Specifications include, but are not limited to: 1. Continuing ongoing efforts to aquire, grow, and screen ʻōhiʻa clones/families for ROD resistance in greenhouse inoculation studies, with goals to test plant material from seed zones across the state. 2. Improving ʻōhiʻa clonal and seedling propagation methods to lessen the time window needed to produce plants for resistance screening and conservation out-planting. 3. Developing disease screening techniques that are consistent, accurate, and efficient. 4. Propagating ‘ōhi‘ā survivor trees on Hawai‘i island from forests heavily impacted by ROD via cuttings and seeds and inoculating resulting plants with the virulent ROD pathogen, C. lukuohia, to determine levels of ROD resistance. 5. Propagating Metrosideros taxa yet to be naturally infected with ROD in the wild from the Hawaii Seed Banking Partnership seed accessions, and screening resulting plants to assess susceptibility (or resistance) of these varieties and species. 6. Identifying the biochemical profile of ROD-resistant ‘ōhi‘a and developing remote sensing technologies to detect resistant ‘ōhi‘a in the field. 7. Identifying the potential mechanisms of disease resistance for development of biomarkers (chemical/structural) that can aid in selection of superior germplasm. 8. Establishing long-term ‘ōhi‘a common gardens/seed orchards for perservation of germplasm and future propagation material. 9. Establishing field trials to determine long-term resistance and growth forms of highly resistant ‘ōhi‘a clones/families from prior greenhouse screening trials. 10. Improving greenhouse infrastructure to facilitate expansion of ‘ōhi‘a growth and resistance screening capacity. 11. Screening for and identifying ROD resistance in commerially available ‘ōhi‘a clones used in the urban landsape.
