Lead Researcher: Mathuresh Singh, PhD Potatoes New Brunswick Agricultural Certification Services, Fredericton, New Brunswick
Collaborators: Provincial potato grower organizations and extension specialists
This project will provide information on Potato Virus Y in order to improve understanding and enable industry to manage the virus more effectively.
Project Objectives
- Use molecular, serological and biological methodologies to unveil the strain status and variant population of PVY (Potato Virus Y) in Canadian potatoes;
- Characterize any strain/isolate not reported in Canada to develop methodology for its detection;
- Investigate, characterize and document the response of commonly grown potato cultivars to various strains of PVY that are widely distributed in North America;
- Investigate and assess the effect of mineral oil applied at different rates and times, and in combination with insecticides, against PVY transmission by aphids; Develop new tools for reducing PVY incidence in seed potatoes, such as:
- A BMP package could be developed to help growers to reduce virus inoculums.
- Data on current season spread in different cultivars at different locations.
- A model could be developed to predict virus load in a particular lot based on current season spread, aphid population and management practices used.
- A management tool could be developed to help growers to reduce virus inoculum and making decision on their crop to top kill/not to top kill in case of low or high virus situations