Rishi R. Burlakoti, PhD

Franklin, M.T., Uriel, Y., Gibson, M., Mitchell, T., Telford, G., Burlakoti, R., Marshall, V., Ensing, D., Moffat, C., and M. Sharifi. 2023. Identification of insect pest threats and plant communities associated with culturally significant berries on the Seabird Island lands. Project Report 2021-2022.

Burlakoti RR, Novinscak A, and Sharifi M. 2023. Understanding the diseases of key native berry crops-steps toward revitalization. Poster Presented at Seabird Island Band open house in Seabird on August 31, 2023.

Root rot and wilting complex (RRWC), primarily caused by several Phytophthora rubi, is an economically important disease of red raspberry in British Columbia. Reliable, rapid, and efficient screening methods are lacking for screening raspberry genotypes in raspberrybreeding programmes. The objective of this study was to compare intact plant root inoculation (IPRI) and detached tissue assays to develop rapid and efficient screening technique for conducting pathological trials and screening raspberry genotypes to RRWC. We compared four IPRI assays, two detached tissue assays and one intact plant stem inoculation (IPSI) assay. A virulent isolate of P. rubi was inoculated in cultivars ‘Chemainus’ and ‘Cascade Bounty’. Experiments were arranged in completely randomized design with three replications in each experiment. For IPRI assays, days to first symptoms development (DFSD), plant wilt progress, and root assessment were recorded. For detached tissue and IPSI assays, DFSD and lesion size were assessed. In susceptible cultivar ‘Chemainus’, all four IPRI assays were found effective assays. DFSD and plant wilt progress were similar among assays. However, variation was observed among four assays in resistant cultivar ‘Cascade Bounty’. Among the detached stem assays, node inoculation method performed better than other methods. Detached stem assays are useful for rapid pathogenicity test of P. rubi, whereas WPRI assays are better for screening germplasms for disease resistance.

Novinscak, A., Burlakoti, R. R., Gill, S. and Slyadnev, M. N. 2022. Comparison of real-time PCR detection systems using naturally infected Botrytis cinerea berry samples. British Columbia regional meeting, 2021/Réunion régionale de la Colombie-Britannique, 2021, Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology (Abstr.) Page 4. DOI: 10.1080/07060661.2022.2102280.

Sapkota S. and Burlakoti R. R., Lubbert, M., Lamour K., and Punja Z. 2022. Molecular characterization of Phytophthora species associated with raspberry. Annual Symposium of Professional Pest Management Society of BC (Virtual), February 24-25, 2022

Burlakoti R. R. 2021. Update on Development of Decision Support Tools in Berry Crops. BC Berries Research Review Meeting October 21- 22, 2021

Sapkota S. and Burlakoti R. R., Dossett, M., and Punja Z. 2021. Development of effective methods for pathogenicity and screening of Phytophthora spp. on red raspberry seedlings. BC Regional Annual Meeting of Canadian Phytopathological Society (Virtual), November 9-10, 2021.

Burlakoti R. R., Sapkota S. 2021. Recent Progress in Pathogen Characterization and Development of Disease Screening Protocols for Blueberry and Raspberry Selections. BC Berries Research Review Meeting October 21- 22, 2021.

Sapkota S. and Burlakoti R. R. 2022. Metalaxyl sensitivity of Phytophthora spp. associated with red raspberry in British Columbia. Tri-Society Virtual Conference: Canadian Phytopathological Society, Canadian Society for Horticultural Science, Canadian Society of Agronomy, 2021. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology (Abstr.) Page 29, DOI: 10.1080/07060661.2021.2009254.