USDA Forest Service Resistance Screening Center: Updates and New Management
The Resistance Screening Center (RSC) was established in 1973 primarily to evaluate seedlots of slash and loblolly pines for resistance to fusiform rust (Cronartium quercuum f.sp. fusiforme) and pitch canker (Fusarium circinatum). Although these services remain the primary foci of the RSC; additional services that have been performed at the center include screening flowering dogwood for resistance to anthracnose (Discula destructiva), testing chestnut for resistance to both blight (Cryphonectria parasitica) and root rot (Phytophthora cinnamomi), and screening seed for presence of Fusarium. In January of 2019, the RSC welcomed Katie McKeever, Plant Pathologist, as the new manager to join the two veteran Biological Science Technicians that staff the center. The 2019 season promises to be busy with both traditional and research-based pine screening requests as well as the expansion of the cooperative Phytophthora project with The American Chestnut Foundation. The RSC’s current goals include solidifying existing partnerships and forging new relationships with potential collaborators to continue to offer services that promote the advancement of forest resources.
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Author(s): Katie McKeever
Publication: Tree Improvement and Genetics - Southern Forest Tree Improvement Conference - 2019