Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Chair: Dr. Patricia McManus Secretary: Dr. Adib Rowhani and Dr. Simon Scott The meeting was called to order at 8:30 AM. Minutes of the 2004 meeting were approved unanimously. Zvezdana Pesic was acknowledged for her excellent job in organizing the WERA020 meeting and for making the arrangement for the NRSP5 meeting. Eastwell started the meeting with some introductory comments and describing a framework for the "National Clean Plant Network". The purpose is to put a plan together to request federal funding for maintenance and expansion of existing foundation plantings of fruit trees and grapevines nationwide, with the possible addition of new programs for cane fruits in the future. He also emphasized the importance of establishing duplicate foundation blocks in different regions in case one becomes the target of a natural disaster or a harmful pathogen; examples include winter damage in Washington State, Plum pox virus in Pennsylvania and Pierce's Disease in California. The blocks in different regions would be able to service the needs of the regions more effectively. For example, blocks located in WA, PA or other northern locations cannot meet the needs of nurseries and the production industry in the southeast for a 'June-budded' tree. Regarding budget, Eastwell indicated that at the proposed levels of HATCH funding and other support through services, NRSP5 can maintain basic operations until the Federal fiscal year starting in October 2007. Work already started will be completed but additional accessions cannot be accepted. Bewick indicated that HATCH funding received a $100,000 increase from the House Budget and mentioned that the interest has shifted towards specialty crops (fruit, vegetables, ornamentals, tree nuts and floriculture). Nursery and floriculture alone have grown to be a $17B industry annually. Income from specialty crops in the United States is valued at $42B, which currently exceeds the $39.7B for commodities. Regarding the National Clean Plant Network, Bewick suggested including protocols to satisfy APHIS concerns in regards to pathogens in general and not only viruses (for example, include phytoplasma and fungi pathogens too). He also indicated that state departments of agriculture may be a source of funding. Farm Bills are reviewed every 5 years and 2006 is the review year. Therefore, Bewick suggested that all documents for the National Clean Plant Network should be in place prior to this review period. Also, a meeting or phone conference between Deborah Golino (FPS Director), Eastwell and other interested parties (South Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, etc.) needs to occur to plan and organize for the request before end of this year. A concept paper is needed to help focus industry at organizational workshops before October, 2005. The request to modify the Farm Bill should be in Washington, D.C. by January 2006 and the expectation date to see the results is October 2006. The pros and cons of having the fund to be included in the Farm Bill as mandatory were also discussed. This will dictate that the money will come out of the General Fund. Bewick also emphasized that the document should be more general and not to focus only on viruses and to cover a broader range of crops (fruit trees, grapevine, ornamentals etc.). The Secretary of Agriculture and the undersecretaries and administrators will set priorities for the new Farm Bill and present them to the legislature. Rowhani described the fee structure associated with Foundation Plant Services at U. California, Davis. Although NRSP5 recently doubled its virus testing and therapy fees, they are still about half those charged by FPS for grapevines. Concern was expressed by Eastwell that the fruit tree industry seems unwilling or unable to absorb increase virus-clearance costs. This would result in reduced participation in the program as fees increase. The net consequence of this non-participation is a many fold net increase in remuneration by the government for damage (example - plum pox virus control in Pennsylvania) after viruses are introduced. Foster indicated that APHIS would welcome a national approach to certification and would like to designate approved sites for importation and pest risk analysis. He sees that funding of the National Clean Plant Network would greatly assist with those matters. Discussion on the 2006 NRSP-005 meeting: Location of next meeting undecided but probably ought to be in Prosser as there will be new members on the technical committee. WERA-020 will meet in Saanichton during the week of May 8, 2006. International Working Group on Fruit Tree Viruses is scheduled to meet 22-26 May, 2006. Thus, a suggested date for a meeting in Prosser was April 3, 2006. Comments of Administrative Advisors: Cavalieri: Annual impact statements are important. Cavalieri said that work of NRSP5 should be translated into cash value, jobs etc. Legislators are not particularly interested in academic activities, but focus more on increased $ value (estimated). There was discussion about temporary infusion of funds to allow the program to operate as normal until the end of this funding period. Eastwell estimated $450,000 would be required. WSU contributes about $100,000 per year to the program as in-kind contributions, not including Eastwell's salary. Hogg: Offered to contact Daryl Lund, who served on the NRSP advisory committee last year, about extending NRSP5 funding for one more year. Foster mentioned that interagency personnel transfers can sometimes help alleviate work load problems induced by excessive duties or funding shortages. Burr: Requested that New York and Cornell be included in the NCPN plants. Committee composition: New members: Dr. Herb Aldwinkle wishes to resign as the NRSP5 technical representative for the Northeast region. It was suggested that Dr. Marc Fuchs be invited to assume this role. It has been the practice of NRSP5 to rotate off advisors and it was suggested that Dr. Amy Iezzoni from Michigan State University be asked to replace Dr. Curt Rom from Arkansas. Eastwell will send out appropriate letters of thanks etc. Budget approval: The NRSP5 budget presented by Eastwell was approved without modification. The exit strategies (assuming no immediate change in funding) outlined by Eastwell and Howell were approved. Meeting was adjourned at 4:30 PM.

