FIRE BLIGHT ENDGAME?

摘要

THE FIGHT AGAINST fire blight is beginning to look like an Avengers movie. Michigan State University (MSU), led by researchers George Sundin and Nikki Rothwell, is joining forces with five other institutions to investigate management strategies for fire blight, the bacterial disease that can hammer apple and pear yields. The six schools received a $5.2 million grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) in October.The four-year project, "Comprehensive Fire Blight Management for the United States," began this fall. It includes researchers from the University of Illinois, University of California-Riverside, Cornell University, Washington State University, North Carolina State University, Oregon State University, and MSU. Together, the states in which these institutions are located represent 89% of apple production and 100% of pear production in the U.S.