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(Article for the June 2006 Research Highlight of the WSU Department of Plant Pathology website)
| Did you know that farmers in the PNW produce a significant percentage of the US and world supply of
seed for >35 small-seeded vegetable crops? Although these high value seed crops total <15,000 acres annually in Washington,
they play an important role in the global vegetable industry. One acre of hybrid cabbage seed crop produces about 2,000 lb of seed,
which will plant about 10,000 acres of cabbage. About 90 countries import vegetable seed from the PNW because so few regions of
the world have the specific climatic conditions necessary for production of high quality seed. The competitive nature of the
vegetable seed industry means that growers must produce high quality seed that is pathogen-free. |
Cabbage seed crop trial in bloom. |
Carrot umbel severely blighted by
Xanthomonas campestris pv. carotae. |
The Vegetable Seed Pathology program was initiated in August 2000 by Lindsey du Toit at the WSU Mount Vernon NWREC
(http://mtvernon.wsu.edu/), as part of the WSU Safe Food Initiative
(http://ext.wsu.edu/safefood/).
The objective of this research and extension program is to contribute towards a sustainable and secure food supply
by providing research and extension support on vegetable seed crop diseases regionally, nationally, and internationally.
Lindsey’s program investigates the biology, epidemiology, and management of an array of fungal, viral, and bacterial
diseases that affect small-seeded vegetable seed crops in the Pacific Northwest.
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Several research projects on which the program has focused in the past 6 years include:
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Pseudothecia of Pleospora herborum
(teleomorph of Stemphylium botryosum)
developing on a spinach seed. |
| The Vegetable Seed Pathology program collaborates widely with other researchers,
extension specialists, and extension educators. Extension activities are accomplished through
workshops, conferences, publications, regional and state advisory committees, and the PNW Vegetable
Extension Group (
http://mtvernon.wsu.edu/path_team/vegpath_team.htm). A number of new diseases have been
reported in WA and the USA by the Vegetable Seed Pathology program. For example
,
Fusarium wilt of radish in Washington, the
powdery mildew fungus Leveillula taurica on onion in Washington and on potato in the USA,
( “Leveillula taurica on potatoes”),
Xanthomonas campestris pv. coriandri on coriander in the USA, Iris yellow spot virus
(IYSV) on onion in Washington, Stemphylium leaf spot of spinach in Washington and Arizona, and infection of
onion seed crops and onion seed by Botrytis porri. |
| Working with Lindsey are two skilled Ag. Research Technologists, Mike Derie and Louise Brissey.
Mike has >20 years of experience in applied seed pathology. Louise provides support for greenhouse
trials and seed assays. Pablo Hernandez-Perez completed his MS project in the Vegetable Seed Pathology
program in spring 2005, with his thesis on seedborne aspects of leaf spot diseases in spinach seed crops.
In July 2005, Jaime Cummings started an MS program in this program to investigate the potential efficacy
of organic seed treatments for control of damping-off pathogens of spinach. Martin Chilvers completed a
1-year postdoctorate position in the Vegetable Seed Pathology program, investigating development of a
molecular seed assay for Botrytis spp. causing neck rot of onion. Leigh Ann Harrison started
a PhD program with Lindsey in fall 2006 toevaluate the management of Fusarium wilt in spinach seed production.
Lindsey’s program also houses undergraduate interns, e.g., Michael Picha (from WSU), Blair Baber
(from Western Washington University), and Coen de Jong (Van Hall Institute, Leeuwaarden, the Netherlands). |
Vegetable Seed Pathology support staff. FRONT_L-R): Louise Brissey (Ag. Research Tech. II), Barbara Holmes (time-slip assistant), & Jaime Cummings (MS student). BACK(L-R): Nathan Lloyd (Humboldt State University undergraduate) and Blair Baber (Western Washington University biology intern). |
Mike Derie (Ag. Research Tech. III), Martin Chilvers (former
postdoctorate), and Lindsey du Toit
(Associate Scientist and Extension specialist).
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| The Vegetable Seed Pathology program is well supported by seed growers in
Washington (the Columbia Basin Vegetable Seed Association and the Puget Sound Seed Growers’
Association), state and federal grants, the Alfred Christianson Endowed Professorship, and the
Robert MacDonald Vegetable Seed Memorial Fund. |
| For further information on the Vegetable Seed Pathology program,
contact Lindsey du Toit at dutoit@wsu.edu or at 360-848-6140 |
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