Amount Requested: $500,000
The requested funds would support apple fire blight special research, which seeks to understand and manage the apple fire blight disease by investigating the molecular basis of disease resistance in apples and developing disease resistant apple varieties. The Apple Fire Blight Research Program at Cornell seeks to understand and manage the apple fire blight disease by investigating the molecular basis of disease resistance in apples and developing disease resistant apple varieties and rootstocks. Apple is the biggest tree fruit crop in New York, worth more than $2 billion annually.  Fire blight is the most damaging disease affecting apple trees in New York State and nationally.  Nationally the crop and tree losses and the costs of control measures are over $100 million per year.  In a bad year, New York State losses can reach $10 million.  All 60,000 acres of apples in New York State are vulnerable to the disease and may succumb when the weather favors the disease with rain, heavy dews, and high humidity.