Oral: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Combating Rose Rosette Disease: Science to Practice
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Monitoring and management of Rose rosette disease: Volunteer engagement.
K. ONG (1) (1) Dept Plant Pathology & Microbiology, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, U.S.A.
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Rose rosette disease (RRD) was described on the North American continent in the early 1940s. The causal agent, Rose Rosette Virus, was described in 2011. Current information notes that all roses are susceptible to this disease yet there are indications that some appear to be more tolerant than others. A lack of understanding of the pathogen, vector and the disease has lead to conflicting recommended management methods. In this project, volunteers are utilized to help monitor the extent of the disease, to gain a better understanding of the geographic range of the disease, which cultivars it is able to infect, and also to help spread scientifically sound information regarding this disease and the pathogen that causes it. Various strategies are used to engage volunteers such as educational trainings and workshops, factsheets and posters to help volunteers to recognize suspicious symptoms of this disease. A mobile device app is developed to allow volunteers to report suspected finds captures location and cultivar data, that will be verified by an expert. A key element to volunteer recruitment, engagement and retention is their realization that their contributions are critical to improve management practices for RRD and to the development of RRD resistant plants. The information gain from this project hopes to result in better understanding of RRD and more robust management recommendation.