Systemic Acquired Resistance: Potential for Control of Citrus Bacterial Diseases?

What: A great deal of discussion has been taking place in the citrus community recently about the ability of salicylic acid and other compounds to boost plants’ “immune systems” via a process known as Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR). This program is intended to: 1) describe what SAR is, 2) explain how plants respond to diseases and chemical applications, 3) describe what is known about SAR in other plant systems, 4) discuss the only known SAR effect in citrus, and 5) inform the grower community about what research is underway and planned to study SAR in citrus.

When: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 – 10:00 am to 12:00 noon

Where: Citrus Research and Education Center, Ben Hill Griffin Hall

Agenda:
9:30 – 10:00 Registration

10:00 – 10:10 Welcome and Introductory Comments
Dr. Harold Browning, CREC Director

10:10 - 10:55 Applied use of SAR in Agriculture
Dr. Gary Vallad, Extension Vegetable Pathologist, GCREC, Balm

• This presentation will describe what SAR is, how plants respond to diseases and how SAR is being applied in other, non-citrus crop systems

10:55 – 11:25 SAR for Control of Citrus Canker: How does it work and is it applicable to control of greening?
Dr. Jim Graham, Soil Microbiologist, CREC, Lake Alfred

• The presentation will describe the only known SAR response in citrus and the mechanism for its inducement

11:25 – 11:45 Testing SAR Inducers and Other Chemicals Against Greening in Field Trials: Where do we stand?
Dr. Tim Spann, Citrus Horticulturist, CREC, Lake Alfred

• In this presentation the current and planned research projects and their objectives related to SAR and various chemical applications in citrus will be discussed

11:45 – 12:00 Closing Remarks and Summation

• Growers should expect to have a thorough understanding of how plants respond to diseases and the potential that exists to manipulate this response, as well as the limits to what can be achieved through SAR responses.

Lunch: Optional barbeque lunch and discussion session to follow

• $10.00, payable at the door
• 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm
• RSVP required for lunch by Friday, March 21, 200
• RSVP to Jane Wilson – 863-956-1151 or mjw@crec.ifas.ufl.edu