Luis Canas, Ohio State University, $18,000, 2 year project
 
Executive Summary
Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is the type member of the plant-infecting viruses in the genus Tospovirus of the family Bunyaviridae. Virions are 80-120 nm pleomorphic particles with surface projections composed of two viral glycoproteins G N and Gc (Figure 1). 
TSWV is transmitted by at least [...]

Thomas German, University of Wisconsin, $18,000, 1 year project
 
Executive Summary
Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is the type member of the plant-infecting viruses in the genus Tospovirus of the family Bunyaviridae. Virions are 80-120 nm pleomorphic particles with surface projections composed of two viral glycoproteins G N and Gc (Figure 1). 

TSWV is transmitted by at [...]

Dr. Erik Runkle, Michigan State University, $22,000, 2 year project
 
Other Project Team Members -
Dr. Art Cameron, Professor, Michigan State University

Executive Summary
The quality of a floriculture crop influences the price that a grower receives, the price a retailer can charge, and the favorable experience of the consumer.  Therefore, strategies that improve production and postharvest quality can [...]

Dr. Erik Runkle, Michigan State University, $20,000, 2 year project
 
Other Project Team Members -
Matthew Blanchard, Ph.D. candidate, Horticulture, Michigan State University
Dr. Jonathan Frantz, Research Horticulturist, USDA-ARS, Toledo University
Dr. Arthur Cameron, Professor, Horticulture, Michigan State University
Dr. Steve Harsh, Professor, Agricultural Economics, Michigan State University
Dr. A.J. Both, Associate Professor, Bioresource Engineering, Rutgers University

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In the United States, [...]

Dr. James Faust, Clemson University, $34,000, 2 year project
 
Other Project Team Members -
John Dole, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, North Carolina State University
Vijay Rapaka, Post-Doctoral Researcher, Clemson University
 
Executive Summary 
Vegetatively-propagated plants continue to be a growing sector of the floriculture industry.  Although, the shoot-tip cuttings that are being produced at the offshore locations under favorable [...]

Dr. John Erwin, University of Minnesota, $20,000, 1 year project
 
Executive SummaryPlants use light, water and carbon dioxide to synthesize carbohydrates to provide energy for growth.  Light levels in greenhouses are commonly increased with supplemental lighting in northern climates or reduced by pulling shading curtains over plants in southern climates.  Although significant resources are spent on [...]

Dr. Robert Wright, Virginia Tech, $20,000 2 year project
 
Executive Summary
Due to increasing costs and availability of suitable container substrates for nursery and greenhouse crops, a new substrate made from ground tree logs is proposed. Whole pine tree logs are chipped and further ground in a hammer mill to a particle size that meets specific [...]

Dr. Christine Casey, North Carolina State University, $12,500, 3 year project 
 
Executive Summary
The tospoviruses are a group of plant-infecting viruses that are transmitted by several species of thrips.  These insects are small, highly mobile, and distributed worldwide.  This virus group causes one of the most serious disease problems in agriculture.
 
Tospovirus management in flower crops is complicated [...]

Dr. Mary Hausbeck, Michigan State University and Ms. Margery Daughtrey, Long Island Horticulture Research Center, $40,000, 3 year project

Executive Summary
Powdery mildew (PM) and downy mildew (DM) epidemics develop quickly and destroy the value of ornamental crops.  Disturbingly, each year new PM and DM diseases with new biology are being discovered, correlated with the off-shore production [...]

Dr. James Buck, University of Georgia, $19,656, 2 year project
 
Other Project Team Members -    
Dr. Steve N. Jeffers, Associate Professor, Clemson University
Ms. Erika Stocco, Graduate Student, University of Georgia
 
Executive Summary
The presence of rust diseases on floriculture plants can result in total loss of a crop.  Once lesions are present the plants are no longer marketable and [...]