gainesville, is the coordinator for the
Southern Plant Diagnostic Network, one of 5 regions of the National Network (NPDN).
She chairs the NPDN Training and Education national subcommittee.
THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - DAVIS
The University of California-Davis is one of the leading institutes of plant
biology and plant pathology in the world. Dr. R. L. Gilbertson has a large
(>2000 ft2) modern laboratory that is equipped for applied and basic plant
pathology research. UC Davis will be opening a state-of-the-art BSL Level-3
Contained Research Facility in late 2005 in which exotic pests and pathogens can
be maintained for research purposes. Co-P.I. Dr. Robert L. Gilbertson (5% FTE
for this project), Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, has had extensive
experience in the development of rapid diagnostic tests for bacteria, fungi and
viruses. In addition, he has had over 20 years of experience working on various
aspects of plant pathology in South America, Central America, Africa and Asia.
He brings a unique combination of plant pathology experience and diagnostic
capability that will help in the assessment and development of diagnostic
capabilities for Regional Diagnostic Laboratories. He will also assist in the
training of personnel in diagnostic methods and in the development of
user-friendly guides and protocols to facilitate disease diagnosis.
VIRGINIA TECH
Virginia Tech is a Land Grant University that is well known and regarded for its
state, national and international work in agricultural research and development.
The Office of International Research and Development is the Management Entity
for current IPM CRSP, as well as the new SANREM CRSP, and also led the first IPM
CRSP. Co-P.I. Dr. Sue Tolin (5% FTE for this project) is Professor, Department
of Plant Pathology, Physiology and Weed Science, Virginia Tech, where she is a
plant virologist working on diagnosis and detection of RNA plant viruses by
serological and RNA-based techniques, and also has an active program in
development of resistance to viruses in soybean. She was chair of the Caribbean
Site of the IPM CRSP for the last 5 years, and conducted research and trained a
student in Jamaica on detection, epidemiology and IPM of the aphid-transmitted
potyvirus Tobacco etch virus (TEV) in hot peppers. In 2004, she conducted a
workshop for several Jamaican scientists in tissue blot ELISA for rapid
detection of TEV. She is P.I. on a Global Theme on Insect-Transmitted Viruses
proposal, and co-PI on a proposal for a Regional Center grant for Latin America
and the Caribbean.
THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a leading Land Grant institution
committed to research, outreach and teaching. The University is dedicated to
international development programming and fosters participation of its faculty
in numerous international projects. Co-P.I. Dr. Douglas Maxwell, Professor
Emeritus, is a virologist and expert in geminivirus management in Central
America/Caribbean. He has served as Chair of the Deprtment of Plant Pathology,
as well as Interim Executive Dean and Associate Dean of the College of
Agricultures and Life Sciences. He maintains an active research program and
currently is the P.D. on several international grants.
COOPERATORS
Cooperators are: Dr. Phil Berger (USDA APHIS PPQ CPHST); Dr. Kitty Cardwell,
national program manager for plant pathology and coordinator of the National
Plant Diagnostic Network with USDA CSREES; Dr. Ron Stinner, Southern Regional
IPM Coordinator, NCSU; and Dr. George Norton, Professor, Va Tech and P.I. of the
IPM CRSP Impact Assessment Global Theme.
k. Capability of Selected Host Country Institutions in Technology Development
and Transfer
IITA: INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURE
IITA was founded in 1967 as an international non-governmental agricultural
research institute (IARC). IITA's mission is to enhance the food security,
income and well-being of resource poor people in sub Saharan Africa, by
conducting research and development activities to increase agricultural
production, improve rural well being and sustainably manage natural resources,
in partnership with national and international stakeholders. Staffs are located
at Ibadan, and also at stations in other parts of Nigeria (Port Harcourt, Abuja,
and Kano), Benin Republic, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya,
Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Uganda. The project will be implemented using
the existing administrative structure of IITA and its links with a number of
other collaborating institutions. Dr. Beed is an experienced plant pathologist
having worked with a variety of tropical and temperate fungal pathogens of
plants. His team at the well-equipped plant pathogen diagnostic clinic
continually diagnoses plant diseases. This facility is supported by a live
reference collection of plant pathogens. Dr. Beed and his team have successfully
and routinely provided practical and theoretical training and technology
transfer to partners in West Africa for pathogen diagnoses and storage. However,
the current IITA facility is insufficient to provide the correct and timely
diagnoses of the range of plant diseases constraining agricultural production in
the region and therefore the adoption of appropriate IPM solutions. It is
proposed that IITA acts as a central diagnoses facility for training which can
be improved through the adoption and training of relevant techniques as
recommended by world experts in the US. The production of reference manuals for
the collection and diagnoses of diseased plant samples is recommended
accompanied by appropriate IPM solutions.
AGROEXPERTOS, PLANT DISEASE AND PEST DIAGNOSTIC LAB.
Agroexpertos is a private laboratory, directed by Dr. Marco Arevalo, based in
Guatemala City; our main objective is to identify in the most rapid and reliable
way plant pathogens or pests affect agriculture in the region. Since it was
founded in 1996, Agroexpertos has provided high quality services to leader
agricultural businesses and growers associations focusing first in the correct
identification of plant pathogens/pests, and second, giving advice for the most
appropriate IPM strategies to solve the problem. The crop expertise of
Agroexpertos includes export crops such as melons (honeydew/cantaloupe),
pineapples, mangoes, avocados, ornamentals (flowers and foliage). Also we have
experience in working with small farmers and co-ops that grow vegetable crops
like crucifers, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, corn, beans and others. We also
have excellent relationships with universities; government offices related to
agricultural research and non-traditional export groups such as Agexpront. At
Agroexpertos we are committed to contributing to the creation of the Central
American/Caribbean Plant Disease Diagnostic Network
AVRDC-THE WORLD VEGETABLE CENTER, REGIONAL CENTER FOR AFRICA
AVRDC is the principal international center for vegetable research and
development. Its mission is to reduce poverty and malnutrition in developing
countries through improved production and consumption of safe vegetables. AVRDC
- Regional Center for Africa (RCA) was established in Arusha, Tanzania in 1992.
AVRDC also has also a regional office in Mali hosted by West African Rice
Research and Development Center (WARDA). AVRDC-RCA expertise concerns vegetable
germplasm collection and conservation, plant selection, breeding, crop
production and processing technologies, and IPM technologies. Dr. Silué, is RCA
Plant Pathologist and has an expertise in the development of plant disease
resistance screening methods, implementation of screening plants for resistance
to diseases, breeding for resistance, genetics of host/pathogen relationships,
induced resistance in plants to diseases and its mechanisms, and testing plant
protection compounds. Dr. Silué has worked on temperate and tropical diseases
and is now involved in the documentation and identification of African
indigenous vegetable diseases. He is also involved in the long and short-term
trainings organized by RCA. However, RCA has no functional laboratory and is now
equipping its plant pathology laboratory to also diagnosing diseases to serve
the region is one of its objectives of the center.
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