The Vidalia onion is a trademarked variety of sweet onion that can only be grown in several counties in Georgia by law. Now, these vegetables are threatened by the bacterial pathogen Pantoea ananatis. This severely damages the plant by rotting the onion bulbs and leaves, resulting in substantial losses for onion growers in Georgia, No disease resistant cultivars are available at this time.
The plant toxin pantaphos, produced by the P. ananatis pathogen, causes the rotting symptoms in onions. More specifically, the eleven genes responsible for producing this toxin are grouped together in a cluster called HiVir (high virulence).
To combat this critical plant disease, Dr. Brian Kvikto and Dr. Bhabesh Dutta from the University of Georgia have developed an aggressive research program. A recent study led by Dr. Gi Yoon Shin from Dr. Kvikto's lab has confirmed which genes in the HiVir cluster are essential and which genes contribute partially to this disease.
Source: phys.org