Browsing by Author "Jakins, A"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

Field evaluation of selected introgression clones for their resistance to root-knot nematodes : ASSCT peer-reviewed paper
(ASSCT, 2019) Bhuiyan, SA; Piperidis, G; Hu, F; Parfitt, R; Garlick, K; Quinn, B; Jakins, A
Sugarcane nematodes, root-knot (RKN) and root-lesion (RLN), cause an estimated loss of over $80 million per year to the Australian sugar industry. In particular, RKN is a major problem if sugarcane is planted in sandy soil. No effective control method is available for sugarcane nematodes in Australia. Crop rotation and fallowing provide only short-term control and nematode populations usually bounce back within 12 months after these control methods. The use of nematicides is restricted due to inconsistent results, difficulty in application and the highly toxic nature of the chemicals to humans and the environment. No commercial cultivars are resistant to sugarcane nematodes. Recent glasshouse trials in Australia suggested that clones from introgression populations, originating from crossing between commercial canes and Saccharum spontaneum or Erianthus arundinaceus, possessed good resistance to root knot nematodes. Field trials were established to determine the reliability of glasshouse resistance-screening results. Eight introgression clones that showed resistance to RKN in glasshouse trials were evaluated in a field in Wallaville, north of Childers. Test clones were planted in plots with high and low nematode populations and maintained up to the second ratoon crop. Trial plots were assessed for nematodes each year 6 weeks after planting and ratooning. Three years of results showed that 7 of 8 introgression clones consistently maintained low numbers of RKN until the end of the trial period, and significantly (P
Incidence and economic effects of ratoon stunting disease on the Queensland sugarcane industry : ASSCT peer-reviewed paper
(ASSCT, 2021) Magarey, RC; McHardie, R; Hession, M; Cripps, G; Burgess, D; Spannagle, B; Sutherland, P; Di Bella, L; Milla, R; Millar, F; Schembri, A; Baxter, D; Hetherington, M; Turner, M; Jakins, A; Quinn, B; Kalkhoran, SS; Gibbs, L; Ngo, C
Ratoon stunting disease (RSD) has had a significant influence on productivity and profitability in the Australian sugarcane industry for at least the last 76 years. There have been few attempts to objectively quantify the incidence and economic influence of the disease across the industry. Most Cane Productivity Service (CPS) groups routinely monitor RSD in plant sources and, in some cases, in commercial crops. Surveys by 12 Queensland CPSs were conducted in 2017- 2020 with sampling of different proportions of commercial crops (5-25% of farms) in each region. The latest molecular technology was adopted to assay samples. RSD incidence varied between 0 and 60% in commercial crops and 0 and 41% in plant source inspections. The data suggest that implementation of the three pillars of RSD management (disease-free seed-cane, equipment sanitation and planting into fallow ground devoid of volunteers) were essential to minimise RSD incidence. Failure to adequately address any one of these pillars often compromised RSD management. An economic analysis suggested that RSD led to an annual loss of $25m in the study areas in the 2019 crop. This is significant, but it is unlikely to be the largest single disease constraint on productivity.
Strategies to limit the impact of nematode pressure on sugarcane productivity in the Isis : final report 2013/071
(BSES, 2015) Jakins, A; Quinn, B; Halpin, N; Ginns, S
Two trials were done in this project. One was a continuation of work started under a previous GRDC/SRDC-funded activity, 'Strategies to improve the integration of legumes into cane based farming systems'. This trial aimed to assess the impact of trash and tillage management options and nematicide application on nematodes and crop performance. Methods and results are contained in the following publication: Halpin NV, Stirling GR, Rehbein WE, Quinn B, Jakins A, Ginns SP. The impact of trash and tillage management options and nematicide application on crop performance and plant-parasitic nematode populations in a sugarcane/peanut farming system. Proc. Aust. Soc. Sugar Cane Technol. 37, 192-203. Nematicide application in the plant crop significantly reduced total numbers of plant parasitic nematodes (PPN) but there was no impact on yield. Application of nematicide to the ratoon crop significantly reduced sugar yield. The study confirmed other work demonstrating that implementation of strategies like reduced tillage reduced populations of total PPN, suggesting that the soil was more suppressive to PPN in those treatments. The second trial, a variety trial, demonstrated the limited value of nematicide application in sugarcane farming systems. This study has highlighted that growers shouldn’t view nematicides as a ‘cure all’ for paddocks that have historically had high PPN numbers. Nematicides have high mammalian toxicity, have the potential to contaminate ground water (Kookana et al. 1995) and are costly. The cost of nematicide used in R1 was approx. $320 - $350/ha, adding $3.50/t of cane in a 100 t/ha crop. Also, our study demonstrated that a single nematicide treatment at the application rate registered for sugarcane is not very effective in reducing populations of nematode pests. There appears to be some levels of resistance to nematodes within the current suite of varieties available to the southern canelands. For example the soil in plots that were growing Q183 had 560% more root knot nematodes / 200mL soil compared to plots that grew Q245. The authors see great value in investment into a nematode screening program that could rate varieties into groups of susceptibility to both major sugarcane nematode pests. Such a rating could then be built into a decision support ‘tree’ or tool to better enable producers to select varieties on a paddock by paddock basis.