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The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Culture Specialty Crop Research Initiative has awarded a grant of $4.4 million solely to UCR in the name of avocado preservation. Avocado orchards are currently endangered because of potentially lethal threats, such as Laurel Wilt, Phytophthora root rot and soil salinity.
In particular, Laurel Wilt, caused by the fungus Raffaelea lauricola, has been shown to inflict irreparable damage once it has infected a crop. Florida’s avocado crops have already seen devastation due to Laurel Wilt. Without strategic action, the fungus is predicted to spread across the country and make its way to California, the country’s leading producer of avocado crops.
Scientists have mapped the DNA sequences of avocado - meaning future fruit can be genetically modified to survive climate change.
Growers are also facing losses stemming from Phytophthora root rot, or PRR, and soil salinity, according to UCR. Salinity levels are a worldwide problem due to persistent droughts and use of reclaimed water for irrigation, officials said. Under this grant, we will select rootstocks harboring resistance to the current pathogen population, and we will register new fungicides with different modes of actions to reduce avocado losses to the destructive (PRR) pathogen, Manosalva said.
UCR s avocado breeding program was established 70 years ago, so the university is on the leading edge of developing strategies for crop protection, according to the researcher.
$6 3 million will help UC Riverside save America s avocado orchards eurekalert.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from eurekalert.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.