Abstract:

Lettuce big-vein and leaf necrosis disease are the most serious of soil-borne fungus-transmitted viral diseases in leafy vegetables in Europe. They are extremely difficult to control because of the lack of major resistance genes in the current varieties and the persistence of fungal vector spores, Olpidium brassicae. Direct economic losses in lettuce production alone are in excess of 50 million euro per year in Europe. To control the rapid spread, growers heavily depend on soil sterilants (some are to be banned) against fungal vector. The deliverables of the current proposed project allow for a dramatic reduction in pesticide inputs and the development of a sustainable system for the production of lettuce and other leafy vegetables through the integration of several control measures, including identification and exploitation of natural host plant resistance and the development of a management system based on disease avoidance.

Objectives:

To combat the soil-borne, fungus transmitted varicosa viruses of lettuce and other leafy vegetables in Europe; the project aims to:

a) full characterisation and classification of the viruses causing big-vein (BVD) and ring necrosis disease (RND), and providing insight in the variability of these viruses,
b) development of diagnostics for the sensitive and specific detection and quantification of the viruses and their fungal vector, Olpidium brassicae, in soil, irrigation water and breeding lines,
c) identification, characterisation and exploitation of natural host plant resistance of Lactuca and Cichorium to BVD and RND,
d) development of a sustainable system for the production of lettuce and endive through the integration of a, b and c.

Contacts

Coordinator

• Plant Research International B.V. NETHERLANDS

EC Scientific Officer

• European Commission DG Agriculture BELGIUM

Participant

• H Joseph VETTEN / Biologische Bundesanstalt für Land- und Forstwirtschaft Berlin und Braunschweig / GERMANY
• Vicente PALLAS / Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas Universidad Politecnica de Valencia (IBMCP) / SPAIN
• John WALSH / Horticulture Research International UNITED KINGDOM
• Primaflor S.A.T. NUM 9855 SPAIN
• Johan SCHUT / Rijk Zwaan Zaadteelt en Zaadhandel BV NETHERLANDS