Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

The NRSP-005 annual meeting was held at USDA-APHIS Headquarters, Riverdale, MD on May 9-10, 2007. Howell presented a report on the activities of NRSP during the past 12 months. He provided numbers of accessions handled by the project both domestic and foreign. He showed the new growth chambers that were designed and built to replace the existing chambers that were shut down because of electrical deficiencies and safety concerns. Howell referred to the role of NRSP-005 in saving breeding material held at Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center (SWMREC) that would have been destroyed because of the detection of Plum pox virus in Michigan. NRSP-005 hosted visitors from USDA, APHIS-PPQ and Post-Entry Quarantine Plant Health & Environment Lab with MAF Biosecurity, New Zealand. The imminent loss of NRSP-005 funding was discussed as this will have a significant impact on the fruit industry. There is no alternative to the heat therapy and testing service that NRSP-005 provides. The project has a world-wide reputation for excellence, and although programs that attempt to emulate it have been established in many locations, few have succeeded. Currently the facility at Saanichton, BC is the only comparable facility in North America and the Western Hemisphere. Interruption of the program because of lost funding would mean that the skills that allow the program to function would be lost. Restarting such a program would be at best exceedingly difficult. It might well be impossible, as the current program is based on 50 years of accumulated knowledge and expertise. Bandla opened discussions on the National Clean Plant Network (NCPN) and the implications of this proposal for, and the impact of NCPN on operations at NRSP-005 and other virus testing programs. Quarantine 37 is supposed to block deficiencies in the current regulations for the import of foreign material. The current status of this was outlined in the presentation at the NCPN workshop "Q37 Plants for Planting (P4P) revisions; RNQP status" by Bill Alley, PPQ, APHIS. There was extended discussion on where NRSP-005 is at the moment. Unless new permanent funding is obtained, the NRSP-005 will cease to function in 12 months. The financial reserves of the project are already being tapped. USDA-APHIS contracted with NRSP-005 to complete some work during the past year and a similar contract may be in place for next year. Suggestions were made that there needs to be an "advertising" campaign to garner support from Land Gant Universities (major beneficiaries of the project); the industry; and others. Eastwell presented research achievements for the year improving detection methods for several fruit tree viruses. The meeting will be held next year in Prosser; the suggested time would be during the first two weeks of April, 2008. Meeting adjourned at Noon, May 10 followed by a tour of the Beltsville facilities with Foster and Bandla.

1. Nearly 12,000 virus-tested buds of 414 varieties were distributed to scientists and industry clients in all areas of the country.

2. The vast majority of the buds are provided to nurseries in certification programs for subsequent multiplication and production of virus certified trees for orchards throughout the USA. These certified trees are also necessary for research scientists to conduct valid studies in the absence of variable virus influences.

3. NRSP-005 received 223 stone and pome fruit varieties for virus testing and therapy. Nearly 40% of these were infected with viruses or viroids.

4. Over 500 buds from diseased standards were also sent to 8 scientists for research purposes, as was other tissues from infected and healthy trees.

5. Engaged in contract services with USDA-APHIS to provide field testing and heat therapy to support plant protection and quarantine programs of the US.

6. MSU's peach breeding program is located within the quarantine region established after the recent discovery of plum pox virus (PPV or Sharka) in southwestern Michigan. After consultation with APHIS, MSU developed a plan to submit advanced selections to NRSP-005. After being assayed for PPV and other common and detrimental viruses, NRSP-005 will send budwood of lines that tested free of virus to MSU to re-establish its breeding program outside of the quarantine area.

7. With a special grant from the fruit tree nurseries in the Pacific Northwest and with the assistance from WSU-Prosser's trade craftsmen, new chambers were designed and built. The new design improves the efficiency of the virus-elimination process through heat therapy.

8. Associated research improved molecular diagnosis of the viruses associated with little cherry disease. The poor response of current detection methods to Little cherry virus 1 isolates has raised concern about the ability of quarantine and/or certification programs to reliably detect this virus. The molecular and serological assays will help in this effort.

9. Polyclonal antibodies were developed that react with a broad range of the Foveaviruses associated with disease in sweet cherry. This group of viruses cause several important economic diseases of sweet cherry that move naturally in orchards.

Joyce, P.A., F.E. Constable, J. Crosslin, K. Eastwell, W.E. Howell, and B.C. Rodini. 2006. Characterisation of Pear blister canker viroid isolates from Australian pome fruit orchards. Australasian Plant Pathology. 35:465-471. Guerra, L.J. and K.C. Eastwell. 2006. Phytoplasmas in deciduous fruit and nut trees. IN: Molecular characterization of plant phytoplasma, Chapter 6. Harrison, N.A, G.O. Rao, and C. Marcone, eds. Studium Press, pp. 93-136