Testing thiamin as an immunity inducer against bacterial and fungal pathogens in potato

Short Project Description:

Every year potato producers lose approximately 17% of their yield due to plant pathogenic microorganisms. Potato is the fourth most important staple food crop in the world and accounts for a nearly $2 billion dollar industry in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho alone. To combat this loss, farmers may rely on a combination of control methods such as pesticides application, cultural practices, and planting of disease-free certified seeds and, when available, resistant cultivars. However, for some pathogens, these control methods are either unavailable, inadequate, or unsustainable. Therefore, new control methods are needed. Thiamin, also known as vitamin B1, a compound naturally produced by plants, can prime plants when externally applied to foliage, enabling plants to respond more rapidly and/or more robustly to pathogens and thus annihilating or limiting disease. However, besides one study on potato virus Y, the priming effect of thiamin has never been tested in potato. Therefore, in this project, the student will assist a Master student to test the effectiveness of thiamin priming application on potato against bacterial (Streptomyces and Pectobacterium) and fungal (Alternaria solani) pathogens. The experiments will be done in greenhouses as well as in the field.

Student Responsibilities:

• Preparation of tissue culture medium
• Preparation of soil mixture
• Propagation of potato plantlets in tissue culture
• Transfer of tissue culture plantlets to soil in pots
• Growth management of potato plants
• Mechanical inoculation of potato plants with pathogens
• Leaf sample collection
• Data collection and analysis in Excel
• General lab housekeeping

Project Objectives:

The objectives of this project are to:

1) Test the effectiveness of thiamin priming treatments on potato against the bacterial pathogens Streptomyces scabies and Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp carotovorum;

2) Test the effectiveness of thiamin priming treatments on potato against the fungal pathogen Alternaria solani.

Preferred Skills/Experience:

• Good communication
• Punctual
• Enthusiastic
• Dependable
• Strong work ethics

Student Learning Outcomes:

The student will learn the fundamentals of plant tissue culture, and plant growth and disease management. The student will also learn scientific experimental design, and data collection and analysis.