NRSP-005 is the focal point of an effort to create and sustain a National Clean Plant Network that will support the maintenance and expansion of existing foundation plantings of fruit trees and grapevines nationwide, with the possible addition of new programs for cane fruits in the future. Duplicate foundation blocks in different regions of the U.S. should be created to provide protection in case one becomes the target of a natural disaster or ingress of a harmful pathogen. The blocks in different regions would be able to service the needs of the regions more effectively. Over 22,000 buds of virus tested fruit tree selections were distributed from the National Virus Tested Fruit Tree Program (NRSP5). Of these, 2,252 were from varieties imported from around the world; 3,832 were of proprietary varieties of domestic origin; and 16,081 were from non-proprietary varieties maintained in the NRSP5 Working Collection. Recipients of these distributions numbered 92 and represented scientists at Land Grant Universities and other universities, commercial nurseries, foreign scientists, private fruit growers and regulatory scientists. Nineteen of the recipients were foreign. The Land Grant University scientists represented 5 institutions in the west, north central and northeast regions of the country. A large amount of buds went to commercial nurseries that propagated trees for both sale to commercial fruit growers and for use in experimental trials by university and USDA-ARS scientists. The number of requests for budwood totaled 819. Clients represented 10 foreign countries and all regions of the United States. Over 1,400 buds of disease cultures were distributed for research and to verify testing procedures of certification programs. Included were 19 different viruses or virus-like agents; many of these were represented by multiple strains. In addition to the above budwood, 16 scientists received pollen, flowers, fruit and leaves for horticultural and molecular studies and virus-infected tissue for pathogen research. Four scientists received seed and seedlings necessary for their research, and four nurseries obtained virus-tested seed and seedlings for establishing stock for their certification programs. Thirty-five foreign varieties entered the U.S. through NRSP-005 this year. Foreign clones came from New Zealand, Italy, Australia, and South Africa. Five of these varieties contained known and common viruses, one contained an, as yet to be identified, virus, one nectarine was viroid infected, and one apple from New Zealand carried an unidentified phytoplasma. The virus screening program at NRSP-005 intercepted and prevented these known and unknown pathogens and their isolates from entry into the country. Fourteen new non-proprietary and 20 proprietary clones were submitted to NRSP-005 from domestic sources. Forty-four clones were submitted for thorough virus testing to qualify them for certification or to assist in plant disease diagnosis. The sources of this material were predominately from the west but several were also obtained from the North central and Northeast Regions. The non-proprietary selections comprised advanced selections from USDA-ARS breeding programs, ornamentals, rootstocks and a few commercial fruiting varieties. Studies on the etiology of apple green crinkle disease continue to advance. Most trees established via sub-threshold levels of heat therapy have now fruited. Only two of the trees have displayed symptoms. Eastwell continues analyzing these trees for the differential pathogen content of healthy-appearing versus diseased trees. This process will help to deduce the causal agent(s) of green crinkle disease. Studies were completed on the effect of Peach latent mosaic viroid on peach and nectarine. No deleterious effects were observed. A demonstration block has shown that 'Fuji' apple trees infected with the "latent viruses of apple" (Apple stem grooving virus, Apple stem pitting virus, and Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus) have reduced vigor. The trees were less crop-efficient per unit of vigor. Cooperation continues with Eastwell's research program to determine the etiology of little cherry disease and a group of Fovea-like viruses (cherry twisted leaf, cherry rusty mottle, cherry necrotic rusty mottle, cherry green ring mottle, Montmorency stem pitting). An industry sponsored program was launched in Washington State to detect and remove cherry trees infected with Cherry leafroll virus. The survey was funded by industry and operated through the chemical and fruit packing houses to optimize the use of individuals that are frequently in the orchards. The survey was accompanied by an intense educational program to increase the awareness to viruses and their negative impact on production.

Joyce, P., Rodoni, B., Crosslin, J.M., Howell, W.E. and Eastwell, K.C. 2004. Detection of Pear blister canker viroid in pome fruit orchards across Australia. Acta Horticulturae 657:373-378.