Topical application of dsRNA to control passion fruit woodiness disease caused by cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus

• Grant number: 24/03451-8
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2024
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Gabriel Madoglio Favara
• Grantee: Gabriel Madoglio Favara
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia (FEIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Ilha Solteira. Ilha Solteira , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Felipe Franco de Oliveira ; Jorge Alberto Marques Rezende ; Renate Krause Sakate
• Associated scholarship(s): 25/00460-9 - Topical application of dsRNAs in tomato plants for the control of tomato chlorosis virus through the RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism., BP.IC

Abstract

Passion fruit (Passiflora spp.) is one of Brazil's most important fruit crops. Among the problems that affect orchards, those caused by viruses such as the cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CABMV) deserve attention. CABMV is transmitted naturally by aphids in a non-persistent way or mechanically during cultivation practices. The virus causes severe symptoms in passion fruit plants such as mosaic, leaves rugosity and distortion, reduction in plant size, and woodiness of the fruits, leading to drastic reductions in the productivity of affected plants, as well as the useful life of the plantings, forcing growers to carry out annual renewals of the orchards. To date, there is no sustainable management method for this disease. The global demand for healthy food also demands sustainable solutions for managing plant diseases. The recent use of RNA interferent (RNAi), a natural plant mechanism against pathogens, has gained ground as a new tool for managing plant virus diseases based on the gene silencing strategy. Among the various forms that initiate the RNAi process in plants, the application of double- stranded RNA (dsRNA) stands out based on a homologous region of the virus genome. The main objective of this investigation is to develop a system for using dsRNA as a trigger for the RNAi process to control the woodiness of passion fruit fruits caused by CABMV. This this project aims to develop a new sustainable tool for controlling this limiting disease for passion fruit cultivation in Brazil. (AU)