Conservation Partnership Initiative

The summary for the Conservation Partnership Initiative grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the CSREES, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

Conservation Partnership Initiative: The purpose of this program is to support cutting edge research that mitigates or eliminates problems caused by the Citrus tristeza virus and/or the Brown Citrus Aphid. Research using the latest technologies in new ways is encouraged. Priority will be given to applications that propose collaboration between citrus production areas, and to proposed projects that are judged most likely to result in positive short-term impacts on citrus production. Citrus tristeza is a viral pathogen of citrus vectored by several aphid species. This disease has been found in all citrus producing regions in the United States. The pathogen is of world-wide importance. Depending on viral strain, citrus plants will exhibit a variety of symptoms from mild to severe depending on the host and the environment. A new aphid vector, the Brown Citrus Aphid, has been introduced into Florida. This insect is capable of vectoring the stem-pitting strain of Citrus tristeza, which is the most severe strain. This aphid also occurs throughout Central America and the Caribbean and thus poses a threat to production in other citrus-producing regions such as Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Arizona, and California. Based on stakeholder input, the specific program objectives for FY 2005 are: 1. Development of host plant resistance through molecular means, such as gene silencing, or through conventional development of scion and rootstock; 2. Characterization and detection of Citrus tristeza strains; 3. Development of cross-protecting Citrus tristeza strains; 4. Elucidation of the biology of the Brown Citrus Aphid and factors leading to its control; 5. Elucidation of the disease epidemiology; and 6. Assessment of crop loss caused by the disease.