APPENDIX A

STATEMENT OF TASK

At the request of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will convene an ad hoc committee to provide guidance on grapevine disease research to the CDFA Pierce’s Disease/Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter (PD/GWSS) Board. The committee will carry out three interrelated activities.

Activity 1: Review of Proposals Submitted to CDFA PD/GWSS Board

The committee will evaluate research proposals submitted to the PD/GWSS Board in response to a Request for Proposals (RFP). Specifically, the committee will evaluate research proposals on the grapevine red blotch virus (GRBV) and the grapevine leafroll associated virus type-3 (GLRaV-3), their insect vectors, and the diseases they are associated with, using the proposal evaluation and selection criteria developed by the PD/GWSS. The committee will prepare a brief document that describes the proposal evaluation process and a list of projects recommended by the committee for funding, for the board’s consideration. A non-public appendix will contain detailed evaluations of individual proposals.

Activity 2: Critique of CDFA PD/GWSS Board’s Request for Proposals (RFP) and Proposal Selection Process

The committee will provide a review of and recommendations for improving the PD/GWSS Board’s RFP and its proposal evaluation and selection process.

Activity 3: Review of Current Knowledge on Grapevine Viruses, GRBV and GLRaV-3 Research Outcomes/Gaps and Future Research Approach

The committee will review the state of knowledge about the grapevine red blotch virus (GRBV) and grapevine leafroll associated virus type 3 (GLRaV-3) and the management of diseases they are associated with and develop guidance to the PD/GWSS Board in its efforts to support research that leads to a reduction in the spread of GRBV- and GLRaV-3-associated diseases and their economic impacts.

The committee will examine the scientific literature and gather information from experts, plant health practitioners, and grape growers. The committee will explore recent and current research activities on GRBV and GLRaV3 and their insect vectors that are funded by the CDFA PD/GWSS Board.

In its review, the committee will identify the following as they relate to GRBV and GLRaV-3:

1. The most significant knowledge gaps in the current understanding of grapevine red blotch disease and grapevine leafroll disease epidemiology;
2. Research areas where significant progress has been/has not been achieved;
3. Research areas that may yield the most promising short- and long-term management solutions;

4. New genetic tools and research platforms that could be used to study grapevine viruses;
5. Opportunities for collaborative research that could accelerate progress in finding grapevine disease management solutions;
6. Other viral pathogen systems (animal and human) that could provide insights or additional research directions; and
7. Opportunities to improve the current CDFA PD/GWSS Board’s research review and funding process, and opportunities to draw from a wider range of researchers across various disciplines and fund a wider range of national researchers.

The committee will prepare a consensus report with conclusions from its review, describing what is currently known about GRBV and GLRaV-3; what knowledge is needed to improve management of the diseases caused by these viruses; and the committee’s recommendations with respect to a viable approach for supporting research on grapevine viruses.