Project Overview
Working Group Organization for Pecan Leaf Dieback
Commodities
- Nuts: pecans
Target Pests
- Target Pests: other
Practices
- Pest Management: chemical control, pesticide application timing, pesticide resistance management, pesticides
Proposal abstract:
The novel fungus Neofusicoccum caryigenum was identified and first reported as the primary cause of pecan leaf dieback in Georgia and Texas in 2021. Leaf dieback is an emerging disease resulting in the mortality of compound leaves and extensive defoliation of pecan trees throughout the southern United States. Premature defoliation in pecans can be linked with yield losses in nut production and affect subsequent growing seasons as the tree does not have the ability to photosynthesize and store the minimum energy necessary for floral initiation and fruit set the next year. Pecan growers in the southern U.S. urgently need a cadre of pecan scientists and experts to respond to this emerging disease. The working group will be reorganized and enhanced from the existing working group. The working group from this proposal will be steered to address this new fungal pathogen by focusing on the development of a new IPM strategy for the southern U.S. The IPM strategies established by the working group will directly contribute to enhancing agricultural biosecurity of pecan production. The industry will be able to access updated information that provides the knowledge and infrastructure needed for proper diagnosis of the new pathogen and subsequent management. The working group will also be able to begin developing customized IPM strategies for regional pecan orchards and support future research and extension to mitigate pecan leaf dieback. If the strategies that are developed prove successful in practice, the working group will make a significant socioeconomic impact on the pecan production in the southern U.S.
Project objectives from proposal:
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Planned Outputs |
Anticipated Outcomes |
Problem or priority targeted |
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1. Working Group Enhancement |
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Identify and invite pecan scientists to join the existing working group.
Identify commercial orchard producers who intend to collaborate in the project about pecan disease management. |
Establish the research and extension team and collaboration consisting of pecan scientists in Texas and other southern states.
Coordinate roles and responsibility of working group members.
Develop research and extension activities by working group members.
Find federal funding sources to support the follow-up research and extension activities. |
No team efforts in the southern U.S to investigate the new emerging disease, pecan leaf dieback.
Lack of general knowledge within pecan industry regarding pecan leaf dieback.
No efforts to pursue federal grants to support pecan leaf dieback research and extension projects in the southern U.S. |
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Develop stakeholder-involved participatory activities to address pecan leaf dieback issues in the southern U.S. pecan production systems. |
Awareness-raising about this emerging disease which can cause economic damage in commercial pecan orchards.
Increase in engagement with pecan growers and stakeholders to identify and respond to pecan leaf dieback issues. |
Growers’ limited information and lack of knowledge about the disease symptom identification as well as preventative/curative management practices including cultural practices and selecting chemical control methods. |
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2. Development of Research and Extension Objectives |
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Develop a field symptom identification and diagnostic protocols for pecan leaf dieback. |
More accurate documentation of presence of pecan leaf dieback by orchard managers.
Better control for pecan leaf dieback with the proper diagnosis.
In-laboratory diagnostic confirmation protocol for samples of N. caryigenum adopted in plant diagnostic clinics. |
Lack of knowledge regarding the identification of pecan leaf dieback among pecan producers.
Need to identify and clarify unique pecan leaf dieback symptoms compared to other pecan diseases.
Lack of awareness of pecan leaf dieback among extension agents, trainers, and educators. |
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Collect pecan samples from the southern U.S and diagnose pecan leaf dieback. |
Pecan leaf dieback collection and sample database to conduct further research such as fungal population genetics. |
Pecan researchers or extension specialists have limited populations of pecan leaf dieback for study. |
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Determine preliminary fungicide sensitivities of pecan leaf dieback |
Develop a new research project to develop proper fungicide programs for preventing and controlling pecan leaf dieback in pecan orchards.
Providing sensitivities of currently available fungicides and effective active ingredients for future registration of fungicide for pecan leaf dieback control. |
Limited information on effective fungicide active ingredients targeted for pecan leaf dieback.
No commercial fungicides are currently labeled to be used for pecan leaf dieback control. |
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3. Dissemination of New Findings to Stakeholders |
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Develop extension programs and education materials for pecan growers and stakeholders.
Use the Pecan ipmPIPE (Pecan AG Pest Monitor) and AgriLife Learn website to provide information useful to those in the pecan growing regions of the southern US. |
Increased digital footprint in these online delivery platforms for pecan disease management, which facilitate dissemination of information about leaf dieback diagnostics, management.
Increase accessibility by pecan growers and stakeholders to new and update information about pecan disease management. |
Lack of general knowledge on pecan leaf dieback among relevant stakeholders.
Limitation on collaborative efforts to update pecan leaf dieback and other disease information for the U.S. pecan industry.
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