An enhanced toolkit for Botrytis control in protected cropping

软果种植者处理冠腐病的选择有限，因此，他们依赖于清洁的植物材料到达他们。基于DNA的侧向流装置测定的开发提供了一种由种植者和农学家使用公众熟悉的技术进行园艺作物病原体田间测试的方法，而不需要专业的实验室设备。我们已经使用基因组数据建立了一个快速开发高特异性DNA检测的管道。重要的是，该技术具有检测亚特异性变体的潜力，例如杀真菌剂抗性的标记。这些方法支持精准农业的实施，允许种植者和繁殖者亲自测试并防止受感染的植物进入封闭系统，同时通知喷洒决策，并通过向前的供应链跟踪疾病和污染。这样的诊断还为进一步开发保护草莓的其他重要真菌疾病（例如，在软果育种计划中，对品种控制的需求日益增加。到目前为止，果实腐烂抗性已被证明具有挑战性的育种。然而，项目合作伙伴已经确定了对葡萄孢菌冠腐病抗性不同的品系。需要开展工作，以确定这种阻力是否是特定的冠/叶组织。为了实现葡萄孢抗性，需要采用先进的育种方法。我们将同时选择多个小效应基因，将抗性聚合到高级品系中。此外，全基因型多样性集为在草莓野生近缘种中鉴定葡萄孢属抗性的新来源提供了机会，促进了新抗性的渐渗和精确育种。然而，目前在建立持久人口以有效控制疾病方面面临挑战。封闭系统可能受益于管理条件，有利于生物控制种群的持久性，但自然殖民的机会有限。该项目将提供关于在进口到受保护系统之前在预冷苗圃中应用生物防治接种物的独特信息。它还将调查在非季节温室生产的冬季寒冷期有益种群的持续性。这项工作将支持更好地建立/保护系统中的生物控制种群的持久性，并导致优质预处理的温室种植托盘植物的发展。通过这个项目，我们开发了一个先进的工具箱，用于精确监测和综合疾病管理保护草莓中的葡萄孢。

Soft fruit growers have limited options to treat crown rots, as such, they are reliant upon clean plant material reaching them. Development of DNA-based Lateral Flow Device assays provides a means for in-field testing of horticultural crop pathogens by growers and agronomists, using technology that is familiar to the public and without the need for specialist lab equipment. We have used genomic data to establish a pipeline for rapid development of high-specificity DNA-based assays. Importantly, this technology has potential for detection of sub-specific variants, such as markers of fungicide resistance. Such approaches support the implementation of precision agriculture, allowing growers and propagators to personally test and prevent import of infected plants into contained systems, whilst informing spray decisions, as well as tracking disease and contamination through the onward supply chain. Such diagnostics also provide a blueprint for further assay development across additional important fungal diseases of protected strawberry (e.g., powdery mildew) and wider horticulture.There is increased need for varietal control within soft-fruit breeding programmes. To date, fruit rot resistance has proved challenging to breed for. However, lines differing in resistance to Botrytis crown rot have been identified by project partners. Work is needed to determine whether this resistance is specific to crown/leaf tissues. To achieve Botrytis resistance, advanced breeding approaches will need to be deployed. We will simultaneously select-upon many small-effect genes to pyramid resistance into advanced lines Furthermore, fully-genotyped diversity-sets, provide opportunity to identify novel sources of Botrytis resistance across strawberry wild relatives, facilitating introgression of novel resistance and precision breeding.Microbial-biocontrol offers non-chemical opportunities to manage Botrytis diseases. However, challenges are currently faced in establishing persistent populations for effective disease control. Contained systems may benefit from managed conditions to favour biocontrol population persistence but have limited opportunity for natural colonisation. This project will provide unique information on pre-chilling nursery application of biocontrol inoculum prior to import into protected systems. It will also investigate the persistence of beneficial populations during winter chilling periods of off-season glasshouse production. This work will support better establishment/persistence of biocontrol populations in protected systems and lead to development of premium pre-treated tray-plants for glasshouse planting.Through this project we develop an advanced toolbox for precision monitoring and integrated disease management of Botrytis in protected strawberry.