Track: C2. Protecting, Expanding, & Maintaining Agricultural Sustainability

Background/Objectives

The development of resilient and sustainable bioenergy crops is an important part of the U.S. Government’s strategy to transition to a net-zero economy.   An important consideration in developing the U.S. bioeconomy is the biosecurity of crops grown for bioenergy production. The most likely biosecurity threats to bioenergy crops are either known pests or pathogens that emerge in new areas, possibly driven by climate change, or new pests or pathogens that are genetically related to known ones.  A robust biosecurity capability optimized to respond rapidly to biothreats to bioenergy crops requires an integrated and versatile platform that delivers timely accurate detection and targeted sampling, propagation prediction, and timely characterization of the interaction between a pest or pathogen and the bioenergy crop.  Here we report on an effort funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop a roadmap for a National Virtual Biosecurity for Bioenergy Crops Center (NVBBCC).  In FY23, community input was gathered through six workshops.  This talk summarizes the results from these workshops and presents the rationale for developing NVBBCC.

Approach/Activities

Six community workshops with participants drawn from the DOE lab complex, USDA, DHS, academia, and the private sector were held to gather input.  Four workshops focused on the following science topics: 1) detection of diseases using UAV-based remote sensing; 2) aerial dispersal of disease vectors; 3) biomolecular characterization of plant-pathogen-vector interactions; and 4) disease mitigation strategies. In each of these four workshops, we asked: 1) What are the key knowledge gaps?; 2) Which of these gaps is DOE uniquely positioned to address; and 3) What investments in research infrastructure are needed?  A fifth workshop focused on computing needs for analytics, modeling and data distribution as well as workforce development.  A sixth focused on the development of a framework for preparedness. 

In parallel to the six workshops, the team engaged in an experimental study on a known disease in Sorghum.  Furthermore, investments in a computer platform to support data-intensive collaborative research and drone-based sensors were acquired and commissioned. 

The input from these workshops as well as insights stemming from research activities conducted during this pilot study are now being summarized in a NVBBCC roadmap document to be delivered to DOE. 

Results/Lessons Learned

The key recommendations resulting from the community input are that there is a need to support a long-term research program that leverages DOE facilities and builds a network of experts and capabilities that can be readily pivoted to address the emergence of disease in bioenergy crops.  High-level research priorities include: 1) improve our detailed molecular-level understanding of bioenergy crop/vector/pathogen interaction pathways and evolution; 2) study how genetic modifications that improve energy yield impact plant susceptibility to disease; 3) engineer bioenergy crops to induce production of resistance factors in response to infection.