Year Awarded 2023
FFAR award amount $74,111
Total award amount $148,237
Location Athens, GA
Program Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research
Matching Funders Southern Pine Health Research Cooperative, University of Florida Board of Trustees, University of Georgia Research Foundation
Grantee Institution University of Georgia
Loblolly pine is a highly valuable tree for pulp, paper and lumber products and the tree provides a habitat for numerous wildlife species. This important pine is currently plagued by needle diseases, about which still too little is known. Current reports from industry and government forest managers indicate a recent increase in the prevalence of needle disease in the southeastern U.S., raising concern about the stability of this important commodity in the region. Led by Dr. Caterina Villari, University of Georgia researchers are developing diagnostics that detect and identify loblolly pine needle fungal pathogens.
Grant OutcomeThis project developed and validated a universal diagnostic technology that uses Nanopore target-capture sequencing to rapidly identify fungal pathogens associated with southern pine needle diseases at the species level. The tool generated high-resolution profiles of fungal communities linked to needle blight and needlecast outbreaks, improving understanding of emerging forest health threats and providing a foundation for future disease management strategies. Beyond southern pines, the technology has the potential to diagnose other complex forest diseases and enable faster identification of emerging pathogens across forest ecosystems